Strength Training
Who Should Strength Train?
Everyone! People of all ages and all athletic backgrounds can gain something from the vast number of benefits strength training offers.
Why Should You Strength Train?
-
Improved muscular fitness
-
Improved heart health
-
Improved bone and joint health
-
Improved mental health
-
Enhanced quality of life
-
Manage weight
-
Reduced risk of injury and falls
How Do I Get Started?
​It is important to start slow and ease into it. It is not uncommon for people to start strength training by pushing themselves as hard as possible which can lead to injury or burnout. This ultimately discourages people from returning. Having small goals is also important as it keeps your progression accountable as well as it being amazing for motivation. One easy way to start would be to sign up for one of the many beginner friendly classes that gyms offer. If gyms are too overwhelming for you, you can always start at home with body weight exercises such as pushups, pullups, planks, and squats.
Common Mistakes to Strength Training
-
Using weights that are too heavy
-
​When first starting out, it can be tempting to pick up the heaviest weights possible. This can lead to injury as you have not yet mastered the technique. Focusing on understanding and learning the movements is vital for longevity.
-
-
Not training all your muscles
-
More often than not, people tend to neglect parts of their body when training. Most commonly, beginners forget to train the muscles on the back side of the body as you can’t see them. Avoiding this mistake is important as you do not want to create imbalances within the body.
-
-
Progressing too fast or not progressing at all.
-
It is extremely important to incorporate progressive overload which is essentially doing more than what you did last session. When trying to progress, there are multiple ways you can do that. This doesn't just come in the form of increasing the weight, but you can also increase the repetitions or improve your technique. When people try to increase their weight too rapidly before mastering the technique, it can lead to injury.
-