120: Can Lifting Weights Help Prevent a Heart Attack?

Cardio has been the default prescription for heart health for decades, but a growing body of evidence suggests we’ve been overlooking a major protective tool: strength training. We dig into a large, long-running research dataset that followed more than 117,000 women for nearly 15 years and found a powerful link between resistance training and lower heart attack risk. The number that stops people in their tracks: at least two hours of weekly strength training was associated with a dramatically lower risk of heart attack, with meaningful reductions in major cardiovascular events too.

We also slow down and explain what those results do and don’t mean. Because the study is observational, it can’t prove that lifting weights directly prevents heart attacks. So we talk through why associations can still be useful, what “dose dependent” patterns add to the story, and how lifestyle factors like sleep, nutrition, and smoking can blur the picture. Then we connect the dots on plausible mechanisms, including better blood pressure control, improved insulin sensitivity, healthier body composition, less visceral fat, and protection against age-related muscle loss and declining function.

If lifting feels intimidating, we make it practical. You don’t need to live in the gym or become a powerlifter to get benefits. We share an achievable weekly target (think 90 to 120 minutes), simple ways to start with dumbbells, resistance bands, machines, or bodyweight movements, and why pairing strength training with aerobic exercise may be the best overall approach for cardiovascular disease prevention.

If this helped you rethink your workout plan, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one strength move you could start this week?

Study Citation:

Zhang, T, Zhang, Y, Lee, D. et al. Resistance Training, Aerobic Activity, Television Viewing, and Risk of Major Cardiovascular Events in U.S. Women. JACC. null2026, 0 (0) .
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.04.036

Transcript

Welcome To Your Checkup

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Hi, welcome to your checkup. We are the Patient Education Podcast, where we bring conversations from the doctor's office to your ears. On this podcast, we try to bring medicine closer to its patients. I'm Ed Delesky, a family medicine doctor in the Philadelphia area. And I'm Claufo, I'm a nurse. And we are so excited you were able to join us here again today. So what are we going to talk about today, Nick?

New Study On Lifting And Heart Attacks

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Today we're talking about some fun new research about if lifting weights can help prevent a heart attack.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

You know, I like this one. Um, this is not going to be a groundbreaking, well, maybe groundbreaking for some people, but you know, it um we are coming off of enjoying a lovely Fourth of July weekend. I'm not intending for this to be a lengthy episode by any means, but we definitely wanted to give you something. So this research today is basically talking about something that might surprise some people. When we think about protecting our heart, most of us picture walking, running, or riding a bike, which is true. But we don't always think about picking up a pair of dumbbells. So a new large study suggests that strength training may play a major role in reducing the risk of heart attacks, especially for women. So we'll break down what that study found, what it doesn't prove, and most importantly, what you can do with this information. So it's good to start with the conversation of why do we usually think about cardio? Because when doctors talk about heart health, aerobic exercise usually gets most of the attention, as it does for like most of my patient interactions as well. And that's because activities like brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and jogging improve your heart and lungs, lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and help control blood sugar. But resistance training or strength training is often thought of as something people do just to build muscle or improve appearance or their strength. And the reality is that muscle is incredibly important for your overall health. And we're learning it may also be an important part of protecting your heart. So here's the new study. Researchers followed more than 117,000 women from the famous nurses' health studies for nearly 15 years. And every few years, participants reported back how much resistance training they performed, and researchers tracked who developed cardiovascular disease. And here's what they found. Women who performed at least two hours of strength training each week had a 44% lower risk of heart attack and about a 20% lower risk of major cardiovascular events. So the difference there is that cardiovascular events also include strokes and peripheral artery disease when we define those terms. Even more interesting, every additional hour of weekly resistance training was linked to roughly 14% lower heart attack risk and about 5% lower overall cardiovascular disease. So the biggest benefits occurred among women who consistently strength trained over many years and exercised both their upper and lower body. But this asks the question where does this leave cardio? One of the most interesting findings was that the greatest benefit came from combining strength and combining strength training and aerobic exercise. Women who both lifted weights and met recommended aerobic exercise guidelines had about a 40% lower risk of major cardiovascular events. If we're remembering from before, the strength training alone was only 20% lower risk of major cardiovascular events. The 40% lower risk was compared to women who were inactive and both, and that group of women was doing strength training and cardio. So this clearly isn't an either-or situation. Rather, you could think of cardio and strength training as teammates. Cardio improves your heart's endurance, while strength training improves muscle, metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and overall physical function. And together they appear to provide the greatest protection.

