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For Resistance Training, Anything Counts!
For Resistance Training, Anything Counts!
Somewhere between the before-and-after photos, the five-day split programs, and the influencers tracking their macros down to the gram, a lot of people quietly decide that fitness isn’t for them. Not because they don’t want to be healthier, but because they can’t imagine doing it right. There is an overwhelming amount of different plans and ideas about how to begin fitness activities. So how do you know where to start?
Forget the influencers and online chatter. Here’s what the science says: You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to do it.
In March 2026, the American College of Sports Medicine released its first major update to resistance-training guidelines in 17 years. It is the most comprehensive review of its kind, drawing on 137 reviews and data from more than 30,000 participants. The headline finding was refreshingly simple: Any amount of resistance training improves strength, muscle size, power, and physical function.
“The best resistance training program is the one you’ll actually stick with,” said Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University and one of the authors on the guidelines. “Training all major muscle groups at least twice a week matters far more,” he noted, “than chasing some idea of a ‘perfect’ or complicated program.”
That’s not a consolation prize for people who can’t make it to the gym five days a week. That is the guidance.
You don’t even need a gym
The updated guidelines also recognize that meaningful results don’t require expensive equipment. Elastic bands, bodyweight exercises, and home-based routines all produce clear, measurable improvements in strength, muscle size, and functional performance. The old rigid rules about loads, sets, and rep ranges? No longer supported by the evidence.
What does matter, according to the research, is personal enjoyment, individual goals, and long-term adherence—especially for adults who want to stay strong and functional as they age. The single most meaningful shift anyone can make, the guidelines conclude, is moving from no resistance training to any form of it.
For a lot of people who may be wondering where to start, this is exactly the permission slip they’ve been waiting for.
What consistency gets you
If you need more motivation, consider what staying active over time does for your long-term health. A 2026 Australian study tracking more than 11,000 women across nearly 25 years found that those who consistently met basic physical activity guidelines during middle age had roughly half the risk of dying from any cause compared to women who remained inactive. In real numbers: a death rate of about 5% versus 10%.
The study wasn’t measuring elite athletes or people with perfect workout logs. It was measuring ordinary people who showed up—regularly, over years—and moved their bodies enough to meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. That’s about 20 minutes a day.
None of this means that working harder won’t get you further, or that a structured program has no value. For athletes and highly trained individuals, more specialized approaches still make sense. But for the average person who has been waiting until they can “do it properly,” the evidence says that waiting is the worst thing you can do.
The research is consistent: The gap between doing nothing and doing something is enormous. The gap between doing something imperfectly and doing it perfectly is much smaller than most people think.
So, find something you can actually do. And bonus points if it’s something you like. Do it a couple of times a week, and keep doing it. That’s all it takes to be on your way to stronger bones and joints.
Disclaimer: Always consult a health care provider before beginning any new exercise program.
Source: IlluminAge AgeWise