6 reasons strength training is so good for you

While weightlifting used to be the domain of macho bodybuilders, these days all kinds of different people on social media seem to be obsessed with “lifting heavy.” And they’re mostly right: the benefits of strength training aren’t just bulging biceps, but things that you don’t see, like a healthier heart and stronger bones.

Maybe you’ve never done strength training — or you’ve been using the same weights for years. Either way, we want to encourage you to add more strength-building exercises into your life. “Men probably dominate the free weight section, and that can be a very intimidating space if you aren’t sure what you’re doing in the gym,” says Justin Kompf, Ph.D., fitness director at WeightWatchers. Read on to hear why you should add more strength training, and how to get started, or accelerate your progress. And no, you don’t have to be able to flip one of those giant tires to start seeing benefits.

Why is strength training recommended?

Adults are recommended to do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups 2 or more days a week, according to the Center for Disease Control.

No matter your age or your fitness goals, strength training could benefit you. That’s because muscle mass naturally diminishes over time, so unless you’re actively building muscle, you’re losing it as you age. That means your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose.

Study after study shows that strength training can help you maintain a healthy weight, strengthen your bones, lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure — even reduce your risk of premature death. And while equipment like resistance bands, dumbells, or kettlebells are helpful, strength training can also mean just using your own body weight.

For women, myths may linger around weightlifting causing you to “bulk up,” but that won’t happen in most women, says Kompf. That said, if it’s causing changes in your appearance that you did happen to dislike, those changes happen slowly enough to change course (and are reversible), so you can always decrease your strength training.

In fact, weight training is especially important for menopausal-age women because it can:

• Reduce the frequency as well as the severity of hot flashes
• Be as effective as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in preventing bone loss
• Improve body adiposity (reduce body fat)
• Improve inflammation
• Reduce depression and anxiety

If you want to know more about why strength training is good for you, read on for six ways it can improve your health — plus how to get started.

What counts as strength training?

“Strength training” or “resistance training” may be better terms than "weight lifting,” since the latter brings to mind barbells. Those can be part of strength training, but actually, you don’t need any equipment at all if you don’t want to use it or don’t have access. That’s because strength training means any type of exercise that causes your muscles to contract against an outside resistance.

That means body weight exercises like pushups, pull-ups, planks, lunges, and squats all count as strength training. Of course, it can mean using “free weights” (dumbbells, kettle bells, medicine balls, and other weighted items), weight machines, resistance tubing (tubes or bands that are light and easy to pack for travel, but provide various levels of resistance when you stretch them).

How often do I need to strength train?

If you’re new to strength training, start with two times per week, advises Kompf. Once your body adjusts, move up to three times a week. “Three is the sweet spot for most health benefits and also for muscle retention when losing weight. There may be some marginal benefits to doing more, but not much. If you can, structure it so you have a day off in between strength workouts,” he says — but also don’t stress if that doesn’t work for your schedule and you need to do the days back-to-back.

6 benefits of strength training

Lower your chance of premature death

A recent meta-analysis found that people who do muscle-strengthening workouts are less likely to die early than those who don’t. And you don’t have to live at the gym to reap the benefits: the review found that just 30 to 60 minutes a week of strength training may be enough to make a difference. Participants who did this showed a 10% to 20% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and lung cancer.

Reduce high blood pressure and heart disease

Lifting weights of course benefits your muscles, and that includes your heart (fun fact: it’s both a muscle and an organ). Resistance training can help lower your blood pressure, which can in turn lower your risk for heart disease, according to a research review in the Journal of the American Heart Association. They found that isometric resistance training, where the angle of your joint doesn’t change — such as holding a plank or doing a wall-sit — may be most beneficial for lowering systolic blood pressure (the top number).

Strengthen your bones

Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, and another 44 million have low bone density, which increases their risk for the disease — and either can lead to a broken bone. Sometimes, losing a lot of weight overall, or dropping pounds quickly, can also cause people to lose bone density. (WeightWatchers promotes a safe rate of weight loss of up to 2 pounds per week, which should help protect bone health, especially if combined with strength training). Research has suggested strength training can help maintain and possibly improve bone density, even during weight loss.

You also don’t have to be a powerlifter to get stronger bones. Lifting light weights for a higher number of repetitions may be just as beneficial as lifting heavier loads when it comes to bone health, according to a small study.

Lower your diabetes risk

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) continues to rise, and in addition to medication (insulin), exercise is a proven prevention and treatment strategy for people with pre-diabetes and T2D. Increases in muscle mass and stronger mitochondria — the energy center of cells — as a result of long-term resistance training programs may positively impact insulin responsiveness and glucose control in some individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Support weight loss

“If you’re trying to lose weight, resistance training can be a helpful addition to a healthy diet and exercise routine,” says Tampa, FL.-based exercise scientist Erica Suter, CSCS.

That’s because strength training develops muscle mass. “The more muscle you have, the harder your body is working to burn calories at rest,” she says, so you’re burning more calories even when you’re not exercising.

Boost confidence

Let’s face it: resistance training is hard work, and it forces you to push your limits. But it’s worth it for how great you’ll feel about yourself as a result, says Suter.

“There's nothing more empowering than getting your first pull-up or doing a perfect push-up. Strength-training is a great way to chase performance goals,” she says.

How to get started weightlifting

Convinced of the health benefits of strength training, but a little nervous to start? If you have a chronic condition, or if you're older than age 40 and you haven't been active recently, check with your doctor before you start. Then follow these steps:

Warm up. Walk or do active stretches for 5-10 minutes to warm up your muscles, making them less prone to injury.

Use your own body as resistance. You may want to start with bodyweight exercises, such as squats, dips and push-ups.

Choose the right weight or resistance level. If you go with weights, start light and work your way up. The goal is that you’re exhausted by 12 to 15 repetitions. When you can easily do more than that, you’re ready to go up to the next weight.

Use proper form — and stop if it hurts. “The key is to start off slow and listen to how your body feels as you progress in weight,” says Suter. And to avoid injury, “ensure you're doing proper form with each exercise before you increase the intensity.” Kompf calls this “consistency before intensity” to make sure you feel confident in your technique before you increase the load. And remember, you can always go back down in weight or do fewer reps if you ever feel your technique suffering.

The bottom line

Adults are recommended to do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups 2 or more days a week, and no matter your age or your fitness goals, strength training could benefit you. Study after study shows that strength training can help you lose weight, strengthen your bones, and even reduce your risk of premature death. And while equipment is helpful, strength training can also mean just using your own body weight.