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For some, the return of warmer weather also means restarting a gym membership. But even if you’re not aiming to tone your abs before lounging beachside — all bodies are beach bodies after all — it’s still important to strength train a couple of times a week.
Wondering where to start? Whether you’re a strength-training novice or dusting off your weight set, you should know the general strength training recommendations — including recent updates to the most widely used guidelines — so you can get the most from your workout.
Here’s why you should be strength training, and what to know about the new guidelines.
Why is it important to strength train regularly?
OK, sure, maybe you do want bigger muscles or to feel stronger. But aside from the potential muscle gains, strength training is crucial for your overall health and quality of life, especially as you get older.
Does it take you a few moments to stand up, or to start walking after you stand up?
Joe Ihm, MD, a sports medicine doctor at the Sports Medicine Center at Harborview Medical Center, says the data shows an increased mortality risk for people who can’t “get up and go” at a certain speed.
In other words, the less time it takes you to get moving from a seated position, the better.
“Strength training can improve your balance, walking and get-up-and-go time, which has a positive effect on your overall function and health,” says Ihm.
Strength training can also help you:
- Maintain or lose weight
- Keep your bones and joints strong
- Reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes
- Manage mental health conditions like depression or anxiety
What the new strength guidelines say
Recently, the American College of Sports Medicine updated its strength training guidelines for adults.
These guidelines are the first major update since 2009 and are based on 137 systematic reviews by researchers who collected data from more than 30,000 participants. Some recommendations remain the same, such as strength training at least twice per week.
The biggest new takeaway? Consistency, not difficulty, is what you should focus on when strength training.
Here is what you need to know from the new guidelines:
Consistency is key
Sticking to your exercise routine is the best way to see results, whether your goal is muscle gain or to maintain your health.
“When it comes to realistic strength goals, compliance is probably the most important,” says Ihm. “It’s really just about doing the minimum, which right now is two days per week.”
It’ll take more than a few gym sessions to see results or get the best health benefits, but keeping your goals small at the start can help with consistency.
If staying consistent is difficult, try creating a workout schedule, exercising with friends, or strength training while doing something you enjoy, like listening to an audiobook or having your favorite show on in the background.
“Even if you do one hard walk a week, there is actually a benefit to that versus doing nothing at all,” says Ihm. “Strength training has a similar trend.”
You don’t need to overdo it
A finding that may surprise frequent gym-goers: The new guidelines conclude that it’s not necessary to exercise to failure to see the benefits, and may actually be harmful to some whose bodies aren’t ready for this intensity of exercise.
Simply put, doing an exercise “to failure” means that you’re pushing through as many reps as you can until your muscles are too fatigued to do any more. If you’re not a stranger to the gym or strength training, you’ve likely heard this term before.
“The concept of failure has been around for decades, but we’re learning that you don’t need to go to failure to achieve good strength gains,” says Ihm.
However, your muscles still need to be pushed in order for them to become stronger.
Train all major muscle groups
More important than how hard you push is to cover your whole body.
Sure, the abs and biceps are the picture-perfect muscles most people think to exercise first, but to get the full health benefits, choose a set of exercises that work your arms, legs, core and glutes.
How does someone’s age come into play with strength training?
It doesn’t matter how old you are: You should be strength training. However, your age does play a role in how you train.
“If you’re older than 40, you’re more likely to have tendon issues like rotator cuff tears, other tendon disorders or osteoarthritis,” says Ihm.
Because of this, if you’ve never lifted weights or done much resistance exercise before, it’s important to start light and work your way up slowly. The new strength-training guidelines say that going from no resistance training to any resistance training provides the most significant health benefit.
And if you’re feeling muscle soreness the next day or two, that’s to be expected. It’s completely normal to have some mild aches and pains after a workout. But if you’re having post-workout pain that’s severe, is persistent and lasts more than a few days, it’s time to call your doctor.
“Notice if your pain is pervasive,” says Ihm. “If, after a few days, it hurts to pick up your cup of coffee or carry your groceries, and it’s not improving, that’s a concerning sign.”
If you have any underlying health conditions, keep that in mind, too, when you’re strength training. It could prolong your recovery time.
What is a recommended strength training routine?
The new guidelines emphasize that there is no “one-size-fits-all” program for strength training. Finding out which strength training routine is right for you can take time, but Ihm has some suggestions on what (and what not) to do.
Use resistance bands at home
First of all, if you don’t already have (or want) a gym membership, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money to use that equipment.
In fact, the new research shows you don’t have to be in a traditional gym setting to yield results, and luckily, there are plenty of ways to strength train anywhere, for cheap.
“I tell a lot of my patients who travel frequently or don’t otherwise have the resources to join a gym that they can spend $25 on resistance bands that can range from 5 to 170 pounds,” says Ihm. “All you need is a door that closes.”
You can also modify familiar exercises to make them a little more challenging with a resistance band, like looping one around your thighs to level up your lunges or tying one above your knees before a set of glute bridges.
Use dumbbells, not kettlebells
If you didn’t know the name for that steel or cast-iron ball with a handle that you see at the gym next to the dumbbells, it’s a kettlebell. Don’t worry about trying to use one of those when you’re just getting started.
“It might be something to work towards, but the weight of a kettlebell is so asymmetric,” Ihm says. “It’s not as easily controlled as something with a balanced weight.”
Dumbbells, gym resistance machines and resistance bands are ways to strength train with weight that’s more easily controlled.
“Dumbbells are nice because the absolute load on the joint and other structures is less compared to a barbell, but you’re still going to fatigue the muscles and appropriately stress the body,” says Ihm.
Some good dumbbell exercises to start with include bicep curls, squats, or even just holding them while taking short, quick steps forward (aka a farmer’s walk).
Use your bodyweight
Finally, bodyweight exercises are an easy way to get some strength training in — no equipment required.
It can be harder to easily target every muscle group, but it can be good when you’re in a pinch (and just as effective). Think: push-ups, wall sits, planks and lunges.
Bottom line: Something is better than nothing
Again, the most important thing is to fit some kind of strength training into your routine: Consistency is key.
“Just try to get in some form of resistance exercise that fatigues your muscles and stresses all your major muscle groups twice a week, with a day off in between,” says Ihm.
