Last updated: October 10, 2026
How many people lift weights? Roughly 1 in 3 US adults. The CDC's National Health Interview Survey found that 31.0% of adults did muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week in 2020, and Healthy People 2030 puts the age-adjusted figure at 32.9% in 2024 (Healthy People 2030, PA-04). The gaps inside that average are far bigger than the average itself. 44.5% of men aged 18 to 44 met the guideline in 2020. Only 17.2% of women aged 65 and over did (CDC MMWR QuickStats, 2022).
This page collects strength training statistics from primary sources only: CDC and NCHS survey data, Healthy People 2030 and the Health & Fitness Association. Every number links to the page where we checked it. One caveat first: the federal survey asks about leisure-time activities "designed to strengthen muscles," such as push-ups, sit-ups or lifting weights, so it counts more than barbell training.
Key strength training statistics
- 1 in 3 US adults (32.9%, age-adjusted) did muscle-strengthening activity 2+ days a week in 2024 (Healthy People 2030). Source
- 35.2% vs 26.9% of men vs women met the muscle-strengthening guideline in 2020 (CDC MMWR). Source
- 44.5% to 22.0% is how far men's rate falls from ages 18-44 to 65+ in 2020 (CDC MMWR). Source
- 34.1% to 17.2% is the same drop for women (CDC MMWR, 2020). Source
- 6.8% of adults met the muscle-strengthening guideline but not the aerobic one in 2020; 46.3% met neither (CDC/NCHS). Source
- 32.4% vs 16.2% of men with family income at 200% of the poverty level or more vs under 100% met both guidelines in 2020 (CDC/NCHS). Source
- 36.6% vs 20.0% of adults with a college degree vs less than a high school diploma met the muscle-strengthening guideline (CDC MMWR, 2011 BRFSS data). Source
- 81 million Americans belonged to a fitness facility in 2025, 26.1% of people aged 6 and older (Health & Fitness Association, 2026). Source
How Many People Lift Weights in the US?
In the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, 31.0% of adults aged 18 and over met the muscle-strengthening guideline (2 or more days a week, involving all major muscle groups). 6.8% met it without meeting the aerobic guideline, and 24.2% met both. 46.3% met neither. Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, NCHS Data Brief No. 443, 2022.
| US adults meeting the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines, 2020 | Share of adults |
|---|---|
| Met neither | 46.3% |
| Met both | 24.2% |
| Aerobic only | 22.7% |
| Muscle-strengthening only | 6.8% |
Source: CDC/NCHS, NCHS Data Brief No. 443, 2022 (2020 National Health Interview Survey).
The aerobic guideline is easier to meet: 46.9% of adults did, versus 31.0% for muscle-strengthening. People who strength train usually also do cardio, so almost nobody does weights alone.
Is the Number Going Up? Strength Training Statistics Over Time
Barely. Healthy People 2030 tracks adults doing muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week, age-adjusted. Its revised baseline was 31.9% in 2020 and the latest value is 32.9% in 2024, against a 2030 target of 36.6%. The site marks the status as "Improving." Source: Healthy People 2030, objective PA-04.
For adults who meet both the aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines, the same program reports 25.2% in 2020 and 26.4% in 2024, with a target of 29.7%. Source: Healthy People 2030, objective PA-05.
| Adults doing muscle-strengthening activity 2+ days a week (age-adjusted) | Share of adults |
|---|---|
| 2020 (baseline) | 31.9% |
| 2024 | 32.9% |
| 2030 target | 36.6% |
Source: Healthy People 2030, objective PA-04 (National Health Interview Survey). The 2030 value is a target, not data.
A one-point gain in four years is small. Our read: strength training is not exploding. Gym membership is growing (see below), but the share of adults who actually lift on a regular basis has moved slowly.
Strength Training Statistics by Sex
In 2020, 35.2% of men and 26.9% of women met the muscle-strengthening guideline, and men were ahead in every age group. Source: CDC MMWR QuickStats, May 2022. The gap shows up for the combined guideline too: 28.3% of men and 20.4% of women met both (NCHS Data Brief 443).
Older surveys point the same way. In 2011 state-based data, 34.4% of men and 24.5% of women met the muscle-strengthening guideline, so the roughly 8 to 10 point gap has lasted a decade or more. Source: Harris et al., MMWR, 2013 (BRFSS 2011).
