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Training RobDuncan Full

A study by researchers at the University of Michigan found that progressive resistance training can help older adults build muscle and increase strength. The study showed that after 18-20 weeks of training, adults added an average of 2.42 pounds of lean muscle and increased strength by 25-30%. Resistance training is recommended even into a person's 80s and 90s. While muscle is naturally lost as people age, resistance training can help minimize this loss and improve function.

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79 views2 pages

Training RobDuncan Full

A study by researchers at the University of Michigan found that progressive resistance training can help older adults build muscle and increase strength. The study showed that after 18-20 weeks of training, adults added an average of 2.42 pounds of lean muscle and increased strength by 25-30%. Resistance training is recommended even into a person's 80s and 90s. While muscle is naturally lost as people age, resistance training can help minimize this loss and improve function.

Uploaded by

DanielHaile
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Progressive Resistance Training Can Build Muscle,

Increase Strength as We Age


Researcher: Rob Duncan, CALA, Can-Fit-Pro Certified
Editor: Charlene Kopansky, CALA Founder and President

Research Findings
"Resistance exercise is a great way to increase lean muscle tissue and strength capacity so that people can
function more readily in daily life," says Mark Peterson, Ph.D., a research fellow in the University of
Michigan Physical Activity and Exercise Intervention Research Laboratory, at the Department of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation.
"Our analyses of current research show that the most important factor in somebody's function is their
strength capacity. No matter what age an individual is, they can experience significant strength
improvement with progressive resistance exercise even into the eighth and ninth decades of life," he says.
Normally, adults who are sedentary beyond age 50 can expect muscle loss of up to 0.4 pounds (.88 kg) a
year. "That only worsens as people age. But even earlier
in adulthood -- the 30s, 40s and 50s -- you can begin to
see declines if you do not engage in any strengthening
activities," Peterson says.
A review article by U-M researchers, published in The
American Journal of Medicine, shows that after an
average of 18-20 weeks of progressive resistance
training, an adult can add 2.42 pounds (5.32 kg) of lean
muscle to their body mass and increases their overall
strength by 25-30 percent.
"Working out at age 20 is not the same as at age 70. A
fitness professional with an understanding of those
differences is important for your safety. In addition,
current recommendations suggest that an older individual participate in strengthening exercise two days per
week," Peterson says. "Based on the results of our studies, I would suggest that be thought of as the
minimum."
As resistance training progresses and weights and machines are introduced, Peterson recommends
incorporating full body exercises and exercises that use more than one joint and muscle group at a time,
such as the leg press, chest press, and rows. These are safer and more effective in building muscle mass.
"You should also keep in mind the need for increased resistance and intensity of your training to continue
building muscle mass and strength," he says.
"We firmly believe based on this research that progressive resistance training should be encouraged among
healthy older adults to help minimize the loss of muscle mass and strength as they age," Peterson says.
Rob’s Comments
We know a good deal of people who are afraid of the gym or weight training equipment. This is where
water comes in.
Aquafit provides an excellent means of developing muscle strength and muscle mass in young and old

CALA Inc. All Rights Reserved, 125 Lilian Drive, Toronto ON, M1R3W6
Telephone: 416-751-9823, Toll Free: 1-888-751-9823, Fax: 416-755-1832
Email: cala_aqua@mac.com Website: www.calainc.org
Progressive Resistance Training Can Build Muscle,
Increase Strength as We Age
Researcher: Rob Duncan, CALA, Can-Fit-Pro Certified
Editor: Charlene Kopansky, CALA Founder and President

alike. Water resistance (viscosity and speed) can contribute to the development of muscles and can be
incorporated into the exercise program right from the
start. No matter what movement one does in water
there is resistance. The resistance and force generated
depends upon the surface area, range of motion and
speed of motion utilized during the movement.
Progression of intensity can be regulated through
proper instruction\coaching in varying speed of
movement, length of lever and differing hand
positions. By using these variations one can
encourage the type of muscle growth needed by older
adults.
Most of the exercises that take place in water,
however, use concentric contraction of the muscle.
Muscle building, however, best takes place with eccentric movement. Still, concentric contractions will
develop muscle growth, however, it may just take a little longer. The advantage of aquafit in this regard is
that a water based program allows an individual to incorporate strength training more often than the
recommended amount of two to three times per week because of the concentric muscle activation
(contraction).
Eccentric muscle action (contraction) can make the body create more muscle mass and strength more
quickly. And, we can do this in water through the use to resistance tubes with handles, omni-directional
“bells” and “fins” or devices such as the Aqua
Gymstick or the new Hydrorider (bike adapted for
cycling in water) that was introduced at the CALA
Spring Conference in March 2011. By incorporating
these devices, instructors can easily create multi joint
exercise programs that have some eccentric
contraction components helping to enhance muscle
mass and strength. Peterson, for example,
recommends incorporating full body exercises and
exercises that use more than one joint and muscle
group at a time, such as the leg press, chest press,
and rows. These devices can be adjusted easily to
allow for systematic, intensity progression of an
exercise program. These are safe and more effective
in building muscle mass and in water do not involved any jarring, loading or pounding of joints.
Water works well for older adults. Joints are protected from the jarring, compression and pain often
associated with land based exercise. Heat is removed from bodies that do not have the same regulating
mechanisms as do youths. And the massage that is generated through the turbulence of water is wonderful.

CALA Inc. All Rights Reserved, 125 Lilian Drive, Toronto ON, M1R3W6
Telephone: 416-751-9823, Toll Free: 1-888-751-9823, Fax: 416-755-1832
Email: cala_aqua@mac.com Website: www.calainc.org

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