Strong is the new skinny

In the last 5 years, there has been an explosion in the popularity of functional strength training. Movements like CrossFit have promoted the use of Olympic lifting; gymnastics has made bodyweight training accessible to all; and high intensity training has meant that heavier weights are no longer needed to build functional strength and cardiovascular health. It wasn’t that long ago when fitness objectives were all about being skinny and ripped – now, strong is the new skinny, and you get to be functional and look good!

The popularity of functional strength training should really come as no surprise. Strength training has always scored high in global fitness trends, and in the last 6 years alone, bodyweight training has consistently held a top 3 position in the ACSM Global Fitness Survey.

Strong tradition

Strength training has traditionally involved Olympic lifting, kettlebells and medicine balls. While these remain as staple equipment, there are other useful products such as sandbags, slam balls, cable machines and suspension trainers. The advent of high intensity training has also made strength training more accessible and varied than ever before.

Alongside added resistance, bodyweight training has a colorful history as a tried and tested strength training tool. From Venice beach in the 1960’s to modern day street workouts; from gymnastics to Parkour; and from Cirque du Soleil to modern calisthenics – training with bodyweight is a powerful strength-building tool.

Empowerment

With strength comes empowerment. Feeling strong makes you feel good about yourself and your body. Increases in strength almost always mean better function in everyday life – from lifting your kids to carrying the shopping. This increase in work capacity and resilience brings with it numerous benefits for confidence, self-esteem and well-being. For this reason, strength training is growing at a rapid rate amongst female exercisers – at least half of CrossFit athletes, for example, are female.

The EVO way

EVO is about training that makes sense. It’s about doing more with less, and we feel that including strength training in your workouts is essential for optimal health and function. This is why we have invested time and effort in creating a comfortable and playful environment with a variety of strength training equipment, including barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, med balls, sandbags, suspension trainers, cable machines, climbing walls, and functional frames.

Whether you choose to lift weight, or shift bodyweight, keep it varied and interesting through different equipment and purposeful programming. And for added motivation, why not let us take you through a workout using the EVO app. All app workouts focus on functional strength for every fitness level, across a variety of equipment. Stay strong, stay EVO.

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