The Case For Dumbbells: Why Everyone Needs Strength Training

by Sofia Brontvein

The Case For Dumbbells: Why Everyone Needs Strength Training

14 Nov 2025

Confession: I find weight training boring as hell.

Let’s start with honesty. I have been moving my whole life — swimming since I was two, tennis, boxing, hours of cycling every week, runs that make me question my life choices. And yet, nothing compares to the sheer dullness of strength training. Put me on a bike for five hours in the Dubai heat and I will manage. But ask me to do three sets of deadlifts and suddenly I am staring at the ceiling tiles like they are Rothko paintings. Still — here I am, writing an article defending the very thing I dread. Why? Because if I want to become a better cyclist, run without injuries, and, frankly, still be able to climb stairs gracefully at seventy, I need to lift weights. And so do you.

Cardio alone doesn’t cut it

Cycling, running, swimming — they are amazing for your cardiovascular system. They torch calories, improve VO₂Max, and make you feel like a Greek god sweating in Lycra. But here is the ugly truth: cardio alone also strips away muscle mass over time.

Muscle is metabolically active tissue. Lose it, and your metabolism slows, your bones weaken, and your risk of injury skyrockets. Studies show that after the age of 30, adults lose about 3–8% of muscle mass per decade unless they intervene with resistance training. That means by the time you hit 50, your quads might look more like linguine than pistons.

And guess what? Weak muscles equal weak cycling performance. You can have the heart of a Tour de France contender, but if your glutes and hamstrings aren’t firing, you are basically pedaling with chopsticks.

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

The science of why muscles matter

Bone density:
Hormones:
Injury prevention:
Metabolism:

Minimalism is the secret weapon

Here is the thing: you don’t need to become a bodybuilder. Nobody is asking you to grunt under 200 kilos of iron like a hormonal gorilla. The sweet spot is one to two strength sessions per week, focusing on compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull-ups. Add some core stability and mobility, and you are golden.

That is right: even one session per week can make a huge difference. Research in endurance athletes shows that supplementing cardio with just a single full-body resistance workout improves power output, sprint speed, and overall endurance. Translation: you will cycle faster, run stronger, and finish that group ride without secretly praying for a flat tire.

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

How I trick myself into doing it

Since I find weights boring, I have made peace with minimalism. I don’t need to spend hours pumping iron like it is 1992. I focus on the essentials:

Deadlifts
Squats
Bench press
Planks & stability work

I keep the sessions short — 60 minutes, max. Enough to get the benefits, not enough to die of boredom.

The longevity argument

I will be blunt: if you don’t lift, you will regret it later. Sarcopenia (muscle loss with age) is one of the biggest predictors of frailty, falls, and early death. Muscles aren't just about looking good in Lycra or surviving Dubai Marina selfies — they are literally your health insurance.

There is a reason centenarians in Blue Zones (those mythical longevity regions) remain active and strong: daily resistance, whether it is carrying groceries uphill in Okinawa or chopping wood in Sardinia. Our modern version? Deadlifts at the gym. Less romantic, same effect.

Image: Midjourney x The Sandy Times

So, here is the deal

I will always prefer cycling. It gives me joy, freedom, and the feeling of flying. Strength training? It is my tax. It is the boring bill I pay once or twice a week so I can keep riding, keep running, keep moving — not just this year, but for decades.

So yes, I will continue to whine while I pick up dumbbells. But I will also keep showing up, because future me deserves glutes that still work, bones that don’t snap, and a metabolism that isn’t a sad, slow joke.

And so do you.

by Sofia Brontvein