ACSM updates resistance training guidelines 2026

The American College of Sports Medicine released a new position stand on March 18, 2026, updating its resistance-training guidance for healthy adults for the first time since 2009. The paper, published in the April 2026 issue of *Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise*, is titled *Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews*. (acsm.org) ACSM said the update drew on 137 systematic reviews and more than 30,000 participants to reset its recommendations around what evidence most consistently supports. The new document does not present resistance training as a narrow gym-based activity. ACSM said the evidence supports gains in strength, hypertrophy and physical performance across a range of settings, including home-based programs, elastic-band training, circuit-based routines and more traditional gym lifting. (acsm.org) The organization paired the paper with a public infographic that distilled the message into a simpler point: the best plan is the one a person will keep doing. ### Why did ACSM rewrite advice that had stood since 2009? The 2009 benchmark was ACSM’s “Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults,” and the 2026 paper explicitly updates that earlier position stand. ACSM said research in the field had expanded enough to justify a broader evidence synthesis rather than another narrow update. (acsm.org) The new review used literature current to October 2024, according to the paper abstract. Stuart M. Phillips, who chaired the paper, led an author group that included Brad S. Currier, Alysha C. D’Souza, Maria A. Fiatarone Singh, Brad J. Schoenfeld and other researchers named by ACSM. The organization described the work as an “overview of reviews,” or umbrella review, built under its evidence-based protocol. (acsm.org) ### What does the new guidance actually tell healthy adults to do? ACSM’s infographic says healthy adults should train all major muscle groups at least two days per week and build gradually over time. For strength, the infographic points to heavier loads — about 80% of one-repetition maximum — for two to three sets per exercise. For hypertrophy, it points to higher weekly volume, around 10 sets per muscle group. (acsm.org) For power, it recommends moderate loads, about 30% to 70% of one-repetition maximum, performed as quickly as possible during the lifting phase. The paper says the outcomes it evaluated included muscle hypertrophy, strength, power, endurance, contraction velocity and physical function such as gait speed, balance and stair climbing. (acsm.org) ACSM framed the guidance as practical recommendations for adults rather than a single rigid template. ### What changed in tone from older strength-training rules? The March 17 ACSM release said the biggest benefits came from consistency rather than complicated programs. Its infographic says “Complicated ≠ Better” and adds that elastic bands, bodyweight exercises and home-based training can be effective options. The same document says advanced methods, training to momentary muscle failure, equipment choice and complex periodization did not consistently change results for the average healthy adult. (acsm.org) That is a narrower claim than saying details never matter. ACSM’s own materials say people can fine-tune programs depending on whether the goal is strength, muscle growth or power, while still treating adherence as the main driver of long-term results. (acsm.org) ### Who is this meant for — and who is it not? The paper defines its target population as healthy adults age 18 and older who completed resistance training interventions lasting at least six weeks. The review excluded athletes, military personnel and people with comorbidities from the evidence base summarized in the abstracted search result, which means the guidance is aimed at the general healthy-adult population rather than specialized groups. (acsm.org) ACSM has also published separate resources on youth resistance training, disability-focused programming and exercise for specific health conditions, which indicates the 2026 position stand is not intended as a universal prescription for every population. (acsm.org) ### Where can readers find the full recommendations? The full position stand appears in the April 2026 issue of *Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise* with DOI 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003897, and ACSM says it is freely available on its website. ACSM also posted a March 18 “Science Spotlight” summary and a public infographic titled “5 Things to Know About Creating an Effective Resistance Training Plan.” (fisiologiadelejercicio.com) May 1, 2026, is the development date shown on ACSM’s infographic page, and the organization’s resistance-training resource archive lists both the March 17 news release and the infographic among its latest materials. (acsm.org) (journals.lww.com)