Weight Training: Improving Strength Is Good For You

There are many preconceptions and very different schools of thought about weight training. or strength training , today we want to give you a 360-degree point of view on well-being.

In fact, any physical exercise and workout, if done with passion, method and pleasure, is very good for the body and mind: keeping active, eating well, sleeping enough, taking care of yourself through food, meditation and activity... are all components of a true virtuous circle , which leads to a healthy lifestyle.

It also guarantees us this Alberto Gomez , Spanish Personal Trainer and Coach : “ Sport can be a hobby, a lifestyle or, as in my case, my reason for being and growing personally and professionally. In my training and growth I have discovered quality products and healthy benefits, which I like to share with everyone every day. Discipline and improvement, a good physical-mental condition and a healthy diet allow us to be in harmony with our being. In this way, exercise and nutrition can guide us through a 360-degree personal development path ”.

Not just cardio but not even bodybuilding: weights and free body

First, let's dispel a myth: cardio is not just a women's thing and bodybuilding is not just a men's thing. On the contrary, a full workout – for both boys and girls – should include a component of both types of workouts.

Often, those who need to lose a few pounds, dedicate themselves only to endless sessions of aerobic resistance training, the so-called cardio , precisely, while in reality train strength and muscles too It's very important.

This is because strengthening the entire musculoskeletal structure is always a good idea, also to avoid injuries with activities such as running , which can be exhausting for people with weak physiques.

On the other hand, another commonplace is that training with weights only means doing “bodybuilding” in the most anachronistic sense of the term. In fact, it does not only mean making your muscle mass hypertrophic for mere aesthetic purposes, on the contrary: it means toning and strengthening the muscles to be firmer, more agile and stronger.

And to do this you don't necessarily need complex machinery: you just need dumbbells to train at home, a kettlebell, some elastic bands, a jump rope, a mat and little else, for a good free body workout. In fact, if you don't have weights, you can replace them with simple bottles filled with water!

So what to do, basically? Alternate aerobic work and weights, also combining some more meditative holistic disciplines like yoga and a good session – essential! – of stretching at the end of the workout, to be really fit and never get bored.

The benefits of weight training

Weight training is good for many reasons, here are a few:

• Increase your basal metabolism , because lean mass burns more calories than fat mass, so for the same weight, a body with more lean mass will consume more than a body with more fat mass, even at rest;
• Being stronger and more toned helps prevent annoying injuries and pains , such as back pain, sciatica, neck pain and many other ailments... obviously, you need to find the gentlest and most progressive training method, if you already suffer from these pathologies;
• Weight training, and exercise in general, helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels ;
• The controlled effort of this type of training helps the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to work better and become more efficient;
• Concentrate on performing the exercises correctly improves proprioception and coordination .

Weight training and nutrition

Take care of your diet too It's essential, especially if you play a lot of sports.

Eating well means listening to what our body asks us naturally, in a spontaneous and balanced way, as taught by the practice of intuitive eating . But also, sometimes, needing a specific integration, even based on superfood .

For example, the Peruvian maca It is a real panacea for increasing energy levels, as well as acai , spirulina And Cocoa , with their supply of micronutrients and proteins, are excellent for those with higher energy needs.

Even “good” fats are essential for those who burn a lot of calories by training and for those who follow diets such as ketogenic diet : in this case, a perfect product is coconut oil .