The new ACSM Position Stand on Resistance Training is the first major update to these guidelines since 2009.

That matters not just because more research now exists, but because this update uses an overview-of-reviews methodology built on 137 systematic reviews and meta-analyses covering just over 30,000 participants.

The result is a more reproducible, evidence-based summary of what appears to matter most for generally healthy adults looking to get stronger, build muscle, and improve function.

Dr. Brad Currier is the lead author on the position stand and joins me to explain how it was built, what it suggests about the variables that seem to matter most, and why some of the factors the fitness industry argues about most intensely may carry less weight than people think.

You’ll learn

• Why a position stand sits differently in the evidence hierarchy than a single trial, review, or meta-analysis

• Why the 2026 update is meaningfully different from the 2009 version in both method and intended population

• How the author team pre-defined populations, outcomes, and study types before a single paper was included

• Why the shift from no resistance training to some resistance training may still be the biggest message for the general public

• What appears to matter most for different outcomes: load for strength, volume for hypertrophy, and speed for power

• Why power training may deserve more attention in the context of healthy aging

• What the evidence suggests about rep ranges for muscle growth, and why the old continuum model may be too narrow

• What did not appear to significantly change outcomes for general-population goals, including machines versus free weights and periodisation

• Why the findings may feel more liberating than prescriptive for coaches working with everyday clients

• Brad’s practical framework for someone beginning resistance training for the first time

Key insight

This position stand is not a blueprint for “optimal” training in every context. It is a synthesis of what the evidence suggests for the vast majority of generally healthy adults, many of whom are still doing no resistance training at all. That context matters when applying the findings.

Resources & links

• ACSM Position Stand on Resistance Training (2026) - https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2026/04000/american_college_of_sports_medicine_position.21.aspx• Timeline Nutrition - https://www.timeline.com• Visit - tonyboutagy.com• Follow on Instagram - @tonyboutagy• Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yydg6y3dA8OiA8hyHcJON• Master evidence-based program design - tonyboutagy.com/advanced-program-mastery-course-page