Day 14 - Lift Betr

Lift Betr

Low to moderate-intensity strength training can be super beneficial to your health!

Maybe you picture strength training as a constant cycle of gym visits, protein shakes, and unseasoned chicken breasts, but it doesn't need to be that way. You don't have to be a bodybuilder to benefit from strength (sometimes called "resistance") training. You can find beginner-level strength classes in most gyms and it's easy to incorporate strength training at home!

Benefits of strength training are

Increased muscle mass
Improved bone density
Increased blood flow
Faster metabolism
Improved flexibility

Your body releases powerful endorphins when you exercise. Endorphins can improve your mood, reduce your stress, and increase your overall feeling of well-being.

The good news is, that you only need to incorporate moderate weight lifting twice a week to experience these amazing benefits.

Mix it up!

You also don't need a complicated, expensive weight machine to get started. You can use any of the following for a good strength workout:

Resistance bands
Dumbbells or hand weights
Your own body weight

Weighted Workouts

Start off by doing 1 exercise for each major muscle group with 10-12 repetitions.

You can find tons of examples of exercises online. Look up an exercise for the muscle that you feel comfortable doing.

Back
Chest
Shoulder
Biceps (front of arm)
Triceps (back of arm)
Glutes (bottom and hips)
Quads (front of thigh)
Hamstrings (back of thigh)
Abdominals

Pick a weight

Aim for a weight that feels easy the first 5 or so reps and then gives you more resistance. The last 1 or 2 reps should require about 80% of your effort.