See also:
- Benefits Of Strength Training Part 1 – Self-Esteem Benefits
- Benefits Of Strength Training Part 3 – Sex Benefits
- Benefits Of Strength Training Part 4 – Indirect Benefits
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Bob Marley’s final words to his son Ziggy were “Money can’t buy life.”
Health should be the #1 priority in a man’s life because without health you have nothing.
Imagine how a relatively simple case of the flu sucks the joy out of your life let alone a more serious disease such as cancer or heart disease.
Strength training has numerous health benefits that will boost the enjoyment you get out of life and helps prevent an array of ugly diseases.
Let’s begin.
1. Strength Training Beats Obesity, Cancer, And Heart Disease
I recently reviewed an important book entitled “Muscle Up: How Strength Training Beats Obesity, Cancer, and Heart Disease, and Why Everyone Should Do It”.
It was the most important book I read this year because, honestly, I didn’t get into strength training to prevent obesity, cancer and heart disease so reading this book reinforced my strength training efforts.
It was an eye-opening book and I strongly recommend you to read the review and the book.
You will learn how strength training beats obesity, cancer and heart disease. You will also learn that strength training also strengthens your brain and memory so it helps prevent memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Moreover, you will learn that strength training strengthens your bones so it helps prevent diseases such as osteoporosis.
After you read the article and the book, pick up your jaw off the floor and get to the rest of this post, because I have even more health benefits to mention about strength training.
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Are you finished?
Ok. Let’s go on.
2. Strength Training Decreases Stress (A Dangerous Killer) And Fights Depression
Stress is a major killjoy. It sucks the energy out of your life and as if this is not enough, it slowly kills you.
If you don’t believe me, watch this excellent National Geographic documentary called Stress, Portrait of a Killer:
After I got into strength training, I noticed that my stress levels were significantly reduced. The more muscle I built, the better I felt.
I’m not a depressive type of person so I didn’t fall into depression before, but I can see how strength training can help with depression.
Getting fitter and stronger brings a level of well-being that’s hard to describe. You just feel good.
I researched if there’s any solid evidence that strength training reduces stress and fights depression. It turns out that there actually is.
I found an article by Menno Henselmans entitled 4 More Reasons You Should Be Bodybuilding. Among other benefits of bodybuilding, Menno explains how strength training reduces stress and fights depression and he also provides links to scientific research.
When you start strength training, you will feel an increase in your overall well-being in a matter of weeks. In addition to general well-being, single sessions of strength training have the power to psychologically lift you up because your brain will release happy hormones such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin after a rigorous workout.
Conclusion
In Part 1 of the Benefits of Strength Training series, we discussed the Self-Esteem Benefits of Strength Training. In Part 2 of the series, we finished discussing the health benefits. As if self-esteem and health benefits are not enough, there are even more benefits to strength training. In Part 3 we will be discussing the sexual benefits of strength training, and in Part 4 we will finish with the indirect benefits of strength training. So, stay tuned.
PS – If you want to start strength training, bodyweight training is the best way to do it. This book will teach you how.