By Team PowerMax / 30 Jul 2024
There is a preconceived notion about resistance training. People are very conscious of their body and they think resistance training will make them gain weight or famously called “bulk up” their bodies. But what is Resistance Training?!
Resistance training, also known as weight training, involves exercises that improve your strength and endurance. This type of training uses weights or resistance to challenge your muscles. You need to also know the difference between weight training and free weight training.
As people are conscious about gaining weight, generally regular exercisers concentrate on cardio activities like running and jogging rather than weight training. Regardless of what you might have heard or read, adhering to this belief could hinder your accomplishments in fitness and health aspects, and might even have long term impacts on one’s health negatively. Without a doubt, resistance training has the potential to stop you from gaining any extra weight or improve your body’s makeup, subsequently offering long-term effects. A lot of people (mainly women) fear that they will become muscular and look too “manly” or bulked up if they lift weights.
Therefore, below are the reasons why it’s essential for one to include weight training in one’s exercises for the attainment of health aims.
Caloric burn calorie expenditure or energy expenditure is the amount of energy an individual's body needs in order to maintain its basic metabolism. It can be related to body temperature, growth or physical activity. The increased calorie burning that comes with resistance training can be attributed to both the immediate impact of exercise and long-term changes related to increased muscle size. During an actual session of resistance training, only a small quantity of calories will be burnt; however, this effect lasts beyond the actual workout period itself. Research indicates that one can still burn more after a workout days after it has ended.
For instance, It was found in a research that a solitary resistance-training encounter led to as much as a 5% increase in energy usage while at rest and this increase lasted for two days after the training session. Similarly, long-term resistance exercising has been shown to raise resting metabolism rates by around 7% among both younger and older citizens. With addition in the post-workout benefits, the increase in the muscle mass from resistance training boosts the metabolism rate as muscle mass requires more energy for tissue maintenance. So, it is evident that resistance training can lead to increased calorie burning throughout the day and as a result aid in weight reduction, whether you’re busy at work or just lounging on the sofa. It would not result in gaining weight.
Body composition refers to the proportion of fat and fat-free mass in your body.
Fat-free mass includes muscles, bones, and organs. It shows the balance between fat and other vital components. Individuals with optimal body composition are typically healthier, move more easily and efficiently, and generally feel better. Physical inactivity, poor diet, aging, and many chronic diseases can result in losses in muscle mass and bone along with gains in fat mass.
These changes can be stopped or even reversed with resistance training, which results in greater muscle size, enhanced preservation of bone mineral density or increase, and loss of fat. For this reason, it may be more beneficial to look at changes in body composition over time than just monitoring body weight since it can remain constant while muscle mass increases with decrease of fat. So if you feel worried about weight gain, then you do not have to think twice before starting resistance training.
For Example: A 26-week resistance-training program in older adults has been reported by researchers as having resulted in the following: a reduction of 6.8 pounds of fat mass and an increase of 4.4 pounds of fat-free mass, but no change in body weight whatsoever.
The research also shows how one need not really fear “bulking up” or gaining weight. This is a situation that does not occur unless someone is purposely training, eating, and taking supplements with the intention of increasing their muscle mass and gaining much weight. However, resistance training can help reshape your body by increasing muscle and reducing fat percentage with consequent weight loss in order to attain physical fitness via muscle definition and healthy weight maintenance over time.
Regularly conducting resistance exercises is bound to increase strength in both the young adults as well as the elderly. Even with low intensity resistance training, positive changes can be observed; however, if more effort is put into it, more strength gains will be noted. As people age, losing muscle strength can lead to reduced physical abilities. This decline can slow walking speed, increase the risk of falls, and result in a loss of independence. It may also lead to more hospital visits and a decrease in overall life satisfaction. Because maximum strength peaks around the age of 30, and begins to decline around 50 years of age, resistance training is an essential part of a comprehensive fitness program at any age to preserve and enhance strength and physical function.
Resistance training doesn't just give you toned muscles. It also offers other health benefits like better digestion, increased endurance, and improved balance. However, it is important to highlight that weight loss should not be the only reason for engaging in resistance exercise. When begun early enough and maintained consistently over the years, these exercises can serve as a remedy for allergies related to food consumption. ((Studies have shown that regular exercise can enhance the body's immune response, making it more efficient at warding off pathogens. This improved immune function could potentially play a role in reducing the severity of allergic reactions.)
Although the evidence suggests that more physical activity can help with weight loss and maintenance, too much exercise can hinder fat loss. This is because excessive training increases cortisol levels, which can lead to overeating and gaining weight, especially around the abdomen.
A common challenge for children and healthcare practitioners dealing with them is the incorrect belief that all types of resistance training cause injuries to growth plates. However, when done properly and suited to a child's development, resistance training is safe and helps with neural development, weight loss, and body composition improvements in children and young adults.
We have compiled a list of bodybuilding tips after having done our fair share of research and with the help of expert guidance.
Research suggests that resistance training carries a similar injury risk to other sports young adults participate in. It doesn't significantly increase injury chances. Additionally, teaching proper lifting techniques, can minimize the risk of injury during resistance training.
A common myth is that fat can turn into muscle, but this isn't possible. Muscle is made of protein fibers, while fat is made of triglycerides, which are different substances. Due to their distinct chemical compositions, fat and muscle cannot be converted into each other.
An all-inclusive fitness program must have weight training as one of its main components. Regardless of whether one’s goals include improved weight or body composition, increased strength and function, or better overall health; resistance training remains a crucial means of achieving them. However, if you are totally new to resistance training begin with lower loads before progressing slowly over time.
