August Special 

We also provide online training/coaching.  This is perfect for those who have experience with weights but need a structured program.  For the month of August our remote training group is only $50 a month. 

The benefits of our powerlifting group are:

• Private Group
• Weekly Program (4 days a week, updated every Sunday)
• Video Review of your lifts
• Instructional Videos
• Customized Meet Prep
• Questions Answered
• Low Monthly Cost ($80) $50

Click here to begin

Benefits of Strength Training in Older Adults

 I wanted to share this surprising fact I read that 7 out of 10 women and 7 out of 20 males over 70 are unable to lift 10 lbs.  Now take a minute to think out your day, your daily activities:  taking out the garbage, lifting a laundry basket, getting out of a chair, lifting the grandchildren and the list goes on and on.  When you are unable to do these activities, you have to rely on someone to help.  This begins the loss of independence. I have worked with many clients 50+, and the one thing they fear the most is the loss of their independence, sometimes even more than death. This is where a proper strength training program can help. Scientific evidence has shown that maintaining muscular strength is an important role in successful aging.  I know the last thing you associate with strength training is older adults.  But with proper guidance and modifications it has many benefits:

 

• 1.   Bigger, stronger muscles- everyone remembers the phrase “use it or lose it”, it definitely applies here. As we get older we begin to lose muscle mass, this make daily activities even harder.  With a regular strength program you will begin to see a noticeable change in 4-6 weeks.
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• 2.   Better balance- balance problems are usually a sign of weak muscles.  As we build muscle and get stronger our balance generally improves.  Resulting in fewer falls.
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• 3.   Daily activities become easier- this is where you start to notice functional strength.  Functional strength is defined as “training to improve real-world performance”, as your strength increases you will begin to notice daily activities getting easier. 
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• 4.   Stronger bones- strength training is one of the most important steps in the prevention of osteoporosis.  Research has shown that strength training can help strengthen our bones and avoid this disease.
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• 5.   Better mobility- with added strength stairs become easier and we can walk faster and farther.  This increases our independence and deduces our reliance on other people.
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• 6.   Better weight management- strength training, especially combined with aerobic training is a great way to control our bodyweight.  Your body burns calories and fat while you exercise.  Also as we build muscle, our metabolism increases.  Remember that muscle weights more that fat, so don’t go by the scale, go by inches.  It is possible to lose inches without much change in total bodyweight. 

 

Strength training is safe for everyone.  But as with any exercise program always check with your doctor first.  Remember to perform the exercise correctly and start slow, the majority of injury occur from progressing too quickly.  With all the compelling evidence linked to strength training and regular exercise, the time to get started is now.

Why Women Need Weight Training

 Again and again, research has shown that women who maintain a regular, moderate strength training program enjoy a long list of health advantages. Some women still fear that weight training might bulk them up in unfeminine ways; however, as women of all ages realize the benefits of resistance training, negative attitudes about women in the weight room are rapidly fading, according to renowned strength training researcher William J. Kraemer, PhD, of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Weight training expert and researcher Wayne Westcott, PhD, from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, gives 10 important reasons why women need to take strength training seriously:

1. You'll Lose More Fat Than You'll Gain in Muscle. Westcott and his colleagues have done numerous weight training studies involving thousands of women and have never had anyone complain about bulking up. In fact, Westcott's research shows that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for eight weeks gains 1.75 pounds of lean weight or muscle and loses 3.5 pounds of fat. Unlike men, women typically don't gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause bulking up, explains Kraemer.

2. Your New Muscle Will Help Fight Obesity. As you add muscle from strength training, your resting metabolism will increase, so you'll burn more calories all day long, notes Westcott. For each pound of muscle you gain, you'll burn 35 to 50 more calories daily. So, for example, if you gain three pounds of muscle and burn 40 extra calories for each pound, you'll burn 120 more calories per day, or approximately 3,600 more calories per month. That equates to a loss of 10 to 12 pounds in one year!

3. You'll Be a Stronger Woman. Westcott's studies indicate that moderate weight training increases a woman's strength by 30 to 50 percent. Extra strength will make it easier to accomplish some daily activities, such as lifting children or groceries. Kraemer notes that most strength differences between men and women can be explained by differences in body size and fat mass; pound for pound, women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.

4. Your Bones Will Benefit. By the time you leave high school, you have established all the bone mineral density you'll ever have--unless you strength train, says Westcott. Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density by 13 percent in six months. So strength training is a powerful tool against osteoporosis.

5. You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

6. You Will Fight Heart Disease. Strength training will improve your cholesterol profile and blood pressure, according to recent research. Of course, your exercise program should also include cardiovascular exercise and flexibility training.

7. You Will Be Able to Beat Back Pain and Fight Arthritis. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease arthritis pain and strengthen joints.

8. You'll Be a Better Athlete. Westcott has found that strength training improves athletic ability. Golfers, for example, significantly increase their driving power. Whatever your sport of choice, strength training may not only improve your proficiency but also decrease your risk of injury.

9. It Will Work No Matter How Old You Are. Westcott has successfully trained numerous women in their 70s and 80s, and studies show that strength improvements are possible at any age. Note, however, that a strength training professional should always supervise older participants.

10. You’ll Strengthen Your Mental Health. A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did, Westcott says. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program.