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Resistance Training

Resistance training is a method of physical conditioning in which muscles are exercised by contracting against an external load. That load can take many forms: free weights such as barbells and dumbbells, weight machines, resistance bands, water, or bodyweight. The defining characteristic is that the muscles must generate force to overcome resistance, and over time, that repeated demand drives the body to adapt by becoming stronger, larger, or more powerful.

The adaptations produced by resistance training extend well beyond aesthetics. Regular practice improves muscle strength, muscle size (hypertrophy), power output, contraction velocity, muscular endurance, balance, and functional movement capacity. Research has also linked resistance training to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, as well as improvements in sleep quality and reduced symptoms of depression.

Resistance training is distinct from aerobic exercise in that it primarily stresses the muscular and skeletal systems rather than the cardiovascular system, though both can be trained concurrently. For martial artists, resistance training serves as a foundation for developing the physical qualities that support technique: the strength to control a grapple, the power behind a strike, the resilience to absorb impact, and the structural integrity to train for many years without chronic injury.

The American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 Position Stand, which synthesized 137 systematic reviews covering more than 30,000 participants, confirmed that resistance training significantly improves strength, hypertrophy, power, endurance, gait speed, balance, and physical function across all age groups and experience levels. Crucially, many forms of resistance training, including elastic band training, home-based programs, and circuit formats, were shown to produce meaningful results, not only barbell-based gym work.

Read more: Resistance Training for Martial Artists, Backed by Science

Whatever you eat, drink, breathe, and bring inside your body affects your health, because that is what you sow in your body
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Other Glossary terms

Resistance Training
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