The Stronger the Better

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Trends in Strength Training—United States, 1998–2004,” delivered good news and bad news about weightlifting among U.S. citizens. While strength training participation increased slightly from 1998 to 2004, only 21.9% of men and 17.5% of women said they trained two or more times per week. Those percentages are substantially lower than the national 2010 objective of 30%. Fitness professionals take note and keep encouraging clients and class participants to get strong.