Harness the superpower of strength training
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Posted in Hot Yoga
Hot yoga is incredibly beneficial for physical and mental health, and holding poses builds all-over body strength. To take that strength to the next level, resistance training is an ideal complimentary activity. It’s time-efficient, can even be done at home or when away from home, as well as in the gym. Your flexibility, mobility and range of motion gained from yoga practice are a great base, and a sequence of sun salutations or Hot 60 poses are the perfect warm up (and cool down) before hitting the free weights and powering up for pistol squats.
What exactly is strength training?
Strength training uses resistance to stimulate muscle growth and improve strength and physical power. It usually involves sets (reps) interspersed with rest periods, using weights, resistance bands or bodyweight exercises. The primary goal of strength training is to increase muscle mass, which can improve physical performance, metabolism, bone density and overall health. Strength training can be performed with a variety of equipment, has a low injury rate and is very low impact. Any exercise working/overloading your muscles against a force is strength training, including bicep curls, leg extensions, lateral raises, dumbbell flies…the list is endless. You can regularly switch up your routine to avoid boredom and find what gets you buzzing and ‘in the zone’.
Strength training has been used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts for years and is more popular than ever with both women and men. Combined with fat loss, it leads to muscle definition and certainly appeals to those keen to tone up (myth buster: muscles don’t get toned, they grow or shrink. Low body fat percentage results in increased muscle definition). Anyhow, the benefits of strength training extend far beyond aesthetics and high-level fitness. It can, and should, feature in your weekly fitness schedule, whether you’re in your twenties or sixties, seventies… or older! A common fear (especially for women) is ‘bulking up’, but this is far from reality: building bulging muscles takes incredible dedication.
Five major benefits of strength training
1. Increased muscle mass
When you perform strength training exercises, you are placing stress on your muscles, which causes them to adapt and grow stronger. Over time, this leads to an increase in muscle mass and overall strength. This increase in strength can improve not only your sporting endeavours (such as running) but also your ability to perform daily activities, such as lifting, climbing stairs or carrying shopping bags. As you get older, this means you’re preventing age-related muscle loss and increasing your chances of maintaining independence for longer – so important!
2. Improved bone density
The stress placed on the bones during strength training stimulates the production of new bone tissue, which can increase bone density and make them stronger. This is especially important for older adults who are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, including menopausal women. Whilst osteoporosis can’t be reversed, further damage can be prevented through weight bearing exercises, lowering the risk of bone fractures.
3. Boosted metabolism
Strength training can also boost your metabolism, which can aid weight loss and weight management. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, meaning that it burns more calories at rest. When you increase your muscle mass through strength training, you increase your overall metabolic rate, which can help you burn more calories throughout the day. Excellent news if you’re aiming for a calorie deficit.
4. Enhanced joint health
Strength training improves joint stability and mobility by strengthening muscles around the joint. Sound like something only older people need to worry about? Wrong – joint mobility is key to reducing the risk of injury from sport, running, poor posture or overdoing it generally. Another reason to warm up before starting your session!
5. Improved mental health
Exercise releases endorphins (feel-good hormones) which improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Strength training is no exception. You also feel pretty chuffed and accomplished at the end of a session, boosting self-confidence and self-esteem. We can all benefit from that!
Short of time? Include compound exercises
Strength training is an efficient way to exercise and can be done anywhere you have access to the equipment you need – even at home. To optimise your session, be sure to include compound exercises. Why? Well, they demand more effort and energy than isolation exercises which focus on only one muscle group. Working multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously mimics natural, everyday movements, such as pushing, pulling, squatting, or lifting. They are also great for athletes (including the non-professionals amongst us) looking to improve performance and smash some personal bests. Compound exercises are an excellent way to get a full body workout in a short amount of time, building strength, increasing muscle mass, improving coordination and burning calories. Compound exercises aren’t complicated – you’ve probably already done many of them: squats, bent over row, clean & press, walking lunges and deadlifts are all popular examples.
Whether you’re starting your fitness journey or have been active for years, strength training is an essential component of a well-rounded fitness routine. The benefits are physical, mental and aesthetic, and it could be your secret weapon to wellbeing just waiting to be discovered.
Yoga or strength training? Have both!
To re-cap, key differences between yoga and strength training are below.
> FOCUS: strength training focuses on building muscle mass, while yoga focuses on improving flexibility, balance, mindfulness and relaxation
> INTENSITY: strength training is typically more intense and involves short sets and rest periods (recoveries), while yoga usually involves longer holds and slower movements
However, strength training and yoga are both excellent forms of exercise and go hand in hand. If you want to build muscle mass and bone strength, improve flexibility, mobility, co-ordination and really tune into your body, make sure you’re including both in your schedule.
At Hot Yoga Club we offer a range of options that are not your ordinary yoga class! Sculpt, Hot Rocket and Yoga FIIT are more intense classes that provide strenuous, upbeat yet low impact workouts, and with the addition of heat and humidity, you’ll be conditioning your whole body every time.
Try a few classes with our Intro Offer > 4 Classes for £40* to get you started…just get in touch at the studio or head to our website to find out more.
Studio Contact Info
Tel: 01784 463100
Email: enquiries@hotyogaclub.co.uk
Website: www.hotyogaclub.co.uk