If you want to treat muscle injuries , define muscles or even lose weight in a quiet environment with professional monitoring, weight training can be an option. The sport is capable of burning calories during and after exercise, being quite beneficial for those who want good shape.
What is bodybuilding
Weight training is a strength training that consists of lifting weights, either with dumbbells or specific devices. Its goal is hypertrophy of the muscles.
However, the good execution of the exercises and some tricks make the difference to obtain better results. And so, it explains why your friend, who started exercising at the same time as you, already has a much more defined body.
Experts comment, therefore, on the benefits of bodybuilding in addition to muscle mass and also tips for better results and the necessary care not to harm health.
Bodybuilding Benefits
The benefits are mentioned by Daniely Florêncio Emerenciano, a professor at Contours Brasil, a physical educator specialized in pathologies, seniors, weight training and physical conditioning.
And also by Cristiano Parente, a physical educator specialized in Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Sports Supplementation and considered the best personal trainer in the world by the American Council on Exercise . Check out:
And also by Cristiano Parente, a physical educator specialized in Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Sports Supplementation and considered the best personal trainer in the world by the American Council on Exercise . Check out:
1. Define the muscles
If you want defined muscles (like strong arms, six pack abs and turned legs), diets or massages alone will not work miracles; therefore, adhering to weight training can make a lot of difference.
Defining muscles from localized exercises (something that weight training works) is important to increase strength, endurance and muscle mass; provide well-being; improve muscle tone; and increase physical fitness, facilitating the performance of daily tasks and other sports.
2. Helps you lose weight
For the execution of the exercises, weight training requires caloric expenditure, energy expenditure and a high oxygen consumption, which speeds up the metabolism and reduces the amount of body fat.
With weight loss, there is less overload on the joints and risk of muscle damage, in addition to preventing obesity and providing a better quality of life due to the lower risk of diseases (such as heart attack and diabetes ).
3. Makes bones stronger
Increasing bone density ensures strong and healthy bones. In turn, strengthening bones prevents diseases (such as osteoporosis ), reduces the risk of fractures and falls, increases strength and endurance and maintains the body’s stability.
It is worth remembering that osteoporosis (a disease that causes bone mass reduction) affects one in five women after menopause and has no symptoms . Therefore, preventing disease with weight training is essential.
4. Increases muscle mass
When you think about gaining muscle mass, the image of a strong and healed person is likely to come to mind. However, more than a defined body, increasing your muscles makes it easier for you to perform common activities, such as getting up, sitting, walking and even breathing. After all, muscles account for up to 40% of weight and are responsible for balance, posture, movement and weight loss.
Therefore, the localized exercises, done in the bodybuilding, are ideal to increase the muscular mass. Experts recommend doing weight training three times a week to get the expected results.
5. Improves posture
Weight training is able to strengthen the core and lower back muscles, helping the back to align. That way, you guarantee better posture, reduce back pain and your spine will thank you.
That’s right: the core muscles, which include the abdominal region, also need to be worked on to improve posture, as they are responsible for supporting and rotating the trunk.
6. Improves self-esteem
In addition, weight training can be adapted to what the person likes and the movements they can make so that there is a gradual evolution. Thus, there is an increase in self-esteem both in relation to the feeling of well-being and to the physical form. By doing weight training regularly, the person will have a healthier and more defined body, which tends to increase acceptance to his own image.
7. Improves mental health
When our muscles are more developed and have a higher energy expenditure from physical activities, the hormonal production is more balanced and, therefore, there is a better balance of mental health as well.
8. Improves cardiorespiratory fitness
By repeating movements and having a progressive evolution, weight training also works the cardiorespiratory system, increasing the heart rate according to the intensity of each workout. Thus, there is an improvement in the conditioning of this system.
This improvement, then, makes you healthier. After all, there will be a greater flow of blood through the arteries, leaving the vessels more flexible and not overloading the heart. All of this reduces the chances of diseases such as heart attack, high cholesterol, hypertension and stroke .
9. Improves sex life
Practicing physical activities, such as weight training, increases libido, allows you to get to know your own body more, guarantees good physical shape (raising self-esteem), increases your breath and makes your muscles more resistant to challenging positions. Therefore, weight training can be a great ally for performance in bed.
Diseases treated with weight training
Tendonitis
There are those who think that when having tendonitis, the exercises should be stopped completely; but experts and studies have pointed out the opposite.
Using bodybuilding to stretch and work the tendons, monitored by specialized professionals and with light loads, can be quite beneficial for those who are in the process of recovering from tendonitis.
