Weightlifting is an essential part of any fitness program. It not only helps to build strength but can also help to improve bone density, joint health, and balance. In addition, weightlifting can help to burn calories and reduce body fat.
As a result, it can be an effective tool for weight loss and weight management. However, weightlifting is not just for people who are looking to lose weight. It can also be beneficial for those who are trying to build muscle or improve their overall fitness.
Regardless of your fitness goals, including some weightlifting in your routine is a great way to help you reach them.
Here are some strength training statistics you need to know about as you begin your adventures into lifting weights!
What is the Importance of Weightlifting?
As you get older, your muscle mass begins to decrease. This leads to a condition called sarcopenia, which makes it more difficult to perform everyday activities and increases the likelihood of injuries.
Weight training can help prevent or delay sarcopenia, making it an important activity for adults of all ages. According to recent studies, weight training not only helps maintain muscle mass but also provides other health benefits such as improved bone density and stronger connective tissues.
And let’s not forget the fact that strength training and lifting weights can help you regulate your own body weight, improve your self-esteem, boost your cognitive functioning, and much, much more.
So if you’re looking for a way to improve your overall health, start hitting the weights!
Weight Training Statistics – Highlights
- At around age 30, we begin to lose up to 5% lean muscle mass every 10 years, but weight training can help reverse that.
- You can reduce body fat the most by combining strength training with dieting.
- The world deadlifting record was by Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Bjornsson, who lifted 1,104 lbs for two seconds.
- Studies of older adults have pointed to improvements in cognitive function, like memory and processing speed, in individuals who participated in strength training.
- Because muscles are more metabolically efficient than fat mass, strength training can increase your muscle mass and allow you to burn more calories at rest. Plus, your metabolic rate is increased up to 72 hours after strength training!
At around age 30, we begin to lose up to 5% every 10 years, but weight training can help reverse that.
Source: Harvard Health Publishing
The aging process is often accompanied by a loss of muscle mass and strength. This process, known as sarcopenia, can start as early as age 30 and continue at a rate of 5% per decade.
Weightlifting and other forms of resistance training are thought to be one of the best ways to combat sarcopenia, as they help to maintain and even increase muscle mass.
In addition to the physical benefits, weightlifting has also been shown to improve mental health, bone density, and metabolic function. As we age, it becomes even more important to maintain an active lifestyle, and weightlifting is a great way to do just that.
30 minutes of high-intensity resistance training two times each week can improve functional performance, strength, and bone density in postmenopausal women with low bone mass.
Source: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
For postmenopausal women with low bone mass, lifting weights and doing other aerobic exercises can improve functional performance, strength, and bone density, according to a new study.
The research indicates that 30 minutes of high-intensity resistance training two times each week can help achieve these benefits. Previous studies have shown that lifting weights and doing other strength training exercises can help postmenopausal women with low bone mass to improve their functional performance and strength.
However, the new study is the first to show that lifting weights and doing other aerobic exercises can also help improve bone density in this population. The findings suggest that lifting weights and doing other aerobic exercises may be an effective strategy for preventing or treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with low bone mass.
Strength training allows your body to continue to burn calories even after the workout is over in a phenomenon known as “excess post exercise oxygen consumption.”
Source: American Council on Exercise
When most people think of exercise, they focus on aerobic activities like running or biking. While these activities are great for heart health, they don’t do much to build muscle.
Strength training, on the other hand, is an excellent way to improve muscle mass and bone density. In addition, lifting weights has been shown to increase the number of calories you burn even after your workout is over. This phenomenon, known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, can help you continue to lose weight and get in shape.
To maximize the benefits of strength training, be sure to work all major muscle groups and focus on lifting heavy weights. With a little effort, you can see some amazing results.
Compared with dieters who did not exercise and with those who completed only aerobic exercises, dieters who completed strength training exercises lost the most fat.
Source: Obesity Journal
The reason for this is likely because strength training burns more calories than aerobic exercise, and it also causes your body to burn more calories at rest. In other words, strength training not only helps you lose weight in the short-term, but it also helps you keep the weight off in the long-term. Thus, if you’re looking to lose fat, strength training is the way to go.
You can reduce body fat the most by combining strength training with dieting.
Source: International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
Fat loss is complex and depends on many factors, but one of the most important is how you use your muscles. When you strength train, you force your muscles to work harder than they’re used to, which causes them to grow.
However, simply consuming fewer calories than you burn will also lead to muscle loss. So, in order to achieve the most effective fat loss, you need to combine strength training with dieting. This way, you can minimize muscle loss while still reducing your overall body fat.
In addition, strength training has the added benefit of helping you maintain your weight loss in the long term. So, if you’re looking to reduce body fat, be sure to include strength training in your regimen.
Doing at least one strength training session per week can provide up to a 37% increase in muscle strength, a 7.5% increase in muscle mass, and a 58% increase in functional capacity in elderly adults.
Source: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
As we age, it becomes increasingly important to maintain our muscle strength and functional capacity. Strength training can help to prevent age-related muscle loss, improving our quality of life as we age.
According to the above quote, doing just one strength training session per week can have a significant impact on muscle strength, mass, and functional capacity in older adults. These benefits are due to the fact that strength training helps to build and maintain muscle tissue. In addition, strength training can help to improve bone density, joint function, and balance.
As a result, it is clear that strength training is an important part of healthy aging. So if you’re looking to stay strong and independent as you age, be sure to add some strength training to your weekly routine.
Most people focus on muscular hypertrophy, circuit training, and muscular endurance as part of their strength-training routines.
