Do I need to look like a body builder?
Did you know Doc, that I’m a card carrying member of the AMA?
Wow. I didn’t know you were a member of the American Medical Association.
I’m not. I’m a member of the American MUSCLE Association. So does working on my biceps really prevent heart disease?
Please stop flexing. Exercise absolutely prevents heart disease. Most people think of exercises like jogging or swimming as the best exercises to prevent heart disease. Not many people realize that lifting weights prevents heart disease too.
Fantastic. I knew my washboard abs were worth it. How much weightlifting do I need to do to get buff….er, I mean to prevent heart disease?
I think your six pack is hiding under your keg. Actually, you don’t need to do much weightlifting. One study followed 13,000 people for about 11 years. They found that people who did strength training 1 to 3 times weekly for up to 60 minutes had a significant reduction in heart attacks compared with people who didn’t lift weights. The benefit was seen independent of activities like jogging or swimming.
Just 1 hour a week? If 1 hour is good, could 2 or 3 be better?
That’s a strong question. The above study showed that lifting weights more than 1 hour total in a week led to no further reduction in heart attacks. Another study in over 35,000 people followed for 14 years, showed that lifting weights for more than 2 hours was not better than 2 hours or less. Several studies have shown harm in doing too much strength training. One study in over 29,000 people followed for 12 years showed that there was more heart disease and heart death in those who did more than 2 1/2 hours a week of strength training compared to those who did less.
Woah! That’s not what I expected. You’d think that more of a good thing, would be a good thing.
Less is more. Many studies show that excessive exercise is not healthy for you. I think the sweet spot for vigorous exercise is 3 or 4 times per week for 40 minutes at a time. Doing more, often provides no further benefit in studies that look at heart attacks, heart death, or death from any cause. Doing more also leads to overuse injury, and joint problems.
That’s a relief honestly. I didn’t want to have to give Arnold Schwarzenegger some competition. Okay, so can I hang up my running shoes and just lift weights?
Unpublished data presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in Lima, Peru (2018) showed that both strength and “cardio” training lowered risk factors for heart disease better than either activity alone. Another study shows that there is less heart disease in those who do both. Strength training also can lower overall body fat and is an incredible tool to prevent diabetes.
Okay, I’ll keep my stinking running shoes. So how do I strength train?
Personal trainers are a great resource at your local gym. Use free weights or resistance machines. One suggestion is to pick a weight that you can do at most 8 times, and then do this twice (2 sets) in your workout. Over time, you will get to the point where you can lift that weight 12 times in 2 sets. At this point increase the weight so you can lift it only 8 times, and repeat the process. Exercise different muscle groups.
Alright just summarize for me.
Given the science, I would do strength training for 20-30 minutes, 3 times weekly. Watch the video to see what happens to those who think it’s okay to be lazy.