Reasons Why You Should Do Weight Training Too

Lisa Franchi February 05, 2015

It’s true. Cardio workouts can really trim your fats and make your heart healthier. But if you want bigger results, you should not forget about weight training. The benefits you will gain from strength training, through lifting weights, are really amazing to just ignore and pass up. From reduced body fat to lower risk of heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and better mental health – there are many great reasons to start weight training today.

Below are the other reasons.

Better body image.

Sure, you will lose weight burning calories through aerobic workouts. But if you are looking to develop that sexy figure, you must lift weights too. Strength training allows your muscles to firm up, which tones your body naturally. Not only that. Over time, you will better appreciate your body for its strength and what it can do.

It can boost your confidence.

If the huge improvement in your body image is not enough to boost your confidence, then perhaps the feeling of inner strength – the thought of your muscles growing, your body shape getting more defined, and your metabolism improving – will.

Lifting weights improves your athletic performance.

Whatever sports you’re into, you are sure to benefit from weight training. Whether you are a volley ball player, swimmer, basketball or soccer player, you are sure to gain something from this type of exercise. Lifting weights is not just about gaining strength. It also targets balance, mobility, speed and more.

It promotes healthy bones.

Weight training exercises, particularly closed-circuit exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups, place stress on the bones, which in turn stimulates osteoblast activity and bone growth. Just as your muscles adapt to the stress of weightlifting by becoming bigger and stronger, your bones also adapt. Incorporating weights in your regular physical activities can help reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

It’s a great workout for enhancing focus.

When you’re at the gym, there’s only one thing that’s on your mind – progress. When lifting weights, you forget about your worries and problems. You just concentrate on the exercise. So you don’t just train your body. You also train your mind.

It can reduce depression symptoms.

Studies suggest that aerobic workouts can help alleviate symptoms of depression. But weight training can be as beneficial. A 2004 study published in The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in, followed 40 women and found similar results in those who ran and those who lifted weights for eight weeks. Moreover, there was no difference in the percentage of participants in the two groups who remained non-depressed during follow-up.

You’ll move with ease.

Being able to recruit the proper muscles in the right sequence is something you will learn from lifting weights. This benefits mobility a lot, reducing the risk of injuries and pain.

It can lower your risk of diabetes.

A study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine found that men who lifted weights for 150 minutes each week, or about five 30-minute sessions, had a 34-per cent lower risk of diabetes. Adding regular cardiovascular exercise slashed the risk by 59 per cent. Another research, published in 2013 in the Nature Medicine website report that weight training encourages the growth of white muscle, which aids in lowering blood glucose because it uses glucose for energy.

These are just a few of the many benefits of weight training. If you’re a lady who doesn’t lift weights because you’re afraid that you might ‘bulk up’, there’s nothing to be worried. Building huge muscles is intentional and takes a great amount of work because women are naturally low in testosterone. To build huge muscles, you need to do more intensive weight lifting workouts, together with weight-gain diet that’s very high in protein. So there’s really nothing to worry about.