Strength Training Statistics & Data to Know in 2026

Strength training has shifted from gym subculture to a mainstream public health priority since the mid-2010s. Federal physical activity guidelines now recommend that every adult perform muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week, and a growing body of peer-reviewed research links resistance training to lower mortality, better mental health, stronger bones, and reduced risk of the chronic diseases that drive U.S. healthcare spending.

Even so, most American adults still do not lift. Participation lags federal targets, women and older adults remain under-represented, and emergency department data show that lifting carries real risk when form and supervision are lacking.

Below are 40 verified strength training statistics covering U.S. participation rates, health and longevity outcomes, weight lifting injury data, and fitness industry trends, drawn from federal agencies, peer-reviewed meta-analyses, and industry trade groups. Every figure is cited inline and listed in MLA format at the bottom.

U.S. Strength Training Participation Statistics

Most Americans still fall short of federal muscle-strengthening guidelines, and the gap widens with age and lower income.

Only 31.9% of U.S. adults aged 18 and older performed muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days per week in 2020, the baseline year for the Healthy People 2030 initiative [1].

Men outpace women on muscle-strengthening guidelines by nearly nine points. In 2020, 35.2% of men met the federal twice-weekly threshold, compared with 26.9% of women [2].

Adherence falls sharply with age. The share of men meeting muscle-strengthening guidelines drops from 44.5% (ages 18 to 44) to 22.0% (ages 65 and older). For women, the decline runs from 34.1% to 17.2% across the same age groups [2].

Just 22.5% of U.S. adults aged 25 and older met both the aerobic and muscle-strengthening federal guidelines in 2022. Compliance climbed with education. Among adults with a high school education or less, 12.2% met both targets, compared with 33.6% of those with a bachelor's degree or higher [3].

Among U.S. adults aged 18 and older, 24.2% met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines in 2020, with men outperforming women (28.3% versus 20.4%) [4].

Income tracks closely with activity compliance. Among men at or above 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, 32.4% met both physical activity guidelines, compared with only 16.2% of men below 100% FPL. The gap for women was even wider, at 25.9% versus 9.9% [4].

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set a Healthy People 2030 target of 36.6% of adults meeting muscle-strengthening guidelines by the end of the decade, up from the 31.9% baseline [1].

Strength Training and Longevity Statistics

A wave of meta-analyses published since 2022 confirms that lifting weights reduces the risk of dying from any cause, and the dose required to capture these strength training benefits is surprisingly small.

Adults who perform any amount of resistance training have a 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality than adults who do none, according to a meta-analysis of six prospective cohort studies [5].

The mortality benefit peaks at roughly 60 minutes of resistance training per week. At that dose, all-cause mortality risk drops by 27% compared with no training, with diminishing returns at higher volumes [5].

Resistance training cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease death by 19% and the risk of cancer death by 14% [5].

Muscle-strengthening activities of just 30 to 60 minutes per week are associated with a 10% to 20% lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, based on a meta-analysis covering 16 studies [6].

In a large cohort of older adults from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, any weight training was linked to a 6% lower risk of all-cause mortality, an 8% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, and a 5% lower risk of cancer mortality [7].

Women gain more from lifting than men in the NIH-AARP cohort. Weight training was associated with a 12% reduction in all-cause mortality for women versus 3% for men, and a 16% reduction in cardiovascular mortality for women versus 4% for men [7].

Grip strength is one of the strongest predictors of mortality. Every 5-kilogram drop in grip strength raises the risk of all-cause death by 16%, an effect stronger than the mortality risk from systolic blood pressure, in a study of 139,691 adults across 17 countries [8].

Strength Training and Chronic Disease Statistics

Resistance training improves blood sugar, blood pressure, and body composition with effect sizes that rival many first-line medications.

Resistance training lowers HbA1c by 0.39 percentage points in adults with type 2 diabetes, alongside reductions in fasting glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis [9].

A meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials in 676 hypertensive adults found that resistance training reduced systolic blood pressure by 8.6 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 4.6 mmHg on average [10].

A single resistance training session per week was associated with a 72% lower risk of cardiovascular disease events compared with no resistance exercise in one large cohort study [11].

More than 40 million Americans live with diabetes, roughly 12% of the population, and prevalence climbs to 28.8% among adults aged 65 and older. Resistance training is now a recommended component of management for type 2 diabetes [12].

Resistance training reduces visceral fat with a standardized mean difference of 0.49 and trims body fat percentage by 1.46 points in healthy adults, according to a meta-analysis of 58 trials [13].

Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with a 10% to 17% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, in line with the protection they offer against other non-communicable diseases [6].

