Is building strength your New Year's resolution? Here's how to assess strength, set goals, start an effective bodyweight workout, and stick with it.
STEVE INSKEEP, AUTHOR: If you've been thinking about a New Year's resolution to get in shape, we've got some science. Science suggests that working your muscles has huge health benefits. We're talking here about resistance training with weights, bands, or even bodyweight. NPR health correspondent Will Stone reported on the study for a new Life Kit newsletter series and joins us now. Hello Will.
WILL STONE, BYLINE: Hi, Steve.
INSKEEP: I'm guessing you're all swollen now, is that correct?
STONE: Oh, great timing.
INSKEEP: (Laughter) I'll just trust you on this one. I can't see you.
STONE: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: But let's talk about it because people talk about running or taking steps. Should you think about building strength in the same way?
STONE: Definitely. There is now a serious need to get the message across that weight training – or you can call it strength training – is important for almost everyone, not just the gym goers who are trying to build bulging biceps. And the evidence here is compelling, whether you're talking about cardiovascular health or metabolic health (like how your body handles blood sugar), or other areas like bone health, the immune system, the brain. There is now even compelling evidence of how it helps with anxiety and depression. However, perhaps the biggest one is life expectancy and aging. As we get older, we naturally lose muscle. But strength training can help protect against this. Listen to what Brad Schoenfeld told me. He's an exercise specialist at Lehman College in the Bronx.
BRAD SCHOENFELD: We have really compelling evidence that people in their 70s, 80s, even 90s who have never exercised before see significant results within eight to 10 weeks of training.
STONE: So the idea that you might be too old to lift weights is perhaps one of the misconceptions that researchers like Schoenfeld are trying to correct.
INSKEEP: I like hearing that you're not too old to lift weights and the idea that you're not too old to start.
STONE: Yes.
INSKEEP: Are there other false assumptions that people should be wary of?
STONE: What surprised me was that you don't have to hit the barbell and lift really heavy weights to get results. There is now plenty of evidence that people can do more reps or repetitions of an exercise using what they perceive to be lighter weights. Or they may choose heavier weights and low reps. Either way, they will see a comparable increase in the amount of muscle they build. So, if you want to impress someone with your powerful bench press at the gym, Steve, you need to practice these heavy exercises. But beyond that, most of us who just want to get a little stronger have a lot of freedom to do what works. The only catch here is that you should be struggling at the end and really struggling to squeeze out those last few reps.
INSKEEP: Oh, that's a good rule. What if you really feel like you don't have time for this?
STONE: Yes, another consistent message in my reporting is that you don't have to work on every piece of equipment in the gym for hours and hours. You can aim for what scientists call the minimum dose. I talked about this with Stuart Phillips, a researcher at McMaster University in Canada. He likes to use the image of a wet towel to describe the return on investment of strength training.
STUART PHILLIPS: You take the fabric, you twist it, and the first time you twist it, a ton of water comes out. This is the first set. And then the second turn comes out, smaller. And then, you know, obviously you can keep rolling the fabric. And you bring some water. And that's what people do who work out at the gym four, five, six, even seven days a week.
STONE: So if you're not chasing every drop, you can really aim to spend 45 minutes to an hour and a half every week. And if you're new to this, there's research to back up the goal of doing a few exercises once a week that work multiple muscle groups at once. If you do one set of each exercise, this will be enough for the first three months.
INSKEEP: Will Stone, thank you very much.
STONE: Thank you, Steve.
INSKEEP: If you're ready to get stronger this new year, sign up for the special Life Kit newsletter at npr.org/stronger.
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