Weightlifting has many health benefits and it's easy to get started, researchers say

It turns out, McMaster researchers say, that the right amount and frequency of weightlifting to improve your strength is... any.

Brad Currier and Jon Mcleod are PhD candidates at McMaster University and co-researchers on a new paper on the "great weight debate."

The debate, of course, is on the number of reps and the weight you need to build muscle. 

CBC Hamilton spoke with Currier and Mcleod about why the answer to that question is "any amount of lifting." 

What was the motivation behind conducting this study? 

Currier: Only about 20 per cent of the population lifts weights or does strength training. We wanted to figure out what the best program was for people to strength train and increase the amount of muscle they have, how strong they are and their functional capacity.

Because weightlifting is not as intuitive as running, right? You can't just put on a pair of shoes and go. So we want to figure out what the best weightlifting program is to hopefully get more people engaging.

How much weight should you be lifting to gain muscle mass? 

Mcleod: If you wanted to optimize muscle mass, we found that load doesn't matter.

If you're lifting heavy weights or lighter weights, as long as you're repeating the exercises multiple times, that seems to be the priority for putting on muscle mass.

Currier: The main finding [in our research] is that it doesn't matter so much how people are weightlifting. As long as they're doing some form of weightlifting they'll see tremendous benefit.

What are the benefits of lifting weights for the average person?

Currier: Muscle is very important. Obviously we need it to move around, and do things like climbing stairs, walking around our community. But muscle actually does a lot more for our health than help us move. It's one of the biggest tissues in our body. It's about 45 per cent of our body weight and it's actually the biggest site of blood sugar storage in our body.

For different diseases like type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, the more muscle we have and the healthier our muscle is, our risk for these diseases actually goes down. 

Is there a specific work out people should do to see results? 

Mcleod: I always see all of these new different fad workouts or different programs and variables you need to manipulate. I think it can be overwhelming for a lot of individuals that are trying to just get started.

I think very clearly what our study demonstrates is that you don't need to hone in and focus on all of these different variables to improve your muscle mass and strength.

Currier: Most people just need to do something, and for the few that are already doing something, [our research] shows how you can maximize your results.

Why should seniors lift weights?

Currier: As we get older, we naturally lose some of our muscle and we become more prone to things like functional limitations, losing our dependence and some of these other metabolic diseases, and muscle is really central to aging well and weightlifting is the best way to improve our muscle

Mcleod: Especially when it comes to older adults, really the important factor is their ability to perform activities of daily living.

Are they able to climb the stairs independently? Are they able to cross the street or maybe grab groceries independently and they simply stand up from a toilet? 

Do you have any tips on getting into weightlifting without hurting yourself? 

Mcleod: It's okay to start slow. You don't need to start lifting heavy weights in a gym day one. It's okay to start slow as long as you're showing up regularly. That's most important.

Currier: I want to avoid saying there's a lot of great resources because there's more noise than there are great resources online, but it's okay to ask for help and go slow.