Benefits of Strength Training
- Dr. Danny Xu
- Dec 14, 2023
- 3 min read
You're laying on the couch being an absolute potato scrolling through Instagram or TikTok on your phone. You see an abundance of workout videos, giving great exposure on strength training. However very few videos speak on the benefits of it besides building bigger glutes or improving your overall aesthetics, so let's talk about it!
Increasing Muscle Mass and Strength
First and foremost, people primarily go to the gym to get jacked so we cannot deny this as a benefit of strength/resistance training. "Resistance exercise training is the most potent nonpharmacological external means of increasing skeletal muscle mass" (1). When we go through prolonged periods of physical inactivity, due to various reasons such as immobilization or medical conditions such as COPD and cancer, we experience muscle atrophy. That is why it is important to remain active and participate in strength training to remain in tip top shape!
Increases Bone Density
One of the greatest benefits of strength training is that it fortifies our bones and makes them stronger. Osteoporosis is a medical condition where our bones become brittle and fragile. While this is a natural part of the aging process, strength training plays a huge part in combatting it. According to Wolf’s Law when our bones are exposed to loads placed upon them, they will become thicker and stronger to resist these forces. If there are no forces placed on our bones, they will become thinner and weaker! So how can we relate this to strength training? If we perform barbell squats, the resistance will place a compressive load onto the spine and the bones of the lower extremities. Thus, our bones will increase its density over time to adapt to this! Having strong bones will reduce the risk for fractures as well. In a 2014 Journal of Family and Community Medicine study, 12 weeks of strength training with squats increased lower spine and femur bone mineral density by 2.9% and 4.9%, respectively (2).
Helps Improve Joint Stability, Muscle Flexibility, and Balance
Ever notice that no matter how much you stretch that tight hip flexor, it does not provide a lot of relief? It would do you some good to start strengthening that hip flexor instead! "It should be noted that muscle weakness is associated with diminished range of motion" (3). "Strength training that is focused on concentric and eccentric contractions has been shown to increase fascicle length. Improvements in agonist-antagonist co-activation, reciprocal inhibition, and potentiated stretch-shortening cycles due to greater active muscle stiffness may also explain why strength training is a suitable method for improving range of motion" (3).
As we age we tend to lose our balance more often, as falls are a common occurrence of injury within the elderly population. A 2018 study compared the effects of proprioceptive training and muscular strength training to improve the crane stance of Taekwondo athletes. "In this study, it was found that both proprioception training and lower-extremity muscle strength training improved athletic performance and raised the skill level of athletes with regard to maintaining the Taekwondo crane stance. Therefore, applying these training methods into Taekwondo training programs may have a positive effect on improving the competitive performance of Taekwondo athletes. In particular, the findings confirmed that conscious effort to perform the stance with load being applied to the forefoot area was related to maintenance of balance when performing the crane stance on one leg" (4). Incorporating unilateral work into your leg day can provide tremendous gains in your balance!
Supports Mental Health
Strength training not only has physical benefits, but mental as well! A 2014 review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology shows that "resistance training at a low-to-moderate intensity (<70% 1 repetition maximum) produces the most reliable and robust decreases in anxiety" (5). So whenever you are in your head and feeling a bit anxious, head to the gym and pick up some weights!
All in all, strength training is very beneficial! It is a safe way to promote your overall physical and mental wellbeing. Just make sure you focus on form and gradually increasing weight to avoid injury!
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