What’s the Difference Between Resistance, Strength, and Weight Training?

As a fully qualified PT, while talking to my clients I noticed that they are often confused by these terms – resistance training, strength training, and weight training. If you are also confused, don’t worry! I totally get it. Fitness advice and terminology can be really confusing.

Take this lovely lady from my DM below:

We were talking about one of my programs and she was asking me a few questions about cardio (thinking my programs are mainly cardio). Valid assumption, I do talk about cardio a LOT! But I also firmly believe a good fitness program must include cardio and resistance/strength/weight training. OK, but what’s the difference between resistance, strength, and weight training?

RESISTANCE TRAINING VS WEIGHT TRAINING VS STRENGTH TRAINING

All 3 of these names (resistance, strength, and weight training) refer to one type of training – a form of exercise that involves working against a force or resistance where the goal is to improve muscular strength, endurance, and tone.

I usually use the term resistance training and don’t use the term strength training or weight training that much. I do it mainly because I noticed that a lot of fitness trainers prefer to differentiate between strength and weight training on one end and resistance training on the other end. For them, we have strength/weight training that involves using weights to build strength. And then we have resistance training which is a broader term that means training with any resistance whether it’s with weights, weighted machines, or with just your own body weight.

So with time, I feel like people started associating both strength and weight training with heavy weight lifting. And since I mainly recommend bodyweight or lightweight resistance training, I tend to use the resistance training term.

WHY I MAINLY RECOMMEND BODYWEIGHT AND LIGHTWEIGHT RESISTANCE TRAINING AND NOT HEAVYWEIGHT LIFTING

You may be wondering now why I mainly recommend bodyweight and lightweight resistance training to my clients. Is there something wrong with doing heavyweight lifting? No, not at all!

I think heavyweight-lifting has amazing health benefits and I used to lift heavy weights myself. I loved the way it made me feel, I was the strongest I ever was when I lifted heavy. But, unfortunately, (and you may think this is very superficial and vain) I didn’t like it how it made me look. I know, I know, we shouldn’t train just for looks (and I’m not!) but I’d be lying if I said looks didn’t matter to me. And if you were completely honest, you’d probably say both health and looks matter. ;)

RELATED POST: HOW TO GET LEAN AND NOT BULKY – THE ULTIMATE FEMALE GUIDE

MY EXPERIENCE WITH HEAVYWEIGHT LIFTING

When I started lifting heavy and wanted to tone up and become lean and strong. And initially loved my physical transformation. I was getting stronger, my muscle tone improved, and I had abs for the first time in my life! I felt awesome!

But then as I started lifting heavier and heavier, I noticed my clothes did not fit me anymore. My pants and my tops became too tight and I just felt bigger and bulkier.

I know this sounds controversial in today’s climate. And if they saw my photos from back then, a lot of people would tell me I didn’t look bulky… But, I felt too bulky for my own liking. What’s bulky and what’s not is highly subjective and personal. What may feel bulky to me, may not feel bulky to you and vice versa. And that’s OK.

But what’s not OK, in my opinion, is the pressure and even bullying and ridicule a lot of women experience when they say “I don’t want to lift heavy.” I’ve been there myself and I know how horrible it is.

I WAS TOLD WOMEN CAN NOT GET BULKY

When I told my PT I wanted to stop lifting heavy (this was before I became a PT myself), he told me I was “being silly and imagining things”. He told me “women cannot get bulky” and pressured me to keep lifting heavier and heavier “you need to get bigger before you get leaner”.

If you are lifting heavy and you love it, I support you 100%. Do what you love, girl! And if you are someone who tried lifting heavy but you ended up getting the results you were not happy about, please know that’s valid too.

There are a lot of women who feel like it and I don’t think we deserve to be judged for it. So if you are someone who feels pressured by the fitness industry to lift heavy even though you feel like this doesn’t align with your goals, I want you to know you are not alone.

There are ways to do resistance/strength training without heavy weights. You can still get stronger and have the benefits of strength training without lifting heavy. And if that’s what you want, you are in the right place!

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HOW TO DO RESISTANCE TRAINING WITHOUT LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS

In the past 10 years, I noticed that there is a lot of pressure in the fitness community on women to lift heavy weights. I’m not saying lifting weights is bad or anything like that! On the contrary, I know very well how many health benefits lifting weights has – it strengthens your bones, helps with weight management, it can reduce the signs and symptoms of some serious chronic conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression and diabetes, it improves your cognitive abilities etc. So if you like lifting weights and you’re happy with all of the aspects of it, go for it!

But, in case you are rethinking weights, you should know that lifting heavy weights or working on weighted gym machines is not the only weight to do resistance training and experience all of these amazing health benefits I’ve mentioned.

FREE 7-DAY RESISTANCE TRAINING PLAN FOR GETTING LEAN AND NOT BULKY

If you are someone who bulks up easily or if you just prefer lower-impact resistance training, I created a free 7-day resistance training plan (Lean Legs Challenge) that will help you get lean and toned without getting bulky.

This is a full body resistance training plan. It consists of mostly bodyweight workouts but if you want to make it slightly more challenging, you can use equipment like ankle weights, resistance bands and small dumbbells. This style of training is closest to floor pilates. It’s low impact and it’s a great option for women who prefer a more lean and toned look.

I love this type of mostly bodyweight resistance training because:

• it’s low impact (easier on joints, won’t leave you completely exhausted),
• it’s effective – bodyweight workouts improve muscle endurance, builds strength, improves flexibility, etc.
• doesn’t cause unwanted bulkiness,
• gives you that lean and toned look – slim and toned legs and arms, perky butt, snatched waist, flatter tummy

This 7-day workout plan is completely free and can be found on my app. All you need to do is to download the app on App Store or Google Play and create an account.

I hope you enjoy my 7-day workout plan and as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Love Rachael xx

SOURCES:

• Strength Training Benefits – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670
• Bodyweight Training Benefits – https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/the-advantages-of-body-weight-exercise