Benefits of weight training

BENEFITS OF WEIGHT TRAINING


NEUROLOGICAL
Acute:
The brain sends a message that activates our muscle cells. The strength of the signal between the thought and the muscle contraction is based on how many motor units are required and the speed of their recruitment to complete the given exercise. The more complex the movement or the more weight you’re lifting, the stronger the signal and thus, more motor unit recruitment. From the first set to the second set of an exercise you see small improvements. We often see a fixed stare, holding of the breath, jerky movements, imbalances, etc.
Chronic:
The more you perform the movement the smoother it becomes. You can begin to multi-task without losing form. You can breathe easier and take fewer breaks. Finally, the movement will become automatic.

MUSCULAR
Overload principle: In order to create a change in the body, we must give the system a stimulus that pushes it past what it’s accustomed to. The body responds to damage by an increase in cell pressure. This is also known as, “The pump.”

GENETICS
-body type
-muscle fiber distribution
-metabolism
-location of fat

SIGNS OF FATIGUE AND OVERTRAINING
-loss of strength gain
-sleep and appetite disturbances
-increase in resting heart rate
-mood changes
-impaired immune response
-unintentional decrease in lean body mass

LONG TERM BENEFITS
-increase in muscle strength and mass
-increase in bone density
-increase in metabolism
-decrease body fat
-increase in connective tissue strength
-increase in blood flow
-increase in cardiovascular prowess
-decrease resting heart rate