“Physical Strength is the most important thing in life.” -Mark Rippetoe

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It is more than just building muscles and looking good, which isn’t bad either, but it is critically
important to our daily existence. Now we no longer are hunter-gatherers, and our physical strength
determines how much food we eat or if we can protect ourselves, but our bodies have adapted to need
physical strength to be healthy. The ability to adapt our physical strength doesn’t just help us
move around, move other things around and keep from falling. It also is how we develop strong bones
without a stressor that produces a strength adaptation. You cannot grow strong, healthy bones. The same is
true for the nervous system. Strength is primarily an adaptation of the nervous system since it
communicates to the muscle how hard and how much muscle fiber gets used. The endocrine system is
also improved because strength training produces an adaptation that regulates hormones. Strength
Training also improves posture and flexibility, which enhances the function of the organ system because
they can function correctly when they are not moved or compressed because of lousy
posture or flexibility.
To improve strength, you must have a progressive overload with each workout. If you have been
lifting the same 10lb dumbbells for the last six months, that is not progressive overload, and you are not
strength training. Strength training is done with a barbell and plates because you can incrementally add
weight to your desire. If I must produce overload, I can add a ½ pound to the bar, something you cannot
do with a dumbbell or a machine. Also, barbell exercise creates the systemic stress needed to
produce a strength adaption that machines don’t do. I am passionate about fitness and love to teach people. Nothing makes me happier than
seeing someone’s life change drastically because they took on a proper strength training program.