ML Coaching
After a successful workout this afternoon I started thinking about how much strength training has enriched my life over the past few years. And I don't mean in terms of my career, I mean my life in general.
The benefits of strength training aren't just the obvious ones - muscle growth and fat loss - they go much deeper.
So I very quickly came up with 10 reasons why strength training improves your life, and I'm sure there are many more.
So if you're thinking about starting strength training, or just want to reinforce your resolutions, read this blog and find out the many different ways strength training makes your life better.
1) You get stronger
Let's start with one of the most obvious benefits of strength training - that it helps you get physically stronger.
There are countless different sports that improve your general fitness. But if you want to get stronger, strength training is the most efficient way.
Being strong makes so many things in life easier. You can lift and carry heavy objects more easily and are better equipped to handle the physically demanding challenges life throws at you.
2) You look better
Although physical attractiveness is subjective and different people prefer different looks, most people still look better when they have more muscle mass and less body fat.
That doesn't mean you have to or should look like a bodybuilder. Some people like that, of course, but generally speaking, a well-shaped, muscular body is more attractive than one with too much fat on it. And even if you carry more body fat than you'd like, you'll still look better with a certain amount of muscle underneath. Muscles define your body, give it shape and make your clothes fit better.
3) You get a faster metabolism
If I had to name one "secret" to staying lean long-term, it would be raising your metabolic rate.
If you have a slow metabolism, it's far harder to lose weight. You have to keep lowering your calorie intake further and further to achieve a calorie deficit. That's simply not sustainable long-term.
But if you have a fast metabolism, you can lose weight relatively quickly without cutting your calories so drastically. That way you can also maintain your target weight long-term.
There are numerous ways to improve your metabolism. One of the best, however, is building more muscle mass through strength training. This muscle mass, unlike fat tissue, burns a decent amount of energy. So the more muscle mass you have, the more your metabolic rate rises to support all that muscle mass. That means you can eat more calories without gaining weight at the same time.
4) You're more productive
Productivity has a lot to do with the habits you have. If you have healthy habits, you get more done in a day.
And the more positive habits you build, the more you'll be able to integrate into your everyday life going forward. Usually these healthy habits reinforce each other, which also makes it easier to stick with the ones you already have.
So if you train consistently with strength training, you're more likely to become more productive in other areas of your life too.
5) You can cope better with depression
Depression is no joke. In fact, around 350 million people worldwide struggle with it.
If you suffer from depression, whether chronic or due to a current situation, it's incredibly hard to just "live your life". Everything is clouded over, all your experiences carry a negative undertone.
I'm not claiming that strength training cures your depression, but there's plenty of evidence suggesting that regular strength training helps people cope better with their depression.
6) You develop stronger self-confidence
Many factors influence your self-image. These include, for example, your career, friends and your relationships.
Although self-confidence should ideally be rooted in an unshakeable sense of self-worth, independent of your current life situation, unfortunately that's not always the reality. In fact, it makes a big difference to your self-confidence when you feel good and look good.
Many of my clients, whom I coach as a personal trainer in Zurich, name stronger self-confidence as one of the best effects of their regular training.
7) You improve your heart health
It's no surprise that exercise supports healthy heart function - doctors have recommended it for years.
But an increasing number of studies now show that strength training also helps reduce the risk of heart disease and improve heart function when a cardiovascular condition already exists.
Of course, the specific type of strength training matters here. Some studies show that more repetitions are best for the heart, rather than heavier weights with fewer repetitions.
8) Your sleep quality improves
Getting enough sleep is very important, yet so many of us struggle with it. According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, a quarter of Swiss people have a serious sleep problem, which can even lead to burnout and depression.
Even if you feel like you're sleeping long enough, that doesn't necessarily mean that sleep is high quality.
Evidence suggests that strength training has a positive effect on your sleep quality. One study, for example, shows that strength training increases sleep quality in older adults by 38%, which makes a big difference.
9) You're in a better mood
You've surely heard of "runner's high" before, or maybe even experienced it yourself. One of the benefits of strength training is that you get a similar "high", because certain hormones like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine are released.
That's also one of the reasons why strength training can help with depression, as we've already discussed. Even if you don't suffer from depression, these hormones help you feel more relaxed and lower your stress level.
10) You build mental strength
I've deliberately saved this point for last, because it's mentioned so rarely, yet it's so important. Contrary to what some fitness gurus want you to believe, strength training is HARD!
It's not just physically hard to push yourself to your limits in the gym. It's also mentally hard to keep going, pushing yourself consistently over a long period, and eating and training in a controlled way. And that's exactly what makes strength training an excellent method for building your character. It gives you a way to step into the ring with yourself mentally and achieve more than you thought you could. That's how you become stronger and stronger - physically and mentally.
Regular training builds a mental strength that equips you for life's challenges. You don't give up so quickly, you push through - just like in the gym.
If you'd like to try personal training in Zurich, I'd be happy to get to know you. If the chemistry is right and you feel understood, we can put together an individual training and nutrition plan for you and get you into top shape in no time - far faster than would be possible alone. Just send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!
