Complete coverage on

Strength and Weight Training

I am male, 55, 6 feet 5, 300 pounds. I am in good health (other than weight), active in biking and weight training but am interested in jogging. Am I too large to train for a 10K? Would that be detrimental to my joints?

Latest Stories

The 51 fastest fat burnersupdated: Sat Jan 29 2011 22:34:00

Erase extra flab with these super-effective tricks.

Weights plus walking equals more fit in less timeupdated: Tue Nov 23 2010 17:02:00

Walkers who squeeze a bit of light weight training into their workout get more bang for their buck in terms of being fit and trim without increasing their total workout time, according to a new study of sedentary people with type 2 diabetes.

Can heavy weight exercise cause hair loss?updated: Fri Nov 19 2010 08:34:00

Can exercising with heavy weights make one lose hair?

Nearing 50, Renaissance jock Herschel Walker breaks fitness rulesupdated: Mon Oct 11 2010 16:55:00

Javier Mendez, a mixed martial arts trainer for 32 years, scoffed when he heard that retired NFL star Herschel Walker, who's nearing 50, wanted to compete in ultimate fighting.

SI.com: The Bonus: Brock Mealer's amazing journey to walk out of the tunnel at Michigan Stadiumupdated: Fri Sep 03 2010 11:06:00

Around 9:35 p.m. on Christmas Eve three years ago in the small northwest Ohio town of Wauseon, David Mealer drove his family to Midnight Mass. The family had been on their way home from a holiday party and made sure to leave in time to get to the church, a long-standing tradition on Christmas Eve for the Mealers. Along with David, a 50-year-old family man, were his wife, Shelly, and his sons Brock and Elliott, athletic boys who had both found sports they loved in high school -- basketball for Brock, football for Elliott. Hollis Richer, Elliott's longtime girlfriend and a charming 17-year-old girl who knew the Bible like the back of her hand, was also with them. Hollis had fallen asleep on Elliott's shoulder. The rest of the car was quiet.

Should I always lift to muscle failure when weight training?updated: Fri Jun 18 2010 08:19:00

Recently you had an expert on CNN recommending going to muscle failure during weight training. I do this for my bench presses but do you recommend going to muscle failure on the last rep of the last set for every exercise in one's weight routine?

Can yoga replace strength training?updated: Fri Jun 11 2010 08:29:00

Can yoga replace strength training? I switched from doing two 40-minute full-body strength training routines to doing two hourlong power yoga classes each week. I'm concerned about losing muscle (and gaining weight). I don't necessarily feel the need to GAIN muscle, but don't want to lose the "toned" look and don't want my metabolism to slow due to muscle loss. I'm in my late 20s.

Can I do effective strength training with small weights?updated: Fri Jun 04 2010 14:12:00

I know that weight training is crucial to losing weight. What are good home exercises to do that fall under "weight training" when you don't have any weights besides 5/10/15-pound hand weights?

How can I get rid of my 'spare tire'?updated: Fri May 14 2010 10:04:00

I have been working out religiously and eating very healthy for the past six months and have lost about 25 pounds, now down to 170. I am 5 feet 9. However, I am still having a difficult time getting the area around my stomach trimmed down. It is so frustrating to keep losing weight but not see the "spare tire" go away. My question is, what should be my ideal weight, and what suggestions do you have to focus that weight loss on my midsection? My workouts consist of running on the treadmill, various ab exercises and some light to moderate weight training. Thank you.

Bust that baby bulge -- realisticallyupdated: Wed May 12 2010 11:33:00

Sweating, sore and somewhat humiliated, Christina Jones ran and pushed the stroller with her screaming baby Claudia past Lane Bryant.

Shoveling snow? How to protect your back (and your heart)updated: Wed Feb 10 2010 12:13:00

Since certain parts of the country are in the depths of a "snowmageddon," with more snow predicted, chances are good you might be shoveling a bit -- or a lot.

People.com: Teri Hatcher Turns 45 - and Trains for Triathlonupdated: Wed Dec 23 2009 14:16:00

The Desperate Housewives star likes her arms - and her pasta

SI.com: Jon Wertheim: How are these WTA stars spending their offseason?updated: Tue Dec 22 2009 12:21:00

New from Hasbro! Just in time for Christmas! It's the game the whole family can play! Match the off-season pursuit with the Sony Ericsson WTA player.