Bursitis
While tendonitis corresponds to inflammation in the tendons, bursitis refers to inflammation in the fluid pockets of the joints – which are usually between the tendons. It occurs mainly in the shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, heels and big toes.
With professional guidance, the symptoms of bursitis (such as joint pain, increased sensitivity, stiffness and swelling) can be alleviated with weight training. In this case, the training will strengthen the muscles near the affected area, relieving pain.
Muscle injuries
Muscle injuries show different symptoms according to the degree of the injury. However, patients often experience pain, difficulty getting around and edema. The injuries range from muscle stretching to strain, contusion and ruptures.
Bodybuilding exercises, after medical clearance, can assist in pain control, reduce muscle spasms, assist in the regeneration of the affected muscle, recover flexibility, minimize the risk of new injuries and prepare the patient for the return to usual activities and sports.
Overweight and obesity
It is common for aerobic exercise to be recommended for overweight and obese people in order to reduce weight, such as running , walking and dancing . And associating activities of this type with weight training bring even greater benefits to these audiences. After all, strengthening your muscles makes aerobic workouts easier to do, which helps your body consume more calories.
Osteoporosis
For those who suffer from osteoporosis , weight training helps to strengthen the bones, relieving the symptoms of the disease and improving physical fitness. However, it is extremely necessary in these cases to constantly monitor physical education professionals, such as personal trainers , so that there is no risk of fractures due to excessive exercise or load.
Diabetes
As weight training requires repetitive muscle contractions, there is a greater stimulation of the internal components of cells. In turn, these components, when stimulated, allow proteins to carry glucose more easily. Therefore, weight training can be a great ally for those with diabetes – controlling blood sugar and reducing insulin dependence.
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Hypertension sufferers have more resistant blood vessels, which requires the heart to work twice as hard to bring blood to the entire body. In this way, weight training, when working with weights, helps in this transport and eases the overload to the heart. Thus, it also increases the level of nutrients, hormones and oxygen in the body’s tissues, leaving the person healthier.
Arthrosis
The arthritis usually weaken and even reduce the muscles, affecting the joints. Therefore, weight training can be an ally to recover regions with arthrosis, ensuring less pain for patients.
Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers need to preserve the affected joint – and that is where bodybuilding acts as a strong ally. Weight training can reduce mobility difficulties, for example, which is one of the consequences of the disease.
Bruna Costa Dissordi, physiotherapist and owner of Focus , specializing in athletes’ return to sport and manual therapy, says that it is important to always respect the limits of the injury or illness in question.
This is because weight training can help in the prevention and rehabilitation of diseases, but it alone is not enough. Always consult your doctor to combine bodybuilding with other care, be it medication, physiotherapy or other procedures.
Bodybuilding: before and after
Achieving great results with weight training, just like any other physical exercise, requires patience and dedication. To inspire you, below is a selection of “before and after” stories from people who achieved their goals with weight training.
Lorena Assis – Photo: Reproduction / Instagram
Lorena Assis eliminated 40 kg for about a year by joining physical activities, such as weight training, combined with dietary reeducation.
Saulo Anderson – Photo: Playback / Instagram
Saulo Anderson started weight training and reached the body he always dreamed of in just 7 months. He reduced 20 kg, achieved good shape and today has a better quality of life.
Suélen Canin – Photo: Reproduction / Instagram
Suélen Canin (known on social networks as “Loris”) always started restrictive diets, suffering from the “accordion effect” (lost weight and then recovered), even weighing 102 kg. She joined bodybuilding, as well as martial arts and a more balanced diet.
See other before and after cases that will inspire you!
Weight training: how it works
Bodybuilding training is done individually, in which a physical educator prepares an exercise program according to the student’s goal (losing weight, hypertrophy, reversing an injury, among others), his history (of injuries, diseases), his tastes and time to be made available for training. Therefore, it is quite adaptable to any individual.
The personal trainer Cristiano Parente says that weight training is the only mode in which all variables can be controlled: the position, height, speed, range, load, intensity intervals.
In addition, it is dynamic training, as most exercises are performed in bulk. So, you do a series, rest, get up, do another series.
In this way, the modality can be done by a person totally beginner until someone who is returning after an injury. This is because everything can be modified, controlled and adjusted according to individual needs. Cristiano explains:
Weight training is not the solution to everyone’s problems. If the person does not like bodybuilding, which is a more routine and paused workout, he needs to look for another activity that pleases him and has benefits as important as weight training.
