When practiced regularly, strength training has a long list of health benefits that go over and above how your body looks.

The benefits of strength training:

• Healthier joints. Strong muscles reduce the weight on our body's joints, preventing long term joint degradation and ensuring healthy bone density.
• Quicker reaction time. Promotes the communication between your nerves and muscles, making your reaction time much better.
• Burn more calories. Strength workouts raise your calorie burning potential for hours after you've actually finished your workout. Plus, muscle tissue is more effective at calorie-burning, so you'll even burn more while you rest!
• Better posture. Strength workouts help you build up the supporting muscles in your back and upper body, counteracting the effect of sitting at a desk all day.
• Boosted mood. Regular weight training has been shown to reduce anxiety and make you feel happier.
  
• Deeper sleep & more energy. You might notice that you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply after strength workouts.
  
• Improve your body composition. Muscle takes up less space in your body than fat, and gives you a toned, lean appearance.
  

Aside from these positive effects, you'll notice that daily activities like carrying grocery bags or climbing stairs get easier as your muscles adapt to the increased demands of strength training. Basically, being strong feels pretty sweet!

Top Tips For Strength Training

You can start strength training right from your living room, no weights needed! These three simple tips can help you build a practice that gets results:

1. Take it slowly: Slower reps can help you feel more of burn - don't rush through our workouts and rely on momentum.
2. Switch up the exercise: If you find yourself repeating the same squats every time, switch it up for lunges or a different leg workout. Bored of squats? Try a new variation like Bulgarian Split Squats or Pulsing Squats.
3. Isolate target muscles: Try working out one muscle group per day to give it your full attention, and never workout the same muscle group 2 days in row.

Pro tip: Never sacrifice quality for quantity; 5 good squats are worth far more than 15 with poor form.

How To Get Results With Bodyweight Workouts

Bodyweight workouts are enough to build strong muscles and get visible muscle definition. They're also a great way to perfect your technique, which is essential if you want to use weights further down the line.

Here are some tips on getting the most out of strength workouts at home:

• Complete fewer reps, but fully engage your muscles each time (don't rely on momentum).
• Don't neglect cardio, but focus more on strength and HIIT workouts.
• Make sure you're eating enough calories to repair and fuel muscle growth.
• Sleep 7-9 hours per night to aid recovery.

Struggling to get enough sleep? Discover the top 5 ways to get a better night's rest.

Did you know?

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