Source: PubMed
Most people focus on increasing muscle size (hypertrophy), circuit training, and muscular endurance as part of their strength-training routines. However, these are not the only elements of strength. Power, for example, is a key component of athletic performance. Power is the ability to generate force quickly, and it is essential for activities like sprinting, jumping, and throwing.
Similarly, speed is another important factor in many sports. Speed is the ability to move quickly over short distances, and it can be the difference between winning and losing in a race.
Strength-training programs should therefore not be limited to exercises that only target muscle size or endurance. Instead, they should also include exercises that improve power and speed. Only by taking all of these factors into account can athletes hope to achieve their full potential.
The most popular types of equipment for strength training and weight lifting include resistance bands, weight machines, free weights, body weight (no weight lifting equipment at all), and suspension equipment.
Source: PubMed
People use resistance bands because they are easy to use and they help with a lot of different exercises. Another popular type of equipment people use for strength training is weight machines.
Weight machines help people lift weights because they take the weight off of the person’s body. Free weights are also popular among people who lift weights. Free weights are good because they help with a lot of different exercises and they are easy to use.
The last type of equipment that is mentioned in this quote is suspension equipment. Suspension equipment helps people with their balance and it helps with a lot of different exercises.
In addition to making you feel better and giving you energy, weight lifting and strength training can help you perform daily tasks more easily, like playing with your kids.
Source: International Journal of Exercise Science
By increasing muscle strength and improving joint function, weight lifting and strength training can help you stay agile and efficient in your movements. So next time you’re considering skipping a workout, remember that it could be the key to making your daily life a little bit easier.
The world deadlifting record was by Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Bjornsson, who lifted 1,104 lbs for two seconds.
Source: Pledge Sports
Hafthor Bjornsson, best known for his role as “The Mountain” on Game of Thrones, set a new world record for deadlifting in May of 2020. His feat of strength – lifting 1,104 pounds (nearly half a ton) for two seconds – was captured on video and quickly went viral.
While many people were impressed by Bjornsson’s strength, some were quick to point out that the record is not as impressive as it seems.
For one thing, the weight was lifted using special “springboard” deadlift straps, which give the lifter a mechanical advantage. In addition, the weight was only lifted for two seconds – a far cry from the one-minute time limit set by most competitions.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that Hafthor Bjornsson is an incredibly strong man, and his world record is an impressive feat.
Because muscles are more metabolically efficient than fat mass, strength training can increase your muscle mass and allow you to burn more calories at rest. Plus, your metabolic rate is increased up to 72 hours after strength training!
Source: Journal of Sports Science
Strength training increases muscle mass, which in turn increases the number of calories you burn at rest. In addition, your metabolic rate is increased for up to 72 hours after strength training. This means that you will continue to burn calories even after you have finished working out. Strength training is an excellent way to boost your metabolism and help you lose weight.
Strength training can help improve glucose control in people with diabetes along with other chronic conditions, such as neuromuscular disorders and COPD.
Source: Diabetes Therapy
Strength training has been shown to improve glucose control in people with diabetes, as well as help manage other chronic conditions such as neuromuscular disorders and COPD.
The improvement in glucose control is thought to be due to the increase in muscular endurance and strength, which allows for better regulation of blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, the increase in muscle mass can also help to reduce the risk of obesity, another factor that can contribute to diabetes. In addition to the physical benefits, strength training can also help improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety.
For people with chronic conditions, strength training can be an essential part of managing their condition and improving their quality of life.
When compared with stretching, strength training is equally effective at increasing your joints’ range of motion.
Source: International Journal of Exercise Science
It’s often said that stretching is key to maintaining a healthy range of motion in your joints. However, new research suggests that strength training may be just as effective.
The results suggest that both stretching and strength training are equally effective at keeping joints healthy and mobile. So if you’re looking to maintain your flexibility, there’s no need to choose one over the other – both are excellent options!
Only about 8.9% of the American population participates in weight lifting, which is still the second-most popular form of exercise in the United States.
Source: Livestrong
Despite its reputation, weightlifting is something that nearly everyone can do, and it offers a host of benefits. For starters, weightlifting can help to improve bone density and reduce the risk of injuries. It can also increase muscle mass, which in turn can lead to a higher metabolism.
And because weightlifting is anaerobic exercise, it can help to improve heart health and respiratory function. In other words, there are good reasons why weightlifting is so popular. So if you’re looking for a way to get fit, don’t overlook this essential form of exercise.
Multiple studies have linked strength training to increased quality of life.
Source: Quality of Life Research
In one study, adults who participated in a 12-week strength training program reported significant improvements in their physical functioning, mental health, and energy levels. Another study found that older adults who engaged in strength training were more likely to report feeling independent and capable than those who did not participate in any exercise program.
Strength training can also help to reduce the risk of falls, which is a major concern for older adults. These studies suggest that strength training has the potential to not only improve physical health but also promote psychological well-being and quality of life.
Studies of older adults have pointed to improvements in cognitive function, like memory and processing speed, in individuals who participated in strength training.
Source: Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging
One of the most famous quotes is, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The quote is often used in relation to health, but it can also be applied to cognitive function.
A growing body of research suggests that participating in strength training can improve cognitive function in older adults. For example, studies have shown that strength training can improve memory and processing speed.
The benefits of strength training are thought to be due, in part, to the fact that it helps to offset the age-related decline in muscle mass. In addition, strength training has also been shown to improve brain health by increasing the size of the hippocampus, a region of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
Therefore, if you are looking for ways to improve your cognitive function, strength training may be a good option.
Final Thoughts
The next time you hit the gym, keep these weight training statistics in mind to help push yourself harder. With a little bit of dedication and some hard work, you could be on your way to achieving the body you’ve always wanted.
And who knows? You might even inspire someone else to start working out too!