Who Lifts by Age? A Steep Drop After 44
Age is where the data is most striking. Among men, 44.5% of those aged 18 to 44 met the guideline, 29.9% of those aged 45 to 64, and 22.0% of those 65 and over. Among women the figures were 34.1%, 23.8% and 17.2%. Source: CDC MMWR QuickStats, 2022 (2020 NHIS).
| Met the muscle-strengthening guideline, by sex and age, 2020 | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-44 | 44.5% | 34.1% |
| 45-64 | 29.9% | 23.8% |
| 65 and over | 22.0% | 17.2% |
Source: CDC MMWR QuickStats, May 6, 2022 (2020 National Health Interview Survey).
Put the extremes side by side and a young man (44.5%) is about 2.6 times as likely to meet the guideline as a woman aged 65 or over (17.2%). That is our calculation from the two CDC figures. The survey shows the gap but not the reasons for it.
Strength Training Statistics by Income
Income data in the CDC brief is for meeting both guidelines, not strength training alone. Among men, 16.2% of those under 100% of the federal poverty level met both, 20.0% at 100% to 199%, and 32.4% at 200% or more. Among women the figures were 9.9%, 13.6% and 25.9%. These are age-adjusted 2020 figures. Source: NCHS Data Brief No. 443, 2022.
| Met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines, by family income, 2020 | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Under 100% of poverty level | 16.2% | 9.9% |
| 100%-199% | 20.0% | 13.6% |
| 200% or more | 32.4% | 25.9% |
Source: CDC/NCHS, NCHS Data Brief No. 443, 2022 (2020 NHIS, age-adjusted).
The pattern is consistent: the more income, the more likely someone meets both guidelines, and men beat women at every income level. Time, access to equipment and safe places to exercise are plausible reasons, but this survey cannot tell us why.
Strength Training Statistics by Education
We could not find a current NHIS table for muscle-strengthening by education, so this is the best primary source we could verify, and it is older. In 2011 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 36.6% of adults with a college degree met the muscle-strengthening guideline, versus 31.7% with some college, 25.2% with a high school diploma and 20.0% with less than a high school diploma. Source: Harris et al., MMWR, May 2013. Different survey, different year, so do not compare these with the 2020 NHIS numbers above.
| Met the muscle-strengthening guideline, by education, 2011 | Share of adults |
|---|---|
| College degree | 36.6% |
| Some college | 31.7% |
| High school diploma | 25.2% |
| Less than high school | 20.0% |
Source: Harris et al., MMWR 62(17), 2013 (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011).
Strength Training by Race and Hispanic Origin
For the combined guideline in 2020, age-adjusted, 30.5% of non-Hispanic White men, 30.2% of non-Hispanic Asian men, 29.7% of non-Hispanic Black men and 23.5% of Hispanic men met both. Among women, 24.3% of non-Hispanic White women, 18.0% of Hispanic women, 16.7% of non-Hispanic Asian women and 16.5% of non-Hispanic Black women did. Source: NCHS Data Brief No. 443, 2022.
| Met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines, by race and Hispanic origin, 2020 | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White | 30.5% | 24.3% |
| Non-Hispanic Asian | 30.2% | 16.7% |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 29.7% | 16.5% |
| Hispanic | 23.5% | 18.0% |
Source: CDC/NCHS, NCHS Data Brief No. 443, 2022 (2020 NHIS, age-adjusted).
Gym Statistics: How Many Americans Belong to a Gym?
The Health & Fitness Association (HFA, the industry trade body) counted 81 million members of US gyms, studios and other fitness facilities in 2025. That is 26.1% of people aged 6 and older and a 5.2% rise from 2024. Adding people who use day passes or guest access, more than 100 million used a facility, with an estimated 7 billion visits. The figures come from an annual survey of about 18,000 US residents. Source: HFA, 2026 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report, April 2026.
Compare that with the CDC number. About 26% of people over 5 belong to a facility, and about 33% of adults strength train. The two groups overlap but are not the same: plenty of members only do cardio or classes, and plenty of people lift at home. Membership is a rough ceiling on gym lifting, not a count of lifters.
Why Strength Training Matters, and Its Downsides
The federal guideline asks adults to do muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week because resistance work is one of the two pillars of the physical activity recommendations, next to aerobic activity. Benefits people usually get are more strength, better function as they age and a habit that is easy to measure. The data above shows who is missing out on them: older adults, women and lower-income households.
The downsides are real, too. Poor technique or jumping to heavy weights too fast can cause injuries, and people with heart conditions or joint problems should check with a doctor before starting. Gym access costs money and time, which may be part of the income gap. You can start with bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and a goblet squat, which count toward the guideline.
What the Numbers Mean for You
If you lift twice a week, you are in the top third of US adults, and if you are a woman or over 45 you are in a smaller group still. If you do not, you are in the majority, and the good news is the bar is low: two sessions a week covering the major muscle groups.
- See where you stand. The how strong am I calculator and the one rep max calculator give you a starting point.
- Pick a simple plan. Read about progressive overload and hypertrophy vs strength training.
- Write it down. A weight training journal makes the second and third week easier than the first. See also our fitness app statistics on why most people drop their tracker.
- Stuck? Take the what's blocking your gains quiz.
We build GymGod, a workout tracker for iPhone and Apple Watch, for people who want to get into that two-sessions-a-week habit. It includes Apple Watch logging and auto-progression, which works out your next weight from what you actually lifted, so each session has a target. Your first 3 workouts are free, with no account needed. See the features and pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people lift weights?
About 1 in 3 US adults. In the CDC's National Health Interview Survey, 31.0% of adults did muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week in 2020, and Healthy People 2030 puts the age-adjusted figure at 32.9% in 2024. The survey counts push-ups, sit-ups and resistance exercise as well as weight lifting.
What percentage of men and women strength train?
In 2020, 35.2% of US men and 26.9% of US women met the muscle-strengthening guideline of 2 or more days a week (CDC MMWR QuickStats, NHIS data).
Does strength training drop with age?
Yes. Among men it fell from 44.5% at ages 18 to 44 to 22.0% at 65 and over. Among women it fell from 34.1% to 17.2% (CDC, 2020 NHIS).
How many Americans have a gym membership?
The Health & Fitness Association counted 81 million members of US fitness facilities in 2025, 26.1% of people aged 6 and older. Membership does not tell you how many of them lift.
Is the number of people who strength train going up?
Only slowly. Healthy People 2030 lists 31.9% in 2020 (revised baseline) and 32.9% in 2024, both age-adjusted, against a 2030 target of 36.6%.
Cite this page
Feel free to quote any number on this page. Please link back:
Source: GymGod, "How Many People Lift Weights? Strength Training Statistics for 2026", https://gymgod.app/blog/strength-training-statistics.html (October 10, 2026)
<a href="https://gymgod.app/blog/strength-training-statistics.html">GymGod: How Many People Lift Weights? Strength Training Statistics for 2026</a>
Please also cite the original source listed below for any individual number.
Sources
- Heitz E, CDC MMWR QuickStats, "Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Met the Muscle-Strengthening Guideline, by Age Group and Sex, National Health Interview Survey, 2020," MMWR 71(18):642, May 6, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7118a6.htm
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, "Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020 (NCHS Data Brief No. 443)," 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm
- Healthy People 2030, "Increase the proportion of adults who do enough muscle-strengthening activity (PA-04)," accessed October 2026. https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/physical-activity/increase-proportion-adults-who-do-enough-muscle-strengthening-activity-pa-04
- Healthy People 2030, "Increase the proportion of adults who do enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity (PA-05)," accessed October 2026. https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/physical-activity/increase-proportion-adults-who-do-enough-aerobic-and-muscle-strengthening-activity-pa-05
- Harris CD et al., "Adult Participation in Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activities — United States, 2011," MMWR 62(17):326-330, 2013. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4604926/
- Health & Fitness Association, "81 Million Americans Were Members of a Fitness Facility in 2025, New HFA Report Finds," April 9, 2026. https://www.healthandfitness.org/81-million-americans-were-members-of-a-fitness-facility-in-2025-new-hfa-report-finds/
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Statistics were checked against the linked source pages on October 10, 2026. If you spot an error or a newer figure, please contact us.
