How does strength training stimulate the skeleton?

When the muscles generate force, they pull on the bones through the tendons, and the skeleton is also loaded by the weights lifted and the movements performed. Osteocytes in the bone tissue register this loading and can trigger signals that regulate the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, affecting the balance between the formation and breakdown of bone tissue.

Do you have to lift maximal weights to improve bone density?

No. Studies show that strength training with moderate to heavy resistance can help increase or maintain bone density. The training does not need to be performed with maximal weights, but the resistance should be challenging and adapted to your strength, experience and technique.

Which exercises are best for bone density in the hips and legs?

Squats, deadlifts and lunges can be beneficial for bone density in the hips and femur, while bench press, shoulder press and rowing also affect the bones of the upper body. Training both the upper and lower body is therefore beneficial.

Which nutrients does the skeleton need?

Calcium is an important mineral in the skeleton, vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium from the intestine, and protein is important for building and maintaining bone tissue. Energy intake must also be sufficient, as prolonged low energy availability can lead to reduced bone formation and lower bone density.

How Strength Training Affects Bone Density Throughout Life | Hardworkout Magazine

Key takeaways

- Bone is living tissue that is renewed throughout life, as osteoclasts break down old bone and osteoblasts form new bone.

- Bone mass usually peaks in early adulthood and then declines, with a faster decline in women around and after the menopause as oestrogen levels fall.

- Strength training with moderate to heavy resistance can help increase or maintain bone density, according to a network meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Physiology.

- The choice of exercise determines which parts of the skeleton are loaded: squats, deadlifts and lunges target the hips and femur, while bench press, shoulder press and rowing load the upper body.

- Calcium, vitamin D, protein and sufficient energy intake are all needed to build and maintain bone tissue, and prolonged low energy availability can reduce bone formation.

Strength training does more than build muscles and increase strength. The skeleton is also affected by the training, and regular strength training can contribute to higher bone density and stronger bones.

What happens in your bones when you lift weights?

But what actually happens in the bone tissue when we do strength training, and what is needed for the training to be effective?

Does bone tissue keep changing throughout life?

Bone is living tissue that renews itself throughout life. Osteoclasts break down old bone tissue, while osteoblasts form new.

The balance between these processes helps determine how much bone mass we have.

Bone mass increases during childhood and adolescence and usually reaches its highest level in early adulthood. How much bone mass we build up is largely influenced by genetics, but also by physical activity, diet, and hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and growth hormone.

Later in life, the breakdown gradually becomes greater than the buildup, and bone mass begins to decrease. In women, this decline occurs more rapidly around and after menopause, when estrogen levels fall.

How much bone mass we build up early in life, and how quickly it decreases later, therefore has significance for bone density throughout adulthood.

How Bone Tissue Responds to Strength Training

When muscles generate force, they pull on the bones through the tendons. The skeleton is simultaneously influenced by the weights being lifted and the movements being performed.

In bone tissue, there are osteocytes, cells that register this influence. This can trigger signals that regulate the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, thereby affecting the balance between the formation and breakdown of bone tissue.

This is a slow process. Changes in bone density develop over time and depend on the skeleton receiving this stimulation regularly through training.

How heavy should you lift to affect bone density?

How much strength training stimulates bone tissue depends, among other things, on how heavy the resistance you train with is.

[Studies](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1105303/full) show that strength training with moderate to heavy resistance can help increase or maintain bone density.

Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, leg presses, shoulder presses, and rowing allow for the use of relatively heavy weights and train large parts of the body.

However, the training does not need to be performed with maximum weights. The resistance should be challenging but should also be adapted to strength, experience, and technique.

![Strength Training Legs Leg Press](https://hardworkout.no/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ChatGPT-Image-5.-mars-2026-094822.png)

Which exercises affect which bones?

Which exercises you choose affects which parts of the skeleton are most influenced by the training.

Squats, deadlifts, and lunges can be beneficial for bone density in the hips and femur. Exercises such as bench presses, shoulder presses, and rowing also affect the bones in the upper body. Therefore, it is beneficial to train both the upper and lower body.

Strength training can be combined with running, jumping, and other weight-bearing activities. These activities affect bone tissue in different ways than strength training. Jumping can be particularly beneficial because the skeleton is subjected to large forces during landing.

Why does strength training matter more as you get older?

Regular strength training is important for the skeleton at all ages, but becomes increasingly significant as bone mass and muscle strength begin to decline.

Strength training not only helps preserve bone mass but also muscle strength, balance, and physical function. Good strength and balance can reduce the risk of falls, which is a major cause of fractures later in life.

Thus, strength training can contribute both to preserving a stronger skeleton and reducing the risk of injuries that can lead to fractures.

What should you eat to support bone health?

Strength training should be combined with a diet that provides the body with what it needs to build and maintain bone tissue.

Calcium is an important mineral in the skeleton, while vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium from the intestine. Protein is also important for the building and maintenance of bone tissue.

In addition, energy intake must be sufficient, as prolonged low energy availability can lead to reduced bone formation and lower bone density.

![A varied diet with good sources of calcium, vitamin D, and protein is important for building and preserving strong bones.](https://hardworkout.no/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ChatGPT-Image-18.-aug.-2026-125402.png)

Sources:

Comparative efficacy different resistance training protocols on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: A systematic review and network meta-analysis – [Frontiers in Physiology](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1105303/full)