Weight Training – Good or Bad for Health

The fitness industry is booming today. A lot of buzz has been created in the recent past with the coming of age of the fitness industry and everybody wants to hit the gym these days. Right from 17year olds who want to get a head start to resemble their favorite action hero to 70 year olds who want to keep the doctors away, everybody seems to want to go to the gym. This hype about having a toned and muscular body seems to have been actively promoted by smart advertising campaigns and also the movies, where everybody in it seems to have perfect bodies. It seems cardio vascular exercises like running, jogging and walking on the treadmill in combination with low to high intensity weight training is the way to get that six pack tummy. Cashing in on this phenomenon, the fitness and health industry have profited hugely by selling their equipments and supplementary products in huge volumes. In this context let us analyze the impact that weight training has on our health.

Let us first discuss the points of view of people who are opposed to any form of weight training. They say weight training actually increases your weight. Weight training makes your body rigid and causes pain in all joints. Weight training if discontinued will make your body put on fat and weight. Weight training causes impotence. Weight training reduces your libido and your ability to have sex. Weight training is detrimental to one’s heart as it puts too much stress on your cardio vascular organs. Weight training gives you a lot of problems in your advanced age by way of severe back pains, joint pains and arthritis.

Let us now discuss the counter point of view of weight training advocates. Weight training increases weight definitely but it only increases the muscle ratio of your body, cutting down on fat, which is lighter than muscle. So this is good for your health. Weight training does not make your body rigid if combined with lengthy stretching exercises. Weight training increases your BMR better than cardio exercises and so this will help you in keeping fat off for a lengthier period of time. The only condition is that once you stop weight training you should keep a watch on your diet by following good dietary habits. Weight training actually increases your libido by way of better blood circulation and this helps you perform better during sex. Weight training also increases your bone density making this an effective deterrent to any bone related problems like arthritis or backaches. Thus it can be summarized here that the advantages of weight training are better compared to its disadvantages and it is perfectly safe for your health, as long as you follow the correct procedural guidelines.