Why and how you need to strength train when you get older and/or are in a calorie deficit

 

Getting older (over 50 years) means you are in danger of losing muscle mass every year which can be detrimental for your health in your later years. The same is true if you are trying to lose body fat and are on a diet that puts you in a calorie deficit. These dangers are real but can be mitigated with the right approach.

Weight loss/older age

If you want to lose body fat and not muscle during calorie restriction, you have to include resistance training in your workouts. Even if you are not trying to lose excess weight but you are older, you have to challenge your muscles regularly to stay healthy. Working out is not optional anymore, it is mandatory. That is the only way to preserve your muscle mass, and for many strength training beginners it is even possible to gain muscle while losing fat (body recomposition). Because if you lose muscle while in a calorie restriction, your metabolism will slow down and you will burn fewer calories while at rest. That must be avoided, since it will most likely lead to more fat gain. The goal is to build enough muscle to speed up your metabolism and make weight loss easier. And older people need strength to stay active and avoid falls.

Resistance training

Resistance training can have many forms. The traditional way is to get dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell and start lifting weights. But you can also gain strength and muscle mass by doing body weight exercises with varying degrees of difficulty. Alternatively, one could just get a few rubber bands and get a full body workout while pulling against the resistance of the bands.

The only thing to remember here is to really challenge your muscles. If the exercises are too easy, your muscles will have no reason to grow.

Compound exercises

That being said, not all strength training exercises are equal. By doing compound movements like bench press, pull-down, bent-over rows, squats and deadlifts, you are using the most amount of muscle in your body during every exercise. The hormonal response to this is much higher than if you do an isolation exercise like a bicep curl. And the more muscle you exercise, the more muscle you will stimulate to grow. Once you increase your muscle mass, you also increase your metabolism. As a consequence you will burn more calories while doing nothing since muscle tissue is metabolically more costly than body fat. And let’s not forget the added benefit of looking better with less fat and more muscle on your body.

Dietary protein

In order to build muscle and strength, you have to pair your strength workouts with adequate protein in your diet. That is especially true during dieting to further avoid losing muscle mass. For serious trainees in a calorie deficit, you probably need about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.