Overview
- A pooled analysis of three large U.S. cohorts of 147,374 adults tracked for up to 30 years found that 90–120 minutes per week of resistance training was associated with a 13% lower risk of dying from any cause.
- The same weekly range was linked to larger cause-specific drops: about 19% lower cardiovascular mortality and 27% lower neurological mortality, while reductions in cancer deaths were strongest at lower strength doses.
- Benefits leveled off after roughly 120 minutes per week, and the largest survival gains occurred when resistance training was paired with substantial aerobic activity, with some combined patterns showing the biggest reductions in death risk.
- The study relied on repeated self-reported activity in mostly white health professionals and cannot prove cause and effect, and authors warn that reverse causation and residual confounding may affect especially the neurological findings.
- Taken with existing research that shows large mortality reductions from meeting aerobic targets, the results support public-health messaging that adds two short muscle‑strengthening sessions a week to regular cardio as a practical way to improve long‑term health.