Psychological Benefits of Muscle Gain

by Herm Blancaflor

Imagine a bodybuilder: Muscle upon muscle built to perfection, proportioned, oiled and bulging onstage. The contest-ready bodybuilder has pushed his muscular development and his body to the limits of his genetics. This is truly a genetic freak show of human extremes.

Not all of us want to look like Arnold, and certainly not all of us want to gain weight. I would venture to say most people in our culture would be better off losing weight. But no matter what goal you have, weight-training-induced muscular gain is psychologically beneficial, no matter whom you are.

It is well documented that adding muscle and strength benefits you in many ways physically. They include increases in bone density, stronger connective tissue, and added functional strength for common daily tasks, such as carrying in the groceries or climbing a flight of stairs.

Granted, there are a very few sports in which ADDING muscle mass is not only undesirable but also disadvantageous: elite marathon runners and jockeys must carry lower overall body weight for their performance. However, these examples are for function only, and even these individuals may benefit psychologically from muscular gain after their competitive days are over.

"But I don't want to have huge arms!" Don't worry. You won't get to that point by accident. For some reason, it is a widespread preconceived notion amongst new trainees (and especially women) that as soon as one starts lifting weights, some dramatic phenomenon happens and the new trainee starts building muscle rapidly and uncontrollably. As much as many aspiring bodybuilders would love this to happen, it simply does not happen. I consider myself possessing a genetic predisposition to gain muscle mass relatively fast compared to the general population, and have gained muscle faster than many of my contemporaries. But I still have to consume large amounts of specific “bodybuilding foods,” and sleep and train like a bodybuilder for almost every day. I’ve been trying extremely hard to gain extra muscle for the past 25 years, but my arms still fit into most jackets and sleeves.

So what would adding muscle do for you? What benefits would come about? Would this newfound muscle add benefit to your life outside of the power and strength sports? My answer is a resounding yes! The psychological benefits of added muscle to the average adult become quite obvious to the individual who is experiencing or has experienced it.

Several studies have been done on this subject. In 1982, one of these studies suggested that the more weight training done by the individual, the more self-confident and satisfied they tended to be overall. Similarly, the males who indicated that they had trained relatively often with weights in the past showed the most positive attitudes toward their body parts and processes. They also tended to be significantly more sociable, impulsive, and outgoing than the males who reported relatively less experience training with weights. From the results of the study, increased credence must be given to the assertion that weight training can play a significant part in the mental health and wellbeing of males. (1)

Another similar study was conducted in the same year by the same researcher. 60 college males were enrolled in a weight training class and a history class. The control group was a group of 45 other males that were only enrolled in the history class and not lifting weights. According to the study results, regular training with weights tends to significantly bolster feelings of personal pride, confidence, and self-worth, but it does not tend to place the self at an elevated status in relation to kin and friends. Similarly, feelings of being a "good" or a "bad" person and relationship to God and self-satisfaction do not seem to be significantly influenced by weight training when compared to non-weight trainers. (2)

In yet another study 4 years later, 100 women ages 17 to 26 and 40 to 49 were assigned by random drawing to a weight lifting group or to the control group. While the experimental and control groups had similar psychological profiles on pretests, the profiles of the two groups were significantly different on the posttest on self-concept measures used in this study. These results indicate that both the young and mature experimental groups viewed their physical bodies more positively and that their perceptions about themselves were more positive. (3)

The last study I bring to the table is one that compared the effects of weight training versus running on self-confidence. Not surprisingly, the group of women who exhibited the largest gain in self-esteem was the group that gained an average of 68% in body strength and expressed significant losses in certain bodily areas. Although 35% of the running group felt both physically and psychologically better, 83% of the weight-training group felt the same way. (4)

So there you have it. There is possibly no better way to enhance one’s self confidence than the added muscle gain a weight training program permits. If you haven’t been enjoying the benefits from added mass from your routine and diet, what are you waiting for?


1. Tucker, Larry A. "Weight Training Experience and Psychological Well-Being". Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1982. Vol.55 Pgs. 553-554.

2. Tucker, Larry A. "Effect of a Weight -Training Program on the Self-Concepts of College Males". Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1982. Vol.54 Pgs. 1055-1061.


3. Brown, Rebecca D. and Harrison, Joyce M. "The Effects of a Strength Training Program on the Strength and Self-Concept of Two Female Age Groups". Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 1986. Vol.57 No.4 Pgs. 315-320.

4. Trujillo, C. "Effects of weight training and running exercise intervention programs on the self-esteem of college women". International Journal of Sports Psychology. 1983. Vol.14 Pgs. 162-173