No Pain, No Gain –Strength Train!
This week we’re going to talk about something that people either love to hate, or just love to do – strength training. Whether you’re an endurance athlete looking to perfect your form or you’re a bodybuilder looking to.. perfect your form.. strength training is important. The benefits don’t just include muscle growth, but also joint and tendon strength, improved metabolic health, and even longevity! So, let’s take a look at some of the most recent and exciting research regarding strength training.
Strength Training and Longevity
One of the reasons I wanted to write this post was seeing the amazing data published earlier this year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology analyzing exercise and mortality. This study found that the less than 20% of women reported regular strength exercise and only ~28% of men (1). That means only about one quarter of individuals are getting any type of regular strength training!
Yet, simply engaging in any form of strengthening at all was associated with an 11% reduction in all-cause mortality (i.e. death from any cause!) for men, and an astounding 19% for women. That is remarkable! And the most impressive fact: regular strength training was associated with a 30% reduction in cardiovascular risk for women (1).
Let’s break this down a bit further. What this study is saying is that even a small amount of muscle strengthening exercise (that is, about once a week) can help you live a longer, healthier life. Increasing these workouts to 3 times per week showed an even greater risk reduction.
For reference, some of our best medications for lowering cardiac disease risk and mortality achieve a risk reduction of roughly 14% (2). These medications (known as statins) are some of the most commonly prescribed medications because of their efficacy and ability to save and extend lives. The purpose of this comparison is not to suggest these medications are ineffective or inefficient, but quite the opposite – regular exercise and strength training is just that beneficial. Full stop.
It's never too Late to Start
So, let’s say you’re currently in the three-quarters of the population that doesn’t currently get any regular strength exercise—don’t fret! It is never too late to start reaping the benefits. A recent study out of Finland analyzed the effects of physical activity on adults between the ages of 70 and 85 who were physically inactive prior to the start of the study, and overall, the researchers found that physical activity (some supervised and some home-based) was a safe and effective tool to promote health and wellness, for all adults, including those with multiple health conditions(3).
What’s more, strength training has been shown to improve psychosocial function as we age, improve our ability to maintain independence, and reduce the risks of falls and injuries related to those falls (4). Due to a variety of factors, as we age, falls, even from standing height, have the potential to be catastrophic and life-threatening. So, the more that we can do now to protect ourselves and our strength, the better off we will be.
Strength training doesn’t just result in a balanced body, but also a balanced mind. Time and time again, research has shown that conventional strength training results in improvements in rates of both depression and anxiety (5).
Don’t wait to start – make those gains now
The benefits to strength exercises aren’t just limited to the previous scenarios. Of course, health and wellness should always be a focus, but strength training also offers valuable joint/muscle protection to all athletes and can help improve performance.
Several studies have looked at the effects of strength training on athletes (such as middle and long-distance runners) and the results are not surprising. While it typically doesn’t improve some baseline metrics like VO2 Max, strength training did result in improvements in running economy (e.g. efficiency in energy use), and improvements in time trial performance (6). What does this mean? This means runners would be able to perform at a higher level of their VO2 max for longer, resulting in better results overall.
Strength training also offers a valuable tool to reduce injury risk overall. While research continues, the basic idea is that strength training helps improve the biomechanics behind our exercise form, resulting in reduced impact forces and asymmetry, ultimately reducing injury risk (7). Several studies have even delved into specifics, identifying specific muscle-related injuries that can be reduced through regular strength training (8).
What should I be doing?
Strength training programs can be incredibly variable and should be. A good strength training program should reflect your current goals, upcoming events or races, your age, and your current health. No specific training program will apply to everyone or every circumstance. That said, there are a few places we can start – and anything is better than nothing.
In the journal Sports Medicine, Iversen et al. suggested training program structures that were designed to be time efficient for the average person. They note: “A typical strength and hypertrophy program for untrained or intermediately trained healthy adults involves training all major muscle groups with 2–4 sets of 8–10 exercises for 3–12 repetitions with 2–5 min rest between sets, carried out 2–4 times per week. (9)” I like to simplify this even further into my self-coined “Kraft-rule of 3’s.”
A healthy strength training regimen shoots for 3 sets of 9 reps (3x3!) with 3-minute breaks between, ideally 3 times per week. And, make sure you are training each of the 3 muscle groups:
Upper Body Pressing Muscles: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Upper Body Pulling Muscles: Back, Biceps
Lower Body Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, calves, and abs
Conclusion:
Whether you are a beginner or an elite athlete, a marathoner or a sprinter, young, old or in the middle, male, female or non-binary, the gains of strength training cannot be overstated. So, if you are looking to lift your game to the next level, or just lift up your spirits, it’s time to start lifting some weights.
Sources and Further Readings:
1. Ji H, Gulati M, Huang TY, Kwan AC, Ouyang D, Ebinger JE, et al. Sex Differences in Association of Physical Activity With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024 Feb 27;83(8):783–93.
2. Chou R, Dana T, Blazina I, Daeges M, Bougatsos C, Grusing S, et al. Statin Use for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2016 [cited 2024 Apr 7]. (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Evidence Syntheses, formerly Systematic Evidence Reviews). Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK396415/
3. Savikangas T, Savolainen T, Tirkkonen A, Alén M, Hautala AJ, Laukkanen JA, et al. The Impact of Multimorbidity Patterns on Changes in Physical Activity and Physical Capacity Among Older Adults Participating in a Year-Long Exercise Intervention. J Aging Phys Act. 2024 Apr 1;32(2):213–24.
4. Fragala MS, Cadore EL, Dorgo S, Izquierdo M, Kraemer WJ, Peterson MD, et al. Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Aug;33(8):2019.
5. Barahona-Fuentes G, Huerta Ojeda Á, Chirosa-Ríos L. Effects of Training with Different Modes of Strength Intervention on Psychosocial Disorders in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 8;18(18):9477.
6. Blagrove RC, Howatson G, Hayes PR. Effects of Strength Training on the Physiological Determinants of Middle- and Long-Distance Running Performance: A Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2018 May 1;48(5):1117–49.
7. Šuc A, Šarko P, Pleša J, Kozinc Ž. Resistance Exercise for Improving Running Economy and Running Biomechanics and Decreasing Running-Related Injury Risk: A Narrative Review. Sports. 2022 Jul;10(7):98.
8. Wan X, Li S, Best TM, Liu H, Li H, Yu B. Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting. J Sport Health Sci. 2021 Mar;10(2):222–9.
9. Iversen VM, Norum M, Schoenfeld BJ, Fimland MS. No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. Sports Med Auckl Nz. 2021;51(10):2079–95.
