By Angelica Stabile Published July 7, 2026 7:08 PM CDT Published July 7, 2026 7:08 PM CDT Study: Lifting weights for 3 seconds a day improves muscle strength Muscle strength increased more than 10% after performing one 3-second ?eccentric? contraction daily, Monday to Friday, for four weeks, showing a small amount of exercise stimulus is still effective. Creatine, the common muscle-building supplement, may help improve depression symptoms, new research suggests.