{"id":332592,"date":"2026-03-16T17:28:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/332592\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T17:28:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:28:09","slug":"consistency-over-perfection-new-resistance-training-guidelines-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/332592\/","title":{"rendered":"Consistency over perfection, new resistance-training guidelines say"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Stuart<\/p>\n

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image:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stuart Phillips, distinguished professor in McMaster University’s Department of Kinesiology, says the best resistance training program is the one you\u2019ll actually stick with.\u00a0<\/p>\n

view more\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Credit: McMaster University<\/p>\n

Hamilton, ON, Mar. 16, 2026\u00a0\u2013 The first major update to resistance-training guidelines in 17 years delivers one clear message: any amount of resistance training improves strength, muscle size, power and physical function.<\/p>\n

The new recommendations, published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a Position Stand, are based on 137 systematic reviews involving more than 30,000 participants, making them the most comprehensive resistance-training guidelines to date.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best resistance training program is the one you\u2019ll actually stick with,\u201d says Stuart Phillips, distinguished professor in the Department of Kinesiology and an author on the Position Stand. \u201cTraining all major muscle groups at least twice a week matters far more than chasing\u00a0the idea of a\u00a0\u2018perfect\u2019 or complex training\u00a0plan. Whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0barbells, bands, or bodyweight,\u00a0consistency\u00a0and effort drive results.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This update has been a long time coming. ACSM last published a Position Stand on resistance training for healthy adults in 2009, predating the explosion of research on muscle health, aging and the role of strength in long-term wellbeing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new document reflects that surge in evidence and expands its recommendations to include more people and more types of training than ever before,\u201d Phillips says.<\/p>\n

A central theme of the new Position Stand is that the most meaningful gains come from a simple shift: moving from no resistance training to any form of it.\u00a0While training\u00a0variables such as load, volume, or frequency can be fine-tuned, the primary goal for most adults should be to build a consistent routine.<\/p>\n

One of the greatest changes is the recognition that meaningful results don\u2019t require a gym. Elastic bands, bodyweight training and home-based routines offer clear and measurable improvements in strength, muscle size and functional performance.<\/p>\n

Rigid rules and prescriptive ideal programs are no longer supported by evidence, explains Phillips. Instead, personal goals, enjoyment, and long-term adherence matter most, especially for adults looking to stay strong, healthy and functional as they age.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Athletes and highly trained individuals will still require more specialized, sport-specific programs, but for the average adult, the message is simple: find a resistance-training routine you enjoy and stick with it.<\/p>\n

The full ACSM Position Stand is now available in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Journal<\/p>\n

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise<\/p>\n

Method of Research<\/p>\n

Systematic review<\/p>\n

Article Title<\/p>\n

Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews<\/p>\n

Article Publication Date<\/p>\n

16-Mar-2026<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"image:\u00a0 Stuart Phillips, distinguished professor in McMaster University’s Department of Kinesiology, says the best resistance training program is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332593,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-332592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332592\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/332593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=332592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}