As a physical therapist, I am a strong believer in consistent “heavy” strength training programs for all my patients, no matter their age or gender. That’s right—I think my 80-year-old grandma should be lifting weights.
I put “heavy” in quotations because that term is relative to each individual. For example, a 50-pound deadlift might be too heavy for someone who has never trained before, but it may not be enough for a warmup set for those who have dedicated their lives to physical fitness.
Where Do Strength Training Myths Come From?
Once I get a patient lifting heavy weights, they’re often inspired by how much better they feel. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to them falling into the rabbit hole of online weightlifting rhetoric, which is full of horror stories and the ol’ clickbait.
This clickbait and misinformation resulted in patients coming in worried, stating that they’ve read this or that which claimed something along the lines of ‘strength training is actually bad for you.
I’m here to clear the air.
The Top 7 Strength Training Myths
Whether it’s the belief that strength training always makes you bulky or that cardio is better for calorie loss, you can find lots of false information on the internet or from a well-meaning gym-goer. If you’re deciding if strength training is right for you, review the top seven strength training myths and why they’re wrong below:
In This Post:
- Myth 1: Strength Training Is Only for Young People
- Myth 2: Strength Training Will Make You Bulky
- Myth 3: Strength Training Is for Men
- Myth 4: Cardio Burns More Calories Than Strength Training
- Myth 5: Strength Training Is Bad for Your Joints
- Myth 6: Strength Training Will Make You Less Flexible
- Myth 7: You’ll See Results Instantly
- Summary
Myth 1: Strength Training Is Only for Young People
The first strength training myth is that “strength training is only for young people.” Strength training can be utilized and is important in all ages and stages of life. An argument could be made that as you age, strength training becomes even more important.
Strength training assists in improving muscle strength and bone density while also decreasing fall risk. A recent review of 23,000 adults over the age of 60 showed a 34% decrease in fall risk for those who participated in a regular strength program. Since the available research shows that strength training also lessens bone loss and reduces the risk of osteoporosis, it’s an essential part of any exercise routine for older individuals facing reductions in bone mass due to aging.
Myth 2: Strength Training Will Make You Bulky
While strength training can make you bulky, it’s entirely dependent on how you train and eat. For most people, particularly women, the opposite is true. Strength training will help you burn calories, lose fat, and develop muscle.
In fact, many women who want to “lose the last 10 pounds” with our team at Chain Effect find that they do better when they forget the “cardio only” approach and instead work on fat re-distribution through a combination of strength training in the gym and nutrition counseling via Telehealth.
Read about Performance Nutrition for Athletes here.
There are many different strength training programs that will all achieve different results. By utilizing the proper exercises, weight selection, and repetition range, you can increase muscle without looking bulky.
Myth 3: Strength Training Is for Men
Strength training comes in all ages, genders, and skill levels. Both men and women can improve their mental and physical health through strength training.
In regard to the mental benefits, a 2018 meta-analysis released in JAMA Psychiatry concluded that weight training benefitted mood in adults with and without depression. The study went on to find that people who engaged in strength training and weren’t depressed were at a lower risk of becoming depressed. They also found that those who were depressed at the start of strength training demonstrated improvement in their depression symptoms over time. With so many people struggling with mental health, strength training is for everyone, and not just for men.
As far as physical benefits go, one common issue in women, particularly as they age, is osteoporosis and increased muscle weakness. However, this review showed an increase in bone density of the lumbar spine and hip in postmenopausal women who participated in training two to three times per week for one year. Fewer broken hips translate to a significant increase in physical and mental quality of life for all.
Myth 4: Cardio Burns More Calories Than Strength Training
Cardio enthusiasts love this one. It’s true that within a 30-minute window, cardio will burn more calories than strength training. However, let’s look at the finer details. Strength training is shown to boost your metabolism in two ways.
- By increasing your resting metabolic rate during the training itself. (Higher metabolic rate means you’ll burn more calories.)
- By keeping your metabolic rate further elevated for up to 72 hours after exercise.
