Fitness Trends come and go like the seasons but one type of exercise has stood the test of time: resistance training. Whether you're a fitness junkie or a newbie starting your wellness journey, incorporating resistance training into your routine can have a profound impact on your strength, fitness, and overall well-being. Let’s explore what is resistance training and what tools you can incorporate into your workouts.
What is Resistance Training?
Resistance training, also known as strength training, involves working your muscles against an opposing force to stimulate their growth and development. By challenging your muscles with resistance, you not only build strength but also improve endurance, support hormone balance, create muscle tone, increase bone density, enhance joint stability, boost metabolism and more.
Here are some of the tools commonly used for resistance training:
Resistance Bands:
Resistance bands are versatile tools that come in different levels of resistance, making them suitable for all fitness levels. These elastic bands allow you to engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously and provide constant tension throughout the range of motion. With resistance bands, you can perform a wide range of exercises, including chest presses, bicep curls, squats, and lateral leg raises. They are lightweight, portable, and ideal for home workouts or when you're on the go.
Weights:
Weights, such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells, have long been used in resistance training. They offer a wide variety of exercises that target specific muscles or muscle groups. Whether you're performing compound movements like squats and deadlifts or isolation exercises like bicep curls and shoulder presses, weights provide a constant and adjustable resistance that challenges your muscles. Incorporating weights into your routine can help you tone, support hormone balance, stimulate metabolism, and improve overall body composition.
Medicine Ball:
Medicine balls are versatile and dynamic tools that add an extra dimension to your resistance training routine. These weighted balls come in various sizes and weights, allowing you to customise the intensity of your workouts. Medicine balls are fantastic for developing core strength, improving coordination, and enhancing power and explosiveness. You can incorporate medicine balls into exercises like squats, lunges, overhead presses, Russian twists, and medicine ball slams. Their unique design and ability to engage multiple muscle groups make them a popular choice for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.
Pilates Bar:
Pilates bars, also known as Pilates sticks or resistance bars, are lightweight and portable tools used in Pilates workouts. These bars consist of a metal or fiberglass rod with attached resistance bands. Pilates bar exercises focus on core stability, flexibility, and total body strength. By performing movements like squats, lunges, rows, and chest presses with a Pilates bar, you engage multiple muscle groups while improving balance and posture. Pilates bars are popular among individuals seeking a low-impact yet effective full-body workout.
Now you have a basic understanding of what resistance training is and what basic equipment you need. Thankfully the Flexbox incorporates all of these tools so that you can enjoy a holistic workout. Click here if you would like to understand How Resistance Training Boosts Your Metabolism.
