The Top 4 Reasons You Aren't Strength Training
“Why strength training?”
There is not a single thing you can do that will increase the quality of your life as much as strength training. Most people spend way too much time focused on cardiovascular exercise (like jumping on the treadmill or elliptical) and not nearly enough time trying to get stronger. Strength training has been shown to have a positive benefit on just about everything including increasing quality and quantity of sleep, decreasing depression, improving self-esteem, living longer, increased independence as we age, better time management, more energy, self-efficacy and that doesn’t even begin to cover all the physical benefits! The American College of Sports Medicine recommendation for strength training is 2-3 times per week in the adults. In a 2016 review, only 18.3% of individuals met the criteria, but of those who did, there was a 23% reduction in all-cause mortality or your overall chance of dying.
“I don’t have enough time.”
The most significant barrier to starting any exercise program is lack of time. Dedicating a few hours a week to training will significantly improve the quality of the hours we have working, managing the family, and navigating the holidays. The key is making exercise a priority is scheduling 2-3 hours a week as non-negotiable. Think of it this way; we have 168 hours in a week, spend 2-3 hours strength training, and get more out of the remaining 165. We are talking about less than 2% of the hours in a week! This is a small price to pay to increase energy, improve your mood, and be more productive.
It is also common to see people want to start guns blazing and will only come into the gym if they can make it 4-5 times a week, and this is the wrong way to go about it. Start small, go when you can, even if that is just once a week and build from there. Before you know it, you’ll be an exercising machine.
“I’ll wait until ______.”
It is human nature to put off doing hard tasks, but there is no time like the present to get started lifting weights. .Let’s be honest; there will always be something going on that makes it difficult to get to the gym. Remember, we are only talking about 2% of the week that is needed to see improvement. Once you get into a nice routine and make it a part of your schedule, it will get easier. The time is now to bite the bullet; don’t wait until the New Year’s.
“I don’t know what to do.”
Strength training can be scary at first. There are so many mixed messages on “how to train” it can be paralyzing. The best thing to do is get some professional guidance, what that means is looking for someone that has the education, certification, and experience. Do not accept any less than two of the three. This is not as expensive as it may sound; getting good coaching is more affordable than ever and is significantly less costly than the medical cost involved with neglecting your health. Good coaching can also help squash a lot of those fears around strength training.
“I’m afraid of getting hurt…or I don’t want to get too big.”
There seems to be a negative stigma around lifting weights. One is that Strength training is dangerous, although it has been shown over and over to be one of the safest sports. A study in the journal of strength and conditioning showed only 0.0017 injuries per 100,000 hours of participation of strength training lead to serious injury. What that means is weightlifting is as dangerous as tennis and badminton!
It is also common to hear people are afraid of getting unintended results from lifting weights, like getting too big or bulky. The reality is that as we age, it is a battle for us to maintain muscle much less significantly increase lean mass. Unless you are spending much more than 2% of your week in the gym and taking artificial testosterone, you will likely get leaner and feel much better in your clothes.
The bottom line is dedicating less than 2% of your week participating in a progressive strength training program prescribed by a professional in the field will return endless benefits.