This metabolism boost means that even when you are done training, your body is still burning calories! As a result, strength training can actually burn more calories than cardio over time by increasing your metabolic rate.
Furthermore, there’s a third benefit that often goes overlooked. Strength training is far more effective at building muscle, and muscle burns more calories at rest than some other tissues, including fat. Increased muscle mass from weight lifting means, again, more calories burned, even at rest.
How Many Calories Does Strength Training Burn?
If you’re wondering how many calories strength training burns during and after a workout, the answer will vary based on a few factors. For example, lifting heavier weights, performing a more intense workout, or working out longer can all increase the calories you burn during strength training.
The CDC states that individuals weighing 154 lbs burn around 110 calories during a light weightlifting session that lasts 30 minutes. In contrast, a more intense weightlifting session that lasts an hour can burn around 440 calories. While the average number of calories burned will vary based on body weight, you can still lose some serious calories during a strength training session. You’ll also want to remember that you’ll continue to burn more calories after the session is over due to a boosted metabolic rate.
Myth 5: Strength Training Is Bad for Your Joints
Though some claim that strength training is bad for your joints, the opposite is true. Strength training improves joint health, bone density, and muscle mass. The CDC has estimated that 1 in 4 adults suffer from osteoarthritis, and that number is expected to grow in the coming years.
I’m sure you have heard the phrase, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” This couldn’t be more true for those dealing with arthritis. Strength training has been shown to decrease pain by 35% and improve lower extremity strength by 33%.
Alongside decreasing pain, strength training makes ligaments, tendons, and cartilage stronger. These parts of the body surround the joints, and if they’re strong, they protect the joints and reduce pressure on them. For example, if you strengthen your lower back muscles, you’ll reduce the risk of pain and the load placed on your hip and spine joints throughout the day.
Even if you don’t suffer from arthritis, you might think this myth is true if you experience joint pain while you work out. I’ve had a few patients come to me with stubborn knee or shoulder pain when they’re lifting. The root of this joint pain is usually one of three things:
- These clients have improper form
- These clients have weaknesses in one specific movement pattern or muscle group
- These clients have an untreated injury
Joint pain during workouts is a wake-up call that something needs to be addressed! Sometimes, these can be addressed in a one-on-one 60-minute session. Others require a slightly different plan of care.
The bottom line? Strength movements performed *correctly* are good for your joints.
Myth 6: Strength Training Will Make You Less Flexible
A big concern that many have prior to starting weight training is that they will become less flexible and lose their range of motion. In fact, a study in 2021 comparing stretching to strength training showed no significant difference in mobility.
As anything, proper exercise and weight selection is critical to maintain functional mobility. For example, a squat can be actively utilized to help improve hip and ankle mobility. If flexibility is important to you and your goals, simply continue with flexibility training as you strength train (instead of replacing it fully with strength training), and you’ll be set.
Myth 7: You’ll See Results Instantly
The last strength training myth is one a lot of us wish were true. In this day and age, we expect immediate results, and many people think they’ll see major improvements right after they start working out.
However, in order to see noticeable improvements in strength and function, one must commit to a consistent six to eight-week strength program with moderately intense workouts two to three times per week.
One pitfall I see often is people will get excited about a new program they found online and have all the motivation to stick with it for a few weeks.
But then life sets in, and it gets less exciting, so they fall off and don’t see the results they could have if they stuck with it. This is another reason why it is important to work with a professional, as they can provide accountability and motivation to get you through to the finish line.
Summary:
With so many strength training myths and misinformation floating around, you might be wondering where to start with strength training. At Chain Effect, our physical therapists can perform a comprehensive evaluation on you and use it to create a specific strength-training program. Once we’ve designed your strength-training program, one of our personal trainers can coach you through your new strength-training plan.
Learn more about our physical therapy and personal training options today. Your first personal training session at Chain Effect is free–so reach out today.
By Jason McLaughlin, DPT, CSCS.
Jason McLaughlin is an experienced physical therapist, certified Functional Dry Needling Practitioner, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who uses dry needling and cupping to deliver a first-class experience to his active clients at Chain Effect.
