Weight lifting is not only about getting physically stronger so that you can lift more weight. Here are some of the many benefits that a well-planned and well-executed weight lifting program can bring.

Increased muscle mass and strength

A well-planned weight lifting program that trains all muscle groups leads to increases in muscle size and strength. In contrast, endurance activities do not produce significant changes in strength or muscle mass. Research has shown that a basic weight lifting program lasting just 25 minutes followed three times a week can increase muscle mass by about 1 kg over an eight week period, while lean mass gains of 20% of your starting body weight are common after the first year of training.

If you want to start a weight lifting program then go to our weight lifting program section.

Strengthened tendons and ligaments

Weight lifting increases the strength of the tendons and ligaments and therefore improves joint stability. It stimulates the production of collagen proteins in the tendons and ligaments, thus causing an increase in their structural strength.

Avoiding age-related muscle loss

Muscle mass and strength tend to decrease with age. Without strength training, adults typically lose 2.3-3.2 kg muscle every decade. Muscle loss occurs mainly in the fast twitch (FT) muscle fibres, which are involved in strength and explosive activities. This cannot be prevented by cardio-vascular exercise - only weight lifting maintains muscle mass and strength as you get older.

Increased bone density

Weight lifting improves bone strength and increases bone protein and mineral content. Studies show that the bones under the most stress from weight training have the highest bone mineral content. For example, it has been shown that there are significant increases in the bone mineral content of the upper femur (thigh) after four months of weight lifting? A US study found that women who followed a weight-training programme twice a week for one year developed 76% more bone strength than those who did no weight lifting. These findings therefore suggest that weight training reduces the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Increased metabolic rate

Weight lifting increases the resting metabolic rate (RMR) - the energy required for tissue maintenance and essential functions. This is due to the fact that weight lifting increases muscle tissue, which has a higher energy requirement than fat tissue - i.e. muscle tissue is metabolically active. People who weight train therefore use more calories throughout the day. Research has shown that adding 1.4 kg muscle increases the RMR by 7% and our daily calorie requirement by 15%. Weight lifting also increases exercise metabolism. At rest, 0.45 kg muscle tissue requires 35 kcal/day. During exercise, energy expenditure rises dramatically - five to ten times above the resting level. Thus, the more muscle tissue you have, the greater the number of calories expended both during exercise and at rest.

The reduction in metabolic rate experienced by most people as they get older is largely due to a loss of muscle tissue. This loss accounts for the 2-5% decrease in RMR/ decade experienced by non-exercising adults, which may translate into unwanted body fat gain. Therefore, strength training is an excellent way of preserving muscle mass, preventing a reduction of metabolic rate and avoiding fat gain with age.

Reduced body fat

Without exercise, adults gain on average 7 kg of fat every decade. Weight lifting can help reduce body fat by increasing RMR (see above) and therefore daily calorie expenditure. One study found that weight lifting produced a loss of 1.8 kg fat after three months of training, despite a 15% increase in calorie intake. Another study of 282 adult beginners found that after eight weeks of weight lifting and aerobic exercise, they lost almost 4 kg fat and gained 1.4 kg muscle - a significant improvement in body composition.

Reduced blood pressure

Weight lifting has been shown to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure The effect is even greater if weight lifting is combined with aerobic exercise An American study found that a combination of two months of weight lifting and aerobic exercise resulted in a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 5 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure of 3 mm Hg.

Reduced blood cholesterol and blood fats

Studies have demonstrated improvements in blood cholesterol and blood triglycerides (fats) as a result of several weeks of weight lifting.

Improved posture

Weight lifting greatly improves overall posture, as well as correcting specific postural faults. A number of factors influence our posture, including skeletal structure, basic body type, strength and flexibility. Obviously, the first and second factors are controlled by our genetic make-up and cannot be altered. However, strength and flexibility can be changed through training or disuse (i.e. increased or decreased demand). Imbalances in these two components lead to postural faults, but these may be corrected through specific bodybuilding exercises and stretches.Improved psychological well-being

Consistent weight lifting helps to reduce stress, anxiety and depression; uplift your mood; and promote more restful sleep. It may help decrease muscle tension due to the intensity of the muscular contractions. It also improves body image, which has a major effect on psychological well-being. Participants report that they have more energy, greater confidence and that they are prouder of their appearance.

Bodybuilding Contest Preparation

The most significant factor to prepare for the healthy and intellectual body building contest is managing diet and training.To initiate it, the prime thing a body builder should do is avoid putting on over 15 to 20 pounds of excess than permissible body weight for the particular contest he is preparing for, during the off season training phases. He should achieve it with steady low level aerobic workouts i.e. less than 70 percent of optimal Heart Rate done during the mornings before having the breakfasts for improved targeting of fat mobilization and the appropriate diet. Gaining bodyweight with the help of fat-rich diets is an obsolete method now as fat consumption is just not good for anybody.Sufficient time should be allowed for preparing to shred off excessive body fats gradually, and thus sparing the lean muscle mass. The body composition test should be initiated for using that measurement method every week to observe the fat loss. The body builder must ascertain his dietary needs to scheme his calorie requirements for enabling him to reach at the weight and body fat proportion that is actually required on the day of the contest. This is necessary for the total amount of calories required to sustain the body weight based on his lean body mass, body fat proportion as well as the activity levels. The body builder's tentative activity level on the basis of his recovery heart rate is: 100 BPM would burn 500 cal per hour of training, 115 BPM would burn 750 cal per hour of training and 125 BPM would burn 1,000 cal per hour of training.A void making the radical change in your calories intake, drop calories scarcely up to 500 calories per day at the most. Such calorie drop should be in the form of carbohydrates while on the low fat diet and ensure sustaining the protein intake of one to one and a half gram per pound of body weight as you need losing only 1 to 2 pounds per week. The contest date has to be ascertained well in advance to attain the targeted contest weight without having undergone intense dieting at the cost of your heard earned muscles anyway Once the diet is attained to the desired limits avoid changing it unless otherwise required during the pre-contest training. In case it is necessary, just remember 500 calories per day mostly from the carbohydrates. At such time the dietary fat should be at the minimum levels. For diminishing the body fats, add a set of 20-25 preps per muscle group each workout which would lead you to notice the body fat reducing whereas the lean muscle weight improves. If the body fat is not diminishing after another week, again add further sets of 20-25 reps and see the result. Ideally you should initiate with additional set per exercise and count measuring the body fat every week. Maintain doing low level aerobic workouts consistently besides posing as you would be needed posing not only for practicing but also for educating the muscles shrinking to the optimal capacity. This makes you look harder.