What kind of strength work won't aggravate rotator cuff issue?updated: Fri Nov 20 2009 14:18:00

I can't do a pushup or pull-up because of rotator cuff and carpal tunnel issues. What kind of exercise moves can I do instead that will get me the same sort of gains? Thanks.

Weight lifting benefits breast cancer survivorsupdated: Thu Aug 13 2009 11:00:00

Occupational therapist Cathy Kleinman-Barnett works with breast cancer patients, but she has never encouraged women with lymphedema, a breast cancer-related swelling of the arm, to lift weights.

There's more to fab abs than just exerciseupdated: Mon Jun 08 2009 15:01:00

As the summer months creep ever closer, trying to achieve the perfect set of abs can seem like a lost cause.

How to get fab absupdated: Mon Jun 08 2009 15:01:00

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports it's more than situps. You need to eat healthy for fab abs.

How should I eat to build muscle mass?updated: Fri Jun 05 2009 12:26:00

I've been wondering how many extra calories I should consume to build muscle mass. One program on Fit TV suggested that I should take in between 700 and 1,000 extra calories; another said I should take in only an extra 250 calories. How many extra calories do I need to gain muscle mass?

Five ways to boost your metabolismupdated: Tue Mar 31 2009 16:09:00

"Metabolism" is the name of the bodily system that converts food calories to energy needed to perform various tasks, like pumping oxygen to muscles during a long walk. Many variables contribute to your metabolism, including heredity, gender and age. But you can quicken yours; here's how.

Bartendaz serve up fitnessupdated: Tue Mar 31 2009 16:08:00

The Bartendaz group of New York promotes healthy living through mental and physical fitness, with minimal equipment.

'Bartendaz' empower youth with acrobatic exerciseupdated: Tue Mar 31 2009 16:08:00

The Bartendaz of New York want to serve as many young people as possible -- and that's a good thing.

Resisting diet demons (and pie) to get a six-packupdated: Tue Mar 31 2009 15:48:00

Midway through Jason Dinant's fitness journey to get six-pack abs by June, the 27-year-old had a breakdown.

Crunching his way to a six-packupdated: Tue Mar 31 2009 15:46:00

Jason Dinant has the opposite problem of most Americans -- he has flat abs.

People.com: Valerie Bertinelli's Back-to-Bikini Workoutupdated: Fri Mar 27 2009 12:38:00

How did the star lose nearly 50 pounds to slip into something sexy?

How can someone with arthritis work out?updated: Fri Mar 27 2009 10:13:00

My wife thinks she is fat. I disagree. I would consider her chubby at most. She has self-esteem issues and confidence issues because of her weight. I would like to help her lose weight to make herself feel better, but the only problem is she has arthritis in her wrists and ankles. So is there any type of workout that will help my wife lose weight but not mess with her arthritis in the process? Thank you.

SI.com: Ross Tucker: Why McDaniels has to win now in Denverupdated: Fri Mar 20 2009 14:36:00

I have read and heard all the talk surrounding the Jay Cutler vs. Josh McDaniels melodrama playing out in Denver. But I'm still intrigued by these two questions: Why was McDaniels so interested in replacing Cutler with Matt Cassel in the first place, when Cassel is potentially a one-year wonder? More importantly, McDaniels continues to say the team did not initiate trade talks involving Cutler, but if that's the case, how exactly did it go down?

SI.com: Ross Tucker: Weight-room inconsistency at fault for injuriesupdated: Wed Mar 18 2009 13:12:00

Most NFL offseason conditioning programs started in earnest this week, not that Jay Cutler plans on attending Denver's. Don't think the offseason program means anything? Think again. A lot of the injuries that happen between August and January are attributed, rightly or wrongly, to the work, or lack thereof, being put in right now.

SI.com: Ted Keith: No foolin': Reed Johnson details intense offseason workoutupdated: Tue Mar 10 2009 12:43:00

MESA, Ariz. -- Outfielder Reed Johnson, a six-year veteran with the Blue Jays and now the Cubs, sat down with SI.com to discuss his rigorous workout routine, its impact on his game and his thoughts on the ongoing controversy over performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

How to get Michelle Obama's toned armsupdated: Fri Feb 27 2009 16:40:00

First lady Michelle Obama has a fashion following, with blogs tracking her daily garment choices.

Michelle Obama reveals secretsupdated: Fri Feb 27 2009 16:40:00

Showbiz Tonight's Brooke Anderson talks with her guest about the interview she conducted with first lady Michelle Obama.

