Everyone who knows me is well aware how much I adore strength training! When it comes to improving your overall fitness, strength training is often touted as one of the most effective and versatile methods. While many people associate strength training primarily with building muscle or increasing strength, it has a significant impact on overall body composition - how much lean mass (muscle, bones, water) versus fat mass your body contains. Understanding how strength training affects body composition can help you optimise your workouts and achieve your goals.
What Is Body Composition?
Body composition refers to the proportion of fat and non-fat mass in your body. Non-fat mass includes muscle, bones, organs, and water, while fat mass consists of both essential and storage fat. A healthy body composition typically means having a higher percentage of lean mass and a lower percentage of body fat (but not too low!).
The Role of Strength Training in Body Composition
Strength training, or resistance training, involves exercises that target muscles using resistance, such as lifting weights, using resistance bands or performing bodyweight exercises. This type of training plays a pivotal role in altering body composition in several ways:
1. Building Lean Muscle Mass
One of the most notable effects of strength training is the increase in muscle mass. Muscles are denser than fat, meaning they take up less space in the body, but they weigh more. When you engage in strength training, you create microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. Your body repairs these fibers, and they grow back stronger and thicker. Over time, this process increases your muscle mass, resulting in a leaner appearance, often without your weight on the scale changing drastically.
2. Boosting Metabolism
Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it burns more calories at rest compared to fat tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will be. Therefore your body requires more energy to sustain muscle mass, even when you're not exercising.
Moreover, the energy expenditure from strength training itself is significant. After a workout, your body continues to burn calories as it works to repair muscles, a phenomenon known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This means strength training can elevate your metabolism for hours, sometimes even days, after a workout.
3. Reducing Body Fat Percentage
Although strength training may not lead to as rapid weight loss as cardio exercises, it plays a critical role in reducing body fat percentage. By building muscle and boosting metabolism, strength training helps your body burn fat more efficiently. Over time, consistent strength training will lead to a reduction in fat mass, especially when paired with a well-balanced, healthy diet.
Strength training also improves insulin sensitivity, which is a key factor in fat storage. When your muscles are more sensitive to insulin, your body is better able to store and utilise carbohydrates for energy, preventing excess fat storage. This is one of the reasons strength training is often recommended as part of a strategy for managing or preventing conditions like type 2 diabetes.
4. Improving Muscle Definition
As you build muscle through strength training, it leads to greater muscle definition. While body fat percentage plays a significant role in how defined your muscles appear, strength training ensures that the muscles beneath the fat are developed. Over time, as fat decreases and muscle increases, your body will develop a more toned, athletic look.
5. Improving Posture and Bone Health
In addition to changing your body's proportions, strength training also improves posture and bone density. As you build stronger muscles, you’re better able to support your skeleton and maintain proper alignment, which can help prevent injury and improve your overall physical appearance.
Moreover, weight-bearing exercises, such as squats and deadlifts, stimulate bone growth and increase bone density. This is particularly important as we age, as bone density tends to decrease over time, leading to conditions like osteoporosis. Stronger bones not only help with posture but also contribute to a more resilient body composition.
How Often Should You Strength Train?
The frequency of strength training depends on your goals and fitness level, but a general guideline is to train each major muscle group at least twice a week. For beginners, this could mean two or three sessions per week, while more advanced lifters may work out four to five days per week, with a focus on different muscle groups each session (split training). I have carefully structured my online classes for my members with this in mind so we have Monday full body, Tuesday upper body, Wednesday lower body and Friday full body. We incorporate core exercises throughout all the sessions in the week.
For those looking to change body composition, consistency is key. Aim for progressive overload, which involves gradually increasing the weight, reps, or intensity of exercises to continue challenging your muscles and promoting growth.
Final Thoughts
Strength training is a powerful tool for transforming your body composition. By building muscle, increasing metabolism, and improving bone health, it helps you to develop a leaner, more athletic physique. The benefits go far beyond aesthetics; improved body composition can enhance your overall health, strength, and energy levels. If you're looking to improve your fitness and health, incorporating regular strength training into your routine is a smart choice.
So, whether you’re new to lifting weights or a seasoned gym-goer, remember that strength training isn't just about lifting heavy objects—it's about lifting your body composition to the next level.
As always, any questions, please do get in touch.
Caroline x
