For the longest time, there was this belief that as people age, their muscle tissue decreases. This is in fact true, but this is a sort of chicken-and-egg problem. Does your muscle tissue disappear because you age, or because you stop using your muscles as you age?
Studies are now showing that it is in fact
possible to continue muscle growth with strength improvements later in life.
Yes, men have lowered testosterone as they age, but there is more to it than
that. Once you hit the age of 65, sure, you may not be making major muscle
gains, but you can still use resistance training to reduce the loss of muscle.
Not only that, men and women can greatly benefit from resistance training
throughout life to help strengthen bones, muscles and connective tissues which can help reduce the risk of injury as we age.
From the Boston Globe:
Beginning at age 30, most of us lose about 1 percent - or a third of a pound - of muscle every year, as the body starts tearing down old muscle at a faster rate than it builds new tissue. (It’s why world weight-lifting records for the 60-year-old age bracket are 30 percent lower in men and 50 percent lower in women compared with records in the 30-year-old bracket.) The loss of muscle, which burns more calories than fat, slows the body’s resting metabolic rate, causing us to pack on fat pounds through the years. While we can’t completely halt this aging process, researchers believe we can do a lot to slow it down, mostly through resistance training, or weight training, that targets specific muscle groups.
Oftentimes there is a great deal of misinformation surrounding resistance training. I personally believe that many people automatically think of "beefed up meatheads" when they think of resistance training when in fact the style and type of training can be tailored specifically to any individual's needs!
People of all ages can benefit from a properly-designed resistance training program. If you ever have any questions, you are obviously welcome to educate myself by reading any of my blogs, but do not hesitate to e-mail me to ask me anything that may not be covered here. Not all personal trainers are the same, and only a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist can help you with certain aspects of your health and fitness journey!
Quote of the day:
From the Boston Globe:
Beginning at age 30, most of us lose about 1 percent - or a third of a pound - of muscle every year, as the body starts tearing down old muscle at a faster rate than it builds new tissue. (It’s why world weight-lifting records for the 60-year-old age bracket are 30 percent lower in men and 50 percent lower in women compared with records in the 30-year-old bracket.) The loss of muscle, which burns more calories than fat, slows the body’s resting metabolic rate, causing us to pack on fat pounds through the years. While we can’t completely halt this aging process, researchers believe we can do a lot to slow it down, mostly through resistance training, or weight training, that targets specific muscle groups.
Oftentimes there is a great deal of misinformation surrounding resistance training. I personally believe that many people automatically think of "beefed up meatheads" when they think of resistance training when in fact the style and type of training can be tailored specifically to any individual's needs!
People of all ages can benefit from a properly-designed resistance training program. If you ever have any questions, you are obviously welcome to educate myself by reading any of my blogs, but do not hesitate to e-mail me to ask me anything that may not be covered here. Not all personal trainers are the same, and only a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist can help you with certain aspects of your health and fitness journey!
Quote of the day:
"There is little you can learn from doing nothing."
~ Zig Ziglar
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