Body Building Guru

Strength Training for Older Women: Its never too late

Strength training has a variety of benefits for individuals belonging to all age groups. It is the use of resistance opposed to muscular contraction and plays a vital role in developing strength, endurance and flexibility. There are various types of strength training exercises that use the force of muscles against other forces such as free weights, weight machines, resistance bands etc. to develop muscle strength and endurance. Strength Training for Older Women is a specialized branch of strength training that aims as improving the overall health and longevity. Most strength training exercises use the force of muscular contraction against resistance and elastic or hydraulic forces.  It is a combination of various exercises belonging to the field of weight training, resistance, flexibility training and isometric exercises. Strength training sessions performed for 2 to 3 times a week for 20 minutes go a long way in benefiting older women.

As the body, ages, it becomes more susceptible to injury and weakness. Strength Training for Older Women strengthens the muscles and bones, improves overall strength and helps them to perform day to day chores effortlessly. It is one of the best segments of exercise, as it focuses on the all-round development of the body rather than just focusing on a specific area. Strength training can be great fun if done properly and by applying the right techniques.

Before performing any strength training exercises, it is essential for you to take expert guidance from a certified trainer in order to acquire adequate information on the benefits, side effects and technicalities of the training program. Your trainer is the best person to demonstrate the various exercises and assist you in performing them smoothly. A lot of emphasis is laid on the application of the right technique as one wrong move can result in an injury. It is advisable for you to go in for a customized training program in order to avail maximum benefits. A tailor-made program will cater to the specific needs of your body and train you to achieve optimum gains.

Benefits of Strength Training for Older Women:
There are a number of benefits of strength training. These include:
•    Strength training enhances the body’s metabolism and supplied you with energy to perform various activities.
•    It provides relief to women suffering from osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, joint pain and lower back pain.
•    It helps maintain a well toned body.
•    It increases muscle mass, thereby accelerating the process of burning calories leading to weight loss.
•    It increases muscle fiber and burns muscle fat.
•    It increases bone density and maintains the health of the connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, cartilage).
•    It increases the strength of the muscles and develops endurance.
•    It increases the body’s flexibility.
•    It boosts self confidence and self esteem.
•    It increases the body’s resistance to injury and also aids in the process of recovery from injury.
•    It improves overall health and promotes longevity.

Tips for successful strength training:
Warm up: It is essential for you to conduct a mild warm up routine prior to performing any strength exercises. This gets the blood flowing to all parts of the body and increases the oxygen utilization in the body. 5 to 7 minutes of warm up exercises should be performed for maximum benefit. These include aerobics, a mild cardiovascular workout, skipping, jogging, etc, This should be followed by a stretching routine to reduce the risk of injury.
Selection of exercise: You must select at least one exercise for training each major muscle group such as the chest, triceps, biceps, quads, hamstrings etc. It is recommended that you start your session by working out the larger muscles first and then move on to the smaller ones. This results in maximum gains as the body is energized.
Full range of motion: It is essential for you to apply full range of motion while performing each rep in order to maximize the intensity of your workouts.
Exercise sequence: this is the most important of an exercise sequence. It is advisable from the larger muscle group to the smaller once. This allows for optimal gains as you are fresh and the body is low on fatigue.

Before enrolling yourself in any strength training program, it is essential for you to consult a registered medical practitioner in order to determine if your body is capable of handling the pressure involved or not. You must also discuss any ailments you might be suffering from such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, asthma, cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis etc. with your doctor prior to joining any program.

A beginner’s guide to Home Strength Training

Strength training is an essential part of a balanced exercise routine and must be combined with other forms of exercise such as flexibility training, aerobics, and resistance training etc. in order to avail maximum benefits. It is used to develop strength, musculoskeletal system and endurance. You can start your strength training regime by joining a commercial gym or perform exercises at home. Considering today’s busy lifestyles and tight schedules, beginning a home strength training program is a great way of enhancing your health.

Basics of beginning a home strength training program:
Consult a doctor: Before going ahead with any of the hardcore weight exercises involved in strength training, it is necessary for you to consult a registered medical practitioner in order to determine if your body is capable of meeting the pressure involved. You must also make a note of any of the ailments you might be suffering from such as cancer, asthma, diabetes, heart disease etc. before beginning your exercise routine. It is recommended that you go in for a complete medical check up prior to training.
Trainer: The next step is to get a professional home instructor who can guide you about the various exercises involved in strength training and how to perform them. You must also consult the trainer on the various types of equipment you will need to install a home gym and its uses. You must decide upon a suitable time for training with the instructor and fix the days. It is necessary to perform strength exercises in the presence of a trainer in order to avoid any injuries. Most exercises require the application of proper techniques in the absence of which you might end up hurting yourself or damage any muscle group.
Equipment: Before buying any equipment for training, you must analyze the amount of space you have and where you would like to set up the machines. You can get appropriate home strength training equipment from any sports goods store but it is advisable for you to look around, compare the prices and settle for the best. You could start with a few inexpensive pieces of equipment such as a selection of dumbbells weighing 3 to 5 pounds, barbells, hand weights etc.
Time: For any exercise program to be successful, it is essential for you to set timelines and targets. You must set realistic goals for yourself in order to achieve maximum benefits. Strength training is one of the fastest work outs and is less time consuming. Three 20 minutes sessions a week are sufficient for starters.

Home strength training exercise tips:
Warm up: Before beginning any form of exercise, it is essential for you to warm up. This increases blood circulation and enables your body to use oxygen more efficiently. Warm up exercises include 5 to 7 minutes of jogging, walking, treadmill exercises, aerobics etc. This should be followed by a mild stretching routine. Warming up decreases the body’s susceptibility to injuries and increases the pulse rate.
Overload:  This is one of the best techniques by means of which you can augment your performance over a period of time. It revolves around gradually increasing the weights and number of workouts per week. Overload can be achieved by increasing the intensity, frequency and duration of your workouts.
Variety: You must include a variety of exercises in your training program to work different muscle groups for maximum gains. Isolating certain muscle groups only boosts their performance but a good exercise program is one that is aimed at the development of the entire body.
Over exercising: Once you have set up your home gym, you might end up exercising way too much. Remember, the key to developing a good body and strength lies in exercising for limited periods of time. Over exercising tires your muscles leading to soreness and aches. Exercising tired muscles may result in a muscle pull or cause irreversible damage to the particular muscle group.
Rest: It is necessary to take proper rest along with exercise to relax the tired muscles and obtain optimal gains; otherwise you may lose weight and interest in the activity.

Strength exercises can be performed by both men and women. They tend to enhance metabolism, increase bone density, develop strength and increase resistance to injury. Working out at home is a great way to utilize your time and maintain good health which is likely to help you in every sphere of life.