If you sit next to Mima Mendoza on the train or stand behind her in the exit line, you might hear people booing about… Benefits of lifting weights. “I’ve become like that person at the train station who says, ‘Have you heard God’s word lately?’ Except I’m like, ‘Have you thought about strength training lately?'” she tells SELF.
The 34-year-old from Severna Park, Maryland, got serious about lifting weights in 2024, right around the time her doctor prescribed the GLP-1 drug Zepbound to support her weight-loss efforts. “I wanted to maintain this weight loss long term, and I wanted to manage metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure that I was genetically predisposed to, and the answer to that was to build muscle,” she says.
Mendoza is one of many people who went to the weight room shortly after starting GLP-1 medication. This trend seems to be affecting gyms across the country. Between 2024 and 2025, the use of free weight equipment has seen a significant increase in U.S. gyms, with members 6.7% more likely to use dumbbells, 3.8% more likely to use barbells, and 3.6% more likely to use a kettlebell, according to an upcoming report from the World Health Organization. Health and Fitness Associationa trade organization for the fitness industry. Compared to 2021 (the year Wegovy received FDA approval), dumbbell usage is up 28%.
“Available data suggest that growing interest in strength training is part of a long-term structural trend, which has been accelerated in part by the increasing popularity of GLP-1s,” Anton Ceferin, M.D., vice president of research at the Health and Fitness Association, tells SELF.
It’s important to note that weight loss medications aren’t the only thing at play here. directions around longevity Functional strength and strength were already pushing more people toward resistance training, but GLP-1 added clinical urgency because it They are related With the loss of lean muscle mass, strength training can help alleviate it.
Here’s a look at how these drugs are affecting gym culture, plus some tips that can help you get started (and stick with) a weight training routine.
Why strength training is non-negotiable on GLP-1
To be more specific, any form of weight loss – whether through diet, surgery, or medication – will result in some muscle loss. Jyotsna GhoshMD, an obesity medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine, tells SELF. “The most preventive things we can do to prevent a higher percentage of muscle mass decline is to eat enough protein and resistance train consistently,” she says.
