Why strength training is suitable for everyone

With summer just around the corner and warmer weather on the horizon, it’s a great time of year to increase our activity! There are many great ways to keep active over summer, including walking, running and cycling. But what if I told you that there was a more efficient way to increase lean muscle mass, strengthen bones and slow down the effects of ageing?

Strength training is often equated with getting bigger and bulkier, but this is not the case. The performance and injury prevention benefits of strength and conditioning have been well-documented. Strength training is not just for athletes and body builders, it’s for everyone! But, it’s important that you start out safely. With our Clinical Strength services, one of our highly skilled Physiotherapists will help you get the most out of your strength training while avoiding unnecessary training mistakes. Here’s the process of what working with one of our Physiotherapists may look like:

Goal Setting & Needs Analysis

Our Physiotherapists will first assist you in setting goals for your program, before conducting a needs analysis. A needs analysis is a two-stage process that involves:
i) an assessment of the requirements of your sport and/or your functional goals
ii) an assessment of your own unique strengths/weaknesses, movement patterns and past injury history.

This will ensure that you are delivered a unique, individually tailored S&C program that will help you effectively reach your goals.

Periodisation & Exercise Progression

Periodisation and progressive overload are fundamental aspects of a S&C program. Your Physiotherapist will look ahead and plan your training into different phases, each with their own training focuses, in order to maximise strength gains and adaptations. Then, based on your needs analysis, your Physiotherapist will assist you in progressing your exercises to mimic the functional demands required for your desired goals.

If you would like some support with your strength training, or want to find out more about our Clinical Strength services, reach out on (03) 9670 7041 and our friendly team will happily assist you.

Written by Physiotherapist, Irwin Kim