Muscular Strength and Endurance

Benefits of Strength Training

Many benefits are the result of maintaining a strength training program. Some of which include an increase in muscle mass, improved self-image or appearance, weight loss, and a lessened risk for injury.

By taking part in strength training, you can benefit from all of these factors and many more!

If you Strength Train you will…

Improve your balance. Taking part in muscular training will provide you with more balance and overall stability.

Decrease your risk for injury. As stated above, working out will give you balance and will also acclimate your body to physical activity providing you with more physical awareness.

Be stronger! Lifting weights and strength training will increase your strength and give your muscles more mass.

If you don’t Strength Train you will…

Have difficulty with everyday tasks such a lifting items around the house.

Suffer from a decrease in bone density at an old age leaving you at risk with injury and other diseases.

Suffer from weak muscles that become dormant from no exercise.

Questions About Strength Training

Some question you may have about strength training are:

Are free weights better than working on weight training machines?

Should I do cardio and strength training on the same day?

Will stretching before a workout decrease my chances for injury?

Is it bad to do sit-ups with my hands behind my head?

Does core work mean doing a lot of abdominal crunches?

Are Free Weights Better than Working on Weigh Training Machines?

There are many factors that support both sides of this argument. By using free weights, you will benefit from other things such as increasing your balance, your body’s range of motion, and the freedom to attack any muscle groups you desire.(pg. 240)

By using weight machines, you benefit from things such as, having a safer workout, assistance with learning new exercise motions, and saving time in your workout.(pg. 240)

Answer

Although each category has its ups and downs, no method has proved to be better than the other.

Depending on the individual, a person may see better results using either free weights or machinery.

Both of these methods provide great success, but due to the extra physical benefits, using free weights is recommended to those who have prior strength training experience. (pg. 240)

Should I do cardio and weight training on the same day?

Answer

NO.

Cardio and weight training do not go hand-in-hand.

Cardio works your body in a way that causes you to lose weight, whereas in weight training your body is working to make your muscles stronger by adding muscle mass.

Doing both of these on the same day will essentially cancel each other out.

Will stretching before a workout decrease my chances for injury?

Answer

Stretching before a workout will not decrease your chances of injury.

Studies actually prove that the best time to stretch is after a workout.(pg. 282)

Although this is the case, a few minor stretches have been known to enhance performance ability.

Is it bad to do sit-ups with your hands behind your head?

Answer

Absolutely. Doing sit-ups with your hands behind your head does not isolate the abdomen as the target muscle which is exactly what you want when performing the exercise.

This causes your body to bend at the core which lessens the affect of the workout and makes the process of doing sit-ups easier.

Placing your hands on your temples or even crossing them over your chest are the best ways to perform the exercise.

Does core work mean doing a lot of abdominal crunches?

Answer

No. there are many other exercises that effect the core of your body other than just crunches, and any other abdominal exercises for that matter.

Although crunches are a great exercise to strengthen the core, they won’t effect all areas of the core.

There are many other upper and lower body lifts that effect the core and some are even necessary to strengthen certain parts of the core.(pg. 244)

Call to Action

These are only some of the main questions that people have who want to develop the best possible strength training program. Some other places to find information like this are

Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness textbook.

American College of Sports Medicine website

Other various fitness books and websites.

Credit

Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness, Twelfth Edition, Werner W. K. Hoeger, Sharon A. Hoeger, pages 240, 282

All photo credit goes to Flickr