SI.com: Chris Ballard: LeBron's game has grown along with his physiqueupdated: Wed Jan 28 2009 13:32:00

There was a moment during last Friday's Cavaliers-Warriors game when it looked as if Golden State center Andris Biedrins, who is no small man at 6' 11" and 245 pounds, had been sucked out of an airplane hold, so forcefully was he sent flying backward. Biedrins was attempting to protect the rim when Cleveland forward LeBron James came charging down the lane in that straight-line, parting-the-waters manner of his. Gamely, Biedrins took to the air to try to block the shot, and then -- whoomp! -- next thing you knew he was hurtling onto his backside.

How astronauts stay fit, on and off the planetupdated: Tue Nov 18 2008 09:19:00

Being in space is like being Superman every day, says Clay Anderson, a NASA astronaut from Omaha, Nebraska. At the international space station, where he spent five months last year, he flew to breakfast, work and the bathroom.

SI.com: The Bonus: A grueling four days at NBA boot campupdated: Fri Oct 24 2008 15:46:00

Recently, I spent the better part of a week training at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. If you're interested in feeling really old and out of shape, I highly recommend it.

People.com: Faith Hill's Birthday Gift to Herself: Bikini Photo Shootupdated: Tue Oct 21 2008 08:01:00

The 41-year-old country star credits Pilates for her great shape and ability to bend like a teenager

Time.com: Chen wins Olympic weightlifting gold updated: Sat Aug 09 2008 02:00:00

Chen Xiexia won gold in the women's weightlifting competition and set an Olympic record

Time.com: Just Your Average Olympianupdated: Tue Aug 05 2008 05:00:00

A close encounter with the Thai Olympic weightlifting team reminds one TIME reporter that most of the world's best athletes are not mega stars

People.com: Gena Lee Nolin: Motherhood Is My Priorityupdated: Tue Jul 08 2008 13:48:00

The ex-Baywatch babe and her NHL-husband, Cale Hulse, settle in with their new son, Hudson

SI.com: Kevin Armstrong: Persistence pays off for trainer with star clientsupdated: Thu Jun 26 2008 14:32:00

ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Six years ago, Stu Vetter was not sold on Alan Stein.

Review: 'Wii Fit' gives kinder, gentler workoutupdated: Tue May 20 2008 14:20:00

Everyone wants to be more physically fit, but the toughest thing is finding motivation -- the motivation to get started, the motivation to keep going, the motivation to push yourself to the next level.

Adults can now take president's fitness testupdated: Wed May 14 2008 13:01:00

If you didn't get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award in school, the government is giving you another chance to prove you're in shape.

To be alone or not to be alone?updated: Fri May 02 2008 11:29:00

You know yourself: Do you need a push to be more outgoing -- or to be alone without going crazy? O's life coach says you'll be better off -- more balanced, less prone to loneliness -- if you try to go against the grain now and then. And she's got a few exercises to get you there.

Americans, time to warm up for Nintendo's Wii Fitupdated: Wed Apr 16 2008 15:23:00

Despite just being released in December, Wii Fit already has sold 1.76 million copies in Japan and is the best-selling game of the year ending March 31.

SI.com: Andy Staples: Hard-working RB Moreno boasts superhuman skill setupdated: Tue Apr 08 2008 17:53:00

ATHENS, Ga. -- Every superhero has an origin story. Superman's home planet exploded. Bruce Wayne lost his parents to a violent crime and turned vigilante. Bruce Banner got blasted with gamma radiation, which made him turn green when angry.

SI.com: Stewart Mandel: Exclusive access as Rodriguez starts over at Michiganupdated: Fri Apr 04 2008 17:41:00

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The view from Rich Rodriguez's office window in Schembechler Hall is a bit unsightly right now. Two football fields' worth of dirt currently sit where Michigan's new indoor practice facility, expanded weight room and expanded locker room will eventually be. Michigan Stadium is under renovation as well.

SI.com: Steroids In America: The Godfatherupdated: Tue Mar 11 2008 15:47:00

Once upon a time, elite athletes who took extreme doses of anabolic steroids were sure that the drugs helped them jump higher, run faster, grow stronger. But these notions had never been verified in a lab. So in 1975 a British physiology professor at the University of Leeds, G. Romaine Hervey, set up an experiment to determine whether high doses of steroids truly boosted athletic performance or just gave users a psychological edge. "We knew young men who lifted weights felt that anabolic steroids helped them lift more, but we really didn't know [if they did]," says Hervey, now 83. "And since steroids did seem to make them bigger, we wanted to see whether that was normal muscle or water or something else."

