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Can You REALLY Get Stronger after 50

Question: You're over 50 and have been training for many years. Is it really possible to get stronger in your 50's after so many years of training?

Answer: The definitive answer is "yes" and "no".

On a number of movements, I've done personal records after 50 and that is with a training history dating back to age 13!

On the other hand, the margin of difference between the personal record and what I had done before was minimal.

More realistically, but of great significance, if you continue to train with high intensity it appears that you can maintain your strength and muscle mass into what used to be considered old age.

A good deal of the earlier literature on the loss of strength, muscle mass, and aerobic power was based on cross-sectional studies with mostly sedentary people, e.g., different cohorts of people at 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70. The decline in successive age cohorts in these basic health and fitness measures was striking. Not too long ago, the health sciences would have been astounded to find people maintaining strength and fitness in their middle to older years. So, just staying even is a major accomplishment.

Some of us can exceed what we did when we were younger in at least one way. We may not be as heavy and "bulked" up as we used to be so maintaining strength with a reduced body weight and probably using better exercise form is a great testimony to the power of consistent training.

Here's a personal example. At 29 I could do seven quick reps in the stiff-leg deadlift with 355 lbs. I weighed 170 lbs. and had quite a gut, a 33" waist.

At 53 I did five super slow reps in the modified stiff-leg deadlift with 370 lbs. I weighed 148 lbs. with a 28" waist. I wasn't much stronger at 53 then 29 but given my reduced bodyweight and slower rep cadence, the performance at 53 was a much better one.

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Disclaimer

The information presented on this website is intended to be used for educational purposes only. Please consult with your own physician or health care practitioner regarding any suggestions and recommendations made.