Does strength training reduce injuries?

Short answer

Yes. People who did strength training had a third of the sports injuries, and hamstring, groin and knee ACL injuries fell by 41-51%. The effect was clearest when strength work was mixed with balance and landing drills, not done alone.

Does strength training reduce injuries?
'Stronger muscles → protected joints and tendons → fewer injuries' — does this hold?
Some worry that lifting heavy gets you hurt; others say strong muscles keep you safe. We checked studies that split active people into a strength-training group and a no-strength-training group and counted the actual injuries.
Strength training cut injuries to 1/3
An analysis of 7,738 people
A 2018 analysis that pooled 6 randomized trials of strength training to prevent sports injuries, with 7,738 people, found the strength group had about 1/3 of the injury risk (0.338 times). Every 10% more strength training cut injury risk by more than 4 percentage points.
It worked body part by body part
Hamstrings down 51%, groin down 41%
An analysis of 15 studies and 8,459 people found that adding the Nordic hamstring exercise (lowering your upper body while the back of the thigh resists) to training programs cut hamstring injuries by 51%. In a trial of 652 people, a single inner-thigh strength exercise cut groin problems from 21.3% to 13.5%.
Knee ACL injuries were cut in half too
More lower-body strength work, bigger effect
An analysis of 18 studies with 27,231 people found strength and landing programs cut ACL injuries from 1 in 54 to 1 in 111. Sessions averaged 24 minutes, about 2.5 times a week, and the more lower-body strength and landing work in each session, the bigger the effect.
Mixed with balance and jumps, it was clearer
In 9,282 people, the mixed warm-up came out ahead
A 2026 analysis of 9,282 people found a warm-up mixing strength, balance and jumps (FIFA 11+) cut hamstring injuries by 45%, a clearer effect than the Nordic hamstring exercise done alone. An analysis of 108 trials in older adults also found falls dropped 34% when strength and balance work were combined.
So is lifting itself dangerous?
Bodybuilding: 1 injury or fewer per 1,000 hours
An analysis of injuries across weight-training sports found bodybuilding had the lowest rate, 0.24-1 injury per 1,000 hours of training. At 4 hours a week, that is 1 injury or fewer in about 5 years. Even strongman, with very heavy loads, had 4.5-6.1, lower than common team sports.
Bottom line: strength training reduces injuries
It worked best combined with other drills
The strength-training groups had 1/3 of the injuries, and hamstring, groin and knee injuries dropped sharply. The risk of getting hurt from lifting itself was low. Doing lower-body strength work with balance and landing drills for 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week, consistently, is enough.