Strength training over 50: protecting the strength you will need at 80

What changes after 50

Muscle loss with age has a name: sarcopenia. The 2019 European consensus on sarcopenia now puts low muscle strength at the centre of the definition, with low muscle quantity and quality used to confirm it. It describes sarcopenia as common in older adults, but able to begin earlier in life.

The numbers vary between studies. In the review by Mitchell and colleagues, cross-sectional studies comparing young and older people give a median loss of muscle mass of about 0.47% a year in men and 0.37% in women. At 75, longitudinal studies show muscle mass falling by roughly 0.8 to 1% a year in men and 0.6 to 0.7% in women, while strength drops by 3 to 4% a year in men and 2.5 to 3% in women. Strength is what you need to climb stairs, carry shopping or get up from a low chair, which is why it deserves training before it is missed.

What training does at this age

The research is consistent: older muscles adapt. Peterson and colleagues pooled 47 studies with 1,079 participants aged 50 and over. Strength improved on every test analysed: about 29% on the leg press, 24% on the chest press, 33% on the knee extension and 25% on the lat pulldown. Higher-intensity training produced larger gains.

The 2019 position statement of the National Strength and Conditioning Association on resistance training for older adults concludes that it is a powerful intervention against the loss of strength and muscle mass, with benefits for physical function, mobility, independence, chronic disease management and psychological well-being. The ACSM position stand on older adults recommends that exercise programmes include aerobic, muscle-strengthening and flexibility work.

Supervision helps. A 2017 meta-analysis by Lacroix and colleagues found that, in healthy adults aged 65 and over, supervised balance and resistance programmes improved strength and balance more than the same programmes done alone at home. A few coached sessions at the start are a sound investment.

Starting safely

If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, joint pain or have been inactive for a long time, talk to your doctor before starting a strength programme, and stop if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.

The NHS strength exercises for older adults show how gentle the entry point can be: sit-to-stand from a chair, mini-squats, calf raises, wall press-ups and biceps curls with filled water bottles, built up slowly. From there, the progression is the same as at any age:

1. Learn the movement with light loads for two to four weeks: squat to a chair, hip hinge, wall or bench push-up, row, carry.
2. Add load once the technique is steady. Aim for sets where the last two or three repetitions are hard. Peterson's data favour higher intensities, so do not stay with easy weights for ever.
3. Progress gradually: more repetitions first, then a little more load.

Heavy training is not reserved for the young. In the LIFTMOR trial, postmenopausal women with low bone mass, aged 65 on average, did closely supervised sets above 85% of their maximum twice a week for eight months, and improved spine bone density and function with only one minor adverse event. Supervision and prior screening were part of that result.

A weekly plan with strength and balance

The NHS asks adults aged 65 and over to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week, in addition to 150 minutes of moderate activity. The WHO adds varied, multicomponent activity emphasising balance and strength on three or more days a week from 65. A practical week for someone in their fifties or sixties:

• Two strength sessions of 30 to 45 minutes, covering legs, hips, push, pull and trunk. See our ten essential movements and squat form guide.
• Balance work two or three times a week, five minutes: standing on one leg, heel-to-toe walking, slow step-ups.
• Walking or cycling on most days to reach the aerobic target.

The calculator below checks your strength minutes against the WHO's two days and the 30 to 60 weekly minutes that a pooled analysis by Momma and colleagues linked to the largest health benefit. Our guide to strength after 40 explains the case for starting early, and strength training for women covers bone after menopause.

Protein, recovery and creatine

Muscle growth relies on food. The ISSN protein position stand puts the useful range for people who train at 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram per day; our protein needs guide explains how to spread it across meals. Creatine has the strongest case in this age group: EFSA accepted in 2016 that at least 3 grams a day with resistance training improves muscle strength in adults over 55. It adds to training, it does not replace it, and our article on creatine sets out the precautions.

Build the habit with people your age

Never Skip Club builds a guided session in about a minute: choose the body area, the Easy level to begin, 20, 30 or 45 minutes, at home, at the gym or in a hotel, with or without equipment. Each exercise is shown in animation and you log your sets. Invite three to seven friends or family members into a crew with a target such as two sessions a week; the ranking rewards regularity, not intensity. Create your free account, or sign in. Since supervision improves results at this age, you can also book a coach from our network at home or at the gym to learn the movements safely.