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SVPT Benefits of Strength Training

The Undeniable Benefits of Strength Training: Why Your Future Self Will Thank You

Let’s face it: if you think strength training is just about pumping iron and looking like a Greek god (or goddess), you might be missing the bigger picture. Sure, flexing those biceps in the mirror feels great, but the true benefits of strength training extend far beyond vanity. We’re talking about life expectancy, heart health, joint resilience, hormone harmony, mood enhancement, energy boosts, and an overall upgrade to your human experience. In fact, there’s not a single aspect of your life that won’t get a shiny makeover with a little strength training sprinkled in.

Life Span: Lifting Towards Longevity

You might think that lifting weights is a way to look good at the beach, but did you know it can also help you live longer? Multiple studies have shown that strength training can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve life expectancy. So, while your friends are busy chasing the latest diet fad (kale smoothies, anyone?), you’ll be over here deadlifting your way to an extra few decades of life. Who knew your barbell could double as a magic wand?

Cardiovascular Health: Pumping More Than Iron

While strength training is typically associated with muscles, it can also have a profound impact on your cardiovascular system. Yes, that’s right—lifting weights can improve your heart health! Regular resistance training can help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and boost circulation. So, while you’re sculpting those triceps, you’re also making sure your heart doesn’t throw a tantrum on you later.

Joint Health: Keep Those Joints Happy

Ever heard the phrase “no pain, no gain”? Well, toss that notion out the window. Strength training, when done correctly, actually supports joint health rather than tearing it apart. By strengthening the muscles around your joints, you’re essentially giving them a cushy little bodyguard. Whether you’re worried about arthritis or just want to avoid that creaky-knee sound when you get up from the couch, strength training is your best friend. Say goodbye to joint pain and hello to a lifetime of effortless couch-sitting!

Hormonal Harmony: Balanced and Beautiful

Let’s chat about hormones. They might not always be the best company (looking at you, stress hormones), but strength training can help balance things out. It boosts testosterone, growth hormone levels, which are essential for muscle growth and fat loss, and gives us a shot of serotonin and dopamine – hello mood stabilizers! Plus, it can decrease levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that likes to hang around when you’re juggling too many responsibilities. So, while you’re getting a little sweat on, you’ll also be managing your mood swings better than a toddler with a snack.

Mood Enhancement: The Feel-Good Factor

Feeling a bit low? Before you reach for that pint of ice cream (we know it’s tempting), consider hitting the gym instead. Strength training releases endorphins, those lovely little chemicals that make you feel on top of the world. You might just discover that lifting weights is more effective than any therapy session—unless, of course, your therapist has a gym membership (joking, of course 😉). Plus, you’ll be less likely to dwell on the annoyances of life (like your neighbor’s cat using your flower bed as a litter box) when you’re crushing your fitness goals.

Energy Levels: Goodbye, Afternoon Slump

Let’s address the elephant in the room: those dreaded afternoon energy crashes. Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee (which is basically a “fake it till you make it” strategy), strength training can actually boost your energy levels. Regular exercise improves your muscle endurance and overall physical capability, meaning you’ll feel less like a sloth and more like a gazelle (or at least a sprightly squirrel) throughout the day. Just imagine, instead of dozing off at your desk, you could be conquering the world—one rep at a time.

Creating a Better Version of Yourself

At the end of the day, strength training isn’t just about the physical benefits. It’s a powerful tool for personal development. As you lift heavier weights and conquer new challenges, you’ll discover that you’re capable of more than you ever imagined. Suddenly, that fear of public speaking or that lifelong dream of running a marathon doesn’t seem so daunting anymore. You’ll be creating a version of yourself that’s strong, confident, and ready to tackle whatever life throws your way—like a pro.

The Bottom Line: Strength Training for Every Aspect of Life

If you want to improve every single aspect of your life, it’s time to pick up some weights and get started on a strength training regimen. From enhanced longevity and cardiovascular health to hormonal balance, mood boosts, and endless energy, there’s literally nothing in your life that won’t improve with a little resistance. So, why not lift those weights and make your future self the envy of your past self? After all, your legs might not be the only thing that gets stronger; your entire life will too!

That’s our specialty, strength training! Book your free consultation and assessment today to experience the SVPT difference and feel, first hand, all the benefits strength training can do for you!

Strength in Many Forms

When a lot of us think of the word strength, our minds might jump immediately to a picture of someone hoisting a fully loaded barbell from the floor, squatting with an extremely heavy load, or cranking out rep after rep of pull-ups. And that isn’t necessarily wrong! Those activities obviously require a great deal of strength…but are they the only way to express strength? Are there many ways to be strong, and many activities to be strong in? We think so. Strength can be expressed in countless ways and is not pigeonholed into one activity, one lift, or one sport.

Strength is very much individual-specific and context-specific. A person may be incredibly strong for their unique work, life, or sport activities, but may not necessarily be strong in another activity – especially if it is a task they have never attempted before. For instance, a person who can squat an extremely heavy weight is certainly a strong human, but could he or she demonstrate strength in the same manner as a Cirque de Soleil performer? Absolutely not! By the same token, the Cirque de Soleil acrobat is an unbelievably strong athlete, but likely cannot squat an extremely heavy load.

This is obviously an extreme example, but hopefully it illustrates that there are many ways to be strong, and many methods to get there. Cyclists express strength by driving incredible forces into bike pedals, wrestlers express strength through tremendous grip and body leverage, gymnasts express strength through their ability to achieve and control extreme body positions…the list could go on. Every activity has different strength demands, yet all of these people can be classified as “strong”.

The key element that ties all of these different activities and types of athletes together is that they still all need to be strong! Whatever that might look like for any given person, the common thread remains – they need to be able to bring their specific strength to bear in a specific way for their activity.

It is important to note that we are not saying that strength gained by lifting weights in the gym has no carryover into sport or life activities. It most certainly does! Each athlete mentioned above could improve their general strength by performing a weight training program. However, improved ability to express strength through a squat or deadlift does not directly translate into improved ability to express strength through a bike race, wrestling match, or gymnastics event – the athletes must still utilize task-specific strength when they participate in their sports. The weight training program simply gives them more potential to do exactly this.

We can apply this overarching theme to ourselves as weekend warriors, gym enthusiasts, or people training for general health and wellness. Getting “strong” may not look the same from person to person, as everyone has their own unique life demands, jobs, or activities that they are training for. Different people may need to express strength differently in their daily lives. But regardless of what it looks like, everyone should still train for increased strength. Strength is king – it is required for almost everything in life, it is needed in many forms, and it is for everyone!

Erica Saunders, BPE, CSCS, FRCms