7 exercises to keep firm bodyupdated: Wed Feb 06 2008 09:34:00

To maintain your muscles, aim for 20 minutes of strength-training exercises two to three times a week -- with at least one day off in between workouts so your muscles have time to rest, recover, and grow.

Reading, writing, pressing -- middle-schoolers get strongupdated: Mon Jan 07 2008 09:24:00

You would expect to find pre-algebra, American history and grammar in a middle-school curriculum, but what about a lifetime lesson in fitness?

Strength training for kidsupdated: Mon Jan 07 2008 09:24:00

Some students are being taught a lifelong lesson in fitness in P.E. class. CNN's Judy Fortin reports.

SI.com: SI Flashback: Rocket Scienceupdated: Fri Dec 14 2007 13:50:00

Roger Clemens's last memory of his stepfather, the man he calls "my father," is of the spinning red lights and wail of the siren as the ambulance pulled away. Nine-year-old Roger watched through a basement window while standing on a table he'd hauled atop an old couch. His older sisters, Brenda and Janet, had rushed him to the basement just after their stepfather, Woody Booher, had dropped to the floor of their Vandalia, Texas, home with a heart attack. Roger would never see him alive again.

Startling obesity studyupdated: Wed Nov 07 2007 11:38:00

A new study says being overweight might not be so bad after all. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

How Jessica Simpson shapes up updated: Wed Nov 07 2007 11:38:00

Before enlisting in the Army in "Major Movie Star," Jessica Simpson turned to her own private drill sergeant -- Los Angeles trainer Harley Pasternak, the man behind "The 5 Factor Diet" and "5-Factor Fitness."

Decade-by-decade guide to exerciseupdated: Fri Nov 02 2007 14:44:00

If there's a magic pill for staying youthful, it may be one that's hard to swallow: exercise. Daily doses have been proven to thwart a number of aging factors -- stress, obesity, heart disease, diabetes -- and the longer you're physically active, the less you'll notice getting older.

Adrian: 'I can control myself while eating'updated: Tue Sep 25 2007 11:01:00

I joined this program because my doctor told me that my test results showed I was pre-diabetic and more than 20 pounds over my weight according to my age and height.

SI.com: Chris Chelios's Hour of Powerupdated: Tue Sep 25 2007 05:54:00

Forty-five-year-old Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios came to training camp this week as the NHL's oldest player, but, says his trainer T.R. Goodman, "he has the body of a 30-year-old." This summer, six days a week, Chelios hit Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, Calif., where Goodman, a former college hockey player, trains more than 20 NHL players. Goodman's hourlong workouts include no rest between sets and emphasize correct form. On his strength-building day, Chelios does seven exercises -- those here as well as lateral raises and lunges -- repeated continuously in sequence until the hour is up.

Time.com: Study: The Best Exercise for Diabetesupdated: Mon Sep 17 2007 19:20:00

Sometimes less is more. But when it comes to exercise for diabetics, researchers find, the more you do, the better it is

SI.com: Joe Lemire: Independence's 109-game streak endsupdated: Mon Sep 03 2007 01:53:00

Coach Tom Knotts saw cracks in Independence High's invincibility but never expected the Patriots' 109-game winning streak to crumble. Not so soon, anyway.

SI.com: Cory McCartney: Teams discover interesting ways to bondupdated: Thu Aug 23 2007 02:11:00

Sitting in front of a projector screen in a dark room in Bobby Dodd Stadium, Georgia Tech's football team watches Tom Cruise slip into his armor, his character, Nathan Algren, preparing for the climactic battle scene against the Imperial Army of Japan in The Last Samurai.

SI.com: The Bonus: An inside look at Kevin Durantupdated: Fri Jun 29 2007 23:03:00

Kevin Durant is not Superman. He is not faster than a speeding bullet and he can't leap tall buildings in a single bound. He doesn't have a secret identity, unless you want to call him by his middle name, Wayne. He can't even bench press 185 pounds. Really. Not once.

