The effect of strength training

The core effect of strength training has never been as simple as "laying down to lose weight" or "building eight-pack abs" as advertised on the Internet. Its essence is to simultaneously achieve multi-dimensional benefits of physiological function strengthening, posture adjustment, sports performance improvement, long-term health gain and mental state improvement through resistance stimulation of skeletal muscles. Moreover, the effects of different training modes vary greatly, and there is no "uniform standard good effect".

I have been practicing for almost 8 years, and when I first got into it, I thought this thing was just for boys who want to get bigger. It wasn’t until the 52-year-old auntie who was the first member I brought in showed me the bone density report after one year that I really realized how universal it is. When my aunt first started practicing, her lumbar spine bone density T-score was -1.8, indicating osteopenia. The doctor said that if she continues to develop, she will develop osteoporosis. She took calcium tablets for three or four years and there was no improvement. Later, she did lower limb + core training twice a week, each time doing simple movements such as deadlifts, seated leg kicks, and plank support. After 13 months, she reexamined her T-score to 0.1, which is equal to the average level of a 30-year-old woman. This is not a metaphysics. The WHO has long included resistance training at least twice a week in the adult exercise guidelines. Its effects in combating bone loss, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing the risk of falls in middle-aged and elderly people are all supported by clinical data.

When it comes to this, someone must mention the differences between different schools. After all, "faction fighting" in the strength training circle does not happen every day or two. Audiences of bodybuilding-style differentiated training most recognize the metabolic benefits brought by muscle gain. After all, for every 1 kilogram of muscle gain, about 10 more calories can be consumed in a resting state every day. I have a friend who has been practicing for 4 years, and his body fat is stable at 1 year-round. 5%, and he usually shows off his hot pot milk tea. It is indeed much better than when he was prone to obesity. He always said that "building muscle is the only way to lose fat in a lifetime." This is not wrong, but the coach who does functional training on the other side always sneers and says Simply building muscle mass is useless. When it comes to carrying heavy objects, catching the subway, or carrying a baby, insufficient flexibility can lead to injuries. They also advocate practicing more compound movements such as squatting, pulling and pushing. The core benefit is to improve daily activity ability. This is also true. The truth is, there used to be a 30-year-old programmer member who had to take a break when he first carried 20 kilograms of rice up to the third floor. After practicing deadlifts for 2 months, he now carries 40 kilograms of cat litter and climbs up to the sixth floor without blushing or out of breath, and he no longer suffers from shoulder and neck pain caused by sitting for a long time. There is also the recently popular "minimum effective dose" school that believes that ordinary people do not need to pursue heavy weights and high capacities. If you do a few core movements for 20 minutes each time 2 days a week, you can get the most basic health benefits. It is especially suitable for office workers who can't even squeeze in time for fishing. To put it bluntly, no one is better than anyone else, as long as the effect matches your needs.

Many people tend to ignore the psychological benefits of strength training. To be honest, the stress-relieving effect of this thing is really much more effective than crying or drinking. There was a female member who worked as an auditor. She worked overtime until early morning every day during the annual review. She was so stressed that she lost hair in handfuls. She squeezed 40 minutes every morning to go to the gym to do shoulder and shoulder exercises. She said that the moment she grabbed the barbell and pushed the weight out, all the KPIs and Party A's troubles were temporarily cleared. After the exercise, she went to work sweating, and her condition was much better than when she fell asleep after finishing it. There is also a little girl who has just entered college. When she first came here, she even lowered her head when talking to the coach. When she deadlifted 50kg for the first time (her own weight was only 48kg), she screamed on the spot. Later, when she came to the gym, she dared to take the initiative to ask people who were good at the exercises, and she stretched more than a little. The thrill of hitting a PR (personal maximum weight) while gritting your teeth and breaking through the limit can really help you let out all the useless energy you have accumulated in your life.

Don’t be deceived by the anxiety marketing on the Internet. It is purely alarmist to say that girls will get stronger if they practice strength and their knees will be injured if they practice too much. The testosterone level of girls is only 1/16 to 1/20 of that of men. Unless you deliberately take medication, you should practice three times a week for an hour each time. At most, you can get a little shoulder line and waistcoat line. It just looks better in clothes. Want to grow big muscles? That is more difficult than taking the 985 exam. As for injured joints, most of them are caused by unstandardized movements and heavy weight exercises. Proper strength training can strengthen the muscles around the joints and reduce the risk of injury. I used to sprain my ankle when running a half marathon, and after half a year of ankle stabilization training, I ran a full marathon PB and never got injured again.

If you really want to ask if there is any "unified standard" for the effect of strength training, I can't say any high-level conclusions. Anyway, I am now over 30, and my physical examination indicators are better than many young people in their early 20s. I will not collapse too badly the next day after staying up late, and it is not difficult to carry heavy objects or run on the subway. If you are really curious, don’t just search for popular science, find a reliable coach to teach you twice, and practice for three months. Your own feelings will be more real than any data.