Top Reasons Why Strength Training Boosts Productivity and Energy Levels

boost productivity and energy level
Strength training, a popular muscle-gaining and sports activity practice, has huge benefits both physically and mentally. It can increase work output and increase one’s energy levels, which makes it a must-do for you. This piece looks at how strength training positively impacts the ability to focus, work during the day, and have energy, as well as how perspective shifts when gaining muscles.

Strength training directly affects the brain and mental focus. Physical exercise helps in the circulation of blood within the different parts of the body, including the head, and this results in an increased supply of oxygen and other nutrients required for the proper functioning of the most important organ in the body. It enhances circulation in the body, and this helps the brain’s “personal computer” to improve memory, focus, and processing skills. Studies have found that individuals who exercise, including lifting weights, perform better on IQ tests than their counterparts who do not exercise.

In addition, strength training increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin, which are essential for mood and mental health. By promoting neurotransmitter levels, strength training aids concentration, minimizes mental weariness, and makes one more alert. 

Why is Strength Training Effective in Enhancing Daily Productivity?

 

The benefits of strength training are even reflected in direct daily efficiency. Exercise assists in the pattern of sleep and thus results in healthy sleep and increased energy throughout the day. Quality sleep eventually means that one wakes up in the morning ready to challenge the day’s tasks and outcomes. Strength training also minimises the occurrence of the afternoon, low-energy time in the workday experienced by many people.

In addition, strength training entails discipline and organisation, which could also mean an improvement in time management. Goal setting and attainment in fitness is a healthy trend that has a positive impact on the body and the mind, besides promoting time management skills in other aspects of life. This structure keeps you on schedule and allows you to plan your work well, thus enabling you to manage your work more efficiently.

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Conclusion

Strength training is a versatile form of exercise that provides generalised benefits not limited to physical aesthetics. One can improve working memory, daily effectiveness, and energy during the day, as well as improve one’s attitude towards self and boost self-esteem. Making strength training part of your workout program can be a means to improving your daily productivity, vigor, and quality of life. These benefits can all be enjoyed and obtained under a personal trainer’s watchful eye to ensure safety, proper form, and the best possible results.

Empower Your Transformation: Laura’s Path from Stress Relief to Unstoppable Strength – The Making of a Fitness Phenom

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In the hustle of daily life, finding a means to alleviate stress and channel pent-up energy is crucial for maintaining our well-being. Exercise emerges as a pivotal tool in this endeavour, serving not only as a physical outlet but also as a form of self-care that takes precedence in our lives.

Laura has transformed herself into a performance machine, dedicating her life not only to her own physical transformation but also to helping others enhance their performance through training. As a strength and conditioning coach, she leverages her experience and personal journey to inspire and guide individuals towards improving their performance. Laura’s approach goes beyond the gym; she focuses on improving daily habits and enhancing overall well-being.

lauras journey will power fitness

About Laura

Laura’s fitness journey began during her university years while studying business management. The stresses of her studies led her to discover running as a stress reliever. Initially, it was a way to clear her mind, but it quickly evolved into a daily habit and eventually, a passion for covering longer distances at a faster pace. 

However, a knee injury and subsequent advice from a doctor prompted Laura to broaden her fitness regimen to include weight training and bootcamp classes at the gym. This shift not only helped her recover but also made her stronger and more versatile as an athlete, enabling her to compete in Obstacle Course Races (OCRs).

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Laura’s Fitness Journey

 

Laura started on her fitness journey at a weight of 50kg, initially driven by the desire to adhere to the beauty standards she grew up with in Spain, which favoured a skinny body, muscle-free physique. This societal pressure led to a constant struggle with her self-image, especially as she began gaining lean muscle, which drew comments about her legs becoming too big. This perception challenge persisted until she relocated to London, where she found a new training environment that embraced strength training within women.

Throughout the years, Laura has engaged in various fitness disciplines, from functional fitness and OCRs to hypertrophy training and competing in bikini body competitions. She has also explored CrossFit, improved her skills and participated in diverse fitness challenges like Hyrox and Turf Games. This journey reflects Laura’s evolution from seeking stress relief through running to embracing an inclusive and competitive approach to fitness.

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Bikini competition

Her venture into bikini body competitions introduced her to the rigorous demands of body sculpting, involving cycles of bulking up to build muscle and then cutting to lose fat while preserving muscle mass. 

This process was both physically and mentally challenging. Increasing her food intake significantly to bulk up was a departure from her previous habits, and the subsequent cutting phase, which required a calorie deficit Around 1400 – 1700 calories per day, took a toll on her mental health. The lack of understanding from her surroundings compounded these challenges, leading to a period of depression and health concerns, including the loss of her menstrual cycle for four months.

