Any Exercise is Great, But the Best is Strength Training

All movement is good for you. Walking, swimming, dancing, yoga, cycling; if you’re moving your body instead of sitting on the couch, you’re ahead of the game.

If you don’t move much now, then go for a 20 minute walk morning and after dinner. If you’re already active then substitute some of that time with strength training.

But if you could only pick one type of exercise for longevity, health, and quality of life as you age, the science is overwhelmingly clear: strength training wins.

Not because cardio doesn’t matter (it does). Not because flexibility isn’t important (it is). But because building and maintaining muscle strength provides benefits that no other form of exercise can fully replicate.

Here’s why strength training deserves to be the foundation of your fitness routine, and why “just walking” or “just doing cardio” isn’t enough.

The Longevity Data Is Undeniable

When researchers look at what predicts how long you’ll live and how well you’ll live, muscle strength consistently emerges as one of the most powerful markers.

Strength Is the Strongest Predictor

According to Dr. Andy Galpin, exercise physiologist and professor of kinesiology, if you were to compare muscle mass versus muscle strength, muscle strength is by far a stronger predictor of both how long you’re going to live as well as how well you will live within those years.

In fact, one particular study from the UK Biobank tracked around 500,000 individuals across nine years. During that time, around 4,000 individuals developed dementia. What researchers found was striking: 30% of the dementia cases were attributed to having low grip strength, independent of numerous other important factors.

But here’s what’s even more remarkable: there doesn’t seem to be an upper limit. When you continue to increase strength, you continue to reduce risk of all-cause mortality, dementia, and other serious health conditions. Researchers don’t see a tapering off of benefit, they just see continuing improvements in risk reduction factors as people get stronger.

The 50% Mortality Gap

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a physician trained in geriatrics and nutritional science, puts it even more starkly:

“If you are in the lower one-third of strength, you have roughly a 50% greater risk of dying from nearly anything.”

In other words, being in the bottom third for strength means you have 50% higher all-cause mortality compared to being in the top third. That’s a massive difference for a completely free intervention.

What About Cardio?

Before the runners and cyclists get upset: yes, cardiovascular fitness matters enormously. VO2 max (a measure of cardiovascular fitness) is also a top predictor of longevity.

But here’s the critical point: you can’t replace resistance training with cardio and get the same benefits. As Dr. Lyon emphasizes: “There is no replacement for resistance training and muscle mass. There is none. You will not get the same stimulus by doing cardiovascular activity.”

The ideal approach? Both. But if you’re currently doing only cardio, adding strength training will provide benefits that your running, cycling, or swimming alone simply cannot deliver.

Skeletal Muscle: The Organ of Longevity

Here’s something most people don’t realize: skeletal muscle isn’t just for moving your body around. It’s a metabolic and endocrine organ with profound effects on your entire health.

Muscle Is Your Glucose Disposal System

Dr. Lyon explains it clearly: “Skeletal muscle is your primary site for glucose metabolism, fatty acid metabolism. It’s your glucose sink.”

Here’s what that means in practical terms:

When you eat carbohydrates, your body needs somewhere to store that glucose. If you have substantial, healthy muscle mass:

✅ Glucose gets stored in muscle as glycogen
✅ Blood sugar stays regulated
✅ Insulin sensitivity remains high
✅ You avoid metabolic dysfunction

If you don’t have adequate muscle mass:

❌ Glucose has nowhere to go
❌ It ends up in your liver and fat tissue
❌ You become increasingly insulin resistant
❌ Risk of Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome skyrockets

As Dr. Peter Attia, longevity physician and author, explains: “One of the hallmarks of aging is a reduction in the capacity to metabolize and buffer glucose. The more muscle mass you have, the more glucose buffering capacity you have.”

In fact, research shows that over 80% of the variance in basal metabolic rate (BMR) is explained by lean mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest, and the better your body handles the food you eat.

Some researches believe that exercise doesn’t really contribute to weight loss because the amount of calories you burn during exercise doesn’t seem like much. But what they neglect to consider is that bigger muscles also increases your BMR, so you continue to burn calories while you rest and recover.

Muscle Talks to Your Brain and Bones

Muscle doesn’t just sit there looking good. It’s an active endocrine organ that communicates with other systems in your body:

Muscle produces irisin, a hormone that helps your brain produce more neurons
Intense anaerobic exercise also produces lactate (lactic acid), which fuels the brain
Muscle and bone cross-communicate constantly, strengthening each other
Bone’s signaling to the brain influences satiety (feeling full)
Muscle helps regulate inflammation throughout your body

This is why muscle isn’t just about strength, it’s about systemic health.

Your Body Armor Against Disease

Dr. Lyon calls skeletal muscle “your body armor,” and the research backs this up:

Skeletal muscle is the primary site for glucose metabolism (critical for diabetes prevention)
It’s essential for fatty acid metabolism (important for heart health)
It supports immune function
It helps regulate inflammation
It influences hormone health
It protects against sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss)
It even affects cognitive function and mood

As Dr. Galpin summarizes: “Skeletal muscle has been implicated in the regulation of numerous systems, which include but are not limited to all-cause morbidity and mortality, cardiovascular health, cognitive health, brain health, mood, inflammation, immunity, fertility, metabolic health, hormone health, bone health, and much more.”

