How to Become More STRONG

Learning how to strengthen yourself can enhance both your physical and mental health — it's a win-win situation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, increasing strength can help you avoid age-related illnesses like osteoporosis and sarcopenia (muscle wasting), as well as enhance balance, posture, and focus while lowering stress and anxiety.

"To be physically strong is to be intellectually strong, and both are crucial for general physical and mental wellness," said Studio Belles gym owner Angie Bell.

"Physical strength is extremely important, regardless of age, body type, or training style, because it allows us to do daily functional activities of movements well and with reduced chance of injury."

Exercise, like medicine, can help with mental disease treatment.

Exercise can improve levels of mood-boosting serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain, similar to how drugs can help with mental illness.

According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it enhances and normalizes neurotransmitter levels, which improves brain health and helps us feel intellectually powerful.

But how do you increase your strength? Rowing machines and resistance training, as well as free weights and core work, can all help you get stronger. We'll go through how to get stronger and why it's vital in this article.

WHY STRENGTH IS IMPORTANT: HOW TO GET STRONGER

"Being physically strong allows us to live life to the fullest; it minimizes the risk of injury, helps us shed fat and maintain a healthy weight with stronger bones, and improves muscle mass and confidence," said personal trainer Angie Bell.

"Because muscle burns more calories than fat even when it's at rest," Bell explained, "beginning a strength training routine can help you lose inches even if you don't see a change on the scales." "The more toned your muscles are, the more calories you will burn every day - learning how to get stronger is an excellent approach to lose or maintain weight."

Strength training can also help to alleviate the symptoms of chronic illnesses like arthritis, back pain, depression, and diabetes.

GETTING STARTED ON BECOMING STRONGER

If you want to learn how to get stronger, hiring a personal trainer or enrolling in a strength and conditioning class are two options.

"Hiring a professional fitness teacher or taking a class means you'll learn how to do the exercises properly with perfect technique and form, which means you'll be less likely to damage yourself," Angie Bell explained.

"And if you're a woman concerned that lifting weights may cause you to 'bulk up,' don't be concerned; your body chemistry will prevent this." Because women's testosterone levels are lower than men's, they don't grow muscle mass as quickly.

"In fact, because women are more prone to osteoporosis and bone problems, especially around the time of menopause, lifting weights and strength training on a regular basis is extremely crucial," Bell said.

Weight-bearing and exercise are recommended by the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation agrees, advising persons at risk of or diagnosed with osteoporosis to engage in weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises.

HOW TO GAIN STRENGTH: WEIGHT LIFTING

Warming up is essential before beginning any strength training session, just as it is for any other type of exercise. Running on a treadmill for five to ten minutes, cycling for five to ten minutes, or utilizing a rowing machine for five to ten minutes is usually adequate to prepare the body ready to lift weights.

Start with 10 reps of an upper-body activity like a push-up, then 10 reps of lower-body moves like squats or lunges after warming up. "These are known as 'rehearsal sets,' and they prepare the muscles and joints for the range of motion and work ahead," noted Angie Bell, a personal trainer.

"After that, I'd study some of the fundamental functional lifts that help increase strength, such as back squats, deadlifts, bench press, bent-over row, and lunges," he says. To adjust the intensity, experiment with different reps, rest time, tempo, and weights.

"If you're new to strength training and want to learn how to get stronger safely, I recommend starting with three sets of eight to ten reps. Begin at a weight that is comfortable for you, one at which you can maintain proper form without experiencing back pain. You can change the weights once you've gotten the hang of it, but make sure your form is excellent first."

"If you can't properly lift or press a weight, you should reduce your size or risk hurting connective tissue or a muscle. It's also crucial to keep your movements under control and not hold your breath!"

"Working muscles require a continual flow of oxygen to create energy to power their contractions, and breathing properly lessens the desire to tension your muscles, reducing the chance of damage," Bell explained. "As you lift or press, exhale, and then inhale as you lower the weight back to its starting position."

"Don't forget to cool down at the end of each session to avoid DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)," says the author.

WHY ARE ASSISTANCE EXERCISES IMPORTANT? HOW TO GET STRONGER: ASSISTANCE EXERCISES

Compound movements such as deadlifts, squats, and bench presses target large muscular groups, making them ideal for strength training and body composition changes.

Accessory exercises, often known as auxiliary exercises, are also significant. "These are smaller, more focused exercises that assist you in doing compound movements with better form, efficiency, and results," Bell added.

"The idea is that completing smaller, more targeted isolation exercises will help to strengthen some of the specific muscles, or smaller groups of muscles, that are employed in compound maneuvers."

The squat, for example, engages a variety of muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and abs. A leg curl to strengthen the quads, broad jumps to boost power and build up more fast-twitch muscle fibers (essential for energy), or lunges to work one side of the body at a time are all good additions to squats.

"If you're limited on time, the best way to get stronger is to do compound strength training," Bell added. "However, if you have the time, it's good doing accessory exercises a couple of times a week to build the smaller, supporting muscles and help you get stronger overall."

SEEING RESULTS IS ONE WAY TO GET STRONGER.

"Give yourself 6-8 weeks to notice a physical improvement," personal trainer Angie Bell advised, "but you'll probably feel emotionally and physically stronger within a few weeks of starting a strength training program."

"Give yourself 6-8 weeks to notice a physical improvement," personal trainer Angie Bell advised, "but you'll probably feel emotionally and physically stronger within a few weeks of starting a strength training program."

"I also advise my clients to take 'before' images and measurements, since this is a huge motivator and a great way to observe changes." On days when you're doing a lot of training, make sure you're getting plenty of muscle-repairing protein, either through meals or shakes, and try to get 8-10 hours of sleep each night to allow your muscles to repair and replenish.

"Also, don't forget to include rest days in your training." Active recuperation, such as a stroll or some yoga, aids the body's healing, injury reduction, and strength maintenance."