Fernwood Fitness was born from the belief that women should be free to work out in a space of their own, whether that’s a session on the treadmill, lifting heavy weights, or taking a group class with their closest friends.
Every form of exercise gives endless benefits to your body and mind in their own special ways, and depending on your fitness goals you may choose to do one over the other.
What is strength training?
Strength training encompasses several types of exercises including weight training, resistance training or circuit training (such as our FIIT30 classes) to strengthen and tone, while growing your fitness, endurance and muscle.
The most common misconception about strength and weight training is that it will make you ‘bulky’ or make you look like a bodybuilder – and that is certainly not the case (unless you want to!).
Over time, you will notice the changes strength training is having on not only your body and workout routine, but your mind too. Want to know more? Read on for strength training tips for beginners and more…
Bask in the benefits of strength training
- Feel fitter, healthier and stronger!
- Build lean muscle, increase metabolism and lower body fat.
- Encourage strong bones. By putting stress on the bones (such as tugging, pushing and pulling from exercises during training) strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Boost self-esteem, mood and energy levels. Strength training can be an intense workout that gets those post-workout endorphins pumping, while giving you endurance and resilience on and off the gym floor.
- Improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of hypertension and heart disease.
From body to mind, the benefits of strength training are essential to your fitness routine and lifestyle.
Strength training tips for beginners
- Work at your own pace. It might be tempting to go big, but don’t push yourself too hard. If you’re struggling, then it’s too heavy – and you don’t want to risk any injuries.
- Get warmed up first! As with any workout, do a warm up beforehand to ensure you’re primed and ready to go.
- Listen to your trainers. Proper technique is important, again to avoid injuries, but also to get the best results out of your workouts.
- Don’t hold your breath. Keeping a steady rhythm of breathing will make strength and resistance training easier. Exhale during exertion, and inhale on the easier movements.
- If you’re feeling tired or are dealing with an injury, don’t push through it. Give yourself time to rest, relax and rejuvenate before going back to your regular fitness routine so you’re at your best.
Ready to work strength training into your fitness routine? Head to your local Fernwood to purchase FIIT30 sessions in club (not available in all clubs) or check out our range of strength training classes here.
