By Vladimira Terzieva
Introduction
Health is created through good, wholesome nutrition, regular movement, and a balanced, nurturing lifestyle that includes a healthy relationship with our own being and those around us and enough sleep, rest and recovery time. With nationwide obesity rates on the rise - obesity has tripled since 1975, it is important o know how you can take control of your own wellbeing so that you can work with (and against!) your body towards a future of lasting health.
Resistance training develops muscular strength and endurance, muscle mass and power through resisted muscular contraction. These components of fitness are significant at every moment in our daily lives and are key considerations as we get older, to continue to live with energy and vitality. Resistance training includes any exercise where we push, pull, lift, throw or otherwise work with or against resistance. This can include free-weight equipment such as barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells, resistance machines, functional equipment like resistance bands, medicine balls, Bulgarian bags, tyres and sandbags, and various styles of bodyweight training, which can include the use of swiss balls, bosu balls, suspension, and freeform sliders. When the muscles are repeatedly trained to overcome resistance, they become stronger as a result.
Training Program Structure
A resistance training program will include a library of exercises to be performed in sequence. For any given exercise, a certain number of repetitions are performed for a certain number of sets, with a particular load or weight. An example would be three sets of twelve repetitions (3x12) of Bulgarian Split Squats with 5kg dumbbells held in each hand. Each set is followed by a short rest period of thirty seconds up to two to five minutes if your focus is on strength training. Your program should be tailored to your specific needs and should include a variety of workouts with a variety of different exercises to continually challenge the muscles and to force them to adapt. You are looking for progressive overload and enough resistance to tear muscle fibers and build new. This should be made in a safe manner by gradually increasing the complexity, weight or load, reps, sets, rest time, training systems etc in your training programme. Focus number one throughout the session should be on maintaining sound exercise technique and posture. Whilst using variables such a number of repetition and sets, intensity (weight or load) and rest time serve as a solid guideline to challenge you, ultimately your goal is to push yourself to the point where repetitions become difficult and energy has to be used to maintain proper form in the last couple of repetitions, whether that happens to be five or twenty. When a workout has been completed with sufficient effort the muscles worked will require up to two days to fully recover. It is common to feel some degree of muscle soreness after a challenging session. It is fine to exercise again in this time so long as sessions are complementary to each other and different muscle groups are targeted in different sessions. To ensure that you continue to progress consider altering workout frequency, training intensity, session duration and the types of exercises and movements used every six to eight weeks.
The Far-Reaching Benefits of Resistance Training
Whilst having noticed the frontline benefits of resistance training, they extend far beyond, including decreased risk of injury through improved joint function, higher bone mineral density, increased connective tissue strength (muscle, tendon and ligament), better balance, flexibility and mobility. With discipline it is an effective method to influence body composition, building and strengthening the muscles and toning the body through the reduction of body fat. Bigger, stronger and better conditioned muscles burn more calories at rest and during exercise. Burning more calories means burning more fat resulting in a leaner, more defined body when combined with adequate and balanced nutrition. Once you start your journey you can expect to experience greater energy, improved mood and libido, enhanced vitality and a marked improvement when performing your daily routines. Furthermore, regular participation in strength training exercises helps lower the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis, and heart conditions, and has been shown to be effective in the management of pain, including back pain, knee pain etc. It is evidently to say that an effective resistance training program performed safely and progressively can enrich your life and dramatically improve your sense of wellbeing.
Strength and Function
Resistance training has been demonstrated to reduce the occurrence of sarcopenia, which is the age-associated decrease of skeletal muscle mass. Decreases in strength with age are related to decreased mobility and functionality, the corollary being a high risk of falling in older people (1989). Falls of this kind can lead to injuries which have been identified as significant factors for mortality in the elderly (Fife et al., 1984). Studies have proven (1996) that specific improvements to muscular strength can enhance one’s health by reducing the risk of injuries and improvement of balance, coordination and agility.
Bone Mineral Density
As we age our bone mineral density decreases. It happens to some people faster than others, and can lead to osteoporosis (honeycombing of the internal bone structure) and a higher risk of fractures. Maintaining physical activity is fundamental as we age, so immobility or health problems resulting from injury can lead to a greater weakness. Resistance training has been shown to increase bone mineral density, and can therefore combat all of these issues.
A Strong Back Knows No Pain
Low back pain and spinal disorders are two of the most common reasons for lower performance in the workplace. Loss of lumbar strength is often the result of low back pain and dysfunction. Evidence suggests that lumbar extension exercises performed as part of a balanced training program can, over time, decrease low back and leg pain and increase low back strength. With the vast growth of the health and fitness industry, people begin to do repetitive exercises over and over again. This creates weaknesses in the low back, knees or ankles. The perfect back workout should include all muscle groups of the back: Lats, Upper and Lower Traps, Low Back / Erector
Spinae, Rotator Cuff, Teres Major.
Nutrition and Resistance Training
We should never underestimate the power of healthy, balanced nutrition, because it is of key importance when looking for optimal results from your training. This can be achieved through consuming an adequate number of calories, the correct balance of macronutrients and plentiful hydration. Each component of nutrition will assist your training, recovery and results. Sensible nutrition can yield wonderful results when using strength training, so choose to fuel your body with wholesome nutritious foods for effective sessions and lasting health.
Summary
Resistance training confirms to have various positive effects on health. Therefore, it can serve as a main source for improving the quality of life and athletic performance in various activities. It is beneficial for one’s training routine and identified as a dynamic way to challenge your body.
References
Baganga, R., Crisp, A., Oliveira, L., Pereira, A., Santos, G., Verlengia, R. (2018) Effects of Aerobic Training versus Resistance Training on Body Composition and Systemic Biochemical Parameters of Overweight or Obese Adults, Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 21(2), pp. 227
Bendall, M.J., Bassey, E.J. & Pearson, M.B. (1989) Factors affecting walking speed in elderly people, Age Aging, 18, pp. 327–332.
Fife, D., Baranik, J.I. & Chatterjee, M.S. (1984) Northeastern Ohio trauma study: II: Injury rates by age, sex, and cause, American Journal of Public Health, 74, pp. 473–478.
Miller, W.J., Sherman, W.M., & Ivy, J.L. (1984) Effect of strength training on glucose tolerance and postglucose insulin response, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 16, pp. 539–543.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2018) Health Risks of Being Overweight. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/health-risks-overweight (Accessed: 07.06.2018)
Pollock, M., Vincent, V. (1996) Resistance Training for Health. Washington, DC: President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
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