So, you’ve heard about this “Strength Training” thing but aren’t sure what all the fuss is about. Maybe you’re out for coffee with friends and one starts bringing up weird gym lingo. Perhaps they mention a new “PR” or that they “maxed out on Deadlifts” with their Trainer. You know you’ve got to start exercising and taking care of yourself but there’s so many options to choose from. We say, choose to get strong. However, it’s not just us saying that either. The World Health Organisation’s Physical Activity Guidelines recommends all adults aged 18 years and older should perform muscle strengthening activities for all major muscle groups 2 or more days a week (1).
Getting Started
As we like to say at Hobart Strength Training, “Stronger For Life”. Although what does that mean and practically, what does that look like? Strength can be described as “the ability to generate maximum external force” (2). While everyone can benefit from Strength Training, we in particular are passionate about helping people as they age maintain a quality of life through strength, endurance, muscle capacity, energy, self-image and confidence. Strength Training can maintain or even enhance all of these things (3). Having baseline strength is the foundation for our ability to interact with the world around us. Our ability to handle bigger stressors improves as we become stronger.
Starting is simple at Hobart Strength Training. We prioritize best practices, delivering straightforward, safe, and effective training methods Recent research indicates that performing bilateral, multi-joint exercises can target all major muscle groups with as few as three exercises. These could include Squats, Bench Presses, and Rows which are staples here at HST (4). We recommend performing several challenging sets per exercise within a moderate rep range. This may all sound foreign to you but allow me to explain. When you visit Hobart Strength Training, head over to the Bench Press. Begin with the empty bar (or an easy weight for you), gradually adding weight until you complete 8 challenging reps. Rest and repeat a couple more rounds. Congratulations! You’ve completed 3 sets of 8 reps on the Barbell Bench Press, effectively working your upper body. Check that box on your journey to becoming stronger and healthier!
Stronger For Life
As the saying goes “there’s no change without a challenge”. Once you become accustomed to something, it becomes less challenging. We especially prefer utilizing free weights as they allow for gradual scaling up or down to accommodate the individual’s abilities. This is something harder to do with bodyweight or machine training. Through considered planning we aim to appropriately challenge you, support your development, and help you become Stronger For Life. This might mean more weight, more reps, more exercises or otherwise. You might even start enjoying it, proudly sharing your new Deadlift personal best with friends during catchups and coffees. Contact us here today to initiate your journey towards getting stronger, improving your quality of life, and becoming a healthier version of yourself.
References:
- World Health Organization. (2023). Physical Activity. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/physical-activity
- Zatsiorsky, V. M., Kraemer, W. J., & Fry, A. C. (2020). Science and Practice of Strength Training (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. ISBN: 9781492592006.
- As above
- Iversen, V.M., Norum, M., Schoenfeld, B.J. et al. (2021). No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. Sports Med, 51, 2079–2095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01490-1