Strength training: Basic overview of main benefits and its principles

Strength can be broadly defined as the ability of your muscles to exert force against resistance. Strength training, also known as resistance or weight training, is a form of physical exercise that aims to increase muscle strength, power, and endurance through the use of resistance, such as weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises.

Strength training is important for health and well-being for several reasons:

· Musculoskeletal Health: Regular strength training helps to build and maintain strong muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. It can help improve posture, stability, and balance, reducing the risk of falls and injuries, particularly in older adults. It also plays a crucial role in preventing age-related muscle loss and maintaining overall mobility and independence.

· Cardiovascular health: Engaging in regular strength training can lead to improvements in cardiovascular function. Strength training increases blood flow, enhances the endothelial function (the ability of blood vessels to dilate), lower blood pressure, enhanced lipid profile, and can aid in weight management that consequently reduces a risk of cardiovascular diseases.

· Metabolic Health: Strength training has a positive impact on your metabolism. It increases lean muscle mass, which can boost your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories your body burns at rest). This can be beneficial for weight management, as a higher metabolic rate helps to burn more calories throughout the day.

· Joint Health: Strengthening the muscles around your joints, such as your knees, hips, and shoulders, can provide added support and stability. This can help reduce the risk of joint pain, discomfort, and injuries, especially in individuals with conditions like osteoarthritis.

· Enhanced Performance: Strength training is not something that only a professional athlete should be engaged in. It can benefit individuals of all fitness levels and ages by improving overall physical performance and functional abilities. Whether it's carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or participating in sports, increased strength and power can make everyday tasks easier and improve physical and cognitive performance in various activities.

· Mental Well-being: Engaging in regular strength training has been shown to have positive effects on mental health. It can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, enhance mood, and boost self-confidence and self-esteem. The sense of accomplishment and the endorphins released during exercise contribute to an overall sense of well-being.

It's important to note that strength training should be tailored to an individual's abilities and goals. Consulting with a qualified fitness professional or personal trainer can be helpful in developing a safe and effective strength training program that suits your needs.

The main principles of strength training that both beginners and more experienced athletes should follow to maximize benefits and prevent negative effects can be summarized through several points as follows:

a) Progressive Overload: This principle involves gradually increasing the demands placed on your muscles to continually challenge them. You can achieve this by increasing the resistance, the number of repetitions, sets, weekly frequency, time under tension, contraction velocity or the intensity of your workouts over time. Progressive overload stimulates muscle growth and strength gains.

b) Proper Technique and Form: It is essential to learn and use proper technique and form for each exercise. This ensures that you target the intended muscle groups effectively and minimize the risk of injury. Beginners should focus on learning the correct form from the start, while experienced athletes should periodically review and refine their technique.

c) Individualization: Strength training programs should be tailored to an individual's goals, fitness level, and capabilities. What works for one person may not work for another. It's important to consider factors such as age, sex, physical condition, any pre-existing injuries or conditions, and personal preferences when designing a program.

d) Rest and Recovery: Allowing adequate rest and recovery time between workouts is crucial. Strength training causes microscopic damage to muscle fibers, and they need time to repair and grow stronger. Overtraining can lead to decreased performance, increased risk of injuries, and overreaching syndrome i.e., burnout. Aim for 48 to 72 hours of recovery between sessions targeting the same muscle groups.

e) Variability of stimuli: Incorporating variety into your strength training routine is important to prevent plateaus and maintain motivation. This can include changing exercises, altering the order of exercises, adjusting sets and repetitions, or introducing new training modalities. Mixing up your routine challenges your muscles in different ways, stimulating growth and preventing boredom. However, introducing of variability of training stimuli to your training routine should be periodized as well, allowing muscles to adapt and adequately response to previous training cycle.

f) Proper Nutrition: Nutrition plays a vital role in supporting strength training. Ensure you consume an adequate amount of protein to support muscle repair and growth. Additionally, maintain a balanced diet that provides sufficient energy (calories), vitamins, and minerals to support overall health and recovery.

g) Safety and Injury Prevention: Prioritize safety during your workouts to prevent injuries. This includes using proper equipment, warming up adequately, using spotters when necessary, and listening to your body. If you experience pain or discomfort during an exercise, it's important to stop and assess the situation.

h) Consistency: Consistency is key for long-term progress and benefits. Strength training should be performed on a regular basis, ideally two to three times per week. It's important to establish a routine and make strength training a habit to see improvements over time.

Remember, it's always a good idea to consult with a qualified fitness professional or strength and conditioning specialist to ensure that you're following the principles of strength training correctly and safely, especially if you're a beginner or have specific health considerations.

Author: Assist. Prof. Armin Paravlić, PhD