Strength training is the single most powerful tool we have for building health, longevity, and resilience — and we’ve known this for decades.
Yet when most people picture someone “fit,” they still imagine a runner: lean, light on their feet, and logging endless kilometres. Running has become the cultural symbol of fitness, while strength training is often seen as an optional add-on, a side quest, or something only athletes and bodybuilders do.
This isn’t because the benefits of strength training are unclear. It’s because our cultural history of fitness has glorified endurance and lightness over strength and capability.
At CrossFit Kreis 9 in Zurich, we see this mindset shift every day. Many new members arrive believing they need to “get fit” before they can start strength training — and they think that means running. But once they start lifting, their entire perspective on fitness changes.
How running became the symbol of fitness
Running became the default image of fitness not because it’s the most effective, but because it became the most visible and celebrated activity.
- Cultural legacy: From the jogging boom of the 1970s to school fitness tests and heart-health campaigns, running was marketed as the ultimate sign of vitality.
- Accessibility: It requires no equipment and minimal instruction, so it was easy to promote to the masses.
- Clear metrics: Pace, distance, and time are simple to measure, giving the illusion of objective fitness.
- Aesthetic ideals: Decades of media and advertising portrayed leanness as the look of fitness, shaping how people still define “fit” today.
- Visibility: People see runners every day. Strength training mostly happens behind gym walls and often goes unseen.
As a result, running became the cultural face of fitness, while strength training — though essential — stayed in the background.
Why strength training is the true foundation of fitness
The science is clear: muscle mass and strength are among the strongest predictors of health, independence, and longevity.
Strength training builds:
- Bone density and joint stability
- Muscle mass that protects against metabolic decline
- Balance, coordination, and reaction time to prevent falls
- Insulin sensitivity, blood pressure control, and cardiovascular resilience
- Mental health, cognitive function, and confidence
And strength isn’t just another component of fitness — it’s the base that supports every other physical quality.
Want to run faster or longer? You need strong legs and hips.
Want to protect your joints? You need strong muscles and connective tissues.
Want to maintain a high VO₂ max as you age? You need the muscle mass to move your body powerfully.
At CrossFit Kreis 9, this is why strength training is at the heart of everything we do. Once our members get stronger, every other physical goal becomes easier — from endurance to weight management to simply moving through daily life with ease.
What happens when strength training is missing
When strength training is left out, the effects creep in quietly. Muscle mass begins to decline as early as our thirties, and without deliberate effort, this loss accelerates with every passing decade. Less muscle means a slower metabolism, weaker bones, and reduced balance — all of which increase the risk of injuries, falls, and chronic disease. This is why many people who only do cardio find themselves getting lighter but not stronger, and more fragile rather than more capable.
Strength training directly prevents this decline by maintaining the muscle and bone tissue your body depends on to stay resilient.
Why the narrative is slow to change
Strength training isn’t undervalued because people doubt it — it’s undervalued because of cultural momentum.
- Public health guidelines have historically placed endurance front and centre and strength as a side note.
- Early fitness culture idolised calorie burn and thinness, not capability or resilience.
- Strength training has often been portrayed as intimidating, complex, or reserved for athletes, especially to women.
- Running fits the old narrative of fitness as being light, while strength training challenges it by celebrating mass, power, and presence.
These narratives are deeply rooted. They shape what people see as “normal” — and cultural change always lags behind evidence.
Redefining what it means to be fit
Strength training won’t just add years to your life — it will add ability to those years. It keeps your body capable, resilient, and independent. It allows you to keep doing what you love for longer.
Running can absolutely be part of a healthy routine. But it’s not the foundation. Strength training is.
At CrossFit Kreis 9, we see this shift every day: when people get stronger, they stop seeing fitness as something fragile they must preserve — and start seeing it as capacity they can continually build.
They stop aiming to be light.
They start aiming to be capable.
