⏱️ Time: 2-3 hr/week | 🎯 Difficulty: Intermediate | 📈 ROI: Compound Gain | ✅ Status: Active
Resistance Training: 2-3×/Week
Muscle mass predicts longevity (Attia, 2023; Lyon, 2023). Strength training builds it. Nothing else does.
Why It Matters
Regular strength training improves muscle, bone density, metabolic health, and lifespan (American Heart Association, 2018; Westcott, 2012). You lose muscle every year after 30. Fight back.
The Protocol
If beginner: Full-body routine, 2 days/week. Bodyweight or light weights. Focus on form.
If experienced: Hit all major muscle groups 2-3×/week. Split or full-body—both work.
Key rules:
- 48h rest between same muscle groups
- Progressive overload: add weight or reps every 1-2 weeks
- Joint pain = reduce load, fix form, or swap the exercise
How To Track
- Strength gains over 3 months (weight lifted, reps achieved)
- Consistency: ≥8 sessions/month
- Functional test: Can you carry heavy things without struggle?
American Heart Association. (2018). American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
Attia, P. (2023). Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. Harmony.
Lyon, G. (2023). Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well. Atria Books.
Westcott, W. L. (2012). Resistance Training is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 11(4), 209–216. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31825dabb8