For anyone new to the gym who’s looking to gain the strength to let go of old weight, lifting barbells can be intimidating, but not just because of the sweat that’s involved.

In a fitness industry of macho-messaging, loud gym floors, and creepy dudes drinking protein shakes, the exercises can sometimes be the easiest thing to deal with.

As with any new challenge, the hardest part is pushing through the uncomfortableness of a new environment to begin. From the incredible benefits of strength training for supporting fat loss, longevity, and mental clarity, today is the perfect day to start training no matter how long you’ve waited or how awkward it may feel.

On this week’s Wellness Force podcast, strength coach and movement teacher, Scott Iardella, shares his life’s work on the importance of strength training and tips for how busy moms, women, and men alike can add it to their wellness journey.

“Strength training does not have to be this intimidating factor that keeps us from the gym or from being the healthiest that we can be each day. With the right approach and the right guidance from a trusted coach or mentor, there can really be more benefits to strength than just your muscles.” - Scott Iardella

Strength training is a phenomenal way to boost metabolism, lose weight, stay healthy, and be strong. To help you get started with your weight training, Scott has shared with with us several of his top exercises for gaining muscle. If you’re looking for a place to begin or even to add some body weight exercises during your busy day, you’ll want to note down Scott’s tips for future reference.

Scott himself suffered from a major low back injury at a young age when he was training as a bodybuilder and had to learn the hard way to allow himself to recover and follow a specific program to get back to a healthy state. If you do have a sports injury, it’s okay to pull back and not push through intensive exercises and training. You need to allow time for  your body to heal so that it can perform at its very best again.

Unless you have an injury or are unable to perform certain exercises, when it comes to strength training, there shouldn’t be anything holding you back. Work hard, take a break, and keep pursuing your goals.

Common Myths of Strength Training for Women

When women begin to think about strength training, many are afraid of gaining too much muscle and bulking up at a fast pace. However, unless a person is training specifically to become a bodybuilder and over consume food to have a higher daily calorie count, it’s next to impossible for a woman to become too bulky.

Along the lines of being afraid of gaining too much muscle, many women believe that they need to do intense lifting at the very start of a strength training regime, but actually all you need to do is to keep it simple. There’s a reason why simple exercises have been used by people for so many years and it’s because time and time again, they work.

However, for some women, they have no interest on becoming stronger and that’s okay. But it is important to understand that strength training can help you be fit and healthy for the long run. Even just doing a couple minutes of it can boost your self-confidence and well-being.

Why Strength Train? What are the Benefits for Weight Loss and Longevity?

Besides becoming stronger, there are so many benefits to strength training including weight loss and longevity. Many people believe that all you need to do to get into shape is to do daily cardio as your entire workout. However, aerobic workouts and strength training really go hand in hand. In fact, including weights can increase your metabolism throughout