The American College of Sports Medicine has released an updated Position Stand on resistance-training prescription for healthy adults, its first update since a 2009 Position Stand. The document is based on an overview of 137 systematic reviews covering more than 30,000 participants and concludes that even small amounts of regular resistance training can improve strength, muscle size, power and physical function.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has published an updated Position Stand on resistance-training prescription for healthy adults in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, updating its 2009 Position Stand on “Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults.” (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
The updated document is built on an overview of 137 systematic reviews that collectively include data from more than 30,000 participants, and it underscores a simple central message: even relatively small amounts of resistance training can deliver measurable improvements. According to the ScienceDaily summary of the release, those benefits include increases in strength, muscle size (hypertrophy), power and overall physical function. (sciencedaily.com)
Stuart Phillips, a distinguished professor in a Department of Kinesiology and an author on the Position Stand, said adherence matters more than chasing an idealized routine. “The best resistance training program is the one you’ll actually stick with,” Phillips said, adding that training all major muscle groups at least twice a week matters more than pursuing a “perfect” or complex plan, and that results can come from using barbells, elastic bands, or bodyweight exercises when effort and consistency are maintained. (sciencedaily.com)
The ScienceDaily account also says the updated guidance reflects a surge of research interest in muscle health and aging since 2009 and expands recommendations to cover more people and more types of training. It also highlights that gym access is not required to see gains: at-home routines using bodyweight or elastic bands can still produce improvements in strength, muscle size and daily function. (sciencedaily.com)
For most adults, the update emphasizes that the biggest improvements often come from moving from no resistance training to any consistent routine; programming details such as load, volume and frequency can be adjusted, but building a sustainable habit is presented as the main priority. The guidance notes that athletes and highly trained individuals may still need more specialized, sport-specific programs. (sciencedaily.com)
