[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/new-research-low-weight-high-repetition-strength-training-builds-bone\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/new-research-low-weight-high-repetition-strength-training-builds-bone\/","headline":"New research: Low-weight, high-repetition strength training builds bone","name":"New research: Low-weight, high-repetition strength training builds bone","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest Become a Patron! Here\u2019s good news for those of us who avoid rigorous high load strength training \u2013 either due to risk of injury or personal preference. New research shows powerful bone-building benefits can also be obtained with low-load, high-repetition strength training. To determine this, researchers compared […]","datePublished":"2017-05-31","dateModified":"2026-04-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/image.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/image.jpeg","height":1109,"width":2120},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/new-research-low-weight-high-repetition-strength-training-builds-bone\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eB3QjpDkPOo#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eB3QjpDkPOo","name":"Dr. Susan Brown Live Q&A Chat on Exercise & Building Bone","description":"Recorded version of Dr. Susan Brown's first Facebook Live chat. Dr. Brown discusses exercise and bone health, and answers viewer questions. \n\n\u2192 Want to learn everything you need to manage & reverse your osteoporosis\/osteopenia naturally in one inspiring weekend with Dr. Brown? Join our bone health retreat & workshop! Learn more here: https:\/\/shop.betterbones.com\/pages\/love-your-bones-love-your-life-virtual-retreat\n\n\u2192 If you are interested in working with Dr. Brown to develop a personalized natural bone health program, read more about consultations here: https:\/\/www.betterbones.com\/consultations\/help-osteoporosis-osteopenia-fracture-healing-bone-health-concerns\/\n\n\u2192 Would you like your questions answered by Dr. Brown?  Comment below and she may address them in a future video!\n\nCheck out our website! \u2192 http:\/\/ www.betterbones.com\n\nWant to connect with Better Bones on social media?\nLike on Facebook \u2192 http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\u200bFollow on Twitter \u2192 http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/drsusanbrown\n\u200bFollow our Instagram \u2192 http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\u200bCheck out our Pinterest \u2192 http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/betterbonesbetterbody\n\n#osteoporosis #osteopenia #bonemass #bonehealth #weightandbonemass #womenshealth #drsusanbrown #betterbonesbetterbody #preventosteoporosis\nExercise for bone health: patreon.com\/betterbones\n\nHow often should I use the weighted vest? 3:29\nIs yoga safe for people with osteoporosis? 5:15\nAt what point would you recommend any osteoporosis drug? 7:41\nWhy is there so much emphasis on the alkaline diet? 10:19\nWhat should I know\/do before I take osteoporosis medications? 12:02\nWhen should you get a bone density test? 14:24\n\nTranscription:\nthe center for better bones so he really\nspecializes researching all we can build\nthe health throughout the whole lifespan\none of our big fascinations is were the\nexercise of course and the research I\nwant to talk to you today is about a\nnovel kind of exercise program that\nactually builds bone very well and we\nall know that strength training will\nbuild bone if we use very high loads\nlike this is a 15 pound weight well this\n15 pound weight really takes me a bit of\neffort to pump and so I would do it if I\ncould do this like 10 repetitions and 2\nor 3 sets I would build both muscle and\nbone but the concern is maybe I'd also\nhurt myself because it's really kind of\na maximum weight and it's not a lot of\nfun to stress yourself that much so the\nresearchers asked could we use a low\nweight like this Python wait could we\nuse a low weight but do multiple\nrepetitions with the heavy weight we\nmight just do 10 repetitions a couple\nsets but with the low weight maybe just\n20% of my maximum capacity I could do\nthis for many you know I could do this\nfor a long time and so they actually did\nthat study they took low weights they\ndid eight different exercises things\nlike squats and bicep curls and\ndeadlifts and what they did is they had\npeople do multiple repetitions so first\npeople learn the proper form and that's\nimportant if you try to do this learn\nthe right form and then they worked up\nto being able to do a hundred\nrepetitions of each of these eight\nexercises it only took about six seven\nminutes to do the hundred repetitions\nafter people got used to it and as\npeople got a little stronger as they\nsaid gee I did a hundred and it's kind\nof hitting a little bit light now they\nwould increase the weight they did this\nfor six months eight different exercises\na hundred repetitions for six months\nincreasing the weight as they felt they\ncould and they have really amazing gains\nin bone density for the arms for example\nthere was a 4% increase the legs and\neight percent increase the pelvis a six\npercent increase and to the spine a