Why you should be Strong
You should be strong. At least I think so, and the fact that you are here reading this article says you might be flirting with the idea. Strength is often used to define masculinity and as an attribute of youth, but we should all want to embody strength. Being strong makes every part of your life better. But don't get me wrong... I don't want everyone to be powerlifters and bodybuilders. Those individuals are passionate about their sport and pushing their bodies to extraordinary limits. We should all be strong so that we can have the best quality of life and have fun along the way.
So when I say you should be strong, what do I specifically mean? Well, I mean you should consistently strength train, resistance train or weight train. These activities are all almost synonymous with one another and deliver the intention of improving strength and endurance by loading the muscle through exercise. Basically, this means we are going to lift, pull, push and hold stuff. But what are these actions good for and what will they do for me? So many awesome outcomes are possible and depending on who you are, the benefits may peak your interests differently.
Muscle Mass
Increasing your muscle mass and strength training are profoundly intertwined. A desire for muscular hypertrophy (an increase in muscle mass) is the typical reason many of us initiated our relationship with strength training. For myself, this was the primary reason I started strength training. I was a skinny kid that wanted to be more athletic and feel better about myself. Younger people often get started with strength training for similar reasons. However, the value in increasing muscle mass should be highlighted for older individuals.
You see, as we age we lose muscle mass. This process is known as sarcopenia and, while natural, it is contingent on our age, gender, and level of activity. Men and women both experience changes in their hormone levels as they age. In combination with hormonal changes, there is a trend for people to move less as they get older. So why am I talking your ear off about hormones and age? Because at different points in our lives we have different propensities to develop lean muscle mass.
Younger people can build muscle the fastest. From puberty and into the 20s the human body simply has the strongest response to the stimulus from strength training. This is because younger people are in the growth phase and their bodies can build and heal quickly from the stressors of training. For someone who is younger, losing muscle mass isn't as detrimental as for someone who is older. Younger individuals have the opportunity to gain that musculature when they initiate or resume training. As we approach the middle phase of our lives, the 30s, 40s, and 50s, we don't have the same magical ability to develop lean muscle as we did in our teens and twenties. However, in this middle phase, we can still maintain and even build muscle, granted it may take a bit longer to build. As we approach our 60s and beyond, we will find that we won't be as apt to building muscle and should shift focus to prioritizing maintenance of the musculature that we do have. This does not mean you can't build muscle, but the process will be slower. Wherever you are in terms of age, strength training has a benefit for you to build muscle mass.
Weight Loss
In addition to increasing muscle, strength training is awesome for weight management. I know what you're thinking... What about cardio? Although cardio does involve burning calories, I would love to see cardio's central importance positioned as a means of improving heart and cardiac output. Am I telling you not to do cardio? Yikes, no way! Cardio should be a part of any well-rounded health and wellness program, but I don't want you to use your cardio caloric expenditure as a primary means for weight loss. Chasing a caloric deficit with cardio alone is not sustainable.
Let's circle back to where strength training really shines for weight management. As we strength train we build more lean muscle and this muscle is more metabolically active. The development of more metabolic tissue results in our body burning more calories at rest. This makes it easier to consistently stay within a caloric range that supports a healthy body weight.
For individuals interested in weight loss, the addition of strength training should be part of a long-term strategy for sustainable success. Strength training facilitates a caloric deficit, and when combined with smart nutritional adjustments and cardiovascular exercise, can help us create long-term strategies for success. The more tools we have at our disposal, the more likely we are to succeed with weight loss, ultimately allowing us to transition from weight loss to weight management as we reach our desired weight range.
Bone Strength
Bone strength is positively affected by strength training. An increase in muscle mass, weight loss and now improved bone strength? I know, it sounds like a cheesy infomercial saying, but wait there's more! But, there is more and it's super awesome!
This benefit tends to get overlooked by younger individuals, but becomes a higher priority for older people given concerns with osteoporosis. Our bodies absorb and replace bone throughout our lives, but as we age the absorption and replacement ratio results in a net loss of bone density. While this is mostly asymptomatic on its own, the real risk manifests following a fall or injury. Older individuals with osteoporosis are way more likely to incur a fatal fracture or to not fully recover. So what does all of this have to do with strength training?
Strength training and weight-bearing aerobic exercises all put a healthy amount of stress on bones. This is because they push and pull on the bone as we perform these activities, prompting the bone-creating cells to generate tissue. The end result will be stronger bones. The next question I usually get is, "Is it too late? Have I waited too long? Simply put, no. At the very least, beginning a strength routine will slow the process of bone loss. Depending on your individual circumstance, you may even be able to increase bone density.
Joint Health
Let's cut to the chase... I'm talking about arthritis. Arthritis is a general term used to describe many disorders that impact the joints. And I know what you’re thinking... This guy is telling me to move my inflamed joints?! Yes! Exercise is one of the most effective ways to manage the discomfort of arthritis.
By building and maintaining muscle mass we are able to support and protect our joints. A nice way to think of this benefit is that strength training improves both the muscles and ligaments, thereby reducing the stress to the joints. Strong muscle and ligaments result in less stress for the joint, thereby reducing the irritation and minimizing our body’s normal inflammatory response.
Final Thought
Strength training promotes muscle mass, bone strength, weight management/loss, and joint health. While it is a lifelong investment and the benefits continue to grow as you progress through your life, it doesn't mean that if you're starting later with strength training that you can't reap the benefits. You're giving yourself an advantage that compounds like interest. When you're building muscle just to invest in your body long-term, you've already added a means to manage your weight, strengthen your bones, and cope with the possibility of arthritis. Whatever reason brought you to this article or to the world of strength training, I can say with certainty it is life-changing. Strength allows us to tackle basic functions of practical life such as bringing in the groceries pain-free, grabbing a can from the high shelf in the garage and picking up ourselves off the floor. Additionally, strength enables us to stand up out of our chair to give a handshake, play with family and friends with more ease and altogether have more fun! You deserve to be strong.
And we are stronger together!
