Commentary by Adam Timm
Most people are aware that athletes look to lifting weights to help improve performance in their sport or activity. However, establishing a good strength foundation is important for everyone, and not just serious athletes. Strength training benefits include better bone density, improved joint stability, and increased muscle mass.
Building a solid strength foundation is more than just picking up weights and knocking out some bicep curls. Compound movements such as squats, dead lifts, and shoulder press are important to implement because they translate into many activities performed in everyday life. The squat movement is something that is performed multiple times a day when getting up out of a chair. The dead lift is an exercise used when picking an object up off of the ground. These exercises require balance and stabilization in addition to generating force necessary to lift the object. Body weight exercises including push-ups, pull-ups, and lunges are also very beneficial and are a good place to start for creating good movement patterns.
It is important when starting a strength program to educate yourself on proper lifting technique and increase the weight and intensity slowly over time. Correct lifting techniques and proper movement patterns can improve efficiency and safety in your workouts and activities. “Start low and go slow,” is a simple rule to keep in mind. This means start with very light weight and increase slowly over time to maintain form and to give your body time to adapt to increased load and intensity.
At Concept 7 Fitness, strength development is one of our lifestyle principles. Keep these points in mind as you start to build a strong and healthy foundation.
- Perform focused strength training one to two times per week.
- Include full body movements such as squat, shoulder press, and dead lift.
- Increase the weight slowly and focus on good technique to ensure safety.
Enjoy the journey to better health and fitness!
