Strength Training Replaces Cardio in Gyms
Industry analysis shows gym members are prioritizing strength and conditioning over traditional cardio, driven by new research on resistance training's health, metabolism, and longevity benefits. The trend is fueled by the growing popularity of powerlifting, functional fitness, and body recomposition goals among gym-goers.
- Sales of strength training equipment surged 181% from 2012 to 2022, while sales for ellipticals and exercise bikes dropped by 43% and 58% respectively. In that same period, time consumers spent using free weights increased by 366% as time on cardio equipment fell by 51%. - A late 2024 study indicated that approximately 90 minutes of resistance training per week is linked to longer telomeres, the protective caps on DNA strands, which equates to roughly 3.6 fewer years of cellular aging. - Responding to the trend, commercial gyms that once allocated as much as 70% of their floor space to cardio machines are now redesigning layouts to expand their strength training sections. - Major fitness chains are overhauling their facilities; for example, Planet Fitness is adding plate-loaded equipment like bench presses and hack squat machines to nearly all of its U.S. locations in 2025. - The demographic of who is strength training is also changing, with gym operators noting a significant increase in women participating in a space that was historically male-dominated. - The American College of Sports Medicine's 2024 survey of fitness trends ranked strength training with free weights as the number two trend globally, just behind wearable technology. - The rise in popularity extends to competitive lifting, with USA Powerlifting (USAPL) hosting 1,199 lifters at a national event in 2019, a dramatic increase from just 131 lifters a decade earlier. - Research shows that as little as 30 to 60 minutes of strength training weekly can be associated with a 10% to 20% lower risk of premature death from all causes, including cancer and heart disease.
