By: Adam Pounds, EIM Owner

While the majority of people are well-aware of the benefits of cardio workouts, more and more people are learning about the effectiveness of weight training.

If you’re new to weight training, I’m here to tell you about all of the ways your body will love you for doing it!

What is weight training?

Weight training is a method of physical activity that uses resistance or weights to gain strength. At its simplest form, weight training is adding resistance to movements to build muscle strength. This can be accomplished with weights you physically lift or with strength bands that apply resistance.

Who can benefit from weight training?

Weight training is recommended for everyone! Well, all adults. It’s not recommended for young children as their growth plates are still intact and are more prone to injury.

Muscle mass starts declining after age 25, and it’s estimated that adults lose one pound of muscle per year around age 30.

Losing this muscle mass around the same time the metabolism starts to decline is the perfect recipe for weight gain. Fortunately, weight training is one great way to prevent this!

(And ladies, you can benefit from weight training and NOT get bulky. I promise.)

Weight Training Benefits – From Heart Health to Bone Strength

Weight training has many benefits that affect the entire body and can even reduce the risk of certain diseases like osteoporosis, a loss of bone mass, which is one of the leading causes of fractures in the elderly population.

Weight training helps:

• Build muscle

• Burn fat

• Strengthen bones and joints

• Decrease chance of injury

• Improve heart & overall health

Some people don’t realize weight training can help your heart, but here are 4 ways it does:

#1 When you lift at a high intensity, you’ll increase your heart rate, which means you get all the benefits of a cardio workout.

#2 When you’re working on your upper body, you’re also working on the muscles closest to your heart, which will also raise your heart rate.

#3 Building muscle during weight training gives the heart more places to send the blood it pumps, which can reduce the pressure on arteries.

#4 Weight lifting can also increase circulation, giving your body the nutrients and benefits it needs.

Is Weight Training good for weight loss? Does it burn fat?

Yes and yes! Weight training is great for burning fat and losing weight.

If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll love the fact that weight training can even lead to an increase in the amount of calories burned in the post-workout period.

That’s right!

Even after you’re done with your weight training session, you’re still burning calories. This is called the “afterburn effect” where the body is working extra hard to repair strained muscle tissue after you’ve finished your workout.

How often should you do cardio while weight training? Let’s rethink this question.

Generally speaking, aerobic exercise is recommended 3-5 times a week for 20 – 60 minutes. But one of the good things about weight training is, as stated above, that you can get aerobic exercise at the same time since weight training gets your heart rate up.

Essentially, if you’re using enough weight and continuously lifting with short breaks, (think HIIT workout), then you’re getting the benefits of both at the same time.

Weight training is important to overall health, and one of the most important factors in quality of life and longevity is muscle strength and endurance.

Two or three days per week of a strength training session can significantly impact one’s health for the long run.

Weight Training at EIM in Mountain Brook, Alabama

If you’re looking to add weight training to your exercise program, the professionals at EIM are ready to help you meet your goals. With our semi-private and private classes, we create personalized training programs based on your goals and abilities.

If you’re ready to start training or have questions about our services, we would love to hear from you. Contact us online or give us a call at 205-536-6049. We can’t wait to speak with you!