We think about it, talk about it, and read about it, yet few of us do it! Research from the National Health Interview Survey shows that most adults do not engage in Strength Training.[1] Amidst the plethora of advice, I’m here to simplify things. Here are four straightforward truths that will empower you to embrace the science and benefits behind modern Strength Training.
Doing Less Can Get You More. In a country overwhelmed with fitness advice, it’s easy to see why more adults don’t Strength Train. Complicated workouts requiring hours of training can discourage the most committed exerciser. Most people believe Strength Training needs to be performed over prolonged periods (i.e., hours at a time, most days of the week). Fortunately, compelling evidence links short bouts of Strength Training to significant improvements in health and quality of life. A 2018 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that Strength Training for less than an hour per week produced astounding health benefits. Researchers at Iowa State University evaluated the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in more than 12,000 adult men and women over 11 years. Those who were Strength Training for about an hour per week were 50 percent less likely to experience these events than adults who had never Strength Trained.[2] Strength Training recommendations from health agencies worldwide (i.e., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization, etc.) reinforce the study's findings that brief and infrequent Strength Training provides numerous health benefits.
Your Workout Skills Matter Most! When Strength Training, most people think about how much weight they lift. While the weight you lift matters, how you lift weights matters more. At MEDFITNESS, we call this your Workout Skills. Your workout Skills, which include speed of movement, form (body position), range of motion, and turnarounds (changing directions), play a crucial role. Exercises performed improperly (with poor Workout Skills) decrease training benefits while increasing injury risk. In contrast, exercises performed with proper form maximize benefits and safety. So, next time you work out, remember to focus on the quality, not the quantity of your repetitions. And if you are Strength Training at MEDFITNESS, your Trainer's expertise is crucial in maximizing the safety and effectiveness of your workout!
Maximize Your Effort. High levels of effort are an essential ingredient in effective Strength Training. For years, health and fitness professionals have undervalued the importance of intensity in Strength Training. It was not until the 1980s that they began embracing exercise intensity – especially for older adults. Dr. William Evans’ research showed that older adults receive the same benefits as young adults when training intensity is matched. In other words, if you are 70 and training intensely, you get benefits similar to those of a 30-year-old training in the same way. How do you know if you are training hard enough? Dr. Evans recommends training for volitional fatigue (i.e., muscle failure - where you cannot complete another repetition with proper form). Training as hard as you can maximizes your workout's health benefits. An important footnote to intense Strength Training is that it is not dangerous. Most injuries are linked to how people train (i.e., Workout Skill compliance), not how hard they train!
Older Can Be Better! An enduring myth about aging is that you should slow down and do less. In America, we slow down not because we want to but because we are physically unable (too weak) to stay active. Movement and exercise are essential to live your best life. Given that your muscles always respond favorably to Strength Training, the idea that you are too old for Strength Training is nonsense. A recent article by Dr. Stuart Phillips and colleagues published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal highlights the increasing importance of Strength Training as you age. The article describes how aerobic and resistance exercise (Strength Training) are both beneficial and that the benefits of Strength Training increase as you age. In Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis, Dr. Miriam Nelson writes, “Research from our laboratory at Tufts University, as well as other scientific institutions, makes it quite clear that the right types of exercise (i.e., Strength Training) restore people’s function.” [3]
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Stay Strong,
Richard J. Wolff, RDN
References
1. National Health Interview Survey. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5528a1.htm
2. Even a Little Weight Training May Cut the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke. The New York Times, Gretchen Reynolds, Dec. 4th, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/well/move/even-a-little-weight-training-may-cut-the-risk-of-heart-attack-and-stroke.html
3. Nelson, M., Baker, K., Roubenoff, R., 2002. Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis. New York, NY. The Berkley Publishing Group.