What The Study Can’t Prove

SPEAKER_00 4:17

So does this mean that lifting weights prevents heart attacks? And this is where it's important to understand the type of study. We've talked about these here before. This was an observational study. Researchers observed what people were already doing. They didn't randomly assign women to lift weights or to not, but that means we can't say definitively that lifting weights directly caused fewer heart attacks. What may have happened is that women who strength train may also eat healthier, they may sleep better, they may avoid smoking, or have other healthy habits that contribute to lower risk. Researchers tried to adjust for those factors, but they can't account for everything. So still, the study has several strengths. It followed a huge number of women, and it lasted almost 15 years. So the relationship they found was dose dependent, meaning the more consistent strength training people performed, up to about two hours per week, the greater the benefit. And that kind of pattern makes researchers more confident that the association is meaningful.

Why Strength Training Helps The Heart

SPEAKER_00 5:16

So we can explore maybe more why strength training might help the heart. There are several reasons. We know that resistance training helps lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar control, reduce insulin resistance. We know that it would improve body composition and increase muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate. It decreases visceral fat and improves cholesterol in some people. Having more muscle also helps your body process glucose more efficiently, which lowers the risk of diabetes, a major risk for heart attack. So as we age, we naturally lose muscle. This process is called sarcopenia. So strength training helps slow that process and keeps us healthier and more independent. So how much do you actually need?

The Weekly Sweet Spot For Results

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Here's the encouraging part. The study didn't involve people living in the gym. The sweet spot appeared to be 90 to 120 minutes per week. That's only two 45-minute workouts or three 30-minute workouts each week. And according to another study from the same research group, doing more than two hours each week didn't seem to add additional cardiovascular benefit. So really, you don't need to be a competitive power lifter. You just need consistency.

Simple Ways To Start Lifting

SPEAKER_00 6:31

So if you've never lifted weights, this can sound intimidating, but the good news is resistance training doesn't have to mean barbells. It can mean resistance bands, it can mean dumbbells, weight machines, or body weight exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, or wall push-ups. The goal is simply to challenge your muscles. If you're get thinking about getting started, just start slowly. Aim for all the major muscle groups twice per week. Focus on learning proper technique before increasing the amount of weight. And if you have medical conditions or injuries, it's always worth talking with your healthcare clinician first.

Key Takeaways For Heart Health

SPEAKER_00 7:10

So, some takeaway messages. The biggest takeaway is that cardio hasn't become less important. It's that we've probably underestimated how important strength training is for overall health. And if you already walk every day, great. Consider adding two sessions of strength training each week. And if you're already lifting weights, keep it up. You're likely doing more for your long-term health than you realize. And sometimes, sometimes the best medicine isn't found in the bottle. It's how your body moves. And

Holiday Banter And Real Life Updates

SPEAKER_00 7:39

now for the banter. All right, Nikki, thank you so much. I really I wanted to make sure we got something out for the good people who listen in. I mean, we heard at a party someone was like, I look forward to you guys every week. And I what how are we gonna come out and have some time to do this and not give the people at least a little something?

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Yeah, I guess you're right.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

So um I learned a lot about a traffic circle this weekend. Please be kind to me and don't share everything. Um so I I I was rec I was educated in an important way about the happenings of the traffic circle in Brigantine. This isn't a normal traffic circle, but why don't you tell me the frustration that you had when you tried to tell me this and told me I was wrong, which you were you were right. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

This always happens. I tell you things and then you don't listen, and then somebody seemingly more important than your wife tells you, and then you're like, oh my God, you were right all along.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

No, I think so.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

The issue is that there are two lanes in this traffic circle, and this doesn't the issue is that the reason why people hate New Jersey as a state is because of these stupid traffic circles. You don't need a circle, just like you don't need to be innovative, just use a traffic light like every other normal person.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

This this circle is different, though. All circles are stupid. My impression, which might be wrong, is that when someone is in the circle, they have the right of way, and those entering the circle, no matter what, yield to those in the circle. That is not the same for this traffic circle in Brigantine, New Jersey. There are two main arteries. There's a main artery going into Brigantine, and then there's one that runs along the coastline, Brigantine Avenue. And it turns out that the people who have the right of way are the ones who are going coming into Brigantine and who are then either coming to or from Brigantine Avenue.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

They're making this really complicated.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

This is how it was explained to me. If you hook around and enter on Bayshore Drive.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

No one has any idea what you're talking about except maybe like four people.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

That's a good point.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

I'm one of them.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Yeah, alright, fine. Not all traffic circles are the same, kids.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

I made this um, should I switch topics?

