A new strong: why there's more to lifting weights than lifting weights
The new strong improves your quality of life more than any exercise form. Here’s why lifting weights isn’t the be-all and end-all of strength training.
When we think of strength, it can often be accompanied by images of Schwarzenegger-style muscles and lifting ten times your bodyweight. But that’s not how we view strength.
To us, the ‘new strong’ is something that should come naturally. The new strong is our ability to run, jump, skip, squat and do handstands in the garden (if you wish) with ease. It’s conditioning ours bodies - thoughtfully, strategically and gradually - to mimic day-to-day activities and move more freely.
But strength is often neglected, because life happens. The office job. The unexpected injuries. The lack of energy. The hectic schedule.
There are handfuls of elements that make up the new strong. At Holmes Place, our services, equipment, classes and personal training programmes are designed to include all of them. Here’s the lowdown:
The new strong focuses on everyday movements
When was the last time your body moved just one joint at a time? If you’re exceptionally tight and stiff, maybe. But your workouts should be as flexible as the multi-joint movements you make. Weights are a big part in functional training, but there’s more to the strength than that. Being strong in your day-to-day life requires regular practical and useful activities. So, we blend natural movements into specific exercises - anything from a 15-minute Sandbell class to joyfully jumping on a trampoline at Air Fit.
The new strong doesn’t require you to spend hours at the gym
It’s a big turn-off for most: the myth that you need to train every single day to see results. You don’t. With functional training, strength-building is done in high-intensity workouts, such as our short-duration Xpress Classes. These classes are designed to focus on more than one muscle, so instead of working the same groups of muscles on the cross-trainer, you can strengthen a wider range in half the time.
The new strong uses your body as your workout tool
Do-anywhere workouts are perfect for days you can’t get to the gym. This style of strength training is built on the principles of natural human movement. You only use your body weight for resistance, which means you can do it anywhere. Rather than relying on weight machines, the new strong all about how you interact with the environment, whether you’re climbing mountains or crawling under tree branches.
The new strong prevents pain
The new strong targets your muscles from all angles, helping your body flow smoothly and avoid injury-causing imbalances. By increasing your range of motion without repetitive strain, the new strong wards off potential injuries and pain as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. This is especially important later in life.
Leave your preconceptions of strength training at the door and enjoy the new strong - and the new journey - as your body grows more resilient and imbalances even out. Learn more about our philosophy here.