Blog
Training questions, answered.
Straight answers to the training questions lifters actually search for, from the team behind Stelvo.
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How strong should you be for your age?
Bench, squat and deadlift by age from 13 to 70+, as multiples of bodyweight, from raw powerlifting results since 2020. Enter your lift to see your percentile.
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What is the average bench press by age and weight, in lb and kg?
Median bench press at every age from 13 to 70+ and every weight class, in lb and kg, from 323,000 raw powerlifters. Enter yours to see your percentile.
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What is the average deadlift by age and weight, in lb and kg?
Median deadlift at every age from 13 to 70+ and every weight class, in lb and kg, from 300,000 raw powerlifters. Enter yours to see your percentile.
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What is the average squat by age and weight, in lb and kg?
Median squat at every age from 13 to 70+ and every weight class, in lb and kg, from 274,000 raw powerlifters. Enter yours to see your percentile.
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How much strength do you lose with age?
In 218,000 powerlifting results, strength peaks in the 30s, is 14% lower in the 50s and 37% lower past 70. The decline, decade by decade, from meet data.
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What percentage of lifters are in the 1,000-lb club?
76.7% of men who compete raw have totalled 1,000 lb, but only 13.6% of the lightest class do. The club by weight class, from 184,355 totals since 2020.
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Does lifting weights help with anxiety and depression?
Across 33 trials, resistance training cut depressive symptoms with an effect of 0.66 (number needed to treat: 4) and reduced anxiety by 0.31. The evidence.
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Does lifting weights help you live longer?
Any resistance training is linked to 15% lower all-cause, 19% lower cardiovascular and 14% lower cancer mortality, peaking at 30–60 minutes a week.
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Exercise statistics 2026: how many people work out and what it costs
Global and US physical activity rates, how many adults meet the guidelines, what inactivity costs in deaths and dollars, and what exercise returns.
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Fitness app statistics 2026: downloads, spending, wearables, results
How many people use fitness apps and wearables, what they spend, which companies lead, and whether apps change behaviour — from filings, surveys, trials.
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Gym dropout statistics 2026: why people quit and what makes them stay
How many new gym members quit, how resolutions fare, how long habits take, and what coaching, partners and tracking change — all from primary sources.
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Gym membership statistics 2026: members, growth, visits and cost
How many people have a gym membership in 2026 — US, UK, European and global figures, visits, dues and churn, every number traced to the source that produced it.
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How long do New Year's gym resolutions last?
63% of new gym members are gone within three months and under 4% last a year, yet 46% of resolvers are still on track at six months. The timeline.
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How long does it take to build a gym habit?
Six weeks at four or more sessions a week in the one study of new gym members; 18 to 254 days for daily habits in general. Why 21 days is a myth.
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How long does it take to see results from lifting weights?
Strength moves within weeks, measurable muscle by 10–12 weeks (about 1.3–1.4 kg of lean mass), bone by 8 months. The timeline from controlled trials.
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How much does a gym membership cost?
The average US member paid $65 a month in 2023 and two-thirds pay under $50; UK clubs take about £39 a member a month, Europe about €43. Is $50 a lot?
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How much muscle do you lose as you age?
Roughly 3–8% of muscle mass per decade after 30, faster after 60; 10–27% of people end up with sarcopenia. How fast it goes, and how much comes back.
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Is a personal trainer worth it?
In the one randomised gym trial, trainer-directed members gained 1.3 kg of lean mass and 42% in strength in 12 weeks; self-directed members gained none and 19%.
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Is gym anxiety normal, and does it go away?
Half of women who use gyms worry about being judged, and 63% of new members quit within three months. Why gym anxiety is so common, and what makes it fade.
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Is lifting weights twice a week enough?
Yes for health: two days a week is the guideline, and the mortality benefit peaks at 30–60 minutes of strength work a week. What two sessions get you.
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Strength training statistics 2026: who lifts, how much, and why
How many adults strength train, how far short of the guideline most fall, and what lifting does to mortality, mood, bone and muscle — primary sources only.
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What percentage of gym-goers can bench 225?
No survey measures it, so here are the two datasets that exist: 231,293 competitive lifters (78% of men bench 225, 3% of women) and 10.9 million logged lifts.
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What percentage of gym members actually go?
Only 4.6% of US gym members never use their membership, but the average member goes about 80 times a year and monthly-contract members 4.3 times a month.
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What percentage of people exercise regularly? 69% worldwide
Worldwide 69% of adults reach the recommended activity level; in the US 46.9% meet the aerobic guideline, 24.2% meet both, 23.4% exercise on a given day.
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What percentage of people go to the gym?
26.1% of Americans aged 6+ held a gym membership in 2025, 18% of UK adults and 9.3% of Europeans. The figures by country, compared with exercise rates.
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Why are gym memberships so hard to cancel?
The economics reward it, and the federal click-to-cancel rule was struck down in July 2025. What the law says now, where you can cancel online, how to get out.
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Why do people quit the gym?
Not laziness: new members overestimate how often they'll go, train too rarely for a habit to form, and start alone. The attrition data and the fixes.
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What's the best workout split for 3, 4, 5 or 6 days?
The best split trains every muscle twice a week and fits your calendar. Full body, upper/lower or push/pull/legs — which to run at each number of days.
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Cardio before or after weights?
Lift first, then do cardio — or split them into separate sessions. What the interference research actually shows, and the one case where cardio should go first.
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How long does it take to build muscle?
You'll feel stronger in 2–4 weeks, measure real muscle at 6–8 weeks, and see it in the mirror at 3–6 months. What the timeline looks like and what speeds it up.
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How long should a workout be?
Most lifting sessions should run 45–75 minutes. How your set count, rest periods, and goal decide the number — and what to cut when you only have 30.
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How long should you rest between sets?
Rest 2–3 minutes on heavy compound lifts and 60–90 seconds on isolation work. What the research says, and why resting under a minute can cost you muscle.
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How many days a week should you work out?
Three to five days a week covers most goals. Here's how to pick your number based on your goal, your schedule, and how much you can actually recover from.
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How many sets and reps should you do?
For muscle, 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week in the 6–12 rep range. For strength, 1–6 reps with heavy loads. Why effort matters more than the exact numbers.
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How to start going to the gym (and keep going)
A no-experience guide to your first month: what to do on day one, a six-exercise starter session, how to go alone without the anxiety, and how to make it stick.
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Should you work out when sick?
Use the neck check: symptoms above the neck usually allow a light session; fever, chest symptoms or body aches mean rest. What the evidence says.
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Should you work out when sore?
Usually yes, when it's ordinary muscle soreness. How to tell soreness from injury, when to train around it, and why being sore doesn't mean the workout worked.
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What is progressive overload (and how to actually do it)?
Progressive overload means asking your muscles to do slightly more over time. Six ways to apply it in the gym, the 2-for-2 rule, and a four-week example.