Friday Fitness: One KEY is Strength Training

What is the single thing you need in order to drive to work? Car keys, simple right? You wouldn’t drive to work without out them, obviously you can’t. Unfortunately, the next question may be a little tougher: what is the key to rebuilding muscle, recharging the metabolism, and even reducing body fat?  Give up? The key is in strength training.

 

Throw out your fears, put the key in the hole, and open the lock. Today’s the day to make sure you are including at least two to three sessions of strength training per week and here’s why:

 

According to ACSM’s Wayne Westcott, on average adults who do not strength train, lose approxiametely 4 to 6 lbs of muscle tissue per decade! Along those lines, muscle loss becomes a major contributor in the decline of our resting metabolic rate.  Basically, we no longer burn as many calories at rest because of the loss of muscle mass. The average metabolic decline is 2% to 3% per decade in adults. Unfortunately, the 2% decade drop in resting metabolic rate equals roughly a 1% reduction in resting calorie use. Therefore, if our resting metabolic rate is 1600 calories, we now burn 16 calories less at rest (dang). Doesn’t sound like much so why bother with the strength training? First let’s do the math:  

 

16 calories X 365 days X 10 years = 58,400 extra calories per decade divided by 3,500 calories/lb fat equal to roughly 16.68 lbs! So it doesn’t seem very significant, but the decrease in muscle mass quickly adds up to less calories expended.

 

All and all, it’s good to understand why it’s important to strength train. At H3, offer many classes to meet this need including Fitball Strength, Body Sculpting, Core Strength and fan favorite Ultra Circuit.  (You can find handouts to recreate these classes in the Members Only section.)   So before you head out and get that weekly strength training session in, check out some more key strength benefits:

 

-  Reduces the risk of Diabetes (decreased body fat, increased glucose uptake)

-  Reduces the risk of Depression 

-  Reduces the risk of Osteoporosis (increased bone mineral density)

-  Reduces the risk of Colon Cancer (increased gastrointestinal transit speed)

-  Reduces the risk of common lower back pain 

 

 

 

 

Source and further reading:

Westcott, Wayne. ACSM Strength Training Guidelines: Role in Body Composition and Health Enhancement. ACSM Health and Fitness Journal. Volume 13. Number 4. July/August 2009.