The Brutal Reality of Aging Without Strength

Here’s the part nobody likes to think about, but everyone needs to understand: what happens when you age without maintaining strength.

Falls Are Deadly

Dr. Attia shares a statistic that should terrify anyone over 30:

“Once you reach the age of 65, your mortality from a fall that results in a broken hip or femur is 15% to 30%. And of all the people who survive, 50% will never again regain the level of function they had before the injury.”

Think about that. A single fall after 65 has a 15-30% chance of killing you within a year. And if you survive, there’s a coin flip chance you’ll need a cane or walker for the rest of your life.

Why do people fall? It’s not just balance. It’s a power deficit problem.

When you trip or step off a curb unexpectedly, your body needs to react explosively to catch yourself. That requires fast-twitch muscle fibers (Type 2b fibers) that allow you to adjust quickly. These are the first fibers that atrophy as you age.

As Dr. Attia notes: “You’re already at your peak. It’s all downhill from where you are now.”

The good news? Strength training – particularly movements that involve power like jumping, plyometrics, and explosive exercises – preserves these critical fibers.

Frailty Destroys Quality of Life

Even if you don’t fall, losing strength leads to frailty. And frailty is devastating:

You can’t get out of a chair without help
You can’t carry groceries
You can’t play with your grandchildren
You lose independence
You end up in a nursing home (where two-thirds of residents are women, largely due to loss of strength and muscle)

Dr. Lyon is emphatic: “You are never going to regret being stronger. Period, end of story.”

You Can’t Out-Cardio Muscle Loss

Many people think they can just keep doing their daily walks or bike rides and maintain their health as they age. But cardiovascular activity alone won’t preserve the muscle fibers you need.

Dr. Lyon explains: “If an individual is solely focused on cardiovascular activity, this will not maintain in a meaningful way these Type 2 or bigger bulky muscle fibers. When you lose skeletal muscle mass, you also see a change in metabolic health.”

In other words: cardio doesn’t prevent sarcopenia. Only resistance training does.

“But I’m Too Old to Start.” No, You’re Not

One of the most persistent myths about strength training is that it’s only for young people, or that once you’re past a certain age, it’s too late.

This is completely false.

Anyone at Any Age Can Get Stronger

Dr. Lyon is clear on this: “Anyone at any time can get stronger and put on muscle. “

Research consistently shows that even people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s respond to resistance training by building strength and muscle mass. You might not build muscle as quickly as a 25-year-old, but you absolutely can get stronger.

The problem is, we’ve normalized decline. We see our parents slow down, get weaker, and lose muscle, so we assume that’s just “what happens.” But it’s not inevitable, it’s a choice.

As Dr. Lyon puts it: “The traditional framework of aging is in part the way that it is because we have divorced the idea of skeletal muscle from health. Because of that thought process, we have divorced skeletal muscle health from overall health and wellness and longevity.”

The Earlier You Start, the Better

While it’s never too late to start, starting earlier is definitely better.

Dr. Attia emphasizes: “Once you reach age 65, your mortality from falls increases dramatically. But the reason you’re not afraid of falling now is because you have the power to readjust quickly. Those are very specific muscle fibers. That is the first fiber that atrophies when you age.”

He adds: “You’re already at your peak. I’m already 20 years past you, and my power is a fraction of what it was 20 years ago. I fight like hell based on the exercises I do to try to keep it as high as possible.”

Translation: Start building your strength reserve now, because you’ll be drawing on it for the rest of your life.

What “Strength Training” Actually Means (It’s Simpler Than You Think)

Before you panic about needing a gym membership or complex equipment, let’s clarify: strength training doesn’t have to be complicated.

The Basics

Resistance training simply means moving your body or a load against resistance. This includes:

Free weights (dumbbells, barbells)
Machines at the gym
Bodyweight exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges)
Resistance bands
Kettlebells

Dr. Lyon shares a great example: “My dad was doing resistance bands with bicep curls in Ecuador. I’m okay with that. If you want to do that, and that’s how you’re going to do your upper body or your arms, fine.”

The point is to move against resistance, not to follow some perfect program.

The Minimum Effective Dose

Multiple longevity experts converge on similar recommendations:

Frequency:

3 days per week (minimum 2 days if that’s all you can manage)

Volume:

10-20 sets per muscle group per week

Rep Range:

7-12 reps per set (the sweet spot for muscle growth)
You can go higher for endurance (15+ reps) or lower for pure strength (5-6 reps), but 7-12 is ideal for most people

Approach:

Full-body workouts are ideal for most people (compound movements like squats, deadlifts, presses)
Alternatively, you can split: upper body/lower body, or push/pull

Peter Attia’s Weekly Routine (As a Reference)

Dr. Attia is a longevity-focused physician who practices what he preaches:

Strength training: 3 days per week

Monday: Lower body
Wednesday: Arms and shoulders
Friday: Chest and back
4 exercises per muscle group
5 working sets per exercise
8-12 rep range (1-2 reps short of failure)
20 minutes of warm-up and mobility work before lifting

Cardio: 4 days per week

3 days of Zone 2 cardio (moderate intensity where you can still talk)
1 day of VO2 max training (very high intensity)

This isn’t prescriptive, it’s just an example of how a longevity-focused expert structures his training.

