14 Benefits of Strength
Training
If you could do one thing to improve your health, strength training should be at
the top of your list. It involves using one or more muscle groups to perform a
specific task, such as lifting a weight or squatting.
Due to the growing body of evidence supporting its many benefits, strength
training has become a fundamental part of most exercise programs. If you’ve
ever considered strength training, you may wonder how it will benefit your life.
This article shares 14 benefits of strength training.
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What is strength training?
Strength training is also known as weight training, resistance training, and
muscular training.
The general definition of strength training is any physical movement in which
you use your body weight or equipment (e.g., dumbbells and resistance
bands) to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance (1Trusted Source).
The main types of strength training include (1Trusted Source):
Muscular hypertrophy. Also known as muscle building, this type of
strength training uses moderate-to-heavy weights to stimulate muscle
growth.
Muscular endurance. This refers to your muscles’ ability to sustain
exercise for a period of time. Training to increase muscular endurance
usually involves high reps using light weights or body weight.
Circuit training. During this form of full-body conditioning, you cycle
through various exercises with little to no rest between them.
Maximum muscular strength. This type of exercise involves low reps
(usually 2–6) and heavy weights to improve your overall strength. It’s
best reserved for experienced exercisers who have mastered their form.
Explosive power. This training combines power and speed to improve
your power output. It’s usually employed among trained athletes to
improve their ability to perform explosive movements in their sport.
Most people focus on muscular endurance, circuit training, and muscular
hypertrophy as part of their strength-training routine, while strength and power
training are usually reserved for experienced athletes (1Trusted Source).
Depending on the type of strength training you choose to reach your goals,
you can use various equipment (or none at all), such as (1Trusted Source):
Body weight: using your own body weight and the force of gravity to
perform various movements (e.g., pushups, squats, planks, pullups, and
lunges)
Free weights: equipment not bound to the floor or a machine, such as
dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, or objects around the
house
Resistance bands/loop bands: rubber bands that provide resistance
when stretched
Weight machines: machines with adjustable weights or hydraulics
attached to provide resistance and stress to the muscles
Suspension equipment: consists of ropes or straps that are anchored
to a sturdy point in which a person uses their body weight and gravity to
perform various exercises
Regardless of the type of strength training you perform, the goal is to put your
muscles under tension to allow neuromuscular adaptations and stimulate
muscle growth. With regular practice, your muscles will become stronger
(1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Strength training is any type of exercise that involves your own body weight or
equipment to build muscle mass, endurance, and strength. There are many
types of strength training, such as bodyweight exercises, lifting weights, or
circuit training.
14 benefits of strength training
backed by science
There are many benefits to strength training that can improve your health.
1. Makes you stronger
Strength training helps you become stronger.
Gaining strength allows you to perform daily tasks much easier, such as
carrying heavy groceries or running around with your kids (3Trusted
Source, 4Trusted Source).
Furthermore, it helps improve athletic performance in sports that require
speed, power, and strength, and it may even support endurance athletes by
preserving lean muscle mass (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
2. Burns calories efficiently
Strength training helps boost your metabolism in two ways.
First, building muscle increases your metabolic rate. Muscles are more
metabolically efficient than fat mass, allowing you to burn more calories at rest
(5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Second, research shows that your metabolic rate is increased up to 72 hours
after strength-training exercise. This means that you’re still burning additional
calories hours and even days after your workout (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted
Source).
3. Decreases abdominal fat
Fat stored around the abdomen, especially visceral fat, is associated with an
increased risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty
liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer (9Trusted
Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
Multiple studies have shown the benefit of strength-training exercises for
reducing abdominal and total body fat (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted
Source, 15Trusted Source).
4. Can help you appear leaner
As you build more muscle and lose fat, you will appear leaner.
This is because muscle is more dense than fat, meaning it takes up less
space on your body pound for pound. Therefore, you may lose inches off of
your waist even if you don’t see a change in the number on the scale.
Also, losing body fat and building stronger and larger muscles showcases
more muscle definition, creating a stronger and leaner appearance.
5. Decreases your risk of falls
Strength training lowers your risk of falls, as you’re better able to support your
body (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
In fact, one review including 23,407 adults over the age of 60 showed a 34%
reduction in falls among those who participated in a well-rounded exercise
program that included balance exercises and resistance and functional
training (18Trusted Source).
Fortunately, many forms of strength training have been shown to be effective,
such as tai chi, weight training, and resistance band and bodyweight
exercises (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted
Source, 22Trusted Source).
6. Lowers your risk of injury
Including strength training in your exercise routine may reduce your risk of
injury.
Strength training helps improve the strength, range of motion, and mobility of
your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This can reinforce strength around
major joints like your knees, hips, and ankles to provide additional protection
against injury (1Trusted Source).
