Even before the fluttering New Year’s confetti has reached the ground, you probably made a fervent resolution, and there’s a good chance that it’s to lose weight and get in shape. But hold on before you step on that treadmill or head to a Pilates class: There may be a much better way to reach your goals. Although it’s not new, weightlifting is the workout everyone is talking about. Here are all the reasons why it can be life-changing for your body, mind and spirit—and how to get started.
It’s Not About Bodybuilding, It’s About Building Your Body
It may not seem intuitive that lifting weights can help you lose weight, but the reason is pretty simple: “It increases lean muscle tissue, which burns calories more efficiently than cardio, even while at rest,” explains Scott Schaeffer, a Doctor of Chiropractic, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and owner of Westchester Total Health, a training facility in Mount Kisco.
“Muscle is considered to be one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body. It contributes significantly to your overall metabolic rate and expends a lot of energy to contract. Because of that, its ability to efficiently burn calories is greater than less demanding organs or tissues. And since muscles occupy the majority of our bodies when compared to other tissues, they account for a lot of our calorie expenditure,” Schaeffer says. “Calories are units of energy, so when demands for it are great, such as during strength training, then you utilize or ‘burn’ these calories rapidly and efficiently. And if your workout is intense, the muscles that were just put under stress need to be repaired and recover, which requires burning still more calories. This process occurs anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours after a workout.”
Strength training also builds bones because they grow stronger to hold up to the stress. During strength training and weight-bearing activity, muscles and tendons apply tension to the bones, which stimulates the bones to produce more bone tissue. As a result, bones become stronger and denser, and the risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures decreases. There are other benefits, too: One large study of 400,000 American adults, published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that people who did strength training two to three times per week reduced their risk of premature death by about 20% (see box on the next page for more information). Not only can you lengthen your life, but those years will stay rewarding for longer, says Guy Massi, a trainer, coach, and founder of M2 Speed, Strength, and Performance, with facilities located in Peekskill and White Plains. “If you engage in a really intelligent strength training program that includes agility, mobility, and stability, you’re going to find that the quality of longevity is much better,” he says. “You become a fit person with an upright posture who moves well, looks well, and feels well—a person who is able to function at a higher capacity.”
While this type of exercise can be good for anyone, “You could argue that it’s most important for people beginning in their 30s, because osteopenia and osteoporosis can be detected then,” says Schaeffer. “After 35, we start to lose up to .5% to .75% of bone density per year. And even if someone has no detectable osteoporosis in their 40s or 50s, it will still be beneficial, as it will aid in slowing down the rate of bone loss. Strength training is especially helpful for women because it helps with bone loss due to osteoporosis. But bone loss isn’t just a women’s problem. Although men generally lose bone density at a slower rate until the age of 65, after that, their rate of bone loss equals that of women,” says Schaeffer. “Having strong bones reduces falls and improves balance.”
Strength training also helps to regulate blood glucose levels. According to a study of more than 35,000 women published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, women who engaged in any strength training reduced their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 30% and lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease by 17%. In addition, a January 2024 scientific statement from the American Heart Association suggests that strength training is as least as safe as aerobic exercise for people with medical conditions including cardiovascular disease and can also lower the risk of the condition in most people. Abbi Lane, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Kinesiology who helped author the statement, says that not only does strength training lower the risk of heart disease, it also reduces the risk of mortality by 15% in adults who have had no previous resistance training experience.
Myths About Strength Training
Don’t Fall for These Weak Lies
- Strength training will make me bulky. According to Schaeffer, a body-building workout is “far more extensive and involved than the average gym-goer experiences. It would take excessive weights on a consistent basis, along with a very focused nutritional plan.”
- It’s only for young and athletic people. “That couldn’t be more false,” Schaeffer explains. It’s beneficial for older people seeking to maintain their balance and fend off frailty, as well as for people over 35 to avoid osteoporosis—it’s truly an exercise for everyone.
- You need expensive equipment. “You can use your own body weight, or inexpensive bands or balls or hand weights, but you don’t need to belong to an expensive gym,” Schaeffer says.
Different Methods, One Goal
Strength training takes several forms. Schaeffer uses the term “resistance training” to refer to any exercises that utilize equipment such as bands, balls, machines, or weights. Then there is body-weight training, which Schaeffer says uses no other device than the floor. “You’re using your body weight and gravity to try to overcome resistance, by doing things like pull-ups and squat jumps,” he explains. Other body-weight exercises include pull-ups and chin-ups, modified push-ups against a wall, and crunches.
