The Stronger, the Better: the Return of Strength Training

Even at home, Technogym’s equipment and digital solutions are at your side as strength training makes a powerful comeback in the wellness scene. In addition to aesthetics, strength training helps with longevity and improves quality of life over the years.

After strength training’s golden age in the 80s, in recent years its trend is living a huge comeback. Alongside strength training as powerlifting and bodybuilding to boost muscle mass, there are other facets to it. In fact, besides the evergreen aesthetic reasons linked to muscle definition and appearance, the causes of this return are to be traced to physical well-being and a better quality of life. From a medical point of view, strength training boosts bone density, muscle endurance and texture, it improves metabolism, general posture, ligaments, tendons and joints condition, cardiovascular and nervous health, it helps balance body composition (lean mass/fat mass/muscle mass).

Strength training – or resistance training – is that macro-category of anaerobic exercise which implies muscle activity to oppose an external load. The basic mechanism at the core of strength training involves using muscle strength to fight back a resistance: barbell weights, dumbbells, kettlebells, or any gym equipment specific for certain muscle groups. With consistency, the end result is a bigger and stronger muscle which adapted to the strain.

It goes without saying that working on strength is particularly important for athletes, as it greatly reduces the risk of injury and allows them to reach the ultimate peak of speed and athleticism. Strength training boosts all kinds of performance, even those not strictly related to endurance, making you faster and more athletic, and it also makes a great contribution in post-injury recovery and physical reconditioning.

Strength training has transcended the realm of elite sportspeople, making its mark in ‘everyday’ gym workouts through the current widespread adoption by the general public of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and functional training. This evolution represents a democratization of strength-focused workouts, as individuals of all fitness levels embrace their transformative benefits, once reserved for professional athletes.

The latest scientific studies also highlight the importance of strength training for weight loss. If until a while ago it was believed that people wanting to get leaner had to go for hours of cardiovascular sessions, the modern fitness and medical scenario says that incorporating resistance training in the weight-loss process is fundamental. This kind of training is a great protector of lean muscle mass and a powerful stimulus for its growth, and it counteracts fat mass. This happens both through actual exercise session and through after-burn (calories that the body continues to burn after exercising).

It’s no surprise that training the body’s strength is also fundamental for the senior demographic (>70), as it’s the most effective way to fight the age-specific and natural tendency to physical weakness, linked to muscle mass loss. Adding moderate/mild strength training sessions – prescribed by a doctor and guided by a trainer – to older people’s routines essentially decreases the likelihood of injury and makes it possible for them to live an active life, longer.

Technogym for home strength training

Even when you want to train from the comfort of your own home, Technogym is by your side for all your fitness needs and goals, and helps you achieve them effectively: superior results faster. Strength training is no exception, and Technogym offers you various solutions to enhance your strength training routine, providing you with a personalised and motivating path towards achieving your goals, whatever your needs.

Technogym Bench is designed precisely to combine maximum training variety with minimum bulk. A design bench for functional and strength training at home, Technogym Bench contains all its accessories – ideal for resistance training – in one solution. The accessories include dumbbells in 5 different weights, knuckles in 3 different weights, elastic bands in 3 different resistances and with various attachment options, and a mat for maximum comfort and stability, on the floor or on the bench. The over 200 exercise options allow for total body workout sessions to train muscle tone, strength and flexibility.

Unica – the home fitness multi-station – allows you to train all the main muscle groups:  pectorals, shoulders, lats, glutes, deltoids and biceps and others. All this, with a footprint of just 1.5 sqm and an iconic, elegant design that will blend in perfectly with your home environment. Designed and made of high-quality materials, with Unica you can easily perform numerous exercises from the same position thanks to the exclusive lever system, which also makes it possible to select the desired load with extreme versatility. The adjustable seat, wide backrest, ergonomic padding and non-slip grips will also offer you maximum comfort.

Technogym App – thanks to its artificial intelligence – adapts to you and evolves with you: every day, it suggests the most suitable workout by combining scientific research, engaging and challenging video content, and functionalities for every need. It features an extensive and regularly updated on-demand library of video workouts including sport-specific programmes, routines targeting specific muscle groups or goals, and video lessons guided by personal trainers. Technogym Coach – the AI-based digital trainer of the Technogym App – will guide you step by step with tailor-made workouts with Precision Programmes, adapted to your goals, progression, time and equipment available or free-body.

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