Lift Up Your Health with Weight Lifting

For many years weight lifting was left to the Arnold Schwarzeneggers of the world, the muscle heads who practically lived at the gym to get their muscles as bulging as possible. Us “normal folk” never thought much about lifting weights, in fact some people have been under the impression that weight lifting is even dangerous. But nothing could be farther from the truth.

In fact, recent scientific research on weight lifting is dispelling the ‘dangerous’ rumor and instead proving the many health benefits. Studies are focusing on the biomechanics and physiology of resistance training and providing more evidence that, in order to stay in great shape at any stage in life, strength training is key.

Here are some of the biggest benefits of weight lifting studies have uncovered:

Weight Lifting Increases Muscle Mass

Let’s start with the most obvious benefit of weight lifting: it increases muscle mass. But let’s say you’re not someone who wants big muscles… how can increased muscle mass help you?

First of all, you don’t have to want to achieve enormous bulging muscles to want to strength train. The idea is not to have bigger muscles, per se, but to have more total physical strength. Increased muscle mass prevents the onset of sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This is a major health concern and can affect people as young as 20 years of age. The good news is, not only is sarcopenia preventable, it is also reversible. So, regardless of what your age is or what current physical shape you are in, weight lifting can help you regain and increase your muscle mass.

Increased Muscle Means More Fat Fighting

People who don’t lift weights generally have to count every calorie and can never reach for an extra slice of pizza or one more cookie if they want to reach their goal weight. But those who strength train can get away with a little indulgence every now and then.

Boston University researchers published the results of an animal study in the Feb. 6, 2008 issue of Cell Metabolism. Their findings demonstrate that type II muscle fibers, the fibers you build when you lift weights, improve your total body metabolism.

Basically, the researchers genetically engineered mice and gave them a type II muscle growth-regulating gene that could be turned on and off like a light switch. They put the mice on a high calorie diet, then activated the gene but did not change the mice’s diet. There was also no change in the mice’s activity level, and yet, the mice lost total body fat. That right there should get you very excited and motivated to start lifting.

Weight Lifting Increases Bone Density

Studies have shown weight lifting also increases bone density and may prevent stress fractures and osteoporosis, a disease that causes a decrease in bone mass and density. A study by researchers at Ontario’s McMaster University found that those individuals who participated in a year-long strength training program increased their spinal bone mass by 9%, while those who did not participate in the program actually lost bone mass. Also worth mentioning is the fact that weight lifting also helps your body assimilate calcium. You can take all of the calcium supplements in the world, but if it isn’t actually getting into your bones, it’s all for nothing.

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Weight Lifting Lowers Blood Pressure

For some reason there was a long-held belief that people with hypertension shouldn’t lift weights. The thought was, weight lifting might temporarily raise blood pressure during a workout session. While this may in fact be true, the long-term benefits to blood pressure greatly outweigh the risk of a potential and temporary spike.

One particular study looked at a group of men with stage 1 hypertension who lifted weights three times a week for 12 weeks. At the end of the study there was a decrease in systolic and diastolic of 16mm and 12mmHg, respectively. These figures mean that strength training brought the participants down to pre-hypertension levels.

5 Weight Lifting Exercises to Maximize Health Benefits

There are a variety of strength training exercises you may do to get toned and healthier, but here are 5 that have the ability to really maximize your health benefits.

Deadlifts

If performed correctly the deadlift will build unparalleled mass and strengthen all of your major muscle groups at the same time. The deadlift is performed by simply grasping a freeweight bar that holds as much weight as you can safely lift, and lifting it up until you are standing completely erect with the bar hanging in front of you, arms extended. This exercise works more muscles than any other exercise, including the squat. Always remember to keep your back straight and look straight ahead whilst completing the lift.

Squats

And speaking of the squat, if you’re looking for another incredibly powerful way to increase your overall health and fitness level, and get some serious results very quickly, you’ll definitely want to add squats to your list. It is fairly simple to perform, can be done pretty much anywhere and without the need for any equipment. Always remember to keep your lower back straight and look straight ahead whilst completing the lift.

Though squats are considered “leg” exercises, they are so much more. This exercise works your leg muscles (including quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves), yes, but squats also create an anabolic environment which promotes body-wide muscle building.

Curls

Another very effective weight lifting exercise is the simple bicep curl. Simply grab a barbell, load up a safe amount of weights to each side and hold the barbell with a backwards grip (you can see your fingers, instead of the back of your hand). The aim is to lower the bar all the way so it touches your thighs, then bring the barbell up using your forearms. Always remember to keep your back straight and have your feet planted firmly to the ground.

This one exercise is key to getting toned and sculpted arms. Since your biceps are a major and highly visible muscle in your arm, working your biceps will have a major influence on the strength and appearance of your arms. But, don’t be fooled, curls work more than your biceps, they work muscles that are extremely hard to target, namely the brachialis and the brachioradialis.

The former muscle is located under your bicep while the latter is located in your forearm. Since these muscles are purely responsible for one single movement, flexion at the elbow joint, there are very few exercises that can strengthen them. The bicep curl is one of, if not THE best to target and strengthen these.

Military Press

The military press is considered old school by some people but guess what, it’s one of the best full body exercises you can possibly do. All you need is a barbell and a safe amount of weight on each side.

The technique is simple – you start by having the barbell in front you, right above your chest and collar bone… then push the bar high above your head, lock your elbows, and then back down again in front of your chest. When bringing the barbell back down, be sure to tilt your head slightly back so it doesn’t get in the way. Always remember to keep your back straight and have your feet planted firmly to the ground.

Those unfamiliar with anatomy may see this exercise and assume it only works the upper body, but the military press works your shoulders, triceps, chest, upper back, core and even your glutes!

Tricep Dips

What makes tricep dips, another straightforward exercise, so effective is the fact it is a closed kinetic chain (CKC) exercise. What does this mean? This means it involves moving your body while your hands or feet are in a fixed position. Squats would also then be a CKC exercise.

The technique is fairly simple – you straight off by sitting at the edge of a chair/bench, have both hands firmly gripping the edge, move forward with your feet so that your weight is on your arms… and then bring yourself down so that your arms are bent and taking the weight of your body, and then back up again.

The really effective thing about dips is you are working opposing muscle groups while you’re lifting and lowering. Lifting your own body weight seems quite challenging at first, but most people will outgrow dips in no time. When this happens, you can simply add weight by using a weight belt.

It’s important to start off in moderation to what your body can handle. Don’t start off with heavy weights, try lighter weights to get your body used to doing these exercises, and then gradually move to heavier weights when you think you’re ready. Also, if you’re working out at the gym, it’s best to get a gym employee to help get your technique perfect, before you start doing everything on your own.

If you’ve always thought that weight lifting wasn’t for you, you’d rather do golf or gardening, think again – weight lifting is literally for every body.