08/13/2026
Instead of asking
“How much muscle will I lose as I age?”
Ask yourself-
“What can I focus on so I keep building it?”
Because muscle loss with age is not the same thing as being incapable of building muscle with age.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS:
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis looked at resistance training in adults 65+.
Across 32 studies, resistance training produced significant increases in muscle size and muscle fibre area. (PubMed)
Read that again.
People over 65 weren’t simply preserving muscle.
They were building it.
Age can change the environment you’re working with.
But it does not remove your ability to adapt.
SO WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY FOCUS ON?
1. Keep lifting.
The WHO recommends muscle strengthening exercise at least 2 days per week, including for adults over 65. (World Health Organization)
But don’t just “exercise”- give your muscles a reason to adapt. Train with appropriate intensity.
Progress your exercises.
Get stronger over time.
2. Eat to support the adaptation.
Your training provides the stimulus.
Your nutrition provides the resources to recover and build from it.
Prioritise adequate protein, enough total energy and a diet that actually supports your training.
3. Stop constantly starting over.
You don’t need the perfect 8 week challenge.
You need years of accumulated training.
Muscle is built through repeated exposure to a stimulus followed by recovery.
The goal isn’t-
“How do I stop aging?”
The better question is:
What behaviours can I keep doing as I age that tell my body to remain strong, capable and muscular?
Because you cannot control getting older.
But you DO have a LOT of influence over how you age!