SPEAKER_01 10:03

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

Did you like dinner tonight?

SPEAKER_01 10:04

Yeah, dinner was delicious tonight.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

Gosh, what how would I describe this? Well, it was from a cookbook that you got me.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

Did we talk about how this um how this arrived in the horizon? Um Go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

I it it defin no one knows, and I think it's a funny story.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

I don't think so. Did we?

SPEAKER_00 10:23

I don't think so. You definitely hinted like months ago that there was a gift that like did not make it.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

We may have said this last week. I kind of forget.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

What if someone's not listening and they didn't listen to the last week?

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Okay. Well, basically I ordered, I think I did say this. Whatever. I ordered Eddie this cookbook from this like guy on Instagram who has a bunch of recipes. Stealth Health is his Instagram name. But around the holidays, so he has like ebooks and he has all these recipes posted online. And for the holidays, they were making print versions of some of his cookbooks. And Eddie hinted, actually, he just blatantly said, This guy's making print cookbooks. This would be a really cool Christmas gift. I'm like, okay, great. So long story short, it like got diverted in the mail, was allegedly delivered to a post office. The post office had no idea like what I was talking about, couldn't find it. It was lost in the mail. Went back, was just gonna like take the L and buy him another one. But when I went back to order him a second one, I couldn't because they were only making a limited batch of these things. So I was like, okay, well, I'm just not gonna say anything. He won't know anything's missing. Because I was like around the holidays, I'm like, oh, we might have to go to this post office. Like, I think I have something there, blah, blah, blah.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Right.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

Then I didn't, and then I just didn't say anything. He didn't ask any questions. That was that. I was a little disappointed.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

But then, like, the day after you revealed that I had 30 gifts, and I was like, oh, well, maybe it's in here. Yeah, but also so overwhelmed by that.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Then we did 30 gifts for your 30th birthday.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

What a gem of a week.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

I was like, eh, you know what?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

That must have been a heck of a time for you.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

He'll be fine with like one less gift, you know?

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

So then last weekend, we're actually getting ready to leave, and thankfully this came when it did because we were leaving like within the hour and it would have been gone because nobody in this godforsaken city can be trusted with a package on your doorstep. Um, and the nice mail lady came. I wasn't our normal guy because it was a Saturday, but the nice mail lady came, a little knock, knock, knock on the door, and there was this mysterious package. And I'm like, what is this? I didn't order anything. I don't think Eddie ordered anything. And then I saw where it was from and I was like, oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Like 15 stickers on it.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

With like, yeah, all these like unclaimed, unclaimed, unclaimed.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

But we claimed it.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

Yeah. Then I went upstairs and I said, Merry Christmas, Eddie.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

So it's been great. Um, earlier return so far. Tonight is a sun-dried tomato chicken Alfredo pasta with bowtie pasta. Thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 13:11

Love it.

SPEAKER_00 13:13

And part of the part of the shtick with this is that like that the meals are supposed to be high in protein and like a bit healthier and mass-produced in a slow way of a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

It's like a meal prep.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

Thing. And so we have a lot of it, and I guess we're gonna be eating that all week. I think I would like if it was a little bit thicker. It really thinned out when it kept cooking.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

Like the Alfredo sauce.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

So I feel like if you like kept it separate and then put like the pasta, the like chicken schmutz and then the alfredo sauce, it would stay thicker.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Instead of like mixing and cooking, you know how we've been doing, where like the pasta gets dressed in the proper ratio. If yeah, I think and I I agree with you. I think that's the nature of the the prepping part of it, but for a smaller portion, because now we have enough for an army of 10.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Yeah. If anyone's hungry.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Yeah. Oops. Um, so and then earlier in the week, I made a peanut peanut butter miso chicken john.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

That was really good.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

You like that? Yeah. So I'm gonna work my way through this book. Try things that I haven't explored before, and I think I think we're both gonna reap the benefits.

unknown 14:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

I recently discovered, um, maybe we'll do a whole episode on this, but I've been trying to personally have a like, well, I learned to name it a green starter or a fiber starter. And today I am so proud of myself that instead of a fistful of tortilla chips, which any loyalist would know. No, but like fistfuls. Like the bag. Um, I cut up I asked for this morning when we were making our order, I asked for celery and tatsiki. Did I do that right?

