The Importance of Strength & Conditioning Training
Having good core and body strength as well as balance and stability are essential for both men and women. Strength training (also known as 'resistance training') is where you continuously challenge your muscles. It will help you build strong muscles, tone and re-shape your body, reduce the chance of injury, improve muscle fatigue as well as improve muscle endurance.
Incorporating resistance training into your program two to three times a week will also increase your lean body mass which will then increase your metabolic rate, so you'll burn more fat when you’re not exercising. This leads to weight loss, shape change, and achieving real results.
Did you know that, at rest, a kilo of muscle will burn 50-100 calories per day whereas a kilo of fat will burn only five to seven calories a day?
Women especially tend to avoid strength/resistance training due to the misconception they would get bulky when lifting weights when in fact, for a body to bulk up, testosterone has to be present. Both women and men have testosterone in their bodies; however, women have far less than men, hence the reason it is much more difficult for women to bulk up. Yes, while it is possible, it takes countless hours of heavy training each day and a lot of supplementation for women to gain bulky muscle mass.
Why should you do strength and conditioning training?
- Increases fat burning
- Increases your metabolic rate and burns more calories
- Increases and restores bone density to help fight osteoporosis
- Increases lean muscle mass (women won't bulk up)
- You will change shape and tone up
- Helps prevent injury by strengthening your muscles and tendons
- Improves your balance
- Reduces the rate of heart disease
- Helps in rehabilitation and recovery
- Helps you gain confidence and satisfaction from a toner, leaner body
- A lower fat body mass means a healthier, happier and a more fabulous you!
What are some strength training exercises you can try?
The best strength and conditioning exercises you can do are compound exercises. These exercises are multi-joint movements that work for several muscles or muscle groups at once. For example, squats engage lower body muscles such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes, back and core.
Compare that to isolation exercises which only work for one muscle or muscle group at a time. Isolation exercises are frequently used for rehab, or to correct specific muscle weaknesses.
Compound exercises include:
- Lunges
- Deadlifts
- Push Ups
- Shoulder Presses
- Pull-Ups
- Weight Training
If you need the proper equipment to utilise these workouts, Powertrain has a wide array of weights and dumbbells to help you further with your strength and conditioning training. Working out will never be boring again, so with our help, you can get fit, healthy & motivated!
In future posts, we’ll get into more detail about just what exercises to do, how to do them correctly, and what's right for your fitness level and body type.
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