Greg Stanton, a reputable personal trainer and owner of We, The Collective Fitness gym in Chicago, emphasizes that building physical strength can contribute to a longer life and improve performance in sports and daily activities. He states that strengthening muscles helps increase the ability to perform activities such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries.
Fundamental Movements to Start
If you are looking to start strength training recently, Stanton recommends focusing on five types of main movements: squats, hinges, presses, pulls, and carries. These movements are recognized as fundamental movements in a complete body workout program. Stanton says, "These movements are very human."
You can combine these movements in two full-body workout sessions per week. Over time, as the exercises become easier, you can gradually increase the number of repetitions or the weight used.
Recommended Strength Exercises
Below are some strength exercises that Stanton and other experts recommend, along with explanations on how to perform each:
Squats: Various squats help you maintain the ability to stand up from a seated position. The single-leg variation of this movement, known as the Bulgarian squat, helps strengthen power and stability in one leg. This movement is beneficial for your daily life, as walking, running, and climbing stairs are essentially single-leg activities.
To start, stand on one leg and place the toes of the other foot on a bench or step behind you. You can perform this movement using just your body weight or hold a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your weight on the standing leg, bend your knee and lower your body until your back knee approaches the ground. Then, push through the front foot to return to the starting position.
Deadlifts: Deadlifts are primarily a lower-body movement. However, by adding weight, you will also strengthen your forearms, upper back, and grip strength. To start, stand with your feet hip-width apart and slightly bend your knees, then hold a dumbbell or barbell in both hands.
Keeping a slight bend in your knees, push your hips back and lower the weight in front of your feet until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Then, push through your legs to return to the starting position.
Push-ups: Push-ups not only strengthen the shoulder and chest muscles but are also beneficial for the core muscles. You can make push-ups easier by placing your hands on a higher surface to start.
Pull-ups: Pull-ups help test shoulder mobility, upper body strength, and grip strength. These movements also help strengthen the back muscles.
Carries: This movement helps strengthen grip strength, which is an indicator of overall body strength. To do this, stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand. Then walk for a specified time or distance.
In general, adults should aim to perform at least two full-body strength training sessions per week. These exercises will help strengthen muscles and improve overall health.
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