Exercise for Older Adults: Pushing Harder Doesn't Help More
Low-Load Resistance Training Performed to Muscle Failure or Near Muscle Failure Does Not Promote Additional Gains on Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Functional Performance of Older Adults
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Training to muscle failure provided no additional benefits over non-failure protocols for older adults.
It contradicts the widespread fitness advice that pushing to failure is essential for optimal gains, suggesting efficiency without extreme effort.
Practical Takeaways
Older adults can improve strength and mobility with low-load resistance training twice weekly without needing to push to exhaustion.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Training to muscle failure provided no additional benefits over non-failure protocols for older adults.
It contradicts the widespread fitness advice that pushing to failure is essential for optimal gains, suggesting efficiency without extreme effort.
Practical Takeaways
Older adults can improve strength and mobility with low-load resistance training twice weekly without needing to push to exhaustion.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2020
Authors
J. Bergamasco, Deivid G. da Silva, Diego Bittencourt, Ramon Martins de Oliveira, José Carlos Bonjorno Júnior, F. Caruso, D. Godoi, A. Borghi‐Silva, C. Libardi
Related Content
Claims (6)
Doing more reps until you're almost too tired to finish makes your muscles grow just as much with less overall work.
Lifting weights until you can't lift anymore makes muscles grow bigger no matter how heavy the weights are, but using heavier weights builds more strength than lighter ones.
This claim says that light weight training doesn't really help older adults get bigger muscles, move faster, or get up and go quicker after doing it twice a week for 12 weeks.
For older adults doing light weight training, pushing muscles to complete exhaustion doesn't give extra benefits like more strength or muscle growth compared to stopping before exhaustion, since both ways work about the same after 12 weeks.
Older adults doing light weight lifting twice a week for 12 weeks can get about 20% stronger, even if they don't push themselves to their absolute limit every time.