Strength Training It makes your body strong, and you look and feel better too. But, what more can it do? Plenty.your body

#1: Healthy bones through exercise Regular weight bearing exercise and strengthening work can help prevent osteoporosis. Stronger bones lead to a stronger musculoskeletal system- that means you can lift, move and enjoy recreational activities with more ease.osteoporosis

#2: Great posture through muscle conditioning Conditioned muscles help you lift and hold your body upright better. As a result, you appear taller, more confident and vibrant.

# 3: Fewer injuries as muscles are stronger When muscles are stronger, so are the connective tissues surrounding them. This means the entire muscular system is bolstered, providing protection against injuries caused by weak ligaments, tendons and muscle fibers.

#4: Exercise can raise your metabolism There’s no better way to increase your metabolism than to develop more muscle mass. Muscle burns a great deal of calories to keep itself alive-even at rest.metabolism great deal of calories

#5: Weight training leads to better sports performance If you want to improve in your sport or activity of choice, start weight training. It’s no secret: Many top-notch athletes use resistance training to enhance their skills. Get your golf score up, increase your running speed or enjoy an easier time dancing. All compliments of strength training.weight training

Reasons 6 & 7 #6: Faster rehab with strong muscles  If you suffer an injury and keep the other muscles strong, you’ll bounce back quicker. #7: Improved balance  Regular strength training leads to better muscle control and balance. As a result, you’re less likely to fall. If you do fall, though, your injury will be less severe.

#8: Strength training prevents obesity When you build muscle, you burn more calories. The calories you burn come from fat. Hence, strength training prevents obesity. And when you keep your body fat down you add years to your life. obesity

#9: Being strong can make life more fun Your quality of life is enhanced when you’re strong. Whether it’s walking around for two days at Disneyland or rock climbing, you can get out there and enjoy all that life has to offer.

#10: Good exercise prevents a number of ailments associated with aging Many of the conditions we link to old age are really a result of not exercising and eating healthily. By combining an exercise program of aerobic conditioning with strength training you can grow old gracefully. It may just make the difference between using a wheelchair and pushing one.exercise programaerobic conditioningstrength training

The ACSM guidelines Strength train a minimum of two days per week, 3 or 4 days would be more benificial. If you train all the different muscle groups allow one day to recover before lifting again Lift light enough that you can do 3 sets of 10 reps for general strength.

The Basics There is a logical order in which you should choose your exercises.  Start with multi-jointed exercises like bench press and move to single joint like flys to finish your workout.  Start out with light weight and if you make all 3 sets of ten, go up the next exercise day, and keep going up in weight until you cannot finish all your reps. Stay at that weight until you can and then move up in weight.

Safety tips Always have a partner when lifting free weights.  They will spot you on bench and other exercises to keep you safe  Exhale as you push the weight up, do not hold your breathe while lifting as it can spike your blood pressure and cause fainting or other dangerous consequences.

Lifting styles People have different goals from their strength training program and therefore lift differently  To Build muscle endurance you should lift light weight for 2-3 sets of  To achieve good muscle tone with general strength improvements try 3 sets of 10  To build muscle mass with great strength football players lift heavy weights which they can repeat reps 5 times or less

Types of sets Circuit training - we circuit train here at A- Tech for muscle endurance Straight sets - 3 sets of 10 using the same weight Progressive sets - one set of 10 reps then go up in weight with one set of 8 reps, then go up in weight and do one set of 5 reps Pyramids reps getting heavier each set until at one rep you at your maximum weight for that exercise.

Fitness components Weight training helps build muscle strength and muscle endurance Weight training is Anaerobic, in that your muscle build up large quantities of lactic acid and you feel the burn when lifting properly. Weight training adversely affects flexibility and one should add a quality stretching program when lifting to help maintain flexibility