We have landed birds into 2025 with all the strong, feel-good vibes and drive one would wish for.
Personally, I've welcomed some much needed transformation with communication. This is bought some much need desire for change, change for me is creativity and a sense of evolving. Let's see where this one goes birds, let's go 2025.
A Strong Workshop was a bangin' success. We opened this year with a two hour workshop to empower and educate all things weight lifting. We welcomed 25 incredible birds (aged from 30 to 65) all with an interest for developing their understanding of how to build strength through lifting weights. We sent 25 birds off full of renewed confidence, and empowered with knowledge, birds ready to take responsibility for their health.
So why weights though? We dived into two top strength training methods; resistance training - which features heavily in our signature classes and traditional Strength training - using a load, eg. weights.
Resistance training is defined by training which uses a resistance to increase the tension on your muscles, ie. resistance bands, Pilates balls or even your own bodyweight. Resistance training is effective as it requires your stabilising muscles to switch on. These muscles are important for support your posture, holding your organs. Stability muscles are the deepest and smallest muscles in the body (the ones closes to the tissues and bones) and will get left for dead when running, doing high impact training or some heavy machine lifts. Resistance training means your muscles are always under tension, trains balance through switching on stabilizing muscles and improve mobility. Resistance training can also be paired with HIIT training which is beneficial for power, speed - accessing your fast twitch muscle fibres - the muscle fibres which you require with sports performance or grabbing a child from in front of a bus.
Are you with me still birds? I hope so. In a nutshell - resistance training is an incredible method to build strength - for maintaining a level of strength, supporting rehab, injury, joints and overall physical health - and wellbeing! Ok, traditional strength training - ie. lifting weights. Here's the golden ticket. When you understand the methods surrounding lifting weights - ie. reps, sets, 1 repetition max, progression and consistency - weight lifting WILL ENSURE YOU GET STRONG and CONTINUE TO GET STONGER.
So why do we need to keep building strength?
As humans, from the age of 30 we are running at a skeletal muscle loss, a process called Sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is basically our little old lady bodies which we are trying to protect. Sarcopenia leads to Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis leads to falls, breaks, infections and death. No jokes. It may sound morbid, but it's the reality. I'm sure we all have some dear loved ones in our lives who are are watching physically wilt away. It's heartbreaking. But ultimately building muscle will support our bone density.
There was a great write up in The Guardian which makes reference to a study by LIFTMOR on females aged 65+, post menopause who are suffering from Osteoporosis. The study tests strength training against low impact training. The outcome after 8 month later: An incredible increase of 3% bone density to the strength training group, opposed to 1% loss from the low intensity group. So what does this mean? Firstly it's never too late to begin your strength training journey. And secondly - if not already, get ready to committing to a lifelong love affair with lifting weights and building strength birds. Lifting weights is the most effective and efficient way to build and to continue to build strength because progression can be easily monitored. Progression is essential when lifting weights birds. Lifting the same 5kg dumbbells year after year IS NOT GOING TO HELP YOU. You've to keep your reps low (8-12reps) your sets high (3-5) and be pushing towards 85% or 1RM (1 repetition max to a submaximal level) - also more recently coined as 1RIR (repetition in reserve). Of course, this may not make sense for you, which is why we are passionate bout sharing this basic yet power training method, either within our workshops or our programmes. Our Strong In 30 Days programme has got you birds. Our online programme is created much like a personal training journey. There is a whole of guidance and education on reps, sets and ways to progress. Ways to ensure you continue to build strength. Because, a reminder - we are constantly losing muscle mass and bone density birds - year after year. I can only hope after reading this you are ready to get strong birds, and to continue to get strong.
Reach out with any questions, we're here to support you always. Shani x
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