Why Strength Training Should Be a Lifelong Investment | Hardworkout Magazine

Key takeaways

- Training above 80 per cent of 1RM produces the greatest increase in maximal strength, while muscle growth can be achieved with both lighter and heavier loads as long as total volume is sufficient.

- A 2022 meta-analysis of 16 prospective studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine linked strength training to a 10-17 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and early death.

- The largest risk reduction for early death, cardiovascular disease and cancer was seen at roughly 30-60 minutes of strength training per week, and combining strength training with aerobic exercise was associated with lower risk than strength training alone.

- Bone density peaks in the 20s to 30s and then declines by around 0.5-1 per cent a year, with faster loss in women around and after menopause; loading the skeleton through strength training stimulates the formation of new bone tissue.

- Training less is not the same as stopping: fewer sessions during busy periods can maintain much of the strength and muscle already built, and regular training over many years beats short intense blocks followed by long breaks.

There are many reasons to strength train. The goal may be to become stronger, build muscle, perform better in sports, or have a body that can withstand more. What is most important may also change throughout life.

Strength training is also significant for more than the results you see at the gym. The effects on muscles, bones, and health make the training relevant throughout adulthood.

What actually happens in the body when you train strength regularly?

When you train strength regularly, several changes occur that make you stronger.

Muscles can grow, while the nervous system becomes better at activating the muscles and coordinating movements. This allows you to gradually develop more power and lift heavier.

How much strength and muscle you build depends, among other things, on how you train.

How heavy should you lift for strength versus muscle growth?

A large [systematic review and meta-analysis from 2023](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/18/1211) examined how training volume, number of sessions, and how heavy participants trained affected the results. The analysis included 178 studies on strength and 119 studies on muscle growth.

Training with heavy weights, over 80 percent of 1RM, resulted in the greatest increase in maximal strength. For muscle growth, both lighter and heavier weights worked, while multiple sets yielded better results than a single set.

If your primary goal is to get stronger, heavy lifts should therefore have a central place. If the goal is to build muscle, you can achieve good results with both lighter and heavier weights, as long as the training volume is sufficient.



What does strength give you outside the gym?

Strength matters far beyond how much you lift in squats or bench presses.

Strong legs, back, shoulders, and arms make it easier to run, jump, lift, carry heavy loads, and perform physically demanding tasks.

This becomes increasingly important as you age, because strength gradually decreases. If you have built up good strength and continue to train, you can maintain more of it.

This can be crucial for ensuring that everyday tasks such as climbing stairs, carrying heavy shopping bags, or getting up from the floor still feel manageable.


Can strength training protect your bone density?

When you train with weights, the skeleton is also affected. Strength training can help preserve bone density because the load on the skeleton stimulates the formation of new bone tissue.

Bone density is primarily built up during childhood and adolescence and usually reaches its highest level in the 20s to 30s. After that, it remains relatively stable for a period before gradually beginning to decline.

How fast does bone density decline with age?

How quickly bone density decreases varies with age, gender, hormones, and physical activity. The age-related loss can be around 0.5-1 percent per year. In women, the loss can occur significantly faster in the years around and after menopause, partly due to lower estrogen levels.

How does strength training affect blood sugar?

Strength training also affects how the body regulates blood sugar. During exercise, the muscles take up more glucose from the blood to meet energy needs.

After the session, insulin sensitivity increases, allowing glucose to be more easily absorbed into the muscles. Regular strength training can therefore contribute to better regulation of blood sugar over time.

The relationship between strength training and health over time has been investigated in large population studies. A [meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2022](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/13/755) gathered 16 prospective studies and found that strength training was associated with a 10-17 percent lower risk of, among other things, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and early death.

How much strength training per week is enough for health benefits?

For early death, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, researchers found the greatest risk reduction with about 30-60 minutes of strength training per week.

The study also found that the combination of strength training and aerobic exercise was associated with a lower risk of early death, cardiovascular disease, and cancer than strength training alone.

The results are based on observational studies and show correlations, but also suggest that even a relatively small weekly amount of strength training can be significant for health over time.

What happens if you stop strength training for a while?

When you stop strength training, strength will gradually decrease. With longer breaks, you may also lose some of the muscle mass you have built up.

At the same time, there is a significant difference between training less and stopping completely. During busy periods, the goal does not have to be to get stronger or build more muscle. Fewer sessions may be enough to maintain much of what you have already achieved.

How much you can train will naturally vary throughout life. Work, family, illness, and injuries can lead to periods of less training, without it necessarily meaning that strength training disappears completely.

Over many years, it is more important to continue training regularly than to train a lot in short periods.


Sources:

Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies – [British Journal of Sports Medicine](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/13/755)

Resistance training prescription for muscle strength and hypertrophy in healthy adults: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis – [British Journal of Sports Medicine](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/18/1211)