four...","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/eB3QjpDkPOo\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/eB3QjpDkPOo\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/eB3QjpDkPOo\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/eB3QjpDkPOo\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/eB3QjpDkPOo\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2017-05-08T17:08:27+00:00","duration":"PT18M36S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eB3QjpDkPOo","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCm6Zry9uGdrZpm05sQLIxMw","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown","description":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, a New York State Certified Nutritionist, and the author of Better Bones, Better Body -- the first comprehensive look at natural bone health. Dr. Brown specializes in osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone health regeneration, and auto-immune disease. She is also famous for her natural approach to bone health; check out her Better Bones programs and products.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_m0l08uY9k8RO1FbN8-VsYIOa8fiq9BtocNNM_k3xw7a7s=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eB3QjpDkPOo#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eB3QjpDkPOo#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eB3QjpDkPOo&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eB3QjpDkPOo#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":9522}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eB3QjpDkPOo#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":251}]},"about":["Exercise"],"wordCount":553,"keywords":["exercise","strength training","bone building","bone mineral density","high repetition"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBecome a Patron!Here\u2019s good news for those of us who avoid rigorous high load strength training \u2013 either due to risk of injury or personal preference. New research shows powerful bone-building benefits can also be obtained with low-load, high-repetition strength training.To determine this, researchers compared the results of a 24 week strength training program for two groups \u2013 one using the Body Pump Program,™ a full body, low-load, high-repetition resistance training program using weights with the other group using a combination of Pilates and yoga exercises without weights.At the end of the 24 weeks period those doing the low-load, high-repetition strength training increased their bone density (BMD) significantly, while those doing the core strengthening program didn\u2019t increase bone density.Table of ContentsToggle     3 Minutes ReadGains in bone density in the low-load, high-repetition groupMy take on the study resultsMore details about the study\u2019s strength training programGains in bone density in the low-load, high-repetition group4% gain in arm BMD8% gain in leg BMD6% gain in pelvis BMD4% gain in spinal BMDAs for gains in muscle strength, both groups experienced improvements in body mass composition and muscular strength, but the gains were greater in the low-load, high-repetition strength training group.My take on the study resultsPersonally, I find a low-load, high-repetition system works well for me. And this approach fit right into the strength training program I was already doing at my local Y. This well-designed study clearly shows that you can build bone density with a gentler form of strength training, but you must commit yourself to do 3 hours strength training per week and find time for 3 hours of aerobic exercise each week also. I know that this may sound like a lot, but remember, if you don\u2019t change things up to keep challenging your bones and muscles, you won\u2019t get results! Here are some of my exercises for osteoporosis to help you get started.More details about the study\u2019s strength training programAll sessions were one hourFirst, participants did a three-week preparation program learning the proper form of each exercise.During the first 12 weeks of the full study participants did 2 strength training sessions per week and 3 bicycling aerobic sessions per week.During the second 12 weeks period there were 3 strength training sessions and 3 by bicycling sessions per week.Each session consisted of 8 loading exercises done with a load of only 20% of the individual\u2019s 1 repetition maximum. (Traditional high-load strength training uses weights of 70-85% an individual\u2019s 1 repetition maximum with only 6-12reps per set).Each of the low load exercises was done for 100 reps, thus the entire class involved some 800 repetitions with a low-weight load.Participants were asked to increase the weights in any particular exercise if the exercise did not feel hard enough by the end of the 4 to 5 minutes of repetitions.8 exercises were done each session including squats, dead lifts, chest press, triceps variation, bicep curl, lunges, pushups and clean and press.For further specifics on this type of low-load, high-repetition strength training program see the BODYPUMP Program™ info.Petersen BA, Hastings B, Gottschall JS. Low load, high repetition resistance training program increases bone mineral density in untrained adults. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2017;57:70-6. 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