Benefits of Strength Training
Strength training, also known as resistance training, goes from using your own bodyweight to lifting heavyweights in the gym. It’s basically any workout that requires you to use resistance, like dumbells and ropes, and exerts more effort than your usual capacity. However, a lot of people only view resistance training as something people do to bulk up on muscles. While a lot of people use strength training to gain lean muscle mass, it also aids in your overall health and fitness.
Increased Metabolic Rate
A lot of people think that cardio training is always a better option if you want to shed some calories. While this is true, strength training is proved to burn more calories when large muscle groups are used and are pushed to its limits. While this happens, you increase your metabolic rate and burn calories even while at rest.
Improved Mental Health
Aside from the fact that a better body is equal to better self-esteem, strength training also improves mental health through the release of endorphins after a workout session. This results in a trigger positive feeling which helps you feel good about yourself. Moreover, it boosts your confidence and makes you feel better generally because of improved blood circulation and oxygenation to the brain.
Increased Muscle Mass
For the majority of the people who go to the gym, their main purpose is to gain muscles and look better in general. This is one of the major advantages of strength training. Your muscles undergo different processes, one of which is called hypertrophy. For starters, your brain signals to activate your muscle fibers to contract. If done regularly, the nervous system sends responses to increase protein synthesis, which then results in muscle cells. Moreover, as we push ourselves more, we damage our internal muscle fibers. This damage signals our brain to repair the damages and therefore resulting in further muscle growth.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity
It is known that insulin resistance is equivalent to diabetes type 2, which means your body does not respond to the insulin effectively, therefore shooting up your blood glucose. This can be a long-term problem if not prevented. One way to save yourself from the hassle of monitoring your sugar daily is to dive into strength training and let your body use up your stored glucose naturally.