No Time to Lift? We have SO MANY solutions!

Living Well

Written by: Meg Sharp, Fitness & Wellbeing Consultant, Cambridge Group of Clubs

Strength Training is SO GOOD for us. It reduces wear and tear on the joints, improves running, cycling, and golf, boosts metabolism and mood, increases health span and range of motion, boosts confidence and energy… We could fill pages.

Yet, it’s still tricky for many to find the time to fit it in. Of course, we know “finding the time” is more about making something a priority than finding the time per se. We also know that we aren’t going to prioritize an activity if we’re not getting enough out of it. And we know you’re not likely to strength train if you’re not sure how or what to do.

It turns out the scientific community is extremely interested in this puzzle. And has put together several excellent review articles so we can understand the most efficient AND effective strength training protocols. 

We’re going to disseminate that information for you over the next few weeks. So, depending on your unique scheduling challenges and your personal goals, we will have a proven protocol that will work for you.

For today, here’s a brief summary of the main findings:

• Choose bi-lateral, multi joint exercises for maximum efficiency.
• The right kind of strength training can be as effective as stretching in terms of increasing range of motion, so you may not need to prioritize both.
• Training volume is more important than frequency. So, you can train once a week for a long session or hammer short sessions daily.
• Both free weights and machines work well.
• The most important variable is compliance. Especially at the beginning, training once a week for 15-20 minutes WILL provide strength and muscle gains. So, just get started. You can concern yourself with more complicated prescriptions later.

As we stated earlier, you’re never going to make time for strength training if it isn’t delivering on what you really want. So, stay tuned. Whether it’s strength, size, sports performance, mind, or mood, we’re going to explain the how’s and why’s to get you there fast!