5 Reasons To Add Resistance Training To Your Fitness Routine

Are you just beginning your fitness journey? Or maybe you only do cardio workouts and you’re interested in adding resistance training to your fitness regimen? Or, maybe you just want to know if resistance training offers any real benefits to your well-being apart from building muscle.

Either way, you are in the right place, as this post will help you explore resistance training - how to begin, the exercises, and several benefits associated with this form of fitness.

Resistance Training

Resistance training is also known as “weight training” and involves pulling and lifting weights, like dumbbells or barbells, or any other form of resistance (like bands, medicine balls, etc.). You can use dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, and other external resistance equipment to improve muscular mass, endurance, and core strength.

The great part about resistance training is it can not only increase muscle mass and strength, but it can help strengthen your skeletal structure, reduce body fat, improve blood circulation, balance cholesterol levels and help boost your mood.

We recommend making resistance training a regular part of your fitness routine in combination with moderate cardio.

Need help getting started? Try working with a certified personal trainer at Vim + Vigor Fitness.

Resistance Training for Beginners

Age and fitness level do not matter as much as you think. Whether you’re young or old, experienced or inexperienced at the gym, you can benefit from adding weight training to your regimen.

How to start

The best way to start weight training or any other form of resistance training is to work with a certified personal trainer at Vim + Vigor Fitness. They will create a custom workout program designed specifically for your unique needs and fitness goals, and coach you in proper exercise form to prevent injury. You can also try out a Bootcamp or HIIT class to learn some basic exercises.

Either way, it will benefit you to learn as much as you can and to start slow with light weights, gradually increasing the amount of resistance with each exercise in your workout program.

What Equipment Can You Use?

Resistance training is all about training your muscles with weights. For that, you can use the following equipment and techniques: Using Your Body Weight – You can use your bodyweight for some basic resistance training workout such as push-ups, sit-ups, press-ups, pull-ups, etc. Free Weights – Free weights include dumbbells and barbells. Machines – There are a plethora of different resistance exercise machines that focus on training different body parts. Resistance Bands – As the name suggests, these are elastic bands with different resistance levels. You anchor a band around something sturdy and then try to pull these bands using your hands, legs, or any other part of the body. These bands offer excellent resistance training without the need to lift any heavyweights or lots of equipment. Bands can be a great tool for beginners to get the feel of resistance exercises.

5 Reasons to Add Resistance Training to your Fitness Regime

1. Improve Your General Fitness Levels

Resistance training helps build muscle mass and improve strength. This can help give your muscles a “toned” look. Increasing muscle mass can also help improve blood circulation in your body.

2. Improve Your Metabolism - Burn Excessive Calories and Fat

Incorporating resistance training into your fitness routine can help you build more muscle and thereby improve your metabolism.

3. Improve Balance and Stability

Resistance training exercises can help improve your core strength, joint stability, and overall balance. This is especially important as you age.

4. Stabilizing Your Moods

Resistance training can help stabilize your moods. Studies show that exercising helps improve mood and can help reduce stress levels.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you should do resistance training at least twice a week.

5. Mental Health Benefits

If you have any mental illness, resistance training can help. According to Harvard Medical School, adding weight training to your fitness routine can help you fight depression and strengthen your moods. Resistance training, when incorporated into your routine thoughtfully and in moderation, can help boost your self-body image, self-esteem, and self-confidence.

Additional Benefits

Other benefits include improved sleeping patterns. Research shows that resistance training can help improve the quality of your sleep.

Remember, no matter what age group you belong to and what lifestyle you lead, resistance training can improve your quality of life.

Train With A Certified Expert

If you are thinking about incorporating resistance training into your exercise routine, we recommend working with a certified personal trainer at Vim + Vigor Fitness.