Resistance/Strength Training

What is Resistance Training?

Resistance training refers to using external weight or resistance to make the use of our muscles during an exercise harder and, therefore, structurally change the muscles for strength and endurance gains.

Why should I add weights to my exercise regime?

There are many benefits to resistance training. They include:

• Body recomposition: resistance training is very effective for building muscle mass and increasing our calorie usage for the day, which is a vital part of the fat loss process.
• Increased strength: resistance training is the most effective way of increasing strength for our muscles, making day-to-day tasks or work feel that much easier.
• Increased muscular endurance: Resistance training involves using weights and bouts of repetitions of an exercise to achieve these benefits. A side effect of this is that we increase the total amount of work we are able to do before we get tired. This directly transfers over into real-life tasks like gardening or our work.
• Maintain bone density: Weight-bearing and resistance exercises have been shown to maintain bone density as we age by limiting the breakdown of bone tissues. This is important, particularly for females, who are at an increased risk of developing osteopenia and fractures later in life.
• General Health Benefits: Resistance exercise could reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. It can also improve cholesterol, blood sugar, or blood pressure levels by improving exercise capacity.

How many resistance training sessions should I do each week?

The Australian Health Guidelines recommend for adults aged 18-64 for are as follows:

• Being active most days of the week, e.g. 4-5 days out of 7
• 2.5-5hrs of moderate exercise per week with around half of that time including vigorous exercise
• 2 of these days of exercise include resistance exercises such as squats, push-ups or weights machines at the gym.

Who should I talk to if I’m not sure how to start?

If you are unsure how to get into resistance training or what to do, there are various resources out there.  You could attend your local gym and talk to a personal trainer or head online and research some programs yourself. However, if you have an injury history that needs to be taken into consideration prior to completing exercises, come down to Hoppers Physio and have a chat with our team of Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists. They can help build a catered program for you to get the best benefits from strengthening exercise.

Chat with our friendly reception team today on (03) 9749 5110 or book your appointment online today.