Recovering from the competition required Laura to rebuild her relationship with her body and her health, aiming to regain weight in a manner that prioritised wellness and hormonal balance. Now, two years beyond her competition weight of 58kg, Laura has gained an additional 12kg. This weight gain represents not just an increase in physical mass but a significant boost in confidence and strength.

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Laura’s training program: 5-6 days a week, with a main focus on strength, endurance, power, mobility, and flexibility.
  1. Before attempting any of these exercises, ensure you have a coach demonstrate how to perform them correctly.
  2. Never sacrifice technique for the sake of lifting heavier weights.
  3. Remember to warm up and mobilise before participating in any of these workouts.
Monday: Olympic Lifting Short distance run 5km keeping a 4:30”-5:00”/km
Olympic lifting: Clean DL to Hang Clean 20 minutes E2OM (Every Minute On a Minute) (@30-40-50-60-70-80-90%)
Conditioning For time: 20, 16, 12, 8, 4 DBx2 OH Walking lunges and 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 burpees to bar.
Tuesday: Strength Back Squats and Strict Press. 5 sets of 5reps @60-65-70-75-80%
Conditioning Row - 8 Rounds: Every 30 seconds max calories 1 minute active recovery (minimum 6 calories). Total work 12 minutes.
Wednesday: Olympic Lifting Intervals Running 5 x 500m run/1 minute rest. 1 x 400m run/1 minute rest. 1x 300m run/1 minute rest. 1x 200m run/1 minute rest. 1x 100m run/1 minute rest
Olympic Lifting: Muscle Snatch to Snatch 20 minutes E2OM (Every Minute On a Minute) x1 rep (@30-40-50-60-70-80-90%)
Conditioning For time: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 DL and 15 box jump over.
Thursday: Strength and Upper body Accessories Dead Lifts and Bench Press 5 sets of 5reps @60-65-70-75-80%
Accessories (Hypertrophy) Superset - 4 sets x10 reps Press ups and Pull ups.
Superset - 4 sets x10 reps Shoulder Press and upright rows
Superset - 4 sets x10 reps Dips and Bicep curls
Friday: Weightlifting Push Press, Push Jerk and Split Jerk 20 minutes E2OM (Every Minute On a Minute) x1 rep (@30-40-50-60-70-80-90%)
Conditioning 20 AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) - Echo Bike 15cal, Devil Press x1DB 10reps and Pull Ups 5.
Saturday: Strength and Lower Body Accessories Front Squats 5 sets of 5reps @60-65-70-75-80%
Accessories (Hypertrophy) Superset - 4 sets x10 Hip Thrusts and Single Leg DL
4 sets x10 reps Step Ups
4 sets X10 reps Bulgarian Split Squats

Food Diary

 

Laura says, People often ask me if I am on a diet because of the way I look, but I just eat very healthily. However, this is a habit I’ve cultivated as part of my lifestyle. We are what we eat, and if we want to excel in the gym, we need to fuel our bodies properly.

Breakfast:

  1. Bagel (gluten free), peanut butter with banana and 2 eggs.
  2. Oats with protein powder (vegan because of the lactose Optimum Nutrition and peinar butter.
  3. Toast (gluten free), 2 eggs and 1/2 avocado.

Lunch:

  1. Pasta with chicken and steamed vegetables.
  2. Sweet potatoes with Steak and steamed vegetables.
  3. Rice with Salmon and Steamed vegetables.

Snacks:

  1. Greek yogurt with fruit
  2. Fruit and nuts
  3. Oats (depending how intense is the session).

Dinner:

  1. Eggs with prawns and steamed vegetables.
  2. Salmon with steamed vegetables.
  3. Chicken with steamed vegetables.
Laura’s journey from prioritising slimness to embracing the power of strength training exemplifies the transformative potential of fitness. Her venture into the world of competitive body sculpting, though fraught with physical and mental challenges, paved the way for a profound personal growth and understanding of her body’s needs.

Top 10 Essential Exercises Every Long-Distance Runner Needs for Optimal Performance

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If you’re a runner, you’ve likely focused on perfecting your training plan, fine-tuning your diet, and picking out the best gear. However, there’s another crucial component that might be missing from your regimen: functional strength training. Far from being just a buzzword, functional strength training (FST) is the unsung hero in a runner’s toolkit, essential for building strength, preventing injuries, and improving posture and running gait.

