What’s the Point in Strength Training Anyway?
Strength training provides at least 3 types of benefits. Some of which are overlapping. Health benefits, Aesthetic benefits and performance benefits.
The health benefits are as follows:
- Injury prevention
- Lowers the risk of metabolic, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases
- Lower risk of cancer
- Lower risks of depression and anxiety
- Reduce the risk and severity of illness
The Aesthetic benefits are as follows:
- Look better naked
- Look better in clothes
- Younger looking skin
- Clearer skin
The performance benefits are:
- Run faster
- Jump higher
- Gain or lose weight
- Injury prevention
- Hit harder
All of the above are accomplished by:
- Increasing muscle mass
- Increasing bone density
- Improving force production and force transfer
- Improving hormone balance
- Improving stress management
- Decreasing body fat
- Improve cardiovascular function
- Improve metabolic health
How Often Should you Strength Train?
The average person should be strength training at least 2 times a week and up to 4 times a week. Some athletes, especially strength and physique athletes can be know to strength train 4-7 days a week and up to 2 times a day.
2 days a week can be enough for someone to get going and start benefitting both physically and mentally. In some cases you may start seeing some decent aesthetic benefits from strength training 2 days a week but it’s not very common.
3 days a week is usually the sweet spot for most. This is an adequate amount of strength training to hit all your health and aesthetic goals including some of the performance goals. It’s also not as imposing to the average persons busy schedule so they’re less likely to miss days and/or quit.
4 days a week is for someone who enjoys strength training and has no problem getting their workouts in. With this frequency you can expect to get all of the health benefits and aesthetic benefits and even a fairly high level of the performance benefits. You’ll also have to pay a bit more attention to what you’re doing on which days and making sure you’re getting adequate rest.
How to Get Started Strength Training
The best option, if you can afford it is to higher a personal trainer. They can help you figure out how often you should be strength training and what type of exercises you should focus on. It can be expensive up front but bcan save you a lot of time, money, and injury in the long run.
Of course not everyone can afford to hire a personal trainer to work with them one on one so the next best option is to work with one in the small group setting. Here at Chicago Strength in Motion we have a 6 member to 1 trainer ratio in our small group personal training programs. With this option you still get the professional guidance from a certified trainer but at a much lower cost.
Another way to lower cost and still benefit from the professional guidance of a personal trainer is to hire them as a coach and meet with them periodically. They can help you get started and set you up on a program. After that you meet with them every month or two to revise or adjust your program.
If working with a trainer is completely out of the question the next best thing is to join a gym and get as much free information as possible. This can be educational videos on YouTube or just free opportunities provided by your gym.
Conclusion
However you decide to go about it, start making strength training a priority. Do it between 2 and 4 times a week and do it consistently. Hire a trainer if possible so that you can learn how to strength train correctly. If you can’t learn as much as you can on your own. If you’d like our help click here and we’ll reach out to you shortly.