When you think about building muscle, what comes to mind? For me, it’s not some fluorescent-lit gym or varsity weight room. It’s being camped out in the TV room of my childhood home, picking through a pile of worn dumbbells and hoisting them above my head. Sometimes, my brother would join in — usually to execute the sacred duties of an older sibling (i.e., heckling). My mom would be in there, too, doing curls and lunges. This experience with my family gave me an early appreciation for resistance training. That encompasses everything from lifting weights to using elastic bands to hammering out body weight exercises.  And it stuck. To this day, it’s a staple of my exercise routine. I love seeing others find this outlet and get to know what it’s like to get stronger. That’s why I’m excited to guide you through the ins and outs of building muscle, based on what I’ve learned from some of the leading experts in this field. Research has shown that everyone can benefit from resistance training.  Ready? Let’s go!

👊 Your one-month journey to building strength

Over the next few weeks, I’ll explain how to create your own strength routine. Here’s what you’ll get.

• Muscle basics: The essentials of resistance training and what to expect as you get started. Dive in with an exercise challenge you can try at home.
• Find your baseline: Strategies for testing your strength and progressing. Plus, what actually matters for building muscle.
• The long haul: What science tells us about how much you need to do. We’ll also share tips on making this new habit stick and giving your body what it needs.

A few important notes: We’re not here to prescribe one “magic” workout routine for you. (Spoiler: not a thing!) In fact, scientists emphasize that there are many roads to building muscle and gaining strength. Our goal is to guide you through the key principles and empower you to make this a practice that fits into your life.  One thing we can’t do is be there in person to check your form, which is important for preventing injuries and making progress. Luckily, there’s no shortage of free online tutorials. We will recommend a few.

❤️🩹 The health benefits of a stronger, fitter you

The evidence is overwhelming that resistance training has profound benefits for your health and well-being. Yet most adults don’t participate regularly in any muscle-strengthening activities.  That’s partly because, historically, public messaging has largely focused on aerobic exercise. We all know about step counts, right?  The idea that resistance training is good for you, “even if you’re not a bodybuilder or muscle head, has come decades later,” explains exercise psychologist Paddy Ekkekakis.  Here’s what science says about it.

It’s great for your overall health …

One of the top scientists in the field, Brad Schoenfeld, sums it up nicely: “Basically, every organ system is positively affected,” he says. Research shows that resistance training improves blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, helps your body manage blood sugar, burns fat and benefits other areas of cardiovascular and metabolic health. It also cuts your risk of chronic illnesses like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  The list goes on. It strengthens your bones, reduces chronic pain and bolsters the immune system. There’s accumulating evidence on how it changes your brain, preserving cognitive function and guarding against age-related diseases like dementia.

… and your mental health

For example, one trial found that less than a month of twice-weekly resistance training led to meaningful improvements in symptoms of depression and anxiety. That’s according to Darragh O’Sullivan, a researcher at the University of Limerick, whose team has done numerous studies on the topic.

It can help you live longer

“Strength is probably one of the best predictors of longevity,” says Keith Baar, a muscle and tendon researcher at the University of California, Davis.  All of us naturally begin to lose muscle mass as we age — a process that starts as early as our 30s. Over time, this can lead to a dangerous condition, known as sarcopenia, which is why resistance training is, if anything, even more important as we get older.  One data point that Baar shared really left an impression on me: If you’re in the strongest third of the population in the middle of your life, you’re 2 ½ times more likely to make it to 100 years old.  And it’s never too late. Folks in their 80s can benefit from resistance training just as much as their decades-younger counterparts.

✅ What you’ll need for this challenge: A checklist

Take a moment to make sure you have everything on this checklist. You’ll need it as our newsletter series progresses.

✅ A place to exercise

Most of us associate building muscle with going to the gym. If you have access to one, and that makes sense for you, GREAT.  Remember, the gym doesn’t have to be intimidating. Exercise physiologist David Behm says the weight room has changed a lot since he was lifting in the 1970s. Nowadays, he and his wife see plenty of women there, as well as folks who are in their 60s or older.  Of course, not everyone has the time, money or ability to go to the gym. Think about another space where you can work out, whether that’s your basement or living room. Just make sure you have enough room to lie flat, even better if you have a mirror nearby to check your form.

✅ Weight (including your own!)

Weights will be helpful as we give you advice on how to gauge your strength and progress, but they are not mandatory. In fact, one researcher in the United Kingdom told me he has spent many years primarily training with his own body weight.   If you are interested in getting weights to support your journey, consider getting dumbbells or kettlebells heavy enough to challenge you. Borrow them from a friend or your local library’s Library of Things. See if you can buy them secondhand.  Another option is resistance bands, which are versatile and quite affordable. We’ll offer guidance about how to use these exercise tools in future newsletters.

✅ Time on the calendar

Exercise scientist Jasmin Ma advises using “action planning,” meaning “have a frank conversation with yourself about what’s reasonable” and set a specific time on your calendar. It’s not enough to say “sometime in the morning.” Be concrete! We’ll walk you through the evidence on how much time you’ll need. It will range from 30 minutes to about an hour and a half a week. More if you’re feeling ambitious!

👋 Last but not least, leave these assumptions behind!

The experts I spoke to offered surprising insights about resistance training. I noticed their evidence-based advice runs counter to some popular narratives. They told me:

• You DON’T need to lift heavy to see big results.
• Getting stronger does NOT require complicated routines.
• You DON’T need to spend many hours in the gym to make real progress.
• You DON’T have to wreck your muscles and get sore for the exercise to “work.”
• You’re NOT too old to build muscle.

Courtesy of NPR’s Will Stone

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My Take….

Listen, you don’t need much to start strength training. In fact, you need only a few sets of dumbbells, resistance bands and if possible a flat weighted bench or jump box. Let’s get started! More coming each week with plans, meals and motivation.

David Froshiesar