Too often thin is mistaken for fit, and that's not what you should strive for. When someone is thin, but has very little muscle tissue, they aren't truly fit.
Here’s why thin doesn’t equal fit:
- Their body fat percentage will be higher than ideal—even though you won't see a lot of fat on them, if their muscle percentage is low then their fat percentage will be higher.
- Their resting metabolism will be low, since little muscle is present to burn calories at rest.
- Their body won't be functionally strong, which will lead to injuries and frustrations.
So how does one get truly fit? It’s this simple: Strength Training.
9 Benefits of Strength Training
There used to be a time when very few adults included strength training in their fitness routine. It was thought of as extreme, unnecessary and even dangerous.
Strength training is when resistance is used to challenge your muscles in order to gain strength and endurance. It can be performed with traditional weights, exercise bands, medicine balls, cable machines, sandbags, kettle bells or even just using your own body weight.
Times have certainly changed as a multitude of strength training benefits were proven by experts, including:
- Strength and muscle tone
- Cardiovascular capacity
- Speed, Agility and Flexibility
- Resistance to injury and disease
If that’s not enough to convince you to include regular strength training in your fitness routine, then read on for 9 Benefits of Strength Training…
- Strength Training Builds Muscles: Don’t worry, ladies. This does NOT mean that you’re going to ‘bulk up’ or look too masculine. What will happen is that your arms, tummy and legs will become tighter, leaner and more defined.
- Strength Training Burns Fat: When it comes to losing size, all that you want to see disappear is fat, not muscle. Strength training ensures that you maintain and grow those muscles and only lose fat.
- Strength Training Builds Strong Bones: The older we get, the more important our bone density is. A good strength training program is one of your best defenses against osteoporosis.
- Strength Training Alleviates Anxiety, Stress and Depression: Sure, there are plenty of pills out there that claim to give these benefits, but you and I both know that strength training is more wholesome and effective way. And besides, who really wants pharmaceutical side effects?
- Strength Training Promotes Better Sleep: Here’s another pill you can stop taking once you start strength training. Study after study have proven that strength training improves sleep.
- Strength Training Can Relieve Chronic Back Pain: If you are one of the millions across the globe who suffer from back pain then you’ll love the benefit of reduced pain.
- Strength Training Contributes to Insulin Sensitivity: Today diabetes is a huge threat. Minimize your risk by improving insulin sensitivity through regular, challenging strength training.
- Strength Training Improves Good to Bad Cholesterol Ratio: Here is yet another pill that you could potentially stop taking while on a strength training routine. Blood pressure and heart health are of utmost concern, so why not give yourself the advantage of a strength training routine?
- Strength Training Raises Metabolism: This helps to reduce body fat and to keep that body fat off, even on the days that you aren’t able to exercise. Pretty awesome, right?
A solid strength training routine will tone your legs, lift your buns, strengthen your core, and will result in inches and pounds lost.
If you need help setting up your nutrition plan, incorporating Icon Meals will help take you to that next level.
For more lifestyle and training philosophy, or nutrition tips, check out www.mikeohearn.com
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- The Titan Mike O’Hearn, 4x Mr. Universe