Main bodybuilding exercises
There are different options for each muscle group in the body, about 40 for each, says Cristiano. The most important thing is: the perfect exercise for you is the one you enjoy doing.
However, consult your weight training teacher if you do not adapt. He will be responsible for indicating another exercise or device, always combining movements that work opposite muscles, so that there is a balance. For example, if you work the front of your arm, you also need to exercise the back of your arm. Check out a list below that shows the most common exercises performed in fitness centers.
Squat with barbell
Position yourself with a bar at the back of the neck, aligned and balanced. It may contain weights or not, depending on the intensity of the exercise and indication of the physical educator. Then, you can perform a traditional squat or sink, for example. Know the types of squats here.
It is a movement that works the musculature of the whole body, especially the lower limbs (such as glutes and legs), the core (trunk and abdomen), lumbar, motor control, shoulder and neck position.
Bench press
This is one of the favorite exercises of men, because it works mainly on the muscles of the upper limbs (shoulders, triceps, forearm and, especially, chest).
Direct thread
Quite common in the weight training routine, the barbell curl is the movement of using two weights (one in each hand), turning your arms inwards and raising and lowering your arms at chest level. It has several variations and acts mainly on the muscles of the elbow and biceps.
Leg press
The leg press is one of the most common weight machines in gyms. To do this, completely support your back on the machine’s backrest. Then flex your feet, leaving them resting on the platform and aligning your knee and hips.
Then, just push the platform and return to the starting position. The legs should be extended when the movement returns, with the knees slightly bent.
The exercise is indicated for those who want to keep their legs turned, because it works the muscle groups of the lower limbs.
Extending chair
To use the device, keep the speaker close to the back. Fit the feet below the bottom roller; extend it upwards and flex downwards. On the way back, your leg should be straight.
Remember to keep your feet parallel and pointing upward during exercise. This device strengthens the legs, knees and quadriceps.
Learn more: Bodybuilding: 7 exercises you could be doing wrong
Most common mistakes in bodybuilding
Exercise incorrectly
Bruna Dissordi, physiotherapist and specialized in athletes’ return to sport, informs that the main errors are associated with poor execution of the exercises.
“Often the practitioner does not pay attention to the movement or has not even been properly oriented”, says Bruna. Therefore, it is essential that the student always seeks to understand the movement to be carried out and that he asks for guidance from physical educators or physiotherapists.
Physical educator Cristiano Parente warns that making movements that do not respect body mechanics can be harmful to health. In other words, to execute movements in an inappropriate way, such as, for example, sitting on the machine in a different way from what is recommended.
Overdoing the training
Motivated to achieve a defined body, many people decide to spend hours at the gym performing high intensity exercises. However, no results happen overnight. On the contrary: abusing the load, intensity or even the training speed can cause injuries – from mild to severe.
Excessive exercise leads to the so-called ” Over training Syndrome “, which happens when there is not enough time for muscle recovery. To avoid it, it is essential to rest.
Thus, the muscle fibers can recompose and thus make the muscles stronger and larger. When this time is not respected, joint, muscle, bone, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and immunity problems can occur. Therefore, overtraining is a health hazard.
In addition, performance is reduced due to subsequent pain – which will cause you to not achieve the expected results. Not to mention that it can lead to cirrhosis and heart attack; and harm sex life.
Copy exercises from the internet without instruction
Keep in mind that videos on the internet are posted by bodybuilding athletes who have been training for years and usually have private teachers to perform the movements.
So don’t try to copy exercises seen on the web without consulting a weight training teacher. The tip is not to imitate the videos, but rather to be inspired by these publications to have a healthier life.
Low intensity training
For coach Cristiano Parente, if the teacher gives you 10 repetitions of that movement and you can perform 20 without effort, there is an error there. This is because training with a very light load and low intensity will not bring the expected results, which can frustrate you.
The physical educator explains that the main advantage of bodybuilding is to work the muscle to its maximum capacity. Every muscle can withstand a certain force and in bodybuilding it acts close to the limit of that force.
Thus, the muscle recovers to be able to withstand an ever greater load. This means more energy consumption by the body and greater muscle volume. So, muscle improvement is one of the great benefits of bodybuilding and is not achieved with low intensity training.
Train with pain
It is necessary to know how to differentiate pain during and post-training. After exercise, it is normal to experience discomfort that lasts two to three days. This is part of the body’s natural process, which is recovering muscle fibers. It is light and fleeting.
