Should you start lifting weights?
You’ll stay healthier for longer if you’re strong
Barbells; chalk; the clang of iron plates. Strength training is having a moment. Planet Fitness, one of America’s biggest gym chains, is cutting back on treadmills in favour of power cages and kettlebells. Even Peloton, a purveyor of expensive exercise bikes to the aspirational classes, is picking up the dumbbells—it now has an app aimed at strength training, rather than the cardio workouts on which it built its brand.
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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Should you start lifting weights?”
From the January 18th 2025 edition
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