10 embarrassing questions about strength training: coach Mikhail Prygunov answers.

We have collected what you really wanted to know about, but were embarrassed to ask.

In this series of articles, well-known experts answer questions that are usually awkward to ask: it seems that everyone already knows about it, and the questioner will look stupid.

Today we'll talk about strength training. While the World Health Organization has long recommended that all adults work out muscles twice a week, many still believe that this is only for brutal men.

Fitness trainer Mikhail Prygunov told us why you shouldn’t be afraid of working with weights, whether it’s possible to pump up without chemicals, and whether women should lift barbells and dumbbells.

Mikhail Prygunov Fitness trainer, master of sports of Russia in bodybuilding, holder of the title of absolute champion of St. Petersburg in classical bodybuilding. One of the creators of the FitStars home training platform and the YouGifted project.

1. Does strength training kill your joints and spine?

Strength training puts stress on the entire musculoskeletal system, but it can only cause harm if a person performs the exercises technically incorrectly or uses too much weight.

The load should be increased gradually over a long period. At this time, bone tissue is strengthened, tendon stiffness increases, muscles adapt to loads, and exercise technique becomes better. So when you start lifting heavy weights, your body will be ready for it and no harm will happen.

Strength training may even protect against musculoskeletal problems.

People with a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of degenerative changes in the spine. And strength training helps create a good muscle corset that will protect your back from injury.

If we talk about joints, they really suffer the most. Therefore, athletes with more experience tend to have some knee problems. But they are also present in those involved in other sports not related to strength training, and in those who do nothing at all.

If you build the load correctly, perform exercises with good technique and eat well, the risk of injury will be minimal.

2. Does strength training make women look like men?

If a woman does strength training , does it for a long time, regularly and with pleasure, then, of course, she will stand out among unsportsmanlike girls. She may gain definition and be more muscular, but this will in no way make her look like a man. At least if she's not a professional bodybuilder.

Without exhausting training, a special diet and chemical drugs, a woman will not be able to acquire excessive relief and will not cross the line after which her body will more closely resemble a man’s.

Yes, her testosterone levels may increase slightly , but not above the physiological limit for women. And she will continue to have a predominance of female sex hormones, and will retain a certain level of fat in the body - where it is needed and specified by nature.

3. Is it possible to lose weight by doing strength training?

A person loses weight if he consumes fewer calories than he burns. In fact, it doesn’t matter what you do - strength training, walking, aerobics. If you spend more than you eat, you will start to lose weight.

Strength training is beneficial in that it not only burns calories, but also changes your body composition. By exercising with resistance, you build muscle mass, which is active tissue that uses a lot of energy.

Fat does not burn calories. This is your reserve, it's just lying there for a rainy day. But muscles spend energy to work. And the more muscles you have, the more calories your body spends on maintaining them.

So, the more muscle you have, the easier it will be to lose weight.

Many people say that you can't build muscle and lose fat at the same time. I believe this is possible. If you plan your diet wisely—consume enough protein and don’t skimp on carbohydrates—then muscles will grow and fat will go away.

As for cardio , I believe that absolutely everyone needs such exercises, regardless of the desire to lose weight. Aerobic training is beneficial for the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and for the overall endurance of the body. And of course, they will help you burn more calories. The main thing is to correctly integrate them into the training process so as not to reduce strength indicators and not to become overtrained.

4. Is it possible to do strength training every day?

Yes, but not seven days a week. There are training plans in which it is acceptable to train for 2-3 days in a row, but then you still need rest. In this case, each day you will load different muscle groups. For example, train legs on Monday , back and biceps on Tuesday, chest and triceps on Wednesday.

A good strength training session may take 4-5 days to fully recover.

Loading muscles before they have fully recovered is, in principle, possible, but not always justified.

This can be useful for experienced athletes who are working on technique. And for amateurs who just want a beautiful body, it is better to let the muscles fully recover before loading them again.

Of course, there are naturally more resilient muscles that can be worked more often. For example, muscles of the lower leg and abdomen . In theory, they can be trained daily, but I would still advise doing it every other day so that they certainly have time to recover.

5. Can women do strength training during their periods?

It all depends on the individual woman - how she feels, what her emotional state is. If she experiences discomfort, you can tell the trainer about it, and he will adjust the program. Maybe he will slightly reduce the load, remove exercises that provoke straining.

If you feel normal, there are no contraindications for strength training. So your period is not a reason to skip class.

