I get it, I get it. A lot of people looooove doing cardio. Whether it’s for fat loss, heart health, aesthetics, or just “fitness”, cardio is usually the go-to. Nothing wrong with doing cardio. However, if you want longevity, lifelong strength, healthy joints, body awareness, confidence and to be toned, consider resistance training. The benefits of resistance training are fairly close to infinite when performed correctly. Find a good coach to at least teach you the basics.
So many people chase getting lean or toned and just continue to smash cardio to pieces. They add more and more cardio in order to try to burn more and more calories. Doing more and more of the same will never get you to the goal you are working towards. Unfortunately it just doesn’t work that way. Adding in resistance training will help build muscle which is what gives the body that toned, lean look. If you do not build muscle then you won’t have that much muscle to help shine through to give you the look you are working for. I know it’s not all about aesthetics, but toned is a buzz word these days, soo…..
The best side effect of resistance training is you actually learn how to move (see I told you it isn’t all about aesthetics). This is very important because as a society we do not move extremely well or very often. Many of the movement patterns we develop lead us to chronic low back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain or even foot pain. Exercises such as the goblet squat, kettlebell swing and Turkish get-up do a great job of correcting many of the mobility issues we run into from a life of sitting. They build strength in all of those places that we tend to feel pain as we get older. These 3 movements can even help issues that often arise from repetitive impactful movements such as running every day or jumping while playing pickup basketball. If you take the time to balance out your body by doing the right moves with the right form, then you can continue to enjoy the activities that you love throughout your life. In turn, you can keep moving instead of being sidelined because of injury.
Aside from avoiding injuries and learning how to pick things up and put them down without jacking yourself up, resistance training actually will teach you body awareness. Why is body awareness important? So, when you trip, you won’t fall or you severely minimize the likelihood of falling. You’ll become more aware of when someone is walking up your heels or if you’re a habitual heel stepper, then you will most certainly decrease the frequency in which you are really spoiling someone’s day with a flat tire. You will become much more aware of your surroundings while not using your phone. But, let’s be honest here, I know you walk and stalk people on the gram and Facebook, so this benefit will be minimal at best. For those who have never played sports before, proper resistance training can make you feel athletic, like you know what you are doing with your body during everyday activities, such as playing catch or tag with your children.
To all of you parents out there, how great would it be to be able to carry all of the groceries inside in one trip, be able to pick your 4-year-old up without huffing and puffing, or putting your luggage in the overhead compartment without straining? The answer is, “amazing!” That’s how it would feel. You know how you can accomplish those things? By resistance training. All of these feats take strength to accomplish them. You won’t magically just have the strength without working towards it. Preferably 30 minutes of resistance training 2-3 times a week is ideal, but even once a week for 10 minutes is much better than doing nothing. Believe it or not, you can see strength gains by doing just that. Remember, find a coach and change your life for the better.
Resistance training gives you confidence like you’ve never had before. In no time you’ll be strutting around because you know the strength you have within. You know you are strong enough to get through any obstacle life throws in your path. You know what hard work can do for you and you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty. This is the true Power of Strength!