What is strength training?
Strength training is any form of exercise in which your muscles work against a resistance. The World Health Organization recommends that adults do muscle-strengthening activities for all major muscle groups at least twice per week.
Definition and forms
In the sports science literature, strength training is defined as resistance training — exercise in which muscles work against an external load. That resistance can come from free weights, machines, your own body weight, resistance bands, or even water. Depending on intensity, rep count, and time under load, training goals range from maximal strength to hypertrophy to strength endurance.
Official guidelines
The WHO recommends that adults complete at least two muscle-strengthening sessions per week involving all major muscle groups (Bull et al., 2020). For older adults, the guidelines add balance and coordination exercises to reduce the risk of falls.
What it does
The well-documented adaptations include increased muscle strength, greater muscle mass, and improved intramuscular coordination (Ratamess et al., 2009). Beyond these muscular adaptations, the literature links strength training to a range of other physical adaptations. It is also discussed in the research as a way to preserve muscle mass with age (Westcott, 2012).
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- Bull, F. C., et al. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(24). PubMed
- Ratamess, N. A., et al. (2009). Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults (ACSM Position Stand). Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(3). PubMed
- Westcott, W. L. (2012). Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 11(4). PubMed