Still Going Strong After 60 Years (2024)

FAQs

Still Going Strong After 60 Years? ›

Contrary to popular belief, building muscle after 60 is entirely possible with the right approach. While the body undergoes changes with age, incorporating strength training into your routine can significantly improve muscle mass, strength, and overall quality of life.

Thankfully, science suggests otherwise. There are numerous studies that show participants in their 50s, 60s, and 70s gaining as much muscle over a 4 to 6 month period as participants in their 20s. [2] As someone who has trained hundreds of people over 40, those studies confirm what I have seen.

It's not too late to start; in fact, studies show the body remains responsive to muscle-building exercises, regardless of age and when you begin. “Building muscle after age 60 can lead to improved mobility, stability and strength.

Typically, muscle mass and strength increase steadily from birth and reach their peak at around 30 to 35 years of age. After that, muscle power and performance decline slowly and linearly at first, and then faster after age 65 for women and 70 for men.

Physical activity: Your healthcare provider may recommend progressive resistance-based strength training. This type of exercise can help improve your strength and reverse your muscle loss. Healthy diet: When paired with regular exercise, eating a healthy diet can also help reverse the effects of sarcopenia.

If you are currently in your 50s or 60s and have been lifting weights for many years, then it is likely that you will be able to continue doing so for many years to come. However, if you are in your 70s or older or have not been lifting weights for very long, you may need to start considering stopping.

Official definitions

The United Nations, for example, considers old age to be 60 years or older.

Contrary to popular belief, building muscle after 60 is entirely possible with the right approach.

Lift light weights and do more reps.

Research shows that doing more repetitions with light weights is more effective at building muscle and reducing fat than lifting heavy weights with fewer reps. Start with 2-5 lb. dumbbells and move up half a pound at a time if you feel as if you're not being challenged enough.

Diet and exercise are the two most important changes you can make. Even if you've never been active, it's never too late to get started. A healthy diet and physical activity are good at any age. As you age, these healthy habits strengthen muscles and bones.

At what age does a man's strength peak? ›

Muscular strength peaks at ages 20-35 and plateaus or shows early declines from approximately ages 35-50. Definite declines in strength become apparent at about the age of 50 with more rapid declines above the age of 65 years (3-6). The factors causing age-associated declines in strength are not well understood.

Contrary to popular wisdom among many gym-goers and even some scientists, healthy people in their 60s, 70s and beyond can safely start lifting weights and rapidly build substantial muscle mass, strength and mobility.

With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.

The good news is that strength training can help you maintain and rebuild muscle at any age. Research shows that older adults see even greater improvements in their muscle strength versus younger adults. "So it's never too late to start,” says Pamela Webert, MS, ACSM-CEP, an exercise physiologist at Henry Ford Health.

Vitamin D may be protective for muscle loss; a more alkalinogenic diet and diets higher in the anti-oxidant nutrients vitamin C and vitamin E may also prevent muscle loss.

Repeated research has shown that, through weight training, men and women in their 60s and beyond can grow muscles as big and strong as an average 40-year-old.

No matter what your age, you can improve your fitness.

If it's been a long time since you've exercised and you're feeling less than fit, you might think that it's too late to make a change. But you're wrong. You can improve your fitness at any age.

Muscle mass and strength tend to reduce by 30%–50% between the ages of 30 and 80 years,² with the main cause the reduction in the number of muscle fibers and atrophy of type II muscle fiber. Furthermore, losses in muscular strength occur at an approximate rate of 12%–14% per decade after age 50 years.

Yes, you can still gain muscles if you are over 70 years old. Many forms of exercise and nutritional considerations backed by research can help those over 70 build muscle mass and improve muscle tone.

In summary, Women are the strongest between 26 and 37 years of age. Men are the strongest between 26 and 35 years of age. But of course there are individual differences between athletes and some people peak before or after that age window.