SPEAKER_01 15:06

I think so.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Cool. Um and I cut those up and a crunchy negative calorie snack and celery with globs of tatsiki. I feel better about myself.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Oh, good.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

And apparently the Green Starter is supposed to help with satiety and make you feel for longer. A la this this mysterious book I've been reading once every weekend. So yeah, that's been that's been the news. And obviously, happy 250 America. Now we're into the 250th year. Can't wait to see what you do next. Oh god. He did have a cousin sleepover. It was so cute. You like well tell so cousin Bentley is my brother.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

My brother's dog. He and his girlfriend are in Greece right now. So we were watching him because just for a night here because my parents are watching him while they're away, but they were already at the beach. So my brother took him to us so he wouldn't have to like drive all the way back to the beach and back. So was that thunder?

SPEAKER_00 16:20

I think they were talking about thunderstorms.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

So he came to us for the night and um Bentley's an anxious boy. He's very attached to my brother. Yes, who we call his master. And as soon as Frankie left, Bentley went right to the door, and I was like, oh no, this is gonna be a long night. But it like really wasn't. He like settled down downstairs and came up on the couch and cuddled for a little, and then we went back up to bed, and I think he was a little bit out of sorts again, but we like made him a comfy bed, and he eventually laid down. And so I think he was just kind of like panting in your face for a while.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

He was, yeah. He was just like staring at me while I was sleeping. For it's so funny how he and Ollie don't interact.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

They don't. Oh yeah, Bentley's also like deaf.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

Yeah, poor guy.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Like getting here. Poor guy. He listens to like the hand gestures and like the signs like those say like Vanessa taught him and he let he does it.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

It's so cute.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

He knows sign language.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

It's also strange to have a dog walk up the stairs.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

Yeah. Cause we don't I feel like he gets like when Frankie's away, he gets like attached to a new human. Well, like when Frankie and Vanessa are both away. So like I became the the human that he was attached to, and I would go upstairs to like switch over the laundry or like do something quick. And we have the baby gates up for Ollie. So he's like was actually very good at navigating the baby gates, but I would run upstairs real quick and he's at the gate, like nosing it, trying to get up. I'm like, oh my god, by the time you get up here, we're going back down.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

I know he he's so cute, and like your your voice. So many people comment on how great your voice is when I hear them and they give me feedback like during the day. And then your like warm, make you feel loved voice for Bentley was so cute. It was, it was great. Can you say something?

SPEAKER_01 18:32

Like what?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Oh, yeah, that was good. So yeah, we're wishing young Bentley well now. He's with your parents.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Oh yeah, I guess we can put this Corgi. We have this like Corgi dressed as a witch, a little statue. That's just like out all the time. And Bentley came and he saw and he's like sniffing around, and then he makes eye contact with the statue and he starts like squaring it up and like growling a little, and I was like, okay. And then he like backed up.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

He was not having it. All right.

Where To Find Us And Disclaimer

SPEAKER_00 19:11

I think that's you know, that's all we're gonna have for this week, folks. Um other thoughts, Nick?

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Not a lot of thoughts going on up here today.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

That's all right. They can't all be winners. It's about consistency. Like we were preaching, and like we do preach. So anyway, thanks for coming back to another episode of Your Checkup. Hopefully, you were able to learn something for yourself, a loved one, or a neighbor. You can find us on Instagram, threads, send us an email at yourcheckuppod at gmail.com. But most importantly, stay healthy, my friends. Until next time, I'm Ed Delesky. I'm Florida. Thank you, goodbye. Bye. This information may provide a brief overview of diagnosis, treatment, and medications. It's not exhaustive and is a tool to help you understand potential options about your health. It doesn't cover all details about conditions, treatments, or medications for a specific person. This is not medical advice or an attempt to substitute medical advice. You should contact a healthcare provider for personalized guidance based on your unique circumstances. We explicitly disclaim any liability relating to the information given or its use. This content doesn't endorse any treatments or medications for a specific patient. Always talk to your healthcare provider for a complete information tailored to you. In short, I'm not your doctor. I am not your nurse. And make sure you go get your own checkup with your own personal doctor.