Last of all are exercises that strengthen the body’s core, which Massi says encompasses your trunk and torso, and keeps it stable. These exercises may use any of the components of resistance or body weight training. Don’t feel you have to stick to one of these categories: Utilizing them all is a great way to reap maximum benefits.
A Strong Start
If you haven’t lifted anything heavier than an overflowing laundry basket lately, Schaeffer suggests doing a circuit of five exercises 2-3 times a week. This machine-free routine is doable yet effective.
Squats: While holding 5-, 8-, or 10-pound weights (whichever are challenging but not too much so) in both hands, push your hips back as if you are sitting in a chair, and then push through the middle of your feet as you stand again. Do this for 8-15 reps, then rest 60 to 90 seconds before going on to the next exercise.
Curls: Standing straight, hold one weight in each hand, palms facing forward. Slowly bring the weights to your shoulders, and then lower them again. Do 8-15 reps and then take another 60-to 90-second rest. Move on to the next exercise.
Chest presses: Lie faceup on a bench (or on the floor) with your feet flat on the ground and your head flat. Hold one weight in each hand, keep your hands by your chest, and your arms parallel to the floor. Push up your hands as if you are pushing up against your chest, and then put your hands back down to the starting position. Do 8-15 reps before resting and moving on to the final exercise.
Bent-over rows: With your weights in your hands, and your hands at your sides, bend forward from your waist while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Allow your arms to hang forward with the top half of your body. Lift the weights backwards using a rowing motion. Repeat the rowing motion 8-15 reps.
Rest for 60 to 90 seconds and then begin the circuit again, starting with squats. Run through the circuit three to four times. To add more corespecific exercises, incorporate a segment of holding a plank or doing a bridge.
If you’re having trouble visualizing these exercises, Schaeffer suggests checking out the extensive database of videos on the website of the store Muscle & Strength.
How Strength Training Promotes Longevity
- keeps the brain healthy
- reduces weight gain which can ultimately lead to chronic diseases
- controls blood pressure
- decreases heart disease risk
- decreases depression
- helps one maintain mobility and independence
- promotes a healthy immune system
- decreases the risk of falls or accidents
You need a diet that helps maintain and build muscles, which means plenty of protein—far more than the 50 grams per day that the F.D.A. recommends. And it’s not easy to get in that much. Eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, fish, chicken, and lean red meat are all good sources.
Eat Effectively
Strength training can transform your body, but you also need to eat a diet that helps maintain and build those muscles. This means plenty of protein, far more than the 50 grams per day that the F.D.A. recommends. And admittedly, it’s not easy to get in that much. “Eggs are always a good breakfast,” Massi says, “and I also like steel-cut oats. You could throw some blueberries in there also, because they’re really good for your brain.” Greek yogurt (which has twice the protein of regular yogurt) is another good choice, and you can add nuts, seeds or protein powder to it (or to the oatmeal) to increase your protein intake. Another trendy breakfast choice is eggs with cottage cheese–3 eggs plus a ½-cup of cottage cheese provides 32 grams of protein. For lunch, have 4 ounces of chicken breast or sliced turkey from the deli; both contain 32-35 grams of protein [feel free to put it on top of a salad].
“Dinner will look a lot like lunch,” Massi says. In all, a person should eat about .5 to .8 grams of protein per body weight per day, Schaeffer contends. For a 150-lb person, he suggests a goal of 30 grams for breakfast, 30 to 35 grams for lunch, 30 to 35 grams for dinner, and 10 to 20 grams for snacks. Of course, few people can stick with an unvaried diet, so switch around your protein sources—have white albacore tuna (water-packed or in pouches), other kinds of fish, or lean cuts of red meat, such as top sirloin or flank steak. If you are vegetarian or vegan, your protein will need to come from beans, legumes, and nut butters.
Resistance Training vs. Strength Training
Trainer Scott Schaeffer says that although these terms are often used interchangeably, there is actually a distinction. “Resistance training exercises involve pushing or pulling against the resistance of an object, including your own body, whereas strength training involves working a large amount of muscle tissue by continuously increasing the weight you lift, while lowering the number of reps, which leads to bigger body gains in strength,” he explains.
Related: How to Incorporate More Protein Into Your Meals in Westchester
