Strength’s Greater Purpose

Last month, one of our members told me the following: “My friend doesn’t understand why I come to the gym. I don’t have weight to lose, so I tried to tell them that I’m not coming for weight loss. I’m coming here for the mental benefit.”

Does this sound familiar? It may not, especially in a society that’s hyper focused on image. But it illustrates one of the messages we preach at The Movement Lab.

Now, if losing weight is a goal then more power to you. And yes, our clients often lose weight as a byproduct of other healthier habits.

But do we lead with weight loss? We don’t. Because doing so minimizes a long list of other benefits from strength/resistance training:

• Increased bone density
• Increased athleticism
• Decreasing injuries as well as general aches and pains
• Improving blood pressure
• Improving blood sugar
• Maintaining (or even increasing) lean body mass and our resting metabolic rate as we age

If a pill claimed to do all of that, it would be one of the most prescribed pharmaceuticals out there. And while all of those physical benefits are terrific, I argue that the biggest benefit from our training model is mental.

Confidence, perseverance, and stress management are just a few of the internal qualities I’ve seen improved by strength training. There’s even a phrase, “walking around strong,” that I’ve used to describe the increased confidence and industriousness that comes from building a base level of strength. It has transformed people in a way I haven’t seen from other forms of exercise.

Now, an important clarifier: strength doesn’t mean it’s used to bully or intimidate others. That’s a sign of weakness. What we mean by “walking around strong” is that there’s a quiet confidence that allows you to help others. It’s no coincidence that the other Beast Tamers/Iron Maidens and winners of the TSC are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

There’s a reason the motto of StrongFirst is “Strength has a greater purpose.” We believe that “strong” connotes a well of calm and an ability to conquer challenges.

And resistance training is the perfect way to build it.

In strength,

Alex