6. Should your muscles hurt after strength training? If they don't hurt, does that mean they won't grow?

Muscle pain after training is an indicator that you had a good workout. But at the same time, this does not mean that if there is no soreness, then there will be no effect .

Post-workout pain is influenced by many factors: which muscles were activated during the workout, how many repetitions and what weight were performed, whether you worked to failure or not. Personal characteristics of a person also matter.

If you work out according to plan, gradually increase the intensity of the load - the number of repetitions or working weights, progress will be made. Even if nothing hurts you.

At the same time, constant pain after exercise is also not a sign that something is wrong with you. For example, my muscles hurt for 2-3 days after each workout. If you lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well, get enough sleep and don't indulge in bad habits, there is nothing to worry about.

7. If you stop lifting, will your muscles turn into fat?

When you stop doing strength training, muscle volume gradually goes away: the body will not spend energy on what it no longer needs.

Energy expenditure decreases, and if the diet remains the same, a calorie surplus occurs. Excess energy is stored in the form of fat, and its percentage in the body increases.

This makes you think that muscles turn into fat. Although in fact the composition of the body simply changes.

8. Is it true that you can only get pumped up with “chemistry”? Or on protein?

Not true. It is possible without “chemistry”. But to what size and how quickly is the question.

You need to understand that everyone has their own genetic limit for the development of the body, and sooner or later a person will run into it. But to do this, he will have to make enormous efforts and take the right actions over several years.

Many people don't even come close to their limits in terms of muscle growth because they train incorrectly , eat poorly, don't recover enough, or quit before they get anywhere.

People are now accustomed to getting everything quickly: if you want it, you buy it, you press the button, and here’s the result.

And in strength training, experience is very important. The more you train without quitting, the better you become.

At first, muscles grow quickly, but then growth slows down, and you have to fight for every kilogram of gain.

Moreover, you cannot know in advance what your genetic limit is. For example, with natural training it is very difficult for me to go beyond 100 kg in body weight. Where your progress stops is the question.

Thus, you can achieve impressive relief without chemicals, but it will take a long time, and your progress will be limited by genetic factors. If you don't want to wait or want to go beyond your limit, you need chemistry.

As for protein, this is not “chemistry”, but sports nutrition . This is a protein that is made from whey, eggs, soy or other natural products. Protein contains the same amino acids that enter the body with food, and there is nothing harmful in it.

If you're building muscle, you'll have to consume a lot of protein, and it can be difficult to eat the right amount in regular foods, digest it all, assimilate it all, and not overdo it with carbohydrates and fats. This is where protein powder or bars come to the rescue . It is much easier to consume and assimilate.

At the same time, you need to understand that sports nutrition is not a replacement for normal nutrition. A protein shake can be drunk between meals, not instead of them.

9. Do you have to work with a trainer to get results?

At the initial stage, I would say yes, definitely. If a person knows nothing at all about strength training and does not even strive to understand the topic, he needs a coach. This will speed up your progress and help you avoid stupid and dangerous mistakes.

In general, you can practice without a trainer, but only when you already understand something: you know the basic exercise technique, you can create or find a program that suits your goals.

At the same time, as in any profession, there are also incompetent and uninterested people among trainers.

With such a person, you can get injured and waste time and money without results.

If you doubt that the coach is good , find out if he has any education or any achievements in sports. As an option, ask if you can see the results of his students, “before” and “after” photos. This might be the best recommendation.

Pay attention to how he behaves during training, how involved he is in the process. If a coach gives a task and sits on the phone without looking at your technique, most likely he is a so-so specialist.

10. Do you have to go to the gym to do strength training?

Not necessary. Beginners can practice quite successfully at home. To make noticeable progress, it will be enough for them to exercise with their body weight or with light equipment.

For beginners, home strength training is generally a great option. There is no need to go anywhere, time to choose, buy sportswear. I got up from the couch and started training.

Plus, beginners usually have a lot of fears and uncertainty: they don’t know what to do, how to practice, they’re afraid of looking stupid, and hiring a coach is an additional expense.

But here you need to understand what you are striving for. With home workouts you can lose weight and keep your muscles toned. But if the goal is a significant increase in muscle mass and strength, you need to go to the gym. Home workouts won't help here.

Yes, you can give your arms a good workout with pull-ups and dips, especially if you do them with weights. But with legs it’s more difficult. To build large and strong thigh muscles, you need to provide them with enough load to tire them out, and this is not so easy to do with light equipment.

So, by working out at home, you can pump up a little and lose 5-10 kg of excess weight. And then, if you want to sharpen your figure, it would be nice to include training with more significant weights.