Aerobic exercise should be the foundation of your weekly exercise program because of the mental, emotional, and physical health benefits associated with this type of exercise. Some individuals who complete daily aerobic exercise or training incorrectly believe this type of exercise is sufficient for muscle growth and strength development. Resistance training remains the gold standard for strength development, muscle growth, and injury prevention. A new review of the scientific evidence documents the importance of adding strength training into your weekly aerobic exercise schedule.

A review article was published in the journal Sports Medicine on the available evidence documenting the impact of aerobic or strength training on muscle growth (Grgic et al. 2018). Authors 21 studies of moderate to good methodological quality. The authors concluded aerobic training is not as effective as strength training for muscle type I (slow twitch) and II (fast twitch) muscle fiber growth (hypertrophy). Patient are encouraged to utilize both strength and aerobic training for optimal health and fitness benefits.

Contact the experts at MEND to learn more about how strength training can benefit your health