Increasing strength comes with a multitude of benefits and is a very important part of maintaining excellent health. Having great strength can help you move about your day a lot easier and without struggle.
Knowing how to build up strength and get strong can help anyone, no matter their age. Strength is defined as being able to produce maximum force against an external resistance. Many studies have also shown how beneficial, increasing strength can be against chronic pain and ageing.
Whatever your individual goals, it is important to understand that building strength and becoming strong requires devotion and long-term consistency. However, by reading our ultimate guide to getting strong, you can gain specialist advice and support from The Body Work Clinic.
How long will it take to build up my strength?
As mentioned above, the key to building strength is consistency. It is roughly estimated that it takes around 6 to 15 weeks before you can begin to see or feel any change in strength gains.
However, it is very likely you will see some changes in the first few weeks of your training, especially as your brain adapts to your training regime. This is more prominent in those that are untrained compared to those that are already physically fit.
It’s also important to recognise the difference between building muscle and building strength. When wanting to increase muscle size, you will build upon your muscles. This process is called hypertrophy and differs compared to strength building.
Muscle hypertrophy typically produces changes to the body within 8-12 weeks though it depends on your individual circumstances such as age, height, nutrition, and workout frequency.
What are the best ways to build strength?
Increasing your strength and becoming strong is a complex task. Therefore, your workout routine will consist of multiple exercises, and you will also have to take into consideration lots of things such as:
Warm-up
This is a crucial part of the process and can help you to prepare your body before handling heavier weights. We recommend beginning with lighter activities such as lighter weights or a combination of windmills and leg kicks.
Keep good form
Keeping good form is vital when it comes to building strength. You should end your set and rest if you can no longer maintain good form.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload refers to gradually increasing the weight, frequency, and repetitions in your muscle strength routine and helps to strengthen your musculoskeletal frame. This is usually done by keeping a heavyweight, i.e., >80% 1RM, and increasing your sets to 3-5.
Compound Exercises
Compound exercises can be great for those in a rush or for those who cannot prioritise spending a long time in the gym. They consist of multiple-joint exercises in one routine, such as squats and bench presses which are more beneficial than single-joint exercises such as knee extensions.
Stay motivated
It is recommended that you perform strength workouts three times a week. Meeting with friends to work out can also help you to keep motivated. A personal trainer can also help you to stay on track during your quest to gain strength.
What should I eat to maintain strength?
When increasing your strength and muscle mass, you should think about increasing your protein consumption.
Currently, it is estimated that most adults require 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight per day. This equates to 45g of protein for women and 55g for men. Protein helps to fuel energy and keep the body healthy. It is considered the foundation of muscle building and can help you to become stronger.
To optimise your protein consumption without overeating, we recommend varying your protein sources and adding variety to your diet to ensure your body gets all the nutrients and amino acids it needs.
Protein is found in foods such as poultry, fish, meat, dairy, legumes, and grains. There are also many protein supplements on the market made up of soy, pea, or whey protein.
Although increasing your protein intake can result in a stronger body, it is important to not exceed 1.6g per kg of body weight per day. This means maintaining a balanced diet and still incorporating carbohydrates like whole grains alongside vitamins, minerals, fruit, and vegetables.
How can The Body Work Clinic help me?
At The Body Work Clinic, we offer special treatments that can increase muscle and burn fat. One of our most popular treatment methods is EMsculpt.
EMsculpt is a non-surgical body shaping technology that reduces fat and increases muscle tone and strength within the treatment area. This treatment has the ability to contract the treated muscles far more than is possible with physical training. This results in improved tone, increased muscle mass and the burning of fat in a very specific area of the body.
EMsculpt can be very beneficial for those who have stubborn areas of fat that are hard to budge through physical workouts only. EMsculpt is backed by seven clinical studies which found fat loss and muscle definition in the abdomen and buttocks after a series of treatments.
The benefits of this treatment method are incredible and include:
● FDA Approval
● Builds muscle & burns fat
● World’s first non-invasive buttock lifting procedure
● Tried and tested by medical professionals
● No downtime and immediate return to normal activities.
● Clinical Trial results show 19% fat loss and 16% muscle increase.
● Voted 91% Worth it rating by RealSelf’s Patient Choice Awards 2020.
● NewBeauty 2019 Award Winners: Best Innovations.
● Best Body Firming Treatment – Harper’s Bazaar 2019 Anti Ageing Award
Don’t forget
Building up your strength requires dedication and patience. It is worth remembering that there is no magic treatment to help you become immediately strong and all techniques offered by The Body Work Clinic are not a supplement to physical workouts but are offered in conjunction.
Also, remember to eat a balanced diet that is high in protein and lastly, enjoy your training.
If you would like to book a consultation, give us a call today on 01223 455144.