The benefits of strength training

I truly believe that strength training is the best form of exercise for living a quality life.

While individuals who’ve been more involved with cardio exercise, such as running or biking for most of their lives tend to have greater longevity than most, stronger people seem to break down less with age.

Naturally, there are exceptions, but maintaining muscle mass as we age is crucial to maintaining our mobility and living a high quality of life.

Here is a brief list of other benefits of strength training…

Increased Metabolism

One of the most important benefits of lifting weights is that you will turn your body into a fat burning machine through building muscle.

Lean muscle mass burns more calories throughout the day.

Therefore, while you burn calories during your workout itself, you’ll continue to burn more calories throughout the day since muscle requires more energy to maintain.

What is particularly beneficial is that you’ll lose more deep belly fat, the fat that surrounds your organs around your belly, than you would if you just did cardio.

As a result, you’ll gain a significant health benefit, as those fatty deposits around your organs can impede their function.

Improved Strength

Naturally, if you lift weights regularly, you are going to gain strength.  Increased strength will benefit you in your everyday activities, such as carrying groceries, moving furniture, doing yard work, etc.

If you participate in any type of sport, improved strength will also be of benefit.

A recent example is professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau.  DeChambeau added over 40 pounds of muscle mass a couple years ago.

As a result of his strength training, he was able to increase his maximum swing speed from about 119 mph to over 130 mph.

This enabled him to not only become one of the longest hitters in professional golf, but in all of the world. He finished second in the World Long Drive Championships in 2022, a remarkable feat for a tour pro.

Improved Mobility

Lifting weights, particularly with movements involving compound exercises, will also improve your overall mobility.

Compound movements such as the squat and dead lift incorporate a number of muscle groups, along with the tendons and ligaments that provide support to those muscle groups.

As a result, you gain improved mobility as a result of these lifts, which is clearly beneficial as we age.

This improved mobility will help us get around the house and yard, and in public, and this helps us lead a more healthy lifestyle.

Have a look at this photo of Florence in Italy.

I was only able to get this photo by climbing about 500 steps to get to the top of the Duomo di Firenze, the tallest structure in the city.

Many people my age would be unable to make that climb due to lack of strength and mobility.

Improved Bone Density

Lifting weights will help improve or at least maintain your bone density.

As we age, we tend to lose bone density and this is what leads to easy fractures due to falls.  Women in particular are at risk.

At an advanced age, a fall that breaks a hip is often a sign that significant issues will be coming down the road.  It’s not uncommon for life expectancy to be reduced significantly after such an injury.

Strongman Brian Shaw is an extreme example of the improved bone density resulting from lifting weights.

He lifts very heavy things for a living.  As a result, when he went in for a Dexascan in 2021, the technicians told him his bone density was the highest they had ever measured.

Improved heart health

Cardio exercise is not the only form of exercise that will improve your heart condition.  Another one of the important benefits of strength training is improved heart health.

In one study performed at Appalachian State University, people who performed 45 minutes of moderate strength training lowered their blood pressure by 20 points.

That’s better than most blood pressure medications!

I can tell you from experience that at points during my strength training sessions, my heart rate is right up there with any cardio exercise I do!

You’ll look and feel better

Who do you think looks more attractive… the marathon runner who does nothing but run long distance, or the sprinter, who incorporates lifting weights into their training program?

Opinions vary, but I would venture to guess that most people would find that the sprinter has a more appealing physique due to the muscle mass and tone.

Have a look at these before and after pics of former marathoner Ryan Hall.

Trust me when I also say you’ll feel a lot more healthy when you regularly lift weights (aside from the normal muscle soreness associated with training hard) than if you don’t!

Improved confidence

Lifting weights improves your confidence in a couple of ways.

First, after consistent training for a bit, your physique will improve.  Looking better in the mirror is a natural confidence boost.

The improved strength and mobility that comes along with lifting weights will also boost your confidence.

When you are able to perform everyday activities and your favorite activities at a higher level, you’ll naturally feel better about yourself, and that improved confidence will show up in your relationships and at work.

Final thoughts on the benefits of strength training

I’ve really only scratched the surface with this list of the benefits of strength training.

As I mentioned, I truly believe it is the best form of exercise to gain control of your overall health.

And, it is a form of exercise even people at an advanced age can start.

If you want to have the opportunity to live a high quality of life at an advanced age, or you are younger and want to live a healthier lifestyle, get started with strength training.

You’ll thank me later!