Volume vs Intensity for the Over Fifties: Maximizing Muscle Gains Through Progressive Overload
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
2M ago
I am asked often whether an over fifties person should prioritize volume or intensity in their strength training. In answering this question it's crucial to address a common issue with high-volume workouts for the older population: the significant, and sudden drop-off in force production as a set progresses leading to form breakdown and potential injury. This concern reinforces my stance as a strength coach that older adults should prioritize intensity (i.e. weight) in their training, specifically limiting the maximum number of repetitions to ensure safety and effectiveness. When training wit ..read more
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Starting Strength Training Over 50: Building a Stronger Future
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
5M ago
Turning fifty marked a milestone in more ways than one. Like many, I found that the years had brought about changes in my body that no amount of cardio seemed to counteract effectively. The runs and bike rides that once kept me lean and energized were losing their battle against a slowing metabolism and the natural muscle loss that