In a 10-year study published in February, researchers reported that men who can do 40 pushups have a whopping 96% lower risk of heart disease than guys who can’t muster 10. The average man in the study: Nearly 40 years old and overweight, but not obese. All 1,562 men were physically active firefighters rather than office workers. The study’s results strengthen the case that muscle-building promotes heart health. “Resistance training is super important,” says Kaiser Permanente sports medicine specialist Robert E. Sallis, MD, who was not involved in the study. “It seems to have the same benefits as cardiovascular exercise.”
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