APA Dictionary of Psychology

a primarily anaerobic workout during which exercises utilizing weights or other forms of resistance are completed in sets of multiple repetitions, with the goal of working a muscle group to the point of momentary muscular failure before resting. A strength-training regimen, individualized to a person’s abilities and goals and carefully executed to avoid injury, can help to increase muscle and ligament strength, build or preserve muscle mass, maintain or increase bone density, raise basal metabolic rate (see basal metabolism), enhance cardiac function, improve mood, sharpen cognitive focus, boost endurance, and improve overall physical and mental health; it can also help to manage chronic conditions (e.g., back pain, arthritis) and aid in rehabilitation (e.g., after an accident or stroke).