10 Reasons To Strength Train (that isn’t aesthetics)

When I started my journey in the gym, I wanted to gain strength but then it quickly developed into training to achieve a certain look. I used to read lots of fitness articles and look at pictures of fitness bikini models wishing I looked more like them. It started to become an unhealthy obsession for me and I think that this can easily happen to others too. After training like this for around two years, I was able to break from this way of thinking and I started to focus on getting stronger. I then found the sport of Olympic Weightlifting which completely changed my outlook on training.

The way we look is a huge reason many people go to the gym and train. From my experience, I decided that I wanted to encourage others to focus on achievements in the gym rather than how we look. I feel that we get so much more satisfaction from our training this way and we do not develop unhealthy relationships with food and training.

One of the (many) best things about strength training is it will change how your body looks. You will develop lean muscle, reduce body fat, look healthier and feel invincible. So by focusing on getting stronger, the changes you want to see in your body will happen. 

People who are inactive will experience a 3% to 8% loss of muscle or lean mass per decade not to mention the reduction in resting metabolic rate and increases in fat stores. Studies show that in only ten weeks of strength training, you may be able to increase lean muscle mass by 1.4 kgs, increase resting metabolic rate by 7%, and reduce fat mass by 1.8kg. This is amazing!

So here are my top 10 reasons I think you should strength train that is not to do with how you look:

1. Your body is capable of amazing things and you get a huge sense of achievement

2. A strong body helps fight against the negative effects of aging

3. Having a good base of muscle mass is important for all movement, balance, coordination and injury prevention

4. It improves your mood and can help with depression

5. It gives you a sense of empowerment 

6. Women, in particular, are at risk of osteoporosis. Strength training increases bone mineral density and lowers your risk of weak bones

7. Strength training helps balance hormones

8. It enhances your quality of life and promotes longevity 

9. It improved your cognitive functions

10. It increases your resting metabolic rate which can help reduce fat stores

As you can see, there are so many reasons to strength train that don’t involve getting a bigger bum, less ‘flabby’ arms or ‘toned’ legs (I hate the word toned!). I think that in today's world, the focus is far too much on how we look. It is slowly changing but it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. This is coming from the media and social media and we constantly look at perfect bodies. It’s definitely concerning for the young women of today, feeling like they need to live up to unattainable standards. 

The focus should be on the body’s abilities and in turn, you will look as strong as you are, feel more accomplished and not obsess in the mirror over your body.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I aim to spread the word that the fitness realm can actually be a toxic place and can create unhealthy relationships with our bodies.