I've spent 30 years in the health and wellness space, have a training certification, have competed on a physique stage and I've read more study abstracts than I can count. So when the largest evidence review on strength training ever assembled landed earlier this year, I read the whole thing. Like many studies, we didn't REALLY need a study to tell is what we already know.

The American College of Sports Medicine released its first major update to resistance training guidelines in 17 years. It pulled together 137 systematic reviews representing more than 30,000 people, which makes it the most comprehensive picture of how our bodies actually respond to lifting that we've ever had.

Here's the one sentence that sums it up, straight from one of the authors: the best resistance training program is the one you'll actually stick with.

That's it. That's the finding.

What actually drives results, according to the data:

Training all your major muscle groups at least twice a week. That single habit matters far more than any of the details we tend to obsess over. Whether you use barbells, resistance bands or just your own bodyweight, consistency and effort are what move the needle. And at just twice a week, this is much less intimidating and easier for people to accomplish.

What matters less than you've been told:

This is the part I found freeing. The review found that several things many of us treat as non-negotiable did not consistently change outcomes for the average healthy adult. Training all the way to failure, where you physically cannot do one more rep, was not necessary. Fancy equipment was not necessary. Complex periodization, the systematic cycling of your training variables, was not the differentiator it's often made out to be. You'll get about 80-90 percent of the results you would with a very complex program with just twice a week at a hard effort.

In other words, the barrier to entry is so much lower than most people think it is. You do not need a perfect program. You do not need a gym full of machines. You do not need to grind every set until you're shaking. You need to show up, work the major muscle groups, put in real effort and do it consistently

Why this matters so much for us...

If you've been reading these emails for a while, you know I keep coming back to muscle. It's the tissue that protects your metabolism, your bones, your blood sugar and your independence as you age. It's the single best insurance policy I know of for aging well, and it becomes more important, not less, as we reach 40 years old and beyond.

The reason I harp on it is that so many people never start, because they think they have to do it perfectly. They think they need the ideal split, the right machines, a trainer, a plan they're afraid to deviate from. This study is your permission slip to let all of that go. Two full-body sessions a week with real effort will do more than the perfect program you never begin.

If you want a place to start, my strength training guide for over 40 walks through exactly how to structure those two or three weekly sessions without overthinking any of it.

Start small. Stay consistent. That's the whole secret and now we have 30,000 people worth of evidence to prove it.

As always, hit reply and tell me where you are with strength training right now, whether you're deep into it or trying to talk yourself into starting. I read everything and I always write back.

One quick housekeeping note before you go.

The free version of my High Protein Kitchen meal plan goes out on the last Wednesday of every month, and this month that's July 29. If you want it in your inbox, make sure you're on the list.

​Click here to get on the list for the free July plan.

It's the easiest way to put everything I talk about into practice, with a full set of meals built around 30 grams of protein minimum so you're actually fueling the muscle you're working to build.

Have a great weekend,
Cheryl

P.S. If the hardest part for you is just staying consistent, that's exactly what the 30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge is built for. It's free and you can start any day.