Ed note: There is repeated evidence that weights and resistance training can help with our health in multiple ways. It’s a good idea to check in with our Fitness Team before embarking on a strenuous program. Here’s some suggestions in this lengthy article from the New York times. Click the link for the full article.
From the NYT: “Everyone knows that exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. But most people ignore one crucial component of it: resistance training. According to federal researchers, only 6 percent of adults do the recommended minimum amount of at least two muscle-strengthening workouts each week. Neglecting resistance training – any type of workout that builds strength and muscle – is a big mistake. It increases your metabolism, lowers your body fat and protects you from some of the leading causes of early death and disability. You don’t have to lift like a bodybuilder (or look like one) to benefit from resistance training. And it’s never too late to get started. Here is everything you need to know about resistance training, along with some simple, expert-approved workouts you can do at the gym or at home with minimal equipment.
Building muscle has many direct, immediate benefits to your body.
FIGHTING BACK AGAINST MUSCLE LOSS
Our muscles are invaluable. They’re the reason we can walk, run, climb and carry things around. But as we get older, they begin to melt away. Muscle starts to deteriorate when we reach our 30s. After age 40, we lose on average 8 percent of our muscle mass every decade, and this phenomenon continues to accelerate at an even faster rate after age 60. Studies show that this loss of muscle hastens the onset of diseases, limits mobility, and is linked to premature death.
Another detrimental consequence is the impact that this has on your bones. The same factors that help you maintain muscle are the same factors that keep your bones strong and dense. So as you lose muscle with age – a process called sarcopenia – your bones become brittle, a process known as osteopenia, said Dr. Wayne Westcott, a professor of exercise science at Quincy College in Massachusetts.
“The bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons in your musculoskeletal system all work together, and they either become stronger together or weaker together,” he said. “Whenever you lose muscle you automatically lose bone – they go hand in hand.”
Because your muscles and bones are inextricably linked, when you lose muscle you’re at greater risk of the following:
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Chronic back pain
- Frailty
- Fractures
Most people accept the loss of muscle, bone and all the downsides that follow as a natural part of aging. But studies show you can slow and delay these processes by years or even decades with a muscle strengthening program that works your entire body. Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that doing just two resistance-training sessions each week can reverse the age-related cellular damage that contributes to sarcopenia and functional impairment.
“Resistance training is the closest thing to the fountain of youth that we have,” said Brad Schoenfeld, an assistant professor of exercise science and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Lehman College in New York.
BUILD MUSCLE, LIVE LONGER
In 2014, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles medical school discovered something striking.
They followed about 4,000 healthy adults over the age of 55 for more than a decade and noticed that their muscle mass was tightly linked to their lifespans. The researchers did this by zeroing in on each person’s “muscle index” – your muscle mass divided by your height squared. Those who were in the group with the highest muscle index had the lowest mortality, while those who had the lowest muscle index had the highest mortality rates. This relationship remained after the scientists accounted for traditional markers of disease, and it showed that muscle index was an even better predictor of premature mortality than obesity.
Another study recruited over 2,200 middle-aged men and followed them for up to 44 years. The researchers found that being physically active and having “good muscle strength” in middle age were among the strongest predictors of a longer lifespan. Over the years, a number of other studies have also shed light on why resistance training can be so beneficial.
- It improves cardiovascular health. Resistance training increases blood flow to muscles throughout your body, which lowers your blood pressure.
- Resistance training significantly improves your VO2max and your overall cardiorespiratory fitness. Studies have linked this to better heart health and a lower risk of death from cancer.
- Skeletal muscle helps regulate and dispose of blood sugar. Muscle soaks up glucose like a sponge, using it for energy or storing it as glycogen for later use.
- Resistance training makes you insulin sensitive. To absorb glucose from your bloodstream, your muscle cells must be responsive to the hormone insulin, which pushes blood sugar into cells. Studies suggest that an early step in the development of Type 2 diabetes occurs when your muscles become insulin resistant. Resistance training accomplishes the opposite: It makes your muscles insulin sensitive.
- Muscle acts like a coat of armor against diabetes. A 2011 study in the Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism found that for every 10 percent increase in your skeletal muscle index, you see an 11 percent reduction in your risk of insulin resistance and a 10 percent reduction in your risk of pre-diabetes.
BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT…AND KEEP IT FROM COMING BACK
One of the worst parts about losing muscle as we age is that we also get fatter. The average person gains about a pound of fat a year in middle age. That means that our bodies undergo a striking change in composition, with muscle melting away and fat creeping in to take its place. This reshaping of the body reduces your metabolic rate because muscle is more metabolically active than fat – causing things to get worse and worse.
But a recent landmark study provided some reassuring news. It looked at the effects of diet and exercise programs on 250 people over the age of 60 to compare how the programs affected their fat and muscle composition. The subjects were split into three groups. One was assigned to follow a program that cut about 300 calories a day from their diets. Another group cut calories and did about 45 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week. And a third group cut calories while embarking on a resistance-training program.
The results were striking. The subjects that combined both diet and exercise lost the most amount of weight, roughly 20 pounds on average. But here’s where it got really interesting. The group that did aerobic exercise lost 16 pounds of fat and four pounds of muscle – while the group that did resistance training lost more fat (18 pounds) and less muscle (only two pounds).
Other studies have had similar results, confirming that one of the best ways to burn fat and hold onto muscle is to combine diet with resistance training.
Time to Train
Now that you know why you need to build strength, here’s how.
Below are two exercise programs designed by a leading exercise scientists who specializes in strength training. One is a workout plan that you can do at home. The other requires a gym.
Chose the plan that best fits your routine and give it a try:
AT HOME WORKOUT
This program was created by Dr. Schoenfeld and it can be done basically anywhere: from your living room or a small hotel room. The only equipment it requires is a resistance band that you can purchase for less than $10.
Note: You should do up to three sets of each exercise and aim to complete 8 to 15 reps on each set. Perform this routine at least twice a week.
Pushups
Pushups are a basic exercise for building upper body strength.
Resistance Band Seated Row
This exercise is key for building the muscles of the upper back.
Resistance Band Shoulder Press
Build your upper back and shoulders with this motion.
Squats
This basic exercise is great for building the muscles in your legs and buttocks.
Reverse Lunge
This exercise targets the muscles in the thighs, buttocks and calves.
Glute Bridge
This motion builds the muscles in the buttocks, lower back and abs.
Plank
Build your core with this seemingly simple-looking exercise.
Side Bridge
This exercise builds your core strength.
SHORT AND SWEET GYM ROUTINE
This plan requires three short sessions spread throughout the week, each consisting of five exercises. The idea behind it, said Dr. Phillips, is to designate one day for “pushing exercises,” another for “pulling exercises,” and the third day for “leg exercises.” Dr. Phillips said it’s important to dedicate at least one full session to your legs each week because a lot of beginning lifters ignore them.
“Everybody wants to make their biceps bigger or work on their triceps,” he said. “But 65 percent of your muscle is below your belt. It’s your legs, your thighs, your glutes, your calves, and your hamstrings.”
You can shoot for eight to 15 repetitions of each exercise. Or, better yet, pick a moderately challenging weight and lift it until your muscles become fatigued (see the section on lifting to failure above). If you’re uncertain about your form with any of these exercises, consider hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions to help you with your technique.
PUSH DAY (3 SETS OF EACH)
Dumbell Chest Press
This exercise targets the muscles in your chest.
Seated Dumbbell Press
This exercise builds the muscles in your shoulders.
Triceps Pushdown
Get tight triceps with this exercise.
Triceps Kickback
This move targets your tricep muscles.
Machine Dips
Tighten your triceps with this exercise.
LEG DAY (3 SETS OF EACH)
Leg Press Machine
Work your quads with the leg press machine.
Lying Leg Curls
Build your hamstrings with this simple exercise.
Squats
Take your squats to the next level with the addition of a weighted bar.
Lunges With Weights
Add weights to your lunges to add an extra challenge.
Standing Calf Raises
Build the muscles in your calves with this exercise.
PULL DAY (3 SETS OF EACH)
Pullups
Go back to gym class and build those biceps with this exercise.
Lat Pullsdown
Work the biceps and forearm with this exercise.
Seated Cable Row
This exercise works all the muscles in the middle back.
Bicep Curls
This common exercise is great to targeting your biceps.
Hammer Curls
Hammer curls target the muscles around your elbow.
