Weight training

Weight training can be the most effective technique for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It provides functional benefits and may improve overall health and well-being.

Benefits

Many people take up weight training in the belief that it will improve their physical attractiveness. Some men can develop very substantial muscles; most women lack the testosterone to do this, but they can develop a firm, "toned" physique. Ultimately an individual's genetics dictate the response to weight training stimuli. The body's basal metabolic rate increases with increases in muscle mass, which promotes long-term fat loss and helps dieters avoid yo-yo dieting http://www.cbass.com/METABOLI.HTM. Moreover, intense workouts elevate the metabolism for several hours following the workout, which also promotes fat loss http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbme/v10n2/en_a06v10n2.pdf. (Weight-training alone will not reduce levels of body fat without the help of a suitable diet.)

Related Topics:
Physical attractiveness - Testosterone - Genetics - Basal metabolic rate - Fat loss - Yo-yo dieting - Metabolism

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Weight training also provides functional benefits. Stronger muscles improve posture, provide better support for joints and reduce the risk of injury from everyday activities. Older people who take up weight training can reverse the loss of muscle tissue that normally accompanies ageing, and by doing so become less frail http://www.strength-training-for-women.com/strength-training-benefits.html. They may be able to avoid some types of physical disability. Heavy, weight-bearing exercise also helps to prevent osteoporosis http://healthquarterly.com/summer_2003/default.asp?id=article06. The benefits of weight training for older people have been confirmed by studies of people who began engaging in it in their 80's and 90's.

Related Topics:
Joint - Injury - Older - Ageing - Physical disability - Osteoporosis

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Stronger muscles improve performance in a variety of sports. Sport-specific training routines are used by many competitors. These often specify that the speed of muscle contraction during weight training should be the same as that of the particular sport.

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One side-effect of intense exercise is that it increases levels of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which can help to improve mood and counter feelings of depression http://adam.about.com/reports/000029_7.htm (although in some cases this can lead to an almost addiction-like desire to exercise).

Related Topics:
Dopamine - Serotonin - Norepinephrine - Depression - Addiction

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