A lot of the trend now is HIIT classes, body weight exercise, and circuit based light-loading group exercise. Unfortunately, this style of training will only develop one energy system. And one that doesn’t really translate over to your everyday life unless you are living in the forest having to run from life-threatening animals. Resistance training is key to not only ensuring muscle development can take place (hypertrophy), but also motor control (ability to move correctly), and the various hormonal effects that take place benefitting your recovery, longevity, and vitality.

A lot of people tend to overlook this side to training because they either think it’s; a) going to make them “big and bulky”, or b) not necessary for their goals. Majority of those who do believe this are female, and ironically, they are the demographic who actually benefit most from maintaining a well structured strength program. A female’s anatomy and physiology is far less able to maintain muscle tissue compared to a males if resistance training isn’t implemented as part of their routine. And unfortunately, females are at a far greater risk of bone mineral density issue as they develop, as they are at developing others issues like PCOS. Both of these can be managed by a well structured strength training program and nutritional guidelines.

People choose pilates over resistance training, and choose to use booty bands instead of doing a loaded hip thrust, because some famous “influencer” on instagram has told them too. What if I told you they are also probably doing a solid amount of back squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing, and pull ups behind the eyes of their Instagram? It’s the same with the Victoria Secret models, they love a barbell nowadays – finally!

So don’t shy away from resistance training because you think it’s not for you. There is a reason to be lifting weights properly, aside from the fact it is more fun than doing 300 jump squats in a session.

Peace!