How Often Should You Strength Train? The Guideline Most Canadians Are Missing
- Prevail Rehab & Performance
- Mar 21
- 2 min read
If you're not doing resistance training at least twice a week, you're in the majority — more than half of Canadian adults don't meet this basic activity guideline. That gap matters more than most people realize, especially if you're dealing with pain that's making you hesitant to lift at all.
Why Resistance Training Is Non-Negotiable
Canada's physical activity guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week for adults, and for good reason — resistance training is one of the most effective tools for keeping muscles, joints, and bones resilient over the long term. The problem is that when pain enters the picture, resistance training is often the first thing people cut, when it should usually be one of the last.
How to Resistance Train When You Have Pain
Get Assessed by a Movement Professional - Find out which movements and loads your body currently tolerates well, rather than guessing.
Modify Instead of Eliminating - Reduce range of motion, load, or exercise selection around the painful area instead of skipping training altogether.
Use 2 Days a Week as the Floor, Not the Ceiling - Meet the baseline guideline first, then build from there as tolerance improves.
Track Progress Every Few Weeks - Reassess load, range, and pain frequency regularly to confirm you're actually moving forward.
How to Know If Your Guidance Is Working
Good Sign: Your professional gives you specific modifications so you can keep training, not just a list of things to avoid.
Good Sign: You can point to measurable progress in load, range, or pain over the past few weeks.
Red Flag: The main recommendation is simply to rest and stop exercising.
Red Flag: There's no plan for progressing back toward your normal training.
Pain is a reason to modify your training, not abandon it. The guideline of resistance training at least twice a week still applies — it just needs the right guidance to make it achievable.
If pain has you avoiding the gym altogether, contact us at Prevail Rehab and Performance to build a plan that keeps you training safely while you recover.
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