What About “Heavy” Lifting?

You don’t need to lift extremely heavy weights. In fact, Dr. Attia specifically avoids very heavy loads (1-5 rep max) because the injury risk is too high.

“To train at one to five reps comes at a risk, especially for heavy compound movements. I’m okay getting a little bit less of a strength benefit while still getting stronger, but training at a higher rep load.”

Translation: Progressive overload matters more than maximal weight. You want to challenge your muscles, but not at the expense of injury risk.

The Practical How-To: Just Get Started

If you’re convinced but don’t know where to start, here’s the simplest approach:

Step 1: Start With What You Have

No equipment? Start with bodyweight:

Push-ups (or knee push-ups)
Squats
Lunges
Planks
Glute bridges

Have resistance bands? Use them:

Banded squats
Banded rows
Banded chest presses
Banded bicep curls

Have access to a gym? Focus on compound movements:

Squats (or leg press)
Deadlifts (or Romanian deadlifts)
Bench press (or dumbbell press)
Rows (barbell, dumbbell, or cable)
Overhead press

Step 2: Train 3 Times Per Week

Pick three non-consecutive days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday).

Option A: Full Body (Best for Beginners)

Do 2-3 exercises for lower body
Do 2-3 exercises for upper body
Repeat 3x per week

Option B: Split Routine

Day 1: Lower body
Day 2: Upper body (push movements)
Day 3: Upper body (pull movements)

Step 3: Warm Up Properly

Don’t skip this. Warming up reduces injury risk dramatically.

Dr. Attia’s approach:

Dynamic stretching and mobility work
Core stabilization exercises
Light movement prep (jumping, bodyweight movements)
Gradually increase weight on your first exercise

Spend at least 10-20 minutes warming up before you lift.

Step 4: Progressive Overload

The key to getting stronger is progressive overload: gradually increasing the challenge over time.

This can mean:

Adding more weight
Doing more reps
Doing more sets
Improving form and control
Reducing rest time between sets

You don’t need to progress every single workout, but over weeks and months, you should be getting stronger.

Step 5: Prioritize Recovery

Muscle is built during recovery, not during the workout itself.

Sleep: 7-9 hours per night (non-negotiable)
Protein: Aim for roughly 0.7-1g per pound of bodyweight
Rest days: Don’t do heavy strength training on consecutive days
Listen to your body: If something hurts (not just burns), stop

The Bottom Line: You Cannot Afford to Skip This

If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this:

Strength training is not optional if you care about longevity, quality of life, and healthy aging.

Walking is great. Yoga is wonderful. Cardio is important. But none of them can replace the unique, irreplaceable benefits of resistance training:

✅ Muscle strength is the strongest predictor of how long you’ll live
✅ Muscle is your body’s glucose disposal system (critical for metabolic health)
✅ Muscle protects against falls (which are deadly after 65)
✅ Muscle prevents frailty (which destroys quality of life)
✅ You can start at any age (it’s never too late)
✅ You don’t need fancy equipment (bodyweight and bands work)
✅ 3 days per week is enough (this is not a huge time commitment)

As Dr. Attia puts it: “No one in the final decade of their life ever said, ‘I wish I had less strength and I wish I had less endurance.’ You cannot be too strong.”

The bros were right all along. You need to be strong. Not for aesthetics (though that’s a nice bonus). Not to impress anyone at the gym. But to live a long, healthy, independent life.

So if you’re currently only doing cardio, add strength training. If you’re not exercising at all, start with strength training. If you think you’re too old, you’re wrong, start now.

Your future self, decades from now, will thank you for every rep you do today.

References

Strength Training and Longevity

Muscle and Metabolic Health

Strength Training Principles

Aging, Falls, and Frailty

UK Biobank Study: 500,000+ participants tracked over 9 years showing correlation between grip strength and dementia risk
Research on falls and mortality in individuals over 65
Studies on sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) and frailty

Author’s Note: This article is based on conversations with leading experts in longevity, exercise physiology, and metabolic health. The goal is to cut through fitness industry noise and present the evidence for why strength training should be the foundation of any health and longevity program, not a nice-to-have, but a must-have.

Tags: #StrengthTraining #Longevity #Muscle #ResistanceTraining #HealthyAging #ExerciseScience #Fitness #Sarcopenia #MetabolicHealth #Falls #Frailty #DrGabrielleLyon #DrPeterAttia #DrAndyGalpin #HubermanLab #TheDiaryOfACEO