Cardio lovers, this one is for you. While logging miles or cycling classes do wonders for your heart and lungs, strength training also deserves a place in your routine. Also known as resistance training, this type of exercise does more than build lean muscle; it can help reduce body fat, making it a powerful tool for improving overall body composition (1).
Current national guidelines recommend strength training at least two days per week, due to its extensive mental and physical health benefits (2,3). The good news? You don’t need an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment to get started. From bodyweight circuits in your living room to resistance bands at the park, there are many affordable ways to make strength training a part of your week.
Ahead, we’ll explain what strength training really is, why it’s important, and easy ways to start adding it to your routine.
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What is Strength Training?
Strength training is a type of movement that challenges your muscles and requires them to be engaged (4). While it’s often associated with muscular men lifting weights at the gym, it’s not the image we want you to have. In fact, even everyday activities, such as carrying a heavy grocery bag or lifting a small child, are a form of strength training (4).
At its core, resistance training creates stress on muscle fibers, which then repair and grow stronger when paired with proper nutrition (4,13). Over time, this can increase muscle size and muscle strength and endurance (5).
The main goal of strength training is muscle hypertrophy, which simply means building bigger, stronger muscles (5). Whether you’re lifting free weights, using resistance bands, or working with just your own body weight, consistent practice leads to adaptation. As the exercises start to feel easy, gradually increasing the resistance helps you continue to build lean muscle and increase your results.
Benefits of Strength Training
MyFitnessPal nutritionist Katherine Basbaum shares, “Your personal reasons for starting strength training may be to reach a specific fitness or body composition goal, and that’s perfectly legitimate! But the benefits of resistance training go beyond beauty.”
In fact, research shows that regularly adding strength training to your routine can lead to:
- Increase in muscle mass. Adding resistance helps you stay strong and maintain physical activity as you age (4).
- Strong bones. Physical activity may improve bone mineral density and help reduce the risk of fractures in certain populations (more important as we age) (6).
- Better balance. Strength training improves stability and reduces the risk of falls (4).
- Improved sleep. Get better zzz’s when you’re pumping iron! Resistance training may support deeper, more restorative relaxation (7).
- Improving cardiovascular health. Strength training strengthens your heart and circulation over time (8).
- A state of happiness. Studies consistently link strength training and exercise to reduced anxiety, stress, and improved mental health (9).
- Weight management. By building lean muscle, strength training helps reduce body fat, supporting a balanced body composition (1).
- Improved blood sugar control. Adding strength training may also improve insulin sensitivity and help manage type 2 diabetes (10).
Common Types of Strength Training
Weight Training
Regular weight training uses equipment like dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells, or basically any external weight you lift to challenge your muscles. The goal is to put enough stress on your muscles to cause small tears, which then repair and grow stronger over time (11).
Many people think that the only way to keep building muscle is to follow progressive overload, gradually adding more weight as your muscles get stronger (12). Although increasing weight is one effective method, research shows that it is not the only method. You can achieve the same muscle gains by adjusting other factors, such as the number of repetitions, while maintaining the same weight (12).
The takeaway? Don’t get too caught up in complicated terms or fancy programs. Find a routine that works for you and fits your lifestyle, and you’ll still get the benefits of strength training.
Bodyweight Movement: Calisthenics
Using your own body weight is one of the most effective and affordable ways to add strength training to your routine… anytime, anywhere (13). As a nutritionist and personal trainer, I often recommend exercise first because it doesn’t require a gym or equipment to get started.
Another great thing about bodyweight training is how easy it is to customize it to your preferences or body needs. For example, one of my clients isn’t a fan of burpees (an amazing full-body movement), so I replaced them with exercises she likes, like squats and lunges. The result? You actually stick with the plan!
The bottom line: choosing bodyweight exercises that you enjoy makes it more likely that you’ll stay consistent.
Here are bodyweight moves to spark ideas for your approach:
- Exercise
- Tricep dips
- Burpees
- Jump squats
- Squats
- The wall is sitting
- The lungs
- It is wooden
Tips for Getting Started
- Start Small and Build
Everyone has to start somewhere. If strength training is new to you, start small, using your own body weight or a set of 5-pound dumbbells. As you get used to resistance training, you’ll start to see when to increase your weight, reps, and/or frequency of workouts.
- Stay the same
Fitting in 2 days per week of strength training is recommended to reap the benefits noted above (2). Although this is a minimum number, the time and frequency of your periods will vary based on your personal goals. A good rule of thumb is to target all major muscle groups, back, arms, chest, shoulders, spine, legs and hips (2).
- Listen to Your Body – Build in Effective Recovery Days
Your body is your best tool to tap into to understand when you’re pushing too hard, and when you need to loosen up a bit. Allow your body time to rest, especially if you’ve challenged your muscles with extra load. Build in active recovery and/or a rest day or two. This could look like taking a yoga class, going on a nature hike, or calling it a day and curling up with a good book.
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- Maximize Your Exercise
Your muscles need protein and carbohydrates to help repair and replenish after your strength training session. Check out our MyFitnessPal blog’s pre- and post-workout recommendations for balanced snack pairings to help you feel (and fuel) your best.
The Bottom Line
Strength training is an important part of overall fitness. If it’s not part of your routine, now is the perfect time to start. Resistance exercise not only builds muscle, but also supports your physical and mental well-being, from better sleep and improved mood to a healthy heart. The best part? You can start with just two bodyweight strength sessions per week, no fancy equipment required. Grab a friend, go, and start reaping the benefits today!
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