When you work to get stronger, is it easy for you to see gains or does it seem like nothing happens no matter how hard you work? Some people may find themselves quickly moving up weight levels when strength training, while others need significantly longer to achieve their goals despite similar efforts.

How you get stronger depends primarily on how you train. However, AncestryDNA^® + Traits has revealed genetics may also influence your strength-training gains at home, the gym, or on the sports pitch.

What Are the Benefits of Strength Training?

Whether or not you’re an athlete looking to build muscle, strength training—also called “resistance training”—can provide benefits to the body, such as:

• Improving bone density
• Maintaining cognitive skills as you age
• Managing and reducing the risk of chronic conditions, such as arthritis and back pain
• Improving blood pressure
• Living a longer life
• Gaining or losing weight based on your strength goals
• Boosting your mood

Because of the positive impact, it’s recommended that strength training be incorporated into your weekly routine. The American College of Sports Training advises five days of cardio and two days of strength training each week for optimal benefits.

The ability to gain strength can also be important to people across a range of everyday activities. For example, if you have a growing child or young pet, then you may hope your ability to lift them increases as they grow larger. And if you break a bone and lose strength while recovering, resistance training can help you regain your previous abilities.

The ability to get stronger is also related to other fitness-related traits. How quickly your muscles fatigue, for example, can change how long you might be able to exercise. And your ability to get stronger can influence your sprinting or endurance running performance.

Your personality could also play a role in strength training. For example, if your nature is more competitive, then you may be more motivated to set goals for yourself.

Genetic Factors and Strength Training

Ancestry^® scientists wanted to identify how genetics impact your ability to get stronger. To investigate, they asked over 135,000 people, “How easy is it for you to get stronger when you try to? (Think in terms of lifting weights or doing other strength training.)” By comparing answers and respondents’ DNA, they found 455 genetic markers that relate to getting stronger.

To further understand the genetic influence on the ease of strength-building, the team calculated a polygenic risk score. This score, based on Ancestry customers’ DNA, can indicate if a person is more or less likely to easily build strength. However, DNA is only part of the equation. The scientists also calculated the overall heritability and found the ability to get stronger is only about 5% genetic. That means external factors, such as how frequently you strength train, affect your ability to get stronger much more than your genes.

What Else Impacts the Ability to Become Stronger?

Some people wonder whether resistance training with machines or free weights will result in better gains. One review of 13 studies—with a total of 1,016 participants across them—compared the results of training with free weights and machines. Based on the results, there's no significant difference. That's good news for people who have a preference one way or the other—consistently training is enough to achieve gains regardless of method. Yet the scientists who conducted the study speculate that combining both types of training can result in a more complete increase in muscle mass and strength.

The length of time you've been strength training can also influence your gains. One study showed that while the most significant strength gains in powerlifters are observed in the early stages of training, improvements can be made over the lifetime with consistency in training.

Notably, building strength is separate from building muscle. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that the strategies for achieving these two objectives are also different. Varying your training, known as periodised strength training, is particularly helpful for building strength, but not necessarily for building muscle. The best gains in strength occurred when varying the intensity of training and alternating between heavy- and light-lifting exercises.

Insights on How to Get Stronger

The simplest way to become stronger is to keep up with a weight training routine. However, if you continue to lift or repeat the same exercises with the same weight, you’ll plateau as your body adjusts. To continue to get stronger, you have to keep challenging your body.

Most often, this involves changing something about your workout routine. For example, you can increase the weight, the number of reps per set, how many sets you perform, or how long you rest between sets. Consistency is key here, and it can take between five and 15 weeks before you start seeing objective results.

Interested in discovering how your genetics may influence your ability to get stronger? Take an AncestryDNA^® + Traits test to learn what your DNA suggests, along with whether you have other related traits. If you've already taken a test, your Ancestry^® membership gives you access to your results.

 

References

Aubrey, Allison. “Women who do strength training live longer. How much is enough?” NPR. March 11, 2024. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/11/1236791784/strength-resistance-weight-training-longevity-aging-heart-disease.

Edwards, Travis. “How to Build Muscle Strength: A Complete Guide.” Healthline. April 1, 2022. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/how-to-build-strength-guide.

“Evidence mounts on the benefits of strength training.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/strength-training-time-benefits/.

Haugen, Markus E., Fredrik T. Vårvik, et al. “Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance - a systematic review and meta-analysis.” BMC Sports Science, Medicine & Rehabilitation. August 15, 2023. doi:10.1186/s13102-023-00713-4.

Latella, Christopher, Daniel van den Hoek, et al. “Using Powerlifting Athletes to Determine Strength Adaptations Across Ages in Males and Females A Longitudinal Growth Modelling Approach.” Sports Medicine. December 2023. DOI:10.1007/s40279-023-01962-6.

“Physical Activity Guidelines.” American College of Sports Medicine. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://www.acsm.org/education-resources/trending-topics-resources/physical-activity-guidelines.

“Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier.” Mayo Clinic. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670.

“Strengthen your mood with weight training.” Harvard Health Publishing. October 1, 2018. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/strengthen-your-mood-with-weight-training

“Varied strength-training programmes increase strength, but not muscle mass.” Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. April 22, 2022. https://science.ku.dk/english/press/news/2022/varied-strength-training-programmes-increase-strength-but-not-muscle-mass/