Research
Mixed
Resistance training with either heavy or light-moderate loads produces only small gains in muscle size (hypertrophy) in the elderly, with no significant difference between the two intensity levels when work is matched.
Do not expect significant muscle growth from resistance training as an elderly adult. While you will likely get stronger, your muscle size will only increase slightly, if at all. Focus on the functional benefits of strength rather than aesthetics.
GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Training with higher loads also provoked marginally larger gains in muscle size, although the degree of training-induced muscle hypertrophy was generally small (0.056 < μ < 0.136).
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 7 studies reporting muscle size changes.
Source
Effects of resistance training with moderate vs heavy loads on muscle mass and strength in the elderly: A meta‐analysis
Robert Csapo et al. · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports · 2015
DOI 10.1111/sms.12536
Meta-analysis · 15 studiesCited 244×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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