Benefits of strength training
Regular strength training brings a number of unquestionable benefits to our body. Apart from the obvious improvement of body shape by increasing muscle mass and burning the fatty tissue, strength training may be a remedy to certain civilisation diseases, which are the main cause of death in developed countries.
It improves the condition of the cardiovascular system, improves blood pressure and blood lipid parameters, thus preventing circulatory system diseases, such as atherosclerosis. It also increases insulin sensitivity by regulating glucose metabolism, which prevents diabetes. In addition, resistance exercises increase the secretion of BDNF, the factor responsible for inhibiting neurodegenerative processes in the brain, which prevents afflictions such as the Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. And the icing on the cake of strength training’s benefits is the improvement of every-day stamina, which pays off in later part of your life.
You will find out more about why it is worth to do strength training HERE.
Strength training – how do I start?
Strength training is not hard, however, beginners should mind certain rules. If you are only just beginning your gym adventure, consider starting under professional supervision, e.g. with a personal trainer. A couple of training sessions during which a qualified instructor will teach you correct techniques and will adapt exercises to your health state is an investment which will improve your safety during workout, minimise the risk of injury, and increase the effectiveness of your training programme.
In addition to personal trainers, in most gyms, you’ll also find on-duty trainers. They are available for those who exercise and will always give you advice. They can also demonstrate the correct technique or show you how to adjust a given machine. If you have any doubts, it is better to confront them with the on-duty trainer than to try solving the problem yourself, especially if you don’t have a lot of workout experience.
Before you leave home, pack appropriately. When going to the gym, you should pack comfortable clothes, a towel, water, stable shoes, and headphones if you like listening to music or podcasts during workout. Remember that the towel you take with you to the gym should be dedicated for contact with gym equipment. It’s worth putting it on any surfaces which your body touches during the workout, e.g. mats, benches or machine seats – this is for purely hygienic reasons. It is better not to use such a towel to wipe sweat off your skin (e.g. face), this is better done with disposable paper towels which you’ll find in every fitness club. If you plan to shower immediately after workout, don’t forget an extra towel and flip-flops.
Shoes for strength training, contrary to the popular gym practice, they should be as stable as possible. That’s why training shoes used for example for jogging or fitness, with high, cushioning sole, would not be the best solution. Such shoes do absorb shocks, however, they may not guarantee that your feet will be stable on the ground. Paradoxically, the best type of footwear for strength training are flat-sole sport shoes with little cushioning or... simply sneakers.
Gym exercises for beginners
The best choice for gym beginners will be the so-called FBW, i.e. full body workout. This system includes all muscle groups within one training unit, which ensures proportionate development of the entire body. In strength training, we also often use the split system, which means separating training sessions according to selected muscle groups. Yet, this system is dedicated for more advanced gym-goers.
Strength exercises are divided into multi-joint and isolated (single-joint) exercises. The former involve many joints and, consequently, many muscle groups. By contrast, isolated exercises apply to only one joint, thus isolating the movement within one muscle group. Beginners are usually advised to begin with multi-joint exercises – they will teach you correct movement patterns and develop your body in a multifaceted manner. They include: sit-ups, deadlift, rowing, or presses, and they are usually done using free weights, such as barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells.
First steps in the gym
Before going to a gym, it’s a good idea to prepare an indicative roadmap. Each workout should begin with a warm-up. Once you’ve changed into sport clothes, go to a cardio machine – a treadmill, an exercise bike, or a stepper. Exercise for 5 up to 10 minutes to increase your pulse and body temperature. The warm-up is not supposed to tire you, only make your heart beat faster in order to prepare your body for further workout. When you’ve finished using the cardio machine, don’t forget to disinfect it.
The next part of your warm-up should be mobilising exercises which increase the range of motion in the joints. Those may include arm swings, leg swings, joint circulation, bends, torso twists or other dynamic stretching exercises. Leave static stretching for the end of your workout. Such warm-up may be done in the functional area of the gym (you will find a lot of training gear there, such as rubber bands, TRX, balls, kettlebells and a power rack training cage) or you can use any free space where you can spread out a mat (don’t forget to place a towel on it).
After that, you can move on to the proper workout. During your first visit to the gym, make sure you exercise each muscle group. Before the workout, choose one exercise for each muscle group: legs, back, chest, shoulders and arms, and abdominal muscles. It would be best to go for multi-joint free-weight exercises because they are the most beneficial, however, if you don’t feel confident enough, choose machine exercises or ask the on-duty trainer for assistance. Do 3 or 4 sets, 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise, one after another, with short (1-1.5-minute) breaks between sets. As you gain more workout experience, you can increase the number or the intensity of exercises.
Here are some exercises which you may do in the main part of your workout:
- leg muscles – steps with dumbbells,
- back muscles – pulling the upper lift bar to the chest,
- chest muscles – dumbbell press lying down,
- shoulders and arms muscles – overhead dumbbell press while sitting,
- abdominal muscles – abdominal crunches while lying down.
Finish your exercise unit with static stretching exercises (lying down and/or standing up). They will help you increase mobility in your joints, better regenerate after the workout, and gradually calm down your pulse after the workout.
Bravo you’ve completed your first gym workout!
References:
1. Maestroni L, Read P, Bishop C, Papadopoulos K, Suchomel TJ, Comfort P, Turner A. The Benefits of Strength Training on Musculoskeletal System Health: Practical Applications for Interdisciplinary Care, 2020.
2. Lauersen JB, Andersen TE, Andersen LB. Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta-analysis, 2018.
3. Hong AR, Kim SW. Effects of Resistance Exercise on Bone Health, 2018.
4. Shiroma EJ, Cook NR, Manson JE, Moorthy MV, Buring JE, Rimm EB, Lee IM. Strength Training and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease, 2017.
5. Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Hallgren M, Meyer JD, Lyons M, Herring MP. Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-analysis and Meta-regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials, 2018.
6. Wilke J, Giesche F, Klier K, Vogt L, Herrmann E, Banzer W. Acute Effects of Resistance Exercise on Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Multilevel Meta-Analysis, 2019.
7. Costa RR, Buttelli ACK, Vieira AF, Coconcelli L, Magalhães RL, Delevatti RS, Kruel LFM. Effect of Strength Training on Lipid and Inflammatory Outcomes: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression, 2019.