Why muscle matters as you age

Muscle does more than move you. It carries you up the stairs, steadies you when you trip and keeps everyday tasks easy. A European expert group defines sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle, as a muscle disease, and treats low muscle strength as its main sign. ¹

Sarcopenia is associated with falls, fractures, physical disability and death. ¹ The group put strength ahead of muscle size because strength is better at predicting these outcomes. ¹

The muscle changes behind sarcopenia build up across a lifetime. ¹ That makes your 30s, 40s and 50s a good time to invest, long before you notice anything.

How much strength training you need

The World Health Organization advises all adults to do muscle-strengthening activities that work the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week. ²

From 65, the WHO adds multicomponent activity on 3 or more days a week: sessions that combine balance, coordination and strength, to help prevent falls and keep you capable. ²

A review of 16 cohort studies found the largest reduction in risk at about 30–60 minutes of muscle-strengthening activity a week. ³ Whether more brings further benefit was unclear in that review. ³ Two sessions of 20 to 30 minutes fit that range neatly.

What the research suggests

In the same review, muscle-strengthening activity was associated with a 10–17% lower risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease, total cancer, diabetes and lung cancer. ³ Combining strength work with aerobic activity was associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer, compared with doing neither. ³

Grip strength tells a similar story. In the PURE study of 139,691 adults in 17 countries, each 5 kg of lower grip strength was associated with a 16% higher risk of death from any cause. ⁴ Grip predicted death from any cause and from cardiovascular disease more strongly than systolic blood pressure did. ⁴

These are associations from observational studies. They cannot prove that lifting weights extends life, and they still consistently favour stronger muscles.

Two ways in: starting out, or already lifting

The American College of Sports Medicine builds resistance training on three principles: progressive overload, specificity and variation. ⁵ What that looks like depends on where you start.

If you are new to lifting, the ACSM suggests training the whole body 2–3 days a week with loads you can lift for about 8–12 repetitions. ⁵ Two full-body sessions also meet the WHO advice of muscle-strengthening work on 2 or more days. ²

If you already lift, the ACSM suggests 3–4 sessions a week at an intermediate level and 4–5 at an advanced level, with volume and intensity varied in a planned way and an eventual emphasis on heavier sets of about 1–6 repetitions. ⁵

For longevity alone, a review of cohort studies saw the largest reduction in risk at about 30–60 minutes of muscle-strengthening a week, and whether more brings further benefit was unclear. ³ Training beyond that is training for performance, which is a perfectly good reason in itself.

• New to lifting, Day A: goblet squat, push-up (hands on a bench if needed), one-arm dumbbell row, Romanian deadlift, farmer's carry. 3 sets of 8–12.
• New to lifting, Day B: split squat, standing overhead press, lat pulldown or band pulldown, hip thrust, plank. 3 sets of 8–12.
• Already lifting, Day 1, lower heavy: back squat or trap-bar deadlift 4 × 4–6, split squat 3 × 8 each side, heavy farmer's carries.
• Already lifting, Day 2, upper heavy: bench or overhead press 4 × 4–6, pull-ups or barbell rows 4 × 6–8, dips or push-ups to finish.
• Already lifting, Day 3, full body and power: box jumps or kettlebell swings, then three brisk rounds of moderate lifts. Put Zone 2 on the easy days and keep one full rest day.

Form first, then load

Progressive overload means asking a little more of your muscles over time, so they keep adapting. ⁵ Change one thing at a time, and only when the movement looks the same on the last repetition as on the first.

For long-term progress, the ACSM recommends varying volume and intensity in a planned way. ⁵ Every few weeks, swap an exercise for a close cousin: a goblet squat for a chair squat, a dumbbell row for a band row.

Feed the work

Muscle needs protein to rebuild after training. Our calculator, How much protein do you need?, gives you a daily range based on your weight, age, activity and goal, with its sources listed. Spreading protein across your meals makes the target easier to reach.

Train safely

Talk to your doctor before you start if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure that is not under control, osteoporosis, or a recent injury or operation.

Mild muscle soreness in the days after a new exercise is normal. Sharp pain, joint pain that lingers, chest pain or dizziness are reasons to stop and get advice.

Breathe out as you push or lift, and avoid holding your breath through hard repetitions.

Questions people ask