Strong, Not Bulky
Why Lifting Weights Is for Everyone
Will lifting weights make you look bulky?
Short answer:
No.
Long answer: Also, No.
Gaining significant muscle mass is hard. The athletes and bodybuilders you see with large muscles have put a lot of time, energy, and specific training into developing those muscles. Have you seen The Rock’s workout/eating routines??? Weight training for strength and general fitness is not going to have those kinds of results.
What WILL happen when you use weights in your fitness training?
- You’ll feel stronger and be able to do more physical activities than before.
- You’ll probably feel your muscles get firmer.
- You might see some changes in the shape of your body as those muscles get firmer. But those changes usually are a tightening and lifting effect, NOT a bulking effect.
Weight training in general fitness workouts is looking to generate strength gains not muscle size gains. Increasing muscle size significantly takes very focused and specific training. Strength gains, however, can, and usually do, occur without a significant increase in muscle size. So, unless you’re going to start eating and training like a body builder, you don’t need to worry about training with weights making you “bulky”.
Lifting weights has also has many benefits beyond anything related to appearance. Here’s five things strength training with weights can do for you:
- Improve Bone Health: Strength training places stress on your bones, which stimulates bone remodeling and increases bone density. This is especially beneficial for preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of fractures as you age.
- Enhance Metabolism: Building lean muscle mass through strength training can raise your resting metabolic rate (RMR). Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, which can aid in weight management and improved energy expenditure.
- Better Joint Health: Proper strength training can help stabilize and strengthen the muscles around your joints. This added support can reduce the risk of joint injuries and improve joint function, particularly in areas like the knees and shoulders.
- Enhanced Functional Fitness: Strength training improves functional strength, making it easier to perform everyday activities like lifting groceries, carrying children, and climbing stairs. This can lead to greater independence and improved quality of life, especially as you age.
- Mental Health Benefits: Regular strength training has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, enhance mood, and improve overall psychological well-being. Exercise releases endorphins, which can have a positive impact on your mental health.
Lifting weights offers a wide range of health benefits. It can help you build a stronger, healthier body, improve your physical capabilities, and enhance your overall quality of life. These benefits make strength training a valuable component of a well-rounded fitness routine.
Even if you don’t care if you ever do one!
The Importance of Rest in Your Fitness Routine
and why knowing it is important
1: Fat is bad for you/Carbs are bad for you.
Like with most things, the answer is: it depends. The best shoe for a runner is not the same as the best shoe for a weightlifter. However, for working out in a gym like Sasquatch with a mix of many different movements that train balance and agility as well as strength stability is key. Kettlebell swings, box jumps, lunges, all types of squats – yes even just air squats – require stability to perform safely and get the most out of your workout. A shoe with a flatter, more rigid sole will help protect you from things like ankle sprains, strains, and even fractures that can occur when your shoe doesn’t provide enough stability for your activity. Think about it: if you have to carry a heavy box for several hundred feet do you want to be doing that on a path made out of mattresses? Or one made of solid stable ground? A shoe with a thick cushion on the bottom is not going to provide the stable base you need to keep your feet, knees, ankles etc. safe and stable in the gym. Your feet are your base. Your entire body depends on your feet to stand. If your base isn’t stable, the rest of you can’t be either. What happens if you put something rigid – like a glass of water – on a pillow on your couch? Bet it doesn’t stay standing up very well. That’s why you put that glass of water on a flat stable surface like a coffee table. The following shoes (not sponsored) are some examples of shoes that provide good support and stability: Reebok Nano (any number model) Nike Metcon (any number model) NoBull Project Inov8 F-Lite 245 Cushioned shoes have their place, but they are not a good base for moving weight around or doing anything that requires balance or agility. If you want to get stronger you have to get stable first. The first priority is to protect your joints. To do that, you need to start off with a good solid base.
EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), also known as the "afterburn effect," refers to the increased oxygen consumption and energy expenditure that occurs after a workout. When you engage in intense exercise, such as high-intensity strength training, your body requires additional oxygen to replenish energy stores and restore physiological systems to their pre-exercise state. If you care about losing fat, you can see why increased EPOC is an advantage. Anything that burns more calories without you having to do more work makes losing fat easier. When you exercise, your body utilizes energy from various sources, such as glycogen (stored glucose) and fat, to fuel muscles and keep you moving. Intense exercise can deplete the easily available stored energy. EPOC is the energy needed to replenish those energy stores – like plugging in an iPad to replenish its battery – remove metabolic byproducts, and rebuild muscles stressed during the workout. After an intense exercise session, your body's metabolism remains elevated as it works to recover. This elevated metabolic rate contributes to increased calorie burning during the post-exercise period. The magnitude and duration of EPOC depend on many factors, including exercise intensity, duration, and individual fitness levels. More muscle equals more EPOC. Higher intensity during a workout equals more EPOC. Keep in mind that what “intensity” means varies from workout to workout. On a Squat day “intensity” is usually the weight you use, on Sprint days “intensity” is how fast you can go and maintain it round after round. Long, steady-state cardio workouts absolutely have their place in well-rounded fitness programs (you may notice we do at least one a week most weeks at Sasquatch). However, if that’s all you ever do you will not reap the same benefits from EPOC as when you mix it up with weight training and sprints. High-intensity workouts that challenge large muscle groups (like Front/Back Squats, Deadlifts, Cleans, Snatches etc.) and create a significant oxygen debt tend to elicit a greater EPOC effect. Activities like heavy resistance training (anything with weights), and interval training (sprint-rest-sprint workouts) can result in a prolonged post-exercise calorie burn. A more intense workout means increased EPOC.
Increased Bone Density: Lifting weights stimulates the bones to become stronger and denser. The mechanical stress placed on the bones during weight training triggers bone remodeling, which causes an increase in bone mineral density. This is particularly crucial for individuals with osteoporosis, as it helps to combat – and can even reverse – bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. Improved Muscle Strength and Balance: Weight training exercises target multiple muscle groups, including those around the hips, spine, and wrists, which are commonly affected by osteoporosis-related fractures. By strengthening these muscles, weight training enhances stability, balance, and coordination, reducing the likelihood of falls and subsequent fractures. Enhanced Joint Health and Function: Weight training engages the joints, promoting their flexibility, mobility, and overall health. Regular weight training exercises can help alleviate joint stiffness and pain associated with osteoporosis. Moreover, strengthening the muscles around the joints provides added support and protection, minimizing stress on the joints and potentially reducing the risk of joint-related injuries.
Bet they aren’t what you think.
How to get a six pack in one day: Go to the grocery store.
1. Workout consistently. This one may seem obvious, but it has to be said. The better condition your muscles are in, the less sore they will get. If you workout once or twice a week one time a month, you will never get over the initial hurdle of workouts making you extra sore because your muscles are not used to being used. 2. Get in a good warm up. Give your muscles a chance to ease in to being ready for that tough workout and they will thank you by getting less sore. 3. Do a cool-down. Instead of just stopping abruptly and going home to sit on the couch, keep moving for a short time post-workout. This keeps the blood moving and helps the muscles start to recover. 4. Move Throughout the Day. If you have time for a long walk, awesome! Take that walk. Get the blood moving through those muscles. If you don’t have a ton of time, even short walks around your office/house/yurt/whatever will help get blood moving through those muscles and flush some of that soreness out. You could even throw in some air squats, lunges, and desk push-ups if you really want to get that heart rate up! 5. Sleep! Make sure you’re getting enough sleep for your body to recover. Remember, recovery is just as important as the workouts you do. 6. Get that post-workout protein in. Consuming protein shortly after a workout can help lessen soreness and will help build that lean muscle!
