The science behind the Litegevity Formula

A small amount of strength training does most of the work.

A review of time-efficient training (Iversen and colleagues, 2021) found that the total amount of hard work across the week matters more than how many days you spread it over. The authors suggest about four hard sets for each main muscle group a week as a practical minimum, and say the evidence on exact minimums is not settled. They also report that guidance for older people and beginners says even one set, done two or three times a week, can help. Older adults may need somewhat more than younger people to keep their muscle.

The Litegevity Formula asks for two short sessions a week, in the range this research describes.

A separate analysis of studies that followed people over time (Momma and colleagues, 2022) found the lowest risk of dying from any cause at around 30 to 60 minutes of muscle-strengthening a week, with no clear extra benefit beyond about an hour. Those studies are observational, so they show a link, not proof of cause.

Staying strong matters for health as we get older.

In the same analysis (Momma and colleagues, 2022), people who did muscle-strengthening activity had a lower risk of dying from heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. The studies mostly relied on people reporting their own activity, and most came from the United States, so the picture is useful but not perfect.

The UK Chief Medical Officers make the same point for older adults: activities that improve or maintain muscle strength, balance and flexibility should be done on at least two days a week (UK Chief Medical Officers, GOV.UK).

Resistance bands can build strength as well as other equipment.

A review of eight randomised trials with 224 people (Lopes and colleagues, 2019) found no clear difference in strength gains between training with elastic bands and training with conventional equipment such as weights and machines. Participants ranged widely in age, up to 88. A correction to the paper was published in 2020, listed below.

We ask for slow, controlled reps, taking about three seconds to lower, so you stay in control of the band. That is how the sessions are designed. We are not claiming that slow reps build strength faster, and we have not cited a study for that.

Creatine alongside strength training helped older adults gain a little more.

A meta-analysis of 22 randomised trials with 721 adults, with average ages from 57 to 70 (Chilibeck and colleagues, 2017), compared creatine with a placebo while people did resistance training two or three days a week. The creatine groups gained somewhat more lean tissue, which is everything that is not fat, and showed small extra gains in chest press and leg press strength.

These are group averages, and your own result may differ. The trials tested creatine in general, not our gummies specifically. If you have kidney problems or take regular medication, speak to your GP before taking creatine.

UK guidelines recommend strength work on at least two days a week.

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that adults aged 19 to 64 do muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week, and say any strengthening is better than none (GOV.UK). The Litegevity Formula is built around that: two short sessions, with a rest day between.

What this page does not say.

We make no promise about weight, body fat or medical outcomes. Research describes averages across groups of people, and results vary from person to person. Strength training is not a treatment for any condition.