Why You Should Be Strength Training

In case you were wondering…

CrossFit, Bootcamp, and HIIT are NOT Strength Training.

I’m not saying you won’t get stronger doing those types of exercise, but it’s not TRUE Strength Training. 

Some would argue over the minor details, but I couldn’t disagree more. 

This is my hot take that ticks off a lot of people in the industry. It’s also why our program is so unique (and effective) .

Let me give my 2 cents for the person who would rather do one of these training styles than Strength Training. 

Then I’ll share an analogy with you to prove my point. 

Then I’ll get into the nuts and bolts of why TRUE Strength Training is different. 

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My 2 cents to the CrossFitters, Bootcampers, and HIIT junkies:

If that’s your thing…keep doing it! If you love it, if it’s getting you the results you want, if it’s changing your life….I’m NOT saying you should stop. I’m not saying it’s ineffective. I’m offering a better way for those who haven’t experienced the same joy and/or life-changing results that you have. 

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Now an analogy:

Let’s say you’ve got a high school Junior or Senior getting ready to take the ACT or SAT. 

What’s the best way to study so you can get the highest score? 

You could take a random combination of Math, Science, Reading, Writing, etc. And that would almost certainly improve your ACT/SAT score to some degree. Perhaps even increase it a lot. 

But is that the most effective way to study? 

Not at all.

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The most effective way to study for the ACT/SAT is to take a class specific to the ACT/SAT! 

For the exact same reasons, if your goal is to get stronger (and reap all the benefits that comes with that- strength, muscle mass, looking more toned/defined, improved metabolism, etc.) you should do Strength Training! 

CrossFit, Bootcamp, and HIIT all have some type of strength component to them. Some more than others. But I can guarantee you’ll get much stronger doing any of those than sitting on the couch all day. 

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BUT if you want the fastest, most efficient, straight line from point A to point B strength results….you need to do Strength Training. TRUE Strength Training.

TRUE Strength Training, as you can see I like to call it, consists of a few unique points. We’ll discuss 3 today.

Good Form

First, always use good form. Now this *should* be the focus for all types of exercise. And at many CrossFit, Bootcamp, and HIIT classes it is. BUT many times people let their form become sloppy in the name of doing all the work as quickly as possible. It’s such an easy trap to fall into with the fast-paced training styles. But not with Strength Training. If you don’t use perfect form every time, you aren’t even doing TRUE Strength Training. 

Which is why we OBSESS over every minor detail of our clients’ form. It MUST be correct. Because correct form ensures you are as safe as possible AND you get the most out of that exercise. 

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Progressive Overload

Second, once form is dialed in, we shift our focus to Progressive Overload. Which simply means you will lift more weight and/or reps over time. So week after week and month after month you will be getting stronger. 

In other forms of exercise, progressive overload DOES happen, but it almost always happens as a byproduct of the program. You’re showing up to your workouts, you’re noticing you’re getting stronger, so you add more weight to the bar. We do it differently, we in a sense force the body to get stronger. 

Rather than letting it be a byproduct of the training, we make it the focal point (again, assuming your form is good). 

We obsess over increasing the weight or reps any chance we get, even if it’s just by 1 rep here or 2.5 pounds there. It all adds up to substantial progress over time. 

And logically, this just makes sense. If your goal is to get stronger, your strength should be the thing you should focus on increasing every time you come to the gym. 

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Rest Between Sets

Third, in order to make sure we’re safely and effectively pursuing progressive overload, we take plenty of rest between sets. 

Most other forms of exercise encourage you to do things tired. That’s fine if that’s producing the results you want. BUT we’ve found the most effective way for most people to change their body, health, and lifestyle, is to keep their strength training and walking/cardio separate. 

Doing them together promises the best of both worlds but that rarely ends up being the case. 

When our clients are in the gym, we focus on Strength Training, Good Form, Progressive Overload, and Ample Rest so we can keep our form good and go up in weight/reps. 

Then when you’re doing cardio, you can make the focal point getting your heart rate up! 

The extra rest we take in the gym is key to getting the most out of each set. 

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And we all know it’s true. If you repeat a second set after taking just 20-30s rest, your performance on the second set sucks. Taking 1-2, and sometimes even 3 minutes rest between sets is key to maximizing performance. That’s basically unheard of in those other forms of exercise. 

So look, if you’re doing CrossFit, Bootcamp, or HIIT style workouts and you’re getting the results you want…to you I say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Keep doing your thing! And even if you aren’t getting the results you want but you enjoy it too much to do something else, keep doing your thing! All exercise is great for your health! 

But if you’re not getting the results you want, I can’t encourage you enough to separate your strength training and cardio. And when you’re Strength Training, don’t just toss some weights around and hope it works. That’s not TRUE Strength Training. 

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TRUE Strength Training focuses on:

1. Good Form

2. Progressive Overload

3. Plenty of Rest Between Sets 

TRUE Strength Training works like magic

And that’s why at Steel Strength Training…we do TRUE Strength Training. 

If you’re already Strength Training – keep up the good work. 

And if you’re ready to get started (or you have a friend that wants to get started)…let’s talk! 

If you aren’t 100% sure what you need to be doing with your training, nutrition, walking/cardio, or anything else, I would personally love to help!

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