Muscle Mass, Aging, and Sarcopenia Statistics

The case for lifting only gets stronger with age. Muscle loss is a defining feature of physical decline, and resistance training is the only intervention proven to reverse it.

Inactive adults lose 3% to 8% of muscle mass per decade after age 30, accompanied by a decline in resting metabolic rate and an accumulation of body fat [14].

A 10-week resistance training program can add 1.4 kilograms of lean body mass, raise resting metabolic rate by 7%, and reduce fat mass by 1.8 kilograms in previously untrained adults [14].

The global prevalence of sarcopenia, defined as age-related loss of muscle mass and function, is roughly 10% in adults aged 60 and older, based on a systematic review of 35 studies covering 58,404 individuals [15].

Sarcopenia prevalence ranges from 5% to 13% in adults aged 60 to 70 and rises to between 11% and 50% in adults aged 80 and older, according to the National Institute on Aging [16].

Resistance training produces a large effect on muscle strength even in very elderly adults aged 75 and older, with a pooled effect size of 0.97 across randomized controlled trials [17].

Strength Training and Mental Health Statistics

Resistance training has emerged as one of the most reliably effective non-pharmacological treatments for depression and anxiety.

Across 33 randomized controlled trials with 1,877 participants, resistance training was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms, with a number needed to treat of just 4 [18].

A separate meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials covering 922 participants found that resistance training improved anxiety symptoms in both healthy and clinically ill participants, regardless of sex, age, training dose, or strength gains [19].

In a network meta-analysis published in 2025, resistance training was the single most effective exercise modality for improving global cognitive function in cognitively healthy older adults, with a standardized mean difference of 0.55 [20].

Strength Training and Bone Health Statistics

Bone loss accelerates after age 50, particularly in women. Resistance training is the mechanical stimulus that bone density responds to most consistently.

An estimated 12.6% of U.S. adults aged 50 and older have osteoporosis, breaking down to 19.6% of women and 4.4% of men, according to the most recent NHANES analysis [21].

Low bone mass affects 43.1% of U.S. adults aged 50 and older, including 51.5% of women and 33.5% of men [21].

Among women aged 65 and older, 27.1% have osteoporosis, more than double the 13.1% prevalence in women aged 50 to 64 [21].

A 2023 meta-analysis found that exercise programs increase lumbar spine bone mineral density (standardized mean difference 0.29) and total hip bone mineral density (SMD 0.41) in postmenopausal women, with high-intensity protocols at 70% of one-rep max or above producing the largest gains [22].

Approximately 54 million U.S. adults aged 50 and older are affected by osteoporosis or low bone mass, including 10.2 million with osteoporosis and 43.4 million with low bone mass [23].

Gym and Fitness Industry Statistics

The infrastructure that supports strength training has grown into a substantial industry, with membership rebounding past pre-pandemic peaks, a key trend in current fitness industry statistics.

U.S. fitness facility memberships hit a record 77 million in 2024, roughly one in four Americans, according to the Health & Fitness Association [24].

Total U.S. memberships reached 72.9 million in 2023, up 5.8% year over year, and the number of facility users grew by 9.7% over the same period [25].

Global fitness industry revenue grew by an average of 8% year over year in 2024, with memberships up 6% and the total number of facilities up 4%. Operators were broadly optimistic going into 2025, with 91% expecting further revenue growth [26].

The U.S. gym, health, and fitness clubs industry generated $47.0 billion in revenue in 2026, after growing at a compound annual rate of 3.6% over the prior five years [27].

Weightlifting Injury Statistics

Lifting-related injuries have risen steadily alongside the growth of resistance training, particularly in the shoulder.

More than 970,000 weight training-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments between 1990 and 2007, with 82% of injured lifters being male and 46% of injuries categorized as sprains or strains [28].

Roughly 90% of weight training injuries occur during free-weight use, and 65% are caused by weights dropping on a person, based on national injury surveillance data [28].

Weightlifting-associated shoulder injuries presenting to U.S. emergency departments nearly doubled between 2000 and 2017, rising from 8,073 to 14,612 visits per year, with projections of 22,691 annual visits by 2030 [29].

These strength training statistics tell one story. Lifting protects long-term health, but most American adults still fall short of weekly muscle-strengthening targets, and the strongest case for closing that gap is in the resistance training data on longevity, chronic disease, mental health, and bone density above.

Sources

1. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "Increase the Proportion of Adults Who Do Enough Muscle-Strengthening Activity: PA-04 Data Methodology." Healthy People 2030, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022, https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/physical-activity/increase-proportion-adults-who-do-enough-muscle-strengthening-activity-pa-04/data-methodology.

2. National Center for Health Statistics. "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Met the Federal Guidelines for Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activity, by Age Group and Sex." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 May 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7118a6.htm.

