There are plenty of folks out there asking the same question, "Why to bother with weight lifting/strength training at all?" Well, it's always a bit harder to explain to the general public than to athletes, but I'll try my best to demonstrate why you should bother. And hey, don't get angry! I'm not calling anybody thick! All I'm saying is that physical training is a massive part of an athlete's lifestyle, where for the majority of non-sports people, it isn't. Therefore it can be challenging to convince the general public about the benefits of regular physical training, especially weightlifting/strength training. So anyway, let's get things moving and see what positive changes you can expect from strength training.
First, we're going to have a look at the neuromuscular adaptations of strength training.
1. Increased Motor Unit Recruitment
Let's jump right into it and crack on with the geeky stuff. A motor unit is made out of a motor neurone (nerve) and all the muscle fibres invaded by the neurone's axon terminals. The brain sends a signal through the nervous system to the skeletal muscles to contract. The motor neurone transmits the signal and passes onto the muscle fibres, which then contract. There are hundreds, sometimes thousands of motor units in a single muscle group. To be able to produce maximum force, these motor units must fire up simultaneously. For example, someone who takes part in regular strength training will repeat specific movements over and over again, using heavier weights and more repetitions. During these repetitive movements, not only the muscle but the brain goes through adaptations as well. Over time the messaging and transmission between the central nervous system and the muscular system will improve, meaning those motor units will fire in a more synchronised fashion, resulting in increased strength. I often use the following example. Imagine a series of lightbulbs connected. If you switch on one light bulb, it makes the room a bit brighter. Switch on another one, and it gets even brighter. Finally, turn on all of them simultaneously (the more bulbs you have, the better it is), and the room becomes super bright. It's the same with the motor units. The more units you can fire simultaneously, the more force you'll be able to produce.
2. New and More Efficient Neuropathways
Neuropathways are the communication channels between the brain and the muscles. Imagine the brain as the manager of the movement department and the muscles as the employees. The more often and more efficiently the parties communicate, the better the outcome will be. For example, when exercising, the brain sends the signal to the muscles, the signal gets transmitted by the motor neuron, and the muscles perform the action. Upon completing the task, feedback will be sent to the brain. The brain processes the information and makes necessary adjustment if needed. During strength training (and other training styles too), we execute the same movements numerous times, which means that the "phone lines", AKA pathways between the brain and the muscles, are on fire, and information bounces back and forth continuously. To improve communication, new pathways will develop, and the efficiency will increase too. The only problem is that if we were to repeat the exercises with a lousy form, we'd imprint faulty pathways, thus resulting in weak performance and increased risk of injury. However, if the movements were performed correctly (with the best form possible), the adaptations, including the improvement of neuropathways, would occur appropriately.
3. Improved Biomechanics
Biomechanics is the science of movement. It studies the ability of the living body to generate movements using the musculoskeletal system, including bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles. I'd like to give you two examples of how strength training can improve someone's biomechanics. First, when we start training with someone, we assess the person's movement quality. The least issues we discover during the assessment, the less time we have to spend fixing problems such as poor posture (as that can influence the way somebody moves), mobility and flexibility limitations and bad movement habits. For example, a person with rounded shoulders (desk-based workers mainly) will have possible limitations when performing overhead movements like overhead squat. Rounded shoulders are often the result of tight and weak Pectoralis muscles and weak rotator cuffs, and perhaps Latissimus Dorsi. With the proper selection of exercises, we can strengthen all the weakened muscles, enhance flexibility and restore mobility around the joints. This approach will help to improve posture, which will contribute to refined biomechanics. Another way of advancing someone's movement quality is to revisit and reteach basic exercises like the squat and bench press. Sometimes rewiring neuropathways can be more complicated than learning a move from grand zero. Still, by tweaking the person's technique and correcting their form while working with relatively high intensity, we've got the double benefit of improving the individual's biomechanics whilst still challenging the neuromuscular system (AKA creating a pretty tough workout).
4. Muscular Hypertrophy AKA Muscle Gain
We often say that muscle gain and improved physique is the (often very warmly welcomed) byproduct of strength training. During strength training sessions, the trainee tends to work at a high intensity (lifting heavy weights or performing extremely challenging bodyweight exercises) but with lower volume (only a few repetitions at a time). Performing activities that put significant strain on the skeletal muscles causes damages (micro-tears) to the muscle fibres. After the workout, the body initiates the repair process, during which the micro-tears of the muscle cells heal. During the healing process, the muscle cells create extra scar tissue that results in increased muscle size, and this is what we call hypertrophy. Simply said, lifting heavy objects repeatedly will make your legs, back, and arms grow bigger.
5. Self-confidence Booster
There are people out there who couldn’t care less about the physiological benefits of strength training but might be intrigued by its positive impact on mental health. Therefore I wanted to ensure that I include at least one psychological benefit of strength training on this list. There is plenty of reason for trying strength training/weight lifting to improve mental health. However, I’m limited to five benefits in total, so I picked the one I believe is the most immediate and empowering change you could experience: enhanced self-confidence. Trying to do something you never did before (like your first strength session) and getting it done will make you feel pretty proud of yourself. Succeed or fail doesn’t matter. If you succeeded, you would raise the bar. If you failed, you would try again! All you’ve got to do is pick up a barbell or dumbbell and put it back down; do that a few times! Nobody is asking you to calculate the amount of Uranium needed to power a medium-sized European country for a whole year (that’s complicated stuff, that’s proper science), so the “I CAN’T DO IT!” attitude is a no go. The more workouts you complete, the more refined your skill will become and the stronger you will grow, which means that ultimately your confidence will grow too. Friends and clients of mine have come out of their shells shortly after they started participating in strength training, thanks to their enhanced self-confidence. Anyways just give it a go, you won’t regret it! 😉
As I mentioned earlier, there are countless reasons to try strength training, so I highly recommend that you do a bit of research if my five reasons weren’t convincing enough. Alternatively, you can contact me directly to pick my brain about the topic; I’ve got plenty to say.😁
Written by Szilard Jakab
29.06.2021
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