Elderly Strength Training

The need for elderly strength training information is greater now that it ever has been.

Key reason: every year we learn more regarding the science of strength training. 

And the most recent studies all show that resistance training (strength training) has the most significant benefit for the elderly and senior citizens, superior in every way to other forms of fitness.

If I had just one simple piece of advice for seniors it would be to utilize strength training all the way through life.

Continuing to have muscle into older age is what truly keeps us mobile and moving.

Elderly Strength Training Tips

When it comes to elderly strength training: 

I see a lot of trainers don't understand how to get the most out of senior citizen's workouts.

Many trainers mistakenly think that lifting heavier weights is going to be dangerous for senior citizens, and this isn't the case. 

In fact, most common strength training injuries can be avoided by eliminating momentum (moving at VERY slow 10 second repetition speed).

It isn't heavy weights that are generally dangerous, but rather any fast paced or jerky (ballistic movements) that create a danger of hurting muscles, joints, or connective tissue.

Senior citizens have the most to gain by lifting heavier feeling weights into full muscle fatigue.

Elderly Strength Training: Muscle Fatigue

Elderly strength training: why is it important to reach full muscle fatigue during resistance training workouts?

Simply put, we get the most amount of benefit when our muscles are fully fatigued.

And I truly mean that, out of all forms of fitness, full muscle fatigue from strength training is the most beneficial thing we could possibly do for fitness. 

Elderly and seniors will gain the most benefit from adding muscle to the body.

And like I mentioned above, full muscle fatigue is the fastest way to add muscle to our bodies. I recommend just 20 minutes workouts, twice a week.

I can say that reaching full muscle fatigue is truly difficult for most individuals, and hiring a safe fitness trainer is helpful for reaching that point. 

Another important life changing health benefit of reaching full muscle fatigue:

We want to flood our bodies with proteins called myokines.

Elderly Strength Training: Myokines

Elderly strength training benefits: Myokines, another amazing benefit of full muscle fatigue strength training.

Myokines are the incredible proteins released during full muscle fatigue strength training programs.

Myokines are responsible for:

lowering blood pressure

lowering cholesterol

causing self destruction in cancer cells

boosting organ and immune system function and

reversing osteoporosis

And these are only a part of the benefits we get from this strength training program.

I work with clients as old as 94 years old and I can't emphasize enough the overwhelming impact that this strength training regimen has for all seniors.

This workout has been called "super slow" simply because we move so slow to remove the risk of injury. And my whole website here focuses this method.

I'll have instructional videos coming this month,