Runners often develop muscle imbalances from the repetitive motion of the sport. Functional strength exercises correct these imbalances, leading to better posture both on and off the track. Improved posture isn’t just about looking good – it’s about running efficiently and reducing strain on your body. A proper running gait is crucial for efficiency and injury prevention. Functional strength training improves joint mobility and muscle flexibility, contributing to a smoother, more natural running stride.

1. Bulgarian Split Squats

They strengthen the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, improving stability and power in each leg individually, reducing imbalance.
How to do it:
  1. Stand about two feet in front of a bench. Extend one leg back and rest the top of your foot on the bench.
  2. Squat down by flexing the knee and hip of your front leg.
  3. Push back up to the starting position.
bulgarian squats

2. Romanian Deadlift

This exercise targets the hamstrings and lower back, critical for posture and injury prevention in runners.
How to do it:
  1. Hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your body, palms facing you.
  2. With a slight bend in your knees, hinge at your hips to lower the weights towards the ground, keeping your back straight
  3. Rise back to the starting position

3. Band Crawl Walk

It engages the gluteus medius, a key muscle for stabilising hips during running.
How to do it:
  1. Place a resistance band around your legs just above the knees.
  2. Get into a quarter-squat position and step to the side, maintaining tension in the band, then step the other foot in the same direction
  3. Continue side stepping for a set distance or reps

4. Barbell Hip Thrusts

These strengthen the glutes, vital for powerful strides and protecting the lower back.
How to do it:
  1. Sit on the ground with a bench behind you and a barbell over your legs.
  2. Lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it
  3. Drive through your feet, extending your hips vertically with the barbell

5. Cable Chop

This exercise enhances core stability, crucial for running efficiency and injury prevention.
How to do it:
  1. Stand to the side of a cable machine.
  2. Grab the handle with both hands and pull it across your body to the opposite side, rotating your torso while keeping your arms straight

6. Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk

It builds overall body strength, particularly in the shoulders, arms, grip, and core, enhancing posture and endurance.
How to do it:
  1. Hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides
  2. Stand tall and walk forward for a set distance or time.

7. Pull-Ups

These strengthen the back, shoulders, and arms, helping maintain an upright posture during running.
How to do it:
  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
  2. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, then lower back down

8. Barbell Clean and Press

This full-body movement builds explosive power, total body coordination, and core strength.
How to do it:
  1. Start with the barbell on the floor.
  2. Bend and lift it in a swift movement up to your shoulders, then press it overhead.

9. Calf Raises

Strong calves are essential for effective push-off in each stride and for preventing Achilles and calf injuries.
How to do it:
  1. Stand with the balls of your feet on a raised surface, heels hanging off
  2. Push through the balls of your feet to raise your body upward.

10. Psoas March

This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, which are crucial for a strong, efficient running gait.
How to do it:
  1. SLie on your back with a resistance band around your feet.
  2. Bring your knees up so your hips are at 90 degrees.
  3. Extend one leg at a time, like marching, while keeping your core engaged and lower back pressed to the floor.

Lucy’s Remarkable Athletic Feat: Conquering Both London Marathon and Hyrox Championships

Lucy's Athletic Feat - London Marathon & Hyrox Championships / Will Power Fitness
Lucy Gornall’s journey is truly inspirational. Starting with a simple goal to build upper body strength, she not only achieved that but went far beyond. Her determination and hard work paid off remarkably in both Hyrox and London marathon.

From the get-go, Lucy’s determination was palpable. As she pushed through each training session, it became evident that her goals were no mere wishes. She was committed, disciplined, and consistently challenging her limits.

Lucy's Athletic Feat - London Marathon & Hyrox Championships / Will Power Fitness

Her success in Hyrox, a grueling mix of functional weightlifting, high-intensity interval training, and running, is noteworthy. Winning first place in her category and then competing at the Hyrox World Championship is a testament to her dedication and the effectiveness of her training.

Moreover, her achievements in marathons are equally impressive. Completing her first London marathon in 3:19 and then surpassing that with a 3:15 finish in her second attempt shows her commitment to constantly challenging and bettering herself.

It was also her goal to be able to do a pull-up. We achieved this through a dedicated upper body training program that included assisted pull-ups, barbell rows, dumbbell rows, seated lat pulls, and shoulder presses. Her hard work paid off, and she was able to do 5 pull-ups.

Lucy’s story is a powerful reminder of the incredible feats possible through resilience, determination, and hard work. She exemplifies how setting goals, coupled with the right mindset and guidance, can lead to extraordinary achievements. Her journey serves as an inspiration to anyone looking to push their limits and achieve their dreams. 

Transform Your Fitness Journey with Expert Personal Training at UNTIL Studio in Marylebone