Strength training is important.
The end.
Just kidding. But not really. Strength training really IS important for every single person. It helps with fat loss, muscle-building, and "toning up". It helps boost metabolism so we can take in an appropriate amount of food and fully nourish ourselves. It helps make us more insulin sensitive so we can (hopefully) prevent type 2 diabetes and other diseases with blood sugar causes (like atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, etc.). Strength training also helps us ... build strength. ;-) This is super important b/c we can expect to lose muscle mass and strength year after year as we age. Having the right proactive plan (with strength training at the top of that plan), is important to delay and slow down those changes. We also know that muscle is an endocrine organ because of the way it sends out molecules that "talk to" other cells and tissues. It's our greatest longevity and anti-aging defense.
So how can you make sure you're utilizing this tool effectively and checking all the boxes?
Strength train 2-5 (with 3-4 being a great target) times per week
Length of time doesn't matter, nor does heart rate, breathlessness, how much you're sweating, or whether or not you're sore afterwards. Read that again. Most people think these metrics matter at least a little. They do not. Not for strength training.
Make sure you're targeting all major muscle groups at least twice each week. So you can do 2 full body day sessions per week. Or an upper body push, an upper body pull, a lower body, and a full body session. Or 2 lower body days and 2 upper body days per week. Split it up however you'd like ideally with at least 1 day of rest for certain muscle groups in between (example, not doing 2 lower body days in a row).
A good rule of thumb is to complete 8-12 reps of an exercise per set (2-4 sets work well in most cases). Use a resistance that feels HARD to complete the last few reps of each set or at least of the last set. If you do your 8-12 reps and feel like it was "too easy", you need to use more resistance next time.
If you don't have access to heavier weights right now, change something else up so that the last few reps feels hard. This could mean adding extra reps, sets, or both. OR, you could slow down each individual rep a lot more (like you're in slow mo) so you're increasing TUT (Time Under Tension).
Utilize progressive overloading. This means you are gradually increasing the challenge over time so your muscles adapt and strengthen. Repeat the same exercises / workouts for a while (blocks of 8-16 weeks of repeating the same workouts from week-to-week before changing them up are great!) Have a way to track what you're doing so you can slowly step it up in the weeks to come. Did bicep curls with 10 lbs weights, 3 sets of 8? In a couple of weeks, do 3 sets of 10. Then a couple of weeks later, increase to 12 lbs if you can.
If you are a menstruating person, you can feel confident scaling workouts back as needed during luteal / menstrual phases and dialing them back up for follicular and ovulatory phases. Do this by tracking workouts from month to month so you can compare last month's follicular phase workouts to this month's follicular phase workouts, etc.
If you need help with program design (making sure each workout targets the right muscles in the right ways), here are a few options:
1) Join the TRANSFORM: Body + Mind waitlist for January. This is my 28-day metabolism-boosting course. You will learn all about nutrition for your goals, lifestyle factors you hadn't considered yet, how to keep indulgences in and still reach your goals, but also all about FITNESS. You will also get optional meal plans balanced for your goals and specific workouts to follow. PLUS, you'll get a free month inside The After Party afterwards ... my monthly membership / sequel to the course with more meal plans, workshops, and a complete strength training program for you.
2) Utilize my free workouts on Instagram. I post some on my feed like this one, but also share lots more about fitness in my stories and have several highlights with hundreds of complete workouts saved for you by type (lower body, arms + shoulders, full body, etc.).
3) Work with me 1:1 where I will give you customized nutrition and fitness guidance.
4) Hire another coach who will ensure your programming is complete and effective. There are lots of really qualified, smart, effective coaches out there and you should make sure you find one you resonate with!
In summary: strength training is important. You should do it. :-P
'Til next time,
Tara
