You Gotta Pump It Up – A Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training
Begin To Build Strength
Strength training seems to be everywhere. But why?
As we age, we naturally lose muscle, so maintaining our strength becomes increasingly important for longevity and quality of life. The younger you start, the more you can build a strong foundation that helps you maintain strength throughout your life.
But starting can seem like a minefield. After all, it’s easier to lace up your running shoes, less intimidating to join a Pilates class and signing up for a spinning class is simpler. But there seems to be a nervousness, almost a fear of picking up something heavy.
The Benefits Of Strength Training- Why You Should Start
We all know that strength training can build muscle and improve bone density. But it can also increase metabolism, reduce the risk of heart disease, improve mental well-being, increase brain function and lower the risk of injury in other sports and day-to-day tasks that sometimes cause a silly niggle or fall.
We should all have that on prescription.
Obviously, strength training builds muscle. Increasing your muscle mass means you’ll burn more calories at rest than if that muscle were fat, or in more geeky terms, it improves your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Resistance training can also help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by helping reduce abdominal fat and improving glucose management.
When you think of strength training, you don’t automatically think of bone health, as surely that’s about calcium? So before you start sipping on the strawberry milkshake, know that bone is a tissue, so like muscle, it adapts to the physical stress placed on it. When you do any form of resistance work, the muscle applies load to the tendon, which pulls on the bone. A signal is sent to the bone-building cells, osteoblasts, to reinforce the area, creating a stronger bone.
For heart health, our brains automatically go to more cardiovascular exercise. If you were asked what exercise is best for your heart, your first answer would most likely be running or walking. You’re not wrong, but strength training may not even register. But it is beneficial, helping to improve our overall cardiovascular health, and when paired with aerobic exercise, it’s a combination written in the health stars.
One area that is exciting scientists is the potential effect of strength training on the brain. Research has linked resistance training with improvements in areas such as memory and executive function, while scientists are also investigating the role of signalling proteins released during exercise and how they may support neuroplasticity and brain health.
How To Start Strength Training
If you’ve never done strength training, it can seem intimidating. We automatically think of Gold’s Gym, Arnie, Dwayne Johnson, even Mr Universe. But rest assured, strength training can be done pretty much everywhere, and you definitely don’t need a posing pouch. Phew!
The easiest way to start is with bodyweight workouts. Think air squats, push-ups, lunges, plank thrusts (squat thrusts in old money) and step-ups. There’s a whole load of starting points on YouTube, including the nation’s favourite P.E. teacher Joe Wicks. But remember not all videos are created equal, and there’s as much bad advice on the platform as there is good.
Once you have a couple of workouts, you can make them harder for relatively little money with resistance bands, which can be bought from a sports outlet or any BIG online store. Resistance bands often come in a set, with each one being thicker than the previous, making them harder to use. Think of a push-up with the band running behind your back and under each hand. The lightest band will initially be a challenge, but as the body adapts and you build strength, it will become easier, and in time you move to the next band.
If you want to jump straight in and go for bigger weights, you can look at dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells. It may be worth getting a trainer for the first one or two sessions to make sure you understand movements, perform them correctly and learn how the different equipment can be used. The starting point is to make sure you are performing exercises safely and correctly.
Alternatively, you could look at resistance machines, which are simpler to use. This may mean you progress slightly quicker, but be warned: after a while your gaze may be caught by the sexier free weight section of the gym.
If you prefer group activities, most gyms will have a range of classes, which could include a beginner session, a lifting programme, or more of a circuit-based class. This may feel like a safe option as you will also be in the presence of a trainer, and you’ll be moving various weights and performing a range of movements.
You know the options, and since the NHS recommends strength training at least twice a week, working on the major muscle groups, you don’t have to move into the gym to get the work done.
Now you know you need to start strength training; we can give you a lift. We have a range of classes, including a beginner strength class, an over-50s weight class and a circuit class. You can also book either Craig, Amelia or George, who are our Personal Trainers and will happily help you start strength training and reach your goals.
Check out our class timetable
https://jesmondpool.online/classes-timetable/