3. National Center for Health Statistics. "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥25 Years Who Met the 2018 Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Both Muscle-Strengthening and Aerobic Physical Activity, by Educational Attainment." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 Jun. 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7322a3.htm.

4. Black, Lindsey I., et al. "Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020." NCHS Data Brief No. 443, National Center for Health Statistics, Aug. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm.

5. Shailendra, Prathiyankara, et al. "Resistance Training and Mortality Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Oct. 2022, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35599175/.

6. Momma, Haruki, et al. "Muscle-Strengthening Activities Are Associated with Lower Risk and Mortality in Major Non-Communicable Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies." British Journal of Sports Medicine, 28 Feb. 2022, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35228201/.

7. Liu, Yan, et al. "Weight Training and Risk of All-Cause, Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer Mortality Among Older Adults." International Journal of Epidemiology, Jun. 2024, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11147802/.

8. Leong, Darryl P., et al. "Prognostic Value of Grip Strength: Findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study." The Lancet, 18 Jul. 2015, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25982160/.

9. Jansson, Anna K., et al. "Effect of Resistance Training on HbA1c in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and the Moderating Effect of Changes in Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8915309/.

10. De Sousa, Eduardo C., et al. "The Efficacy of Resistance Training for the Management of Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2024, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12244344/.

11. Liu, Yanghui, et al. "Associations of Resistance Exercise with Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2019, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7385554/.

12. American Diabetes Association. "Statistics About Diabetes." diabetes.org, American Diabetes Association, 2024, https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes.

13. Wewege, Michael A., et al. "The Effect of Resistance Training in Healthy Adults on Body Fat Percentage, Fat Mass and Visceral Fat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Sports Medicine, 2021, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-021-01562-2.

14. Westcott, Wayne L. "Resistance Training Is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health." Current Sports Medicine Reports, Jul. 2012, https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/abstract/2012/07000/resistance_training_is_medicine__effects_of.13.aspx.

15. Shafiee, Gita, et al. "Prevalence of Sarcopenia in the World: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of General Population Studies." Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders, 2017, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5434551/.

16. National Institutes of Health. "Slowing Sarcopenia." NIH News in Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Apr. 2025, https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2025/04/slowing-sarcopenia.

17. Chen, Nan, et al. "Effects of Resistance Training on Muscle Size and Strength in Very Elderly Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials." Sports Medicine, 2020, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-020-01331-7.

18. Gordon, Brett R., et al. "Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training with Depressive Symptoms: Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials." JAMA Psychiatry, 1 Jun. 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6137526/.

19. Gordon, Brett R., et al. "The Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials." Sports Medicine, 2017, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-017-0769-0.

20. Huang, Xiang, et al. "Optimal Exercise Interventions for Enhancing Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Network Meta-Analysis." Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2025, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1510773/full.

21. Sarafrazi, Neda, et al. "Osteoporosis or Low Bone Mass in Older Adults: United States, 2017–2018." NCHS Data Brief No. 405, National Center for Health Statistics, Mar. 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db405.htm.

22. Kemmler, Wolfgang, et al. "Exercise Training and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies with Emphasis on Potential Moderators." Osteoporosis International, 2023, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10282053/.

23. Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. "54 Million Americans Affected by Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass." Bonehealthandosteoporosis.org, Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, 2014, https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/news/54-million-americans-affected-by-osteoporosis-and-low-bone-mass/.

24. Health & Fitness Association. "New HFA Data Shows How 77 Million US Fitness Facility Members Work Out." Healthandfitness.org, Health & Fitness Association, 2024, https://www.healthandfitness.org/new-hfa-data-shows-how-77-million-us-fitness-facility-members-work-out/.

25. Health & Fitness Association. "2024 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report." Healthandfitness.org, Health & Fitness Association, 2024, https://www.healthandfitness.org/2024-u-s-health-fitness-consumer-report/.

26. Health & Fitness Association. "Fitness Industry's Global Momentum Continued in 2024, New Report Shows." Healthandfitness.org, Health & Fitness Association, 2025, https://www.healthandfitness.org/about/media-center/press-releases/fitness-industrys-global-momentum-continued-in-2024-new-report-shows/.

27. IBISWorld. "Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs in the US: Industry Analysis." IBISWorld, 2026, https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/gym-health-fitness-clubs/1655/.

28. Quatman-Yates, Catherine C., et al. "New National Study Examines Weight Training-Related Injuries." Center for Injury Research and Policy, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Mar. 2010, https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/newsroom/news-releases/2010/03/new-national-study-examines-weight-training-related-injuries.

29. Kerr, Zachary Y., et al. "Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to U.S. Emergency Departments: 2000–2030." Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2019, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31288292/.