No pain, all gain: how to get stronger and build more muscle
Hitting the gym will make you fitter and happier, but not all strength work is equal. Here are the smart choices to make – with weights and without – for all ages
Gym culture is changing. Once the preserve of musclemen whose veins looked ready to pop, now muscle-strengthening activities are being advised by the NHS for those aged 19-64 at least twice a week. That’s because an increasing body of evidence links strength work with wellbeing and longevity, including a 2024 study that showed 90 minutes of strength training a week resulted in four years less biological ageing. Maybe that’s why about 15% of the UK population is now a member of a gym. Part of the appeal is accessibility – it’s not as technical as swimming, for example – but despite its simplicity, there’s a huge amount of misinformation and conflicting advice.
Low or high reps?
Strength-training exercises are structured into a number of sets made up of repetitions. For instance, eight lifts, rest, followed by eight further lifts equates to two sets of eight. Finding the optimal combination of sets, reps and rest for gaining strength is a well-worn gym debate, but science is beginning to settle on an answer.
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