"“We have always treated the older or aging groups as ‘China dolls’ and I believe we should stop doing so,” Comana said. With the proper guidance and the right program, there’s no reason why individuals over 50 shouldn’t be lifting heavier weights."
"Muscular power improved significantly in the elderly (average age of 77 years) when performing high velocity resistance training. The largest power improvements were seen on leg press exercise, performed with 60-70% of bodyweight. The power improvements were associated with significant improvements in walking ability."
Several clinical trials subjected old and very old people to training with 80% of 1RM. The exercises were really heavy, like leg press and leg extensions and involving largest muscle groups, especially the quadriceps. Both men and women participated in such trials. This type of exercise proved to be both very effective and very safe for all age groups.
Danish trial by Caserotti and colleagues from 2008 subjected two groups of women to 12-week long 75-80% 1RM resistance training. In the first group there were women between 60 and 65 years of age while the second group was much older: 80 to 89 years. It is also interesting to notice that this was not a regular resistance training but explosive heavy resistance training – imagine Olympic weightlifters who also use speed as another factor in their training.
Both groups showed very significant improvements and no complications or health problems occurred during the trial. Similar trials have been conducted in other countries with consistent results: important improvements, no negative effects."
In Peterson's analysis of 39 studies, he found that among more than 1,300 adults over the age of 50, muscle mass could be increased by an average of nearly 2.5 pounds in just five months.
Not only did that reverse any age-related muscle loss, it actually built lots of new muscle. Related research found the greater the intensity of weight-lifting programs, the more dramatic the outcomes. Adults who lifted the most weight boosted their upper and lower body strength by nearly a third.
Bruce Craig, a professor of exercise with the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University, says that, as late as the 1980s, scientists were skeptical that older people could increase muscle mass by lifting weights. But research since has shown that specific types of weight-lifting programs truly can build muscle mass, he says.
The elderly should use a three-set program, in which they lift three weights one that represents 30 percent of their total strength, the next at 50 percent and the next at 70 percent, Craig says.
"You need to work at your maximum strength," he says. "Lifting a 5-pound weight 25 times won't do as good."
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) now has fitness guidelines specific to weight training for people over 50. The advice: perform such exercises 2 to 3 times a week to condition all of the major muscle groups — arms, legs, shoulders, and trunk.
The goal is to lift a weight that's heavy enough to achieve 10 to 15 repetitions per session before the muscles become fatigued.
Anyway...that was only 10 minutes or so of research.
Don't make generalization based on your own opinion when what you are saying goes counter to common knowledge (I thought Phds were good at research). One person with a heart issue is not a proof, overall people over 50 benefit greatly from weightlifting on a regular basis and there is no silly restriuction that they should not lift more than 50% of their bodyweight.
Did you know that in regular push ups you lift 65-70% of your bodyweight. So people should stop doing push ups after age 50? If you can do 10 pushups you can bench way more than 50% of your bodyweight.
"Muscular power improved significantly in the elderly (average age of 77 years) when performing high velocity resistance training. The largest power improvements were seen on leg press exercise, performed with 60-70% of bodyweight. The power improvements were associated with significant improvements in walking ability."
Several clinical trials subjected old and very old people to training with 80% of 1RM. The exercises were really heavy, like leg press and leg extensions and involving largest muscle groups, especially the quadriceps. Both men and women participated in such trials. This type of exercise proved to be both very effective and very safe for all age groups.
Danish trial by Caserotti and colleagues from 2008 subjected two groups of women to 12-week long 75-80% 1RM resistance training. In the first group there were women between 60 and 65 years of age while the second group was much older: 80 to 89 years. It is also interesting to notice that this was not a regular resistance training but explosive heavy resistance training – imagine Olympic weightlifters who also use speed as another factor in their training.
Both groups showed very significant improvements and no complications or health problems occurred during the trial. Similar trials have been conducted in other countries with consistent results: important improvements, no negative effects."
In Peterson's analysis of 39 studies, he found that among more than 1,300 adults over the age of 50, muscle mass could be increased by an average of nearly 2.5 pounds in just five months.
Not only did that reverse any age-related muscle loss, it actually built lots of new muscle. Related research found the greater the intensity of weight-lifting programs, the more dramatic the outcomes. Adults who lifted the most weight boosted their upper and lower body strength by nearly a third.
Bruce Craig, a professor of exercise with the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University, says that, as late as the 1980s, scientists were skeptical that older people could increase muscle mass by lifting weights. But research since has shown that specific types of weight-lifting programs truly can build muscle mass, he says.
The elderly should use a three-set program, in which they lift three weights one that represents 30 percent of their total strength, the next at 50 percent and the next at 70 percent, Craig says.
"You need to work at your maximum strength," he says. "Lifting a 5-pound weight 25 times won't do as good."
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) now has fitness guidelines specific to weight training for people over 50. The advice: perform such exercises 2 to 3 times a week to condition all of the major muscle groups — arms, legs, shoulders, and trunk.
The goal is to lift a weight that's heavy enough to achieve 10 to 15 repetitions per session before the muscles become fatigued.
Anyway...that was only 10 minutes or so of research.
Don't make generalization based on your own opinion when what you are saying goes counter to common knowledge (I thought Phds were good at research). One person with a heart issue is not a proof, overall people over 50 benefit greatly from weightlifting on a regular basis and there is no silly restriuction that they should not lift more than 50% of their bodyweight.
Did you know that in regular push ups you lift 65-70% of your bodyweight. So people should stop doing push ups after age 50? If you can do 10 pushups you can bench way more than 50% of your bodyweight.
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