Strength training (also known as resistance training or weightlifting) is the process of progressively overloading the skeletal muscles of the body, so that the muscle fibres get stronger and more efficient.
There are two massive benefits to strength training:
- The process of repairing and growing muscle fibres takes a huge amount of energy, and the best part is that the process continues for up to a week after the strength session – and you are burning energy (in the form of calories) the whole time – even when you are sleeping! No other form of exercise can do anything like this.
- Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate – or your metabolism at rest) is most affected by the amount of lean muscle tissue you have. If you lose weight without strength training you will lose muscle tissue, so your metabolism slows down and you will find it hard to maintain. Conversely, keep or even increase your lean muscle tissue and you will find it much easier to burn off the fat, and keep it off.
As we exercise the muscles they contract and shorten, so they need to be stretched out again. All our strength sessions include specific muscle stretches throughout and a full body stretch to conclude, so that we not only get very strong but also flexible too!
It’s important to note that you won’t get big and bulky like a bodybuilder… unless of course you want to! Bodybuilding is a sport, and how the muscles are trained, the exercises used, and very importantly the nutrition is a lot different.
