November 7th 2021 I competed in my first International Powerlifting competition. I was fortunate enough to set a New World Record with a 529 lb deadlift at the age of 62. I say this not to brag but to show you that you can be strong and fit at any age.
I’m an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and I specialize in fitness over the age of 50. In my 28 years of experience in the health and fitness industry I’ve seen the demographics of my clients get older as I have aged. The most common misconception people have as they age is a belief in the rapid deterioration of their strength and fitness level. This is just not so.
Most people experience a loss in there strength and fitness level over time as a result of not exercising properly and poor eating habits. It’s true that you start to loss muscle and strength in your mid-30’s and this loss accelerates over time if you don’t do anything to mitigate it. However, the good news is you can slow and even reverse the loss of muscle and strength by strength training on a regular basis and eating the proper amount of protein daily.
Strength training also know as weight lifting forces your body to adapt to lifting a load more than your body weight by increasing muscle size and strength. Studies have shown that people well into their 80s and 90s experience increased muscle and strength when they start weight lifting 2 to 3 times each week.
Consuming the proper amount of protein in your diet is very important in maintaining muscle and strength as you age. The older you get the less efficient your body becomes at utilizing protein, therefore you need to consume more of it on a daily basis. Some studies have revealed that you need to consume 1.5 times that amount of protein over the age of 50 as you did when you were younger. Protein is instrumental in the building and repair of muscle and if you do not get enough in your daily diet this process does not happen. It’s recommended that you consume 25 to 30 grams of high quality protein at each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Everyone has to age, but that doesn’t mean that you have to get weaker. Below is a video of me setting a new World Record in the deadlift with a 529lb lift. I’m 62 and I could not lift that kind of weight in my 20s.
