The Truth About Building Bone Density

Instead of worrying about becoming "fragile" as we age, let's take back the narrative, and talk about it the way your body actually experiences it:

a physics puzzle your skeleton has been solving since you were a toddler learning to stand!

The Mechanical Truth About Bones

Here's what's actually happening inside your body: Your bones are constantly building themselves based on the mechanical stress generated when you move through the world.

When muscle contracts and pulls on the bones, it creates tiny deformations in the bone tissue.

These deformations trigger mechanoreceptors (nerve signals!) that tell osteoblasts (your bone-building cells) to lay down new bone material.

Here's the cool part:

Your bones don't care if you're lifting a 150# barbell or creating the same amount of tension through a 30-second isometric hold. They're responding to the force being transmitted through the muscle-tendon-bone system. The physics doesn't discriminate based on the source of the load.

Three Pathways to the Same Destination

Hate kettlebells? Not a candidate for big barbell lifts?

Here's where science is on your side: We can trigger this osteoblast response in different ways, and understanding this is where you get agency over your own skeleton.

Heavy weights (8-10 reps to fatigue): This is the traditional approach. You lift something heavy enough that your muscles fatigue within 8-10 repetitions [^1]. The muscle pulls hard on the bone throughout those reps, creating the mechanical stimulus needed.

Isometric holds: Research shows that holding a static contraction at high intensity for 30-60 seconds creates comparable mechanical stress on the bone. You're generating force without moving, but your muscles are still pulling on your bones with significant tension. [^1]

The magic number appears to be around 30 seconds at near-maximal effort for the lower body, and similar durations work for upper body movements or for about 10 min/day.

Lighter weights with increased time under tension: Here's where it gets interesting.

You can take a weight that feels manageable, and slow down the movement, making your muscles work harder for longer with less load.

If you can create enough continuous tension that your muscles fatigue within 8-10 reps, you've achieved the same mechanical action! 

Bottom line: It's not about the external weight; it's about the internal tension your muscles generate.

_{[^1]: Watson, S. L., Weeks, B. K., Weis, L. J., Harding, A. T., Horan, S. A., & Beck, B. R. (2018). High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 33(2), 211-220. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6279907/}

The Sales Pitch It's Time to Lose:

Bone density has become a brilliant and underhanded way to sell anti-aging to women. It's framed as urgent. medical. something you need to worry about right now or face dire consequences. Buy this supplement! Try this program! 

Here's what they're not saying:

Building and maintaining bone density is not a desperate scramble against time, easily solved with a credit card and an appropriate amount of fear and shame.

It's an invitation to get curious, remember what your body has always known how to do and build skills and strength like the badass you are.

The Long Game

Your skeleton is not a fragile thing requiring rescue.

It's a living structure that responds to how you use it.

Every time you pick up something heavy (cat litter, your kid, a dumbbell, your own amazing body) and put it back down with control, you're building bone. You're telling yourself and your structures:

Be strong. We have things to carry.

Because, ultimately, bone density isn't about an anti-aging campaign. It's about staying connected to your body's innate intelligence and your deep capacity to meet challenge and adapt.

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Our Three Favorite Lifts for Bone Density

When we're working with clients on building bone density, we come back to three fundamental movement patterns that load the skeleton beautifully and teach your body to move with power:

Goblet Squats: The load also engages your core, creating stability through your whole system. Start with a weight that challenges you by rep 8-10, and focus on controlling both the descent and the rise.

Safe Pull-Up Progressions: Play with hangs/shrugs, pull downs, assisted pull-ups, negative pull-ups and beyond. These movements (when done well) create core integrity, a balance of front and back body strength and a general sense of badassery.

Deadlifts: This is the ultimate "picking heavy things up and putting them down" movement. The hip hinge pattern is fundamental to daily life, it is truly a full body lift (core, back, grip, legs... and brain!) and learning to do it under load builds both bone density and functional strength.

A Simple Workout to Get Started

Try this twice a week, with at least 2 days between sessions:

• Goblet Squats: 3 sets of 8-10 reps (choose a weight that makes rep 10 challenging)
• Pull-Up Progression (assisted, negative, or full): 3 sets of 5-8 reps
• Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps (start conservative with weight and focus on form)
• Push Up / High Plank Hold: 2 sets of 10-30 sec (isometric work for spine and core)

Rest 2-3 minutes between sets, doing high quality diaphragmatic breathing while you recover.

Let's Talk About Your Strength

Something we hear a lot is "I don't know where to start, and I'm afraid I'm going to get hurt." 

So we are offer a free 30-minute session with us to talk about your goals, assess where you're starting from, and map out a plan to building strength that respects your body's wisdom.

(No weird pressure to sign a big coaching contract at the end of 30 min! Just time for you to ask questions and feel safe.)

Just click HERE and send us a quick note letting us know that you're ready (or that you're scared and doing it anyway!) and we'll find the perfect coach for you.

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Here's to big strong bones and strong AF women!!