Research
Mixed
Strength gains from weight-lifting training in the elderly are specific to the trained movement and joint angle, with greater improvements in weight-lifting capacity and isokinetic torque than in isometric strength, despite similar hypertrophy.
To get stronger at specific tasks (like lifting groceries), train those specific movements. General machine exercises may not translate directly to the strength needed for those tasks, even if your muscles get bigger.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
There was a very large increase in weight-lifting performance... but a much smaller and sometimes less specific increase in isometric and isokinetic torque... The observed specificity points to the important role of nervous system adaptations and coordination.
Why this rating
Well-controlled study with detailed measurements of different strength modalities.
Source
Positive adaptations to weight-lifting training in the elderly
Arnold Brown et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 1990
DOI 10.1152/jappl.1990.69.5.1725
rct · n=14Cited 361×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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