11 Advantages of strength training, which have nothing to do with muscle size

If you want a bigger bicep or an elusive six, strength training is an important component for achieving this goal. But even if maximizing muscle size is not your goal, strength training can still be the best way to achieve your health goals.

"A lot of people think they shouldn't do weight training if they don't want to look like an bodybuilder," said Michael Rebold, director of integrative sciences at Hiram College, Ohio. "So the only form of exercise they do is aerobics, and then they wonder why they have health problems," he explains.

Also, building muscle mass requires specific and intense exercise and nutrition, and that doesn't happen by accident.

Think about these 11 scientifically proven benefits of strength training before your next workout.

1. Lower abdominal fat

In a study published in the 2014 Journal of Obesity Research, Harvard researchers tracked 10,500 men over a 12-year period and concluded that strength training is more effective at preventing abdominal fat gain than cardiovascular training.

"When people incorporate strength training into their daily routine, they not only burn calories, but also increase lean muscle mass, which stimulates metabolism," Rebold said. Muscle mass is an important factor in determining the rate of basal metabolism or the number of calories the body burns per day to maintain physiological function.

2. Improving the health of the cardiovascular system

Abdominal fat (also known as visceral fat) is found in and around vital organs, including the heart. Thus, preventing or reducing excess abdominal fat through weight gain training can certainly improve the health of the heart.

However, studies show that strength training also has a direct impact on the heart. For example, studies published in the journal Applied Physiology in 2013 show that young men who regularly exercise strength, HDL or good cholesterol perform better than men who never lift iron. Rebold explains that strength training improves blood pressure and triglyceride levels, like cardiovascular training, but has even greater benefits for HDL. And research published in the medical journal Lancet in 2015 shows that grip strength (a marker for whole body muscle health) predicts death from heart disease more accurately than blood pressure.

3. Controlled blood sugar levels

 "Resistance training is something that everyone with Type 2 diabetes should include in their daily routine," says Rebold. He explains that a report published in BioMed Research International in 2013 shows that strength training not only strengthens muscles, but also improves their ability to absorb and use glucose or blood sugar.

"Your muscle cells have these transporters that take glucose from your blood and release it to your muscle cells," says Rebold. "Power training improves their ability to absorb much more blood glucose from the blood and transport it to the muscles, thereby reducing blood glucose levels.

4. Reducing cancer risk

Visceral fat not only increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes, but can also contribute to cancer. Research by Oncogen, published in 2017, shows that visceral fat cells produce high levels of carcinogenic protein called fibroblast growth factor 2 or FGF2.

And according to research published in 2017 in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology, muscle mass is a strong predictor of success in cancer treatment. Muscle atrophy is a common complication in cancer treatment and is associated with higher risk of chemotherapy toxicity, faster tumor progression and lower survival rates.

5. Reduced risk of injury

 "A good muscle base is important for all movements, balance, coordination and injury prevention," explains Dr. Adam Rivadeneira, a sports physician at the Joaga Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, California. "When a muscle is too weak, it increases the load on the connective tendon and can lead to tendinitis," explains Dr. Adam Rivadeneira.

In addition, strength training also increases the number and diameter of collagen fibrils in the tendons to increase their strength and prevent injury. This is stated in a report published in 2015 in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, a publication of the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy.

6. Mental health promotion

Running high gets high, but strength training also improves symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety. Endorphins controlled by movement play a role, but strength training also provides an opportunity to overcome obstacles in a controlled, predictable environment and improve mental stability, according to Harvard Medical School.

A study published in the journal Psychological Boundaries in 2014 shows that the greatest effect against anxiety is achieved by using low and medium weights, which are lighter than 70 percent of what a representative can lift.

7. Increased flexibility and mobility

 It's time to rethink your stretch marks routine. The results of the 2017 study published in the journal Izokinetics and Physical Exercise show that strength training improves flexibility in both men and women. An earlier study in the North American Journal of Sports Physiotherapy in 2006 showed that eccentric strength exercise can be most beneficial as it improves the flexibility of the hamstring twice as much as static stretching. Eccentric exercises are all exercises that emphasize muscle elongation rather than contraction. Typical exercises can include lowering the knee bend or lifting the barbell with latent pull, Rivadeneira says.

However, mobility is even more important for overall performance, fitness and quality of life, he said. By guiding the joints through the entire range of movement during a power exercise, you can increase that range of movement over time, he explains.

8. Elevated body image

 Although exercise certainly has an impact on body composition and physique, research, including the Journal of Extension's 2015 study of middle-aged and older women, shows that consistent strength training improves body image and perceived appearance, regardless of actual aesthetic results.

Improved mental health and energy levels, as well as a sense of achievement, are likely catalysts for improving overall body image, according to researchers.

9. Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

 Strong bodies have strong bones, and strength training significantly increases the density of bone minerals, says Rivadeneira. He explains that any strength exercise, which involves standing and gravity pulling down the body, gently strains and strengthens bones and muscles. And every time a muscle contracts, it pulls the bones to which it is attached, which stimulates the cells in the bone to produce structural proteins and transport minerals into the bone, he says.

Therefore, for best results, priority should be given to standing up strength training and strength movements such as squats and lunges. In a 2014 study published in the Journal of Family and Community Medicine, strength training lasting just 12 weeks with squats increased the mineral density of the lower spine and neighborhood by 2.9 and 4.9 percent, respectively.

10. Improvement of brain health

Power training can improve brain function throughout life, but its effect is perhaps most pronounced in older people suffering from cognitive decline. In a study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics in 2016, men and women aged 55 to 86 with mild disabilities engaged in strength training twice a week for six months, significantly improving their results on cognitive tests. However, when participants conducted stretching exercises, their results in cognitive tests decreased.

The key to that could be blood flow, Rebold said, noting that high-intensity strength training increases the flow of blood, oxygen and other nutrients into the brain. In the study, adults lifted 80 percent of their 1MP, the maximum weight they could lift for a representative. This is about the weight they could lift in eight repetitions without breaking their shape.

11. Longer service life

 One of the many advantages of strength training is longer service life. A study conducted in the Lancet in 2015 showed that grip strength accurately predicts death from any cause and that, according to the 2017 Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, compared to Body Mass Index (BMI) or BMI, lean muscle mass measures health better overall.