The Benefits Of Strength Training For Your Health

Strength and resistance training is widely known to help you become more muscular and gain the definition of a Greek God or Goddess. However, there are numerous other health benefits of strength training that make it quite attractive even if you don’t want to become muscular and chiseled. We will now take a closer look at these benefits so that you can see why you should start adding it to your workout routine.

Improves Heart Health

There have been many studies that indicate strength training has an immensely positive impact on cardiovascular health. When the HDL levels of lifters versus nonlifters were compared, those that regularly strength train had better HDL levels and cholesterol levels.

Lowers Cancer Risk

When you have a lot of visceral fat on your body, it actually increases your chances of developing diabetes, heart diseases as well as cancer. When you have more muscle mass, it actually has a large impact on the possible outcomes of cancer treatment. There are many negative complications of cancer treatment such as faster progression of tumors, toxicity, muscle wasting and much more. As a result, strength training will increase muscle mass and therefore increase your chances of positive outcomes and avoidance of these complications.

Better Mobility & Flexibility

There have been many studies that show that strength training also helps to improve overall flexibility and mobility. When you do various weight training exercises and do the full range of motion for each exercise, it actually helps to permanently increase your own range of motion. Also, flexibility is also improved when you do exercises that help to lengthen your muscles such as the lat pull down, squat, etc.

Improves Mental Health

Regular exercise and strength training has been proven to reduce mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. This occurs because strength training and exercise in general helps to improve mood through the release of endorphins. However, strength training in particular helps you because lifting weights in a progressive way helps you to build mental fortitude in addition to physical strength.

Helps Control Blood Sugar

When you do strength training, it actually helps the muscle to use more glucose or sugar. As a result of this, it actually reduces the sugar levels in your blood. So, if you already have type 2 diabetes, then it is highly recommended that you start strength training.

Reduced Stomach Fat

Next, it has also been found that strength training is actually a lot more effective than aerobic or cardiovascular exercise when it comes to reducing stomach fat. This occurs because strength training leads to increased muscle mass which leads to a much faster metabolism. This results in more calories being burned every day, leading to fat loss.

Reduced Risk Of Injury

When you have a good amount of muscle on your body, this actually helps to improve your overall coordination, balance as well as the ability to prevent injury. For example, if you have a particular muscle that is weak then more strain is placed on the connecting tendon which typically results in tendonitis. Strength training not only increases the strength of the muscle to prevent this but also the strength of the tendon itself.

Prevention Or Management Of Osteoporosis

Strength training has been found to increase the mineral density of bones which is essential to prevent osteoporosis or manage it. This is because various weight training exercises cause stress on your bones and muscles, which causes your body to actually move more minerals into your bones and make structural proteins. The best exercises for this are weighted squats and lunges and you can actually see an increased bone density with only 12 weeks of weight training.

Better Brain Health

Weight training can help to reduce cognitive decline, especially in older people. This is because weight training increases blood flow around the body, including to the brain. Additionally, it can also help to boost your mood and overall energy levels.


To wrap things up, these are just a few of the benefits of strength training. It will not only help you to lose fat and transform your body but positively impact your overall health in countless ways. So, you should definitely add weight training to your exercise routine and you will be able to see and feel the difference in your health and well being for yourself.

Types of Gym Equipment And The Muscles They Involve

Being a beginner at the gym can be quite stressful especially because there are so many types of equipment to familiarize yourself with. Many people come in with certain types of exercises in mind and knowledge of the muscles engaged by different types of gym equipment can go a long way in informing the choices of equipment. This guide will shed a light on what kind of gym equipment you can find in your local gym and the muscles you’ll work using them.

  1. Treadmill
    This exercise equipment is definitely worth having. It engages and tones muscles throughout the entire body and burns calories. Thighs are the principle muscles involved. The quadriceps located in the front of your thighs and the hamstrings located at the back are worked out. The heart also gets a great beating on the treadmill, improving your heart rate and strengthening it
  2. Rower (or Rowing Machine)
    These might not be your first thought the moment you walk into a gym, but they do wonders for your body. Their best advantage is that they provide you with an opportunity for a full-body workout. You’ll mostly be working your lower and upper body, which are required for a full stroke to be complete. There are different phases involved in working a rowing machine. The “catch” works your hamstrings and erector spinae while the “drive” works your triceps, hamstrings, soleus, triceps, rectus abdominis, glutes, and wrist extensors among others.
  3. Elliptical Machine
    This is a low impact device that simulates running. The leg muscles are the primary targets, and the arms are integrated into the workout using moving handles to provide a full-body workout. Running or walking workes the glutes and hamstring, calves and quads. The upper body levers activate a pushing action, strengthening the triceps in the back of your arm and the pectoral muscles. It provides a very effective way to burn calories.
  4. Spin Bike
    For people that like riding bikes this equipment can be quite fun. It is done by cycling indoors at home or at the gym. It targets your lower body aspects to help you develop fitness. Different resistance levels can be applied too. It’s a great cardiovascular activity and tones the whole body. The muscle groups that are targeted include glutes, quadriceps, calves, and the heart. With this type of equipment, there is a lower tendency to get injured.
  5. Chest Fly Machine(or peck deck)
    Available in the seated and supine modes, it is designed to develop the chest muscles. It consists of a backrest from which levers protrude and a padded seat. You sit placing your arms on the levers and move the elbows towards each other as if you are flapping your wings. It is a complete chest workout that targets pectoralis major muscles and minor chest muscles.
  6. Dumbbells
    A fixed dumbbell is a handheld weight that is usually set at a specific weight and can be used to perform a lot of exercises. Any area of the body can be targeted using either single dumbbells or a pair of them. An adjustable dumbbell allows users to adjust the weights accordingly to their preferences.
  7. Stair Mill
    It stimulates walking up the stairs in a repeating cycle. For people who prefer low impact exercise, this is a perfect fit. They are easily accessible and should be used for cardio. The muscles that are involved in working this kind of equipment are the calves and the glute if some resistance is applied. Your cardiovascular system is also worked and it can be a great choice for weight loss or to maintain fitness. They are however quite expensive.

Of course, these are not the only gym tools and equipment. They can, however, be found in most of the professional gyms out there. You don’t have to go to a gym to exercise. Isolation exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home. These equipment are however much more fun, and some even more effective than home cardio if you’re looking for strength and resistance training. You should also keep in mind that each equipment is designed to strengthen a particular kind of muscle and you should, therefore, be keen on the type of exercise you need so that you can match it to the right equipment.