What are the benefits of weight training?

BODY COMPOSITION: 

-INCREASES LEAN BODY MASS (i.e., muscle mass) 
-DECREASES FAT MASS 
-DECREASES SARCOPENIA 
-MAY INCREASE FT FIBER AREA / ST FIBER AREA 
-INCREASES MUSCLE FIBER SIZE (i.e., hypertrophy) 
-MAY INCREASE MUSCLE FIBER NUMBER (i.e., hyperplasia) 

HORMONAL SYSTEM: 

-INCREASES GH RELEASE 
-INCREASES INSULIN SENSITIVITY / GLUCOSE UPTAKE 
-INCREASES TESTOSTERONE 

SKELETAL SYSTEM: 

-INCREASES BONE MINERAL DENSITY 
-INCREASES BONE STRENGTH 
-INCREASED BONE MASS 

NERVOUS SYSTEM: 

-INCREASES NEUROMUSCULAR CONTRACTION SPEED 
-INCREASES MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT / SYNCHRONIZATION / FIRING RATE 
-DECREASES CO-CONTRACTION 

PERFORMANCE: 

-INCREASES STAMINA 
-IMPROVES BALANCE / AGILITY / GATE 
-INCREASES STRENGTH 
-INCREASES POWER 
-INCREASES SPEED 
-INCREASES ENDURANCE 
-INCREASES FLEXIBILITY (ROM) 
-IMPROVES COORDINATION 
-INCREASES BIOMECHANICAL EFFICIENCY 
-IMPROVES POSTURE 
-DECREASES REACTION DURATION 
-DECREASES RECOVERY DURATION 
-INCREASES RESISTANCE TO FATIGUE 
-INCREASES ADAPTATIONS (e.g., specificity, overload) 

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: 

-INCREASES CAPILLARIES (increases vascularization) 
-DECREASES CAPILLARY DENSITY (due to increased muscle mass) 
-DECREASES MYOGLOBIN DENSITY 
-DECREASES RHR
-DECREASES MHR 
-INCREASES VENTRICULAR WALL THICKNESS 
-MAY DECREASE RESTING BLOOD PRESSURE 
-INCREASES HEART CONTRACTILITY 
-INCREASES STROKE VOLUME 
-INCREASES MYOCARDIAL EFFICIENCY 

PULMONARY SYSTEM: 

-INCREASES MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE RATE (esp. circuit training)
-INCREASES OXYGEN SATURATION 

METABOLIC SYSTEM: 

-INCREASES METABOLIC RATE 
-INCREASES FFA MOBILIZATION 
-INCREASES ENERGY EFFICIENCY (e.g., ATP, glycogen) 
-INCREASES FUEL SUBSTRATES (e.g., ATP, CP, glycogen) 
-INCREASES ENERGY STORAGE CAPACITY (e.g., glycogen, protein, triglycerides) 
-INCREASES ANAEROBIC ENZYME ACTIVITY (e.g., phosphogen, glycolytic systems) 
-INCREASES MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS 
-INCREASES LACTIC ACID TOLERANCE 
-DECREASES LACTIC ACID RELEASE 
-INCREASES FAT / CARB BREAKDOWN 
-DECREASES MITOCHONDRIAL DENSITY (due to increased muscle mass) 

COGNITIVE SYSTEM: 

-IMPROVES SELF-ESTEEM 
-IMPROVES CONFIDENCE 
-IMPROVES CONCENTRATION / FOCUS 
-IMPROVES MOOD 
-IMPROVES SLEEP QUALITY 
-IMPROVES CREATIVITY 
-INCREASES MENTAL RELAXATION 
-DECREASES DEPRESSION 
-DECREASES MENTAL DECLINE 

IMMUNE SYSTEM: 

-INCREASES IMMUNITY 

CHRONIC DISEASE RISK: 

-DECREASES TYPE-2 DIABETES RISK 
-DECREASES HEART DISEASE RISK 
-DECREASES CANCER RISK (e.g., colon, breast) 
-DECREASES ARTERIOSCLEROSIS RISK 
-DECREASES OBESITY RISK 
-DECREASES OSTEOPOROSIS 
-DECREASES STROKE RISK 
-DECREASES OSTEOARHRITIS RISK 
-DECREASES GALLBLADDER DISEASE RISK 
-DECREASES ALZHEIMERS DISEASE RISK 

QUALITY OF LIFE: 

-IMPROVES THERMOREGULATION 
-DECREASES LOWER BACK PAIN RISK 
-DECREASES ANXIETY 
-DECREASES STRESS 
-DECREASES MORTALITY 
-DECREASES MORBIDITY 
-DECREASES RISK OF FALLS 
-DECREASES FRACTURE RISK 
-DECREASES DIGESTION DURATION 
-DECREASES ARTHRITIC PAIN 
-DECREASES JOINT PAIN 
-DECREASES CHRONIC PAIN 
-DECREASES MUSCLE WEAKNESS 
-DECREASES MUSCULAR IMBALANCES 
-INCREASES JOINT LUBRICATION 
-IMPROVES ABILITY TO PERFORM ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING


Brian Danley, CFT
"Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going."

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