What’s more, strength training can help correct muscular imbalances. For
example, having a stronger core, hamstrings, and glutes takes the load off of
your lower back during lifting, decreasing your risk of lower-back injuries
(23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).
Finally, adult and teenage athletes that engage in strength training have a
lower likelihood of injury (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29Trusted
Source).
In fact, one review including 7,738 athletes found strength-training programs
reduced the risk of injury by 33%. It was found to lower the risk of injury in a
dose-dependent manner, meaning for every 10% increase in strength-training
volume, there was a 4% reduced risk of injury (30Trusted Source).
7. Improves heart health
Multiple studies have shown that regular strength-training exercise can
decrease blood pressure, lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and improve
blood circulation by strengthening the heart and blood vessels (31Trusted
Source, 32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).
Strength training also can help you maintain a healthy body weight and
manage your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels are a major risk
factor for heart disease (31Trusted Source).
8. Helps manage your blood sugar levels
Strength training may lower your risk of developing diabetes and can help
those with the condition manage it better.
Skeletal muscle helps increase insulin sensitivity. It also reduces blood sugar
levels by removing glucose from the blood and sending it to muscle cells. As a
result, greater muscle mass can help improve blood sugar management
(35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source).
Strength training may also reduce your risk of developing diabetes. One study
following 35,754 women for an average of 10 years showed a 30% reduced
risk of developing type 2 diabetes among those who engaged in strength
training compared with those who did not (39Trusted Source).
9. Promotes greater mobility and flexibility
Contrary to popular belief, strength training can make you more flexible.
Strength training increases joint range of motion (ROM), allowing for
greater mobility and flexibility. Plus, those with weaker muscles tend to have
lower ROM and flexibility (40Trusted Source).
In fact, a recent review comparing stretching with strength training found they
were equally effective at increasing ROM (41Trusted Source).
For best results, ensure you’re completing the full ROM of an exercise — in
other words, utilize your full movement potential around a joint. For example,
lower yourself into a squat as far as you’re able to go without compromising
your form (42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source).
10. Boosts your self-esteem
Strength training can add a major boost to your self-confidence.
It helps you overcome challenges, work toward a goal, and appreciate your
body’s strength. In particular, it can increase your self-efficacy — the belief
that you’re able to succeed at or perform a task — which can greatly improve
your confidence (44Trusted Source, 45Trusted Source, 46Trusted
Source, 47Trusted Source).
In fact, one review of 7 studies in youth ages 10–16 years observed a
significant association between strength training and high self-esteem,
physical strength, and physical self-worth (47Trusted Source).
Additionally, a systematic review that studied 754 adults showed a significant
link between strength training and positive body image, including body
satisfaction, appearance, and social physique anxiety (the perception of
judgment from others) (48Trusted Source).
11. Makes your bones stronger
Strength training is crucial for bone development.
Weight-bearing exercises put temporary stress on your bones, sending a
message to bone-building cells to take action and rebuild bones stronger.
Having strong bones reduces your risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and falls,
especially as you age (49Trusted Source, 50Trusted Source, 51Trusted
Source, 52Trusted Source).
Fortunately, you can reap the bone-strengthening benefits of strength training
at any age.
12. Boosts your mood
Regular weight training may boost your mood and improve your mental
health.
Multiple studies have shown that strength training may reduce anxiety and
boost your mood (53Trusted Source, 54Trusted Source, 55Trusted
Source, 56Trusted Source).
Strength training confers multiple benefits to mood regulation, such as
increased self-esteem and self-efficacy. What’s more, exercise promotes the
release of mood-boosting endorphins, which can play a role in a positive
mood (53Trusted Source, 54Trusted Source, 57Trusted Source).
13. Improves brain health
Those who engage in strength training may have better brain health and
protection against age-related cognitive decline.
Multiple studies in older adults have pointed to significant improvements
in cognitive function (e.g., processing speed, memory, and executive function)
after participating in strength training, compared with those who did not
participate in it (58Trusted Source, 59Trusted Source, 60Trusted
Source, 61Trusted Source).
It’s thought that resistance training has many neuroprotective effects, such as
improved blood flow, reduced inflammation, and an increased expression of
brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is linked to memory and
learning (62Trusted Source, 63Trusted Source, 64Trusted Source).
14. Promotes a better quality of life
Strength training may increase your quality of life, especially as you age.
Numerous studies have linked strength training to increased health-related
quality of life, defined as a person’s perceived physical and mental well-being
(65Trusted Source, 66Trusted Source).
In fact, one review of 16 studies including adults ages 50 years and older
showed a significant correlation between resistance training and better mental
health, physical functioning, pain management, general health, and vitality
(67Trusted Source).
What’s more, strength training may improve quality of life in those
with arthritis. One review of 32 studies showed strength training significantly
improved scores in pain and physical functioning (68Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Strength training provides many benefits, such as a lower risk of chronic
disease, better self-esteem, and a reduced risk of injury and falls.
