It doesn't matter if you're 18 or 75.... weight/resistance training is important if you want to avoid losing your mobility and quality of life with age.
If you don't like to read, I'll give you the short answer now. Resistance training (using load or weights) stimulates & maintains bone density systems within your body, as well as the physiological systems that maintain and stimulate muscle growth. As we age, we lose both bone density and muscle mass. Using resistance/weight/load on our body means we can maintain our strength, bone mass and overall mobility for longer.
In our experience, we see a lot of people who have used pilates & yoga methods to improve their movement (which is great!) but typically still lack the strength they require because they haven't ever loaded their body with any weight or resistance. But then there are questions such as, how often? How much? What about technique? Let's get into that.
How often should you resistance or weight train? How much weight?
How much typically depends on factors such as your age, training history, goals, injuries etc. but for most people, 1-2 days a week of resistance training is enough to maintain or improve their strength levels.
If you're someone who has never trained before, you'll make great progress of 1x per week! If you've got a bit of experience or you are really keen to make some faster progress, 2-3x per week may be a better fit, obviously without overdoing it.
In terms of how much weight to use? That will also depend largely on you, your goals, your technique and patterns. If you want to start by yourself without having the guidance of a coach, a good rule of thumb is to try perform a movement with bodyweight first, and then once you can do that well, start to add a little bit of weight/load where you can. We generally get people to aim for an intensity of about 5-6/10 when they're starting out, and then slowly moving up to a 7-8 once they're more comfortable with certain techniques and their training environment or habits.
What about technique?
Without a doubt, technique is something that still remains the biggest challenge for a lot of people, but not necessarily because their technique must be perfect.
Technique in our opinion is more about ensuring you're getting the right outcomes rather than trying to fit into a particular position just because someone else did it.
Everyone will respond differently to different exercises and cues, so the focus is better placed on the goals, outcomes and muscles we want to train or strengthen.
The best way to go about technique is to get a coach or someone to give you guidance and feedback on what you're doing. The second best is to do your own research and learn what to do, how to do it, and how it should feel. Learn from doing the work as you go! At the end of the day, any movement is better than none, and if you want to maintain a healthy body, strong bones and joints, and maintain your muscle mass and mobility with age, find a way to add some resistance training into your weekly routines. - Coach Sam
P.S - if you'd like some more guidance on how to stay strong, mobile and active, and overcome those aches and pains, here's 3 ways to learn more and connect with us!
1 - If you're local to Thornleigh, book in a free movement assessment!
We always start any new conversation with a free assessment to help you get a grasp of where you're at and what we can do to help! Click here to inquire and book your assessment!
2 - If you're not local but would love our support, we've helped dozens of people build strength and mobility online from all over the world!
We offer a low-cost, personalised approach to online coaching that allows us to give personal support, feedback and direction so you never feel lost or confused and can make progress with minimal equipment, time and space from wherever you are in the world! Register your interest online and we'll reach out to chat more!
3 - If you're interested but not in a position to work with us that's okay! You can get a tonne more free information from our podcast here, Simply Strong!