SI.com: The Barwis Factor: WVU's strength coach putting White and Slaton to workupdated: Mon Jun 25 2007 23:13:00

Patrick White and Steve Slaton will be checking in regularly with SIOC from Morgantown throughout the summer.

SI.com: The Evolution of Yao updated: Tue Apr 10 2007 08:44:00

It happened two nights before Christmas. Six minutes into a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets center Yao Ming jumped to block a shot. As he did, teammate Chuck Hayes toppled toward him. Yao remembers a great weight bearing down on his right leg, then a sharp pain. He sank to the floor at Houston's Toyota Center, clutching his right knee.

The secret of living to 100updated: Fri Mar 23 2007 11:14:00

Dr. Thomas Perls is a leading expert on aging, so I was a little nervous when he arrived recently at my house at 6:20 a.m. He was there to assess how the daily decisions I'm making are affecting my life expectancy.

CNNMoney: Don't get suckered on exercise gearupdated: Mon Jan 09 2006 13:40:00

Every new year we make the same promise to shed some pounds. If you're not the gym type, Five Tips is going to tell you what you'll want to know before investing in exercise equipment.

Walk to fitnessupdated: Thu Apr 28 2005 12:09:00

CNN House Call's Summer Workout is a way to get fit fast, says Atlanta, Georgia, fitness expert Gin Miller, who developed the program.

Money Magazine: Gym Dandyupdated: Tue Feb 01 2005 00:01:00

Physical fitness, as a walk down any busy street will show you, is of varying importance to people. There are gym rats, who have their own locker at the local club and always look maddeningly fit. ...

FSB: Long-Distance Trainingupdated: Wed Dec 01 2004 00:01:00

James Herrera is an artist, and his medium is the human body. He draws out the superhuman in ordinary people, taking flabby wimps and sculpting them into high-performance machines. Technically Herr...

Boot camp fitnessupdated: Fri Oct 08 2004 10:55:00

Every new recruit knows that boot camp is time to push their body to the limits. Lately, however, civilians have wanted to get into the act and get fit with this form of training.

Strength training may aid people with type 2 diabetesupdated: Fri Apr 02 2004 10:30:00

When it comes to controlling insulin action in people with type 2 diabetes, it looks like some people might be able to trade in their running shoes for a pair of dumbbells.

Tips on buying the fittest exercise equipmentupdated: Fri Jan 16 2004 08:57:00

If you plan to purchase exercise equipment to fulfill on one of your New Year's resolutions, there are a few things you need to know, experts say.

Study disputes an exercise beliefupdated: Fri Jan 09 2004 08:57:00

How many of us have heard that lifting weights helps to burn more calories in hours "after" we've left the gym?

Fortune: Dueling Diapers Think big companies can't innovate? Look how Kimberly-Clark and P&G are fighting over disposable training paupdated: Mon Feb 17 2003 00:01:00

The battle for your baby's bottom--a brutal slugfest that makes the Coke-Pepsi showdown look like a playground tussle--took an even nastier turn last year. Procter & Gamble's overhaul of its $4-bil...

Money Magazine: Blood, Sweat and Gears Our reporter gives the latest exercise gizmos a real workout.updated: Tue Dec 01 1998 00:01:00

Dear Santa: Since you forgot last year, here is my Christmas list again: 1) a large, cedar-lined dressing room in my apartment; 2) a wraparound terrace with southern exposure; 3) a home gym that ne...

Money Magazine: THE HOME GYM: GET A WORKOUT WITHOUT STRAINING YOUR WALLETupdated: Fri Oct 01 1993 00:01:00

WHETHER IT'S telecommuting, fax forwarding or shopping by video, today's status symbol is the freedom to stay at home. Small wonder, then, that in 1992 health- and fitness-club membership ran flat ...

Fortune: HOW EXECS GET FIT Many senior managers are becoming as serious about athletics and diet as they are about their work, and for goupdated: Mon Oct 22 1990 00:01:00

ON weekday mornings, Lawrence Perlman rises at 5:30 to run three to seven miles along the Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. Most days he then lifts weights for half an hour before heading to the co...

Money Magazine: PUMP IRON? WHO, ME? YES, YOU! HERE'S WHYupdated: Mon Apr 11 1988 00:01:00

MARCIA SINGER, 59, loves to flex her biceps for her five grandchildren. ''My friends all think I'm nuts, of course,'' she says. ''But it's better than flab, and I feel great.'' Singer, a widow from...

We recommend

From around the web