However, if you feel pain while doing bodybuilding movements or even long-term post-workout discomfort (such as severe pain when walking up or down stairs that lasts for a week), see a doctor and tell your teacher.
Severe pain can mean serious injuries, caused by specific errors mentioned above.
Do not train regularly
You can have the best bodybuilding exercise program in the world. But if you don’t go to the gym on a regular basis, you won’t get the results you want.
Strong, defined muscles are not like a magic formula: it takes effort and dedication. For that, you need to add weight training to your routine, as well as any other physical activity, to reap the benefits.
Bodybuilding injuries
The most common injuries in bodybuilding are due to execution errors and overload. After all, in both cases, you make your body move in a way that it shouldn’t or is not prepared for.
Physical education professional Daniely warns of the most affected regions and what the consequences are:
- Knee injury: cruciate ligament , meniscus and chondromalacia
- Lumbar injury: low back pain , herniated disc and low back pain
- Shoulder injury: tendonitis , bursitis and rotator cuff
- Muscle injury: muscle strain, muscle contracture, contusion and ruptures
And according to the physiotherapist Bruna Costa Dissordi, warm-up exercises are essential to prevent the shoulder, hip, knee and core joints from injuries of the bodybuilding. It also indicates not to proceed with a movement when experiencing intense pain; and respect the rest periods for the muscle fibers to recover.
Bodybuilding Tips
Instant results are impossible with any type of exercise. However, the experts give some tips that can guarantee a better performance with the training, in addition to faster results.
- Have the accompaniment of a good physical education professional, able to teach you about how your body is worked in each exercise.
- Eat protein-rich foods after your workout.
- Do not exceed 1 hour of daily strength training.
- Together with your teacher, try to gradually intensify your training.
- Use loads that you can handle when performing the exercises correctly and completely.
- Beginners should train 3 times a week, working all muscle groups together.
- If you want muscle mass, eat more and choose meals with less quantity and greater variety of food.
- Have a good night’s sleep.
Female bodybuilding
Differences
Due to hormones, it is common for women to have a higher percentage of body fat than men.
In addition, they present greater pressure on the knees, being more prone to injuries, because they have a wider pelvic girdle (due to the ability to have children), while the knees do not have a wider distance.
Given these factors, female bodybuilding is highly recommended, however, it requires a slower adaptation to training, with a focus on resistance and weight loss.
Women’s academies
The demand for women’s gyms has grown among women who seek quality of life and feel constrained in conventional gyms, either by harassment or by shame when training with those who already have a defined body.
In addition to the traditional benefits, female bodybuilding also softens the effects of PMS (premenstrual tension) and pain caused by menstrual cramps. For this reason, many women’s gyms take the menstrual cycle into account for training programs.
There is also equipment suitable for the anatomy of women, facilitating the effectiveness of the exercises and women teachers are prioritized to assist the students.
Why don’t a lot of people like bodybuilding?
Physical educator Cristiano Parente says that “twisting the nose” for weight training is common due to a certain prejudice with the sport. He comments that weight training was, for a long time, associated with the training of sportsmen and bodybuilders who took drugs for training of the highest intensity.
Therefore, an image has been created that bodybuilding is for this type of profile: people who want to lift a lot of weight, iron. And it really isn’t. It can be adapted to anyone, any intensity and purpose. And given this pejorative image of bodybuilding, people are afraid or enter the weight room thinking that the muscle will grow like a miracle.
It is common for parents to be afraid that their children, when teenagers, do weight training due to overloading the muscles – for example, using a 40 kg load on leg presses . However, for comparative purposes, sports played at school (such as volleyball) require a much higher overhead.
For example, when landing after a volleyball jump, a young man assigns three times more load to his knees than normal weight. That is, in a game of about an hour, he is able to jump 50 times and overload his knees with 200 kg with each jump.
Thus, “the great prejudice is, therefore, in the lack of information. A young man doing 40 kg in a weight training session suffers much less overload than when playing volleyball”, says Cris.
Professor Daniely adds: “everyone comes to weight training thinking about losing weight and it doesn’t always happen so quickly”. However, many people are frustrated by not losing weight, but do not understand that they are eliminating fat while increasing muscle mass.
And “muscle mass (lean mass) is heavier and denser than fat mass (fat)”, she explains. So, when you weigh yourself on the scale, you may encounter an increase in weight – but that doesn’t mean you haven’t eliminated those unwanted extra fats. So, it is important that periodic examinations capable of measuring lean mass and fat mass are done to end this misconception about bodybuilding.
