Research
Mixed
Progressive resistance training significantly increases muscle strength in elderly individuals, reversing age-related strength declines and improving functional ability.
If you are elderly, resistance training is safe and highly effective for building strength and maintaining independence. You can expect significant strength gains (28-115% in some studies) with just 12 weeks of lower body training, which helps with daily tasks like climbing stairs and reduces fall risk.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
A number of studies have demonstrated substantial increases in muscle strength in the elderly following resistance training [20,21].
Why this rating
Multiple longitudinal studies cited show substantial increases (28-115%) in strength, with consistent findings across populations.
Source
Resistance Training for Health and Performance
William J. Kraemer et al. · Current Sports Medicine Reports · 2002
DOI 10.1249/00149619-200206000-00007
narrative_reviewCited 338×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Resistance training reduces body fat and increases basal metabolic rate, with high-volume workouts using large muscle masses and short rest periods being most conducive to fat loss.Good
- Progressive resistance training is an effective nonpharmacologic intervention that slightly reduces resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive and nonhypertensive individuals.Good
- Resistance training improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and modifying body composition through resistance training can delay the onset of insulin resistance.Good
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