Strength Training

Strength Training and Discipline for Teens

One of the main reasons some teenagers get into trouble is a lack of discipline. The teenage years are tricky for parents: it’s important to let teenagers experience more independence than they had as children, but sometimes the new-found independence leads to discipline problems. Just how much independence the teenager should be given at which point, and in which area of her life, is impossible ...

Weight Lifting and Stress Management

Who doesn’t have too much stress? We’re all pummeled by the stuff on a daily basis. Stress is a normal, healthy response when you’re in danger. Unfortunately, the body relies on the brain to tell it when there’s danger, and the brain doesn’t distinguish well between “Oh, no, a building’s about to fall on my head!” and “Oh, no, I’m not going to meet that ...

Cross Training and Weightlifting

Weightlifting is great in and of itself, but it can also improve your performance in other sports. Professional athletes lift weight as part of a standard training routine. Many of them focus on parts of the body they need to strengthen in order to play better at their chosen sport. A batter will work on upper body strength to hit balls further and faster while ...

Weight Lifting as Physical Therapy

You might be surprised to hear that many people have their first experience of strength training not in a gym, but in a physical therapy session. Strength training is an integral way to rebuild muscle tissue after a muscle’s been allowed to atrophy (in the case of recuperating from injury). It’s also helpful with strengthening joints weakened by arthritis, injury or degenerative conditions. Some people ...

How does Weightlifting Increase Muscle Size?

You know that weight lifting makes you muscles grow, get harder and become more defined. Have you ever wondered just how it goes that? What exactly is happening physiologically when you lift weights? What weightlifting could do for a person was understood long before anyone knew how it worked. Using opposing forces to work muscles harder made muscles more capable. Not making muscles work caused ...

Competitive Weight Lifting

Weightlifting is a great adjunct to any physical fitness routine. Because it builds muscle, which burns more calories than fat burns, weightlifting raises your resting metabolism. This means you’ll burn more calories than you used to, even just sitting around. Additionally, weightlifting strengthens bones to help prevent osteoporosis and promote good joint health. Weightlifting as a sport Weightlifting is also a competitive sport – probably ...

Weight Lifting and Genetics – is strength and muscle mass predetermined?

There’s no question we can do a lot to reshape our bodies with diet and exercise. But there’s also no question that genes determine a lot of how we look: our builds, how easily we gain or lose muscle and fat, and and whether we tend to build short, compact or long, lean muscles. The real question is: just how much do our genes predetermine? ...

Weightlifting and Definition

The term “definition” is often used incorrectly in fitness terms. Not only by average people, but by experts writing for magazines and trainers at gyms. People often use the term to refer to the opposite of bulk: a slim, lean muscular physique rather than a bulky shape. “Definition” actually refers to visible muscle. Bulky bodybuilders typically have excellent definition, with the shape of many muscles ...

Safety Tips for Weight Lifting

As you read about weightlifting and all its benefits, you’ll probably notice a lot of admonitions to lift weights “correctly” and “safely” and “consult a professional” if you have any doubts about your physical capabilities. A lot of articles cover some of the basic issues that can lead to injury when you lift weights incorrectly. I’m going to go more in depth on the topic ...

Weightlifting for Bulk

We’ve talked a lot about how you don’t have to get bulky from weightlifting, and therefore weightlifting should be part of everyone’s routine. But what if you want to bulk up? Is that still a healthy and viable way to get health benefits from weightlifting? The answer is: sure, if you do it right. First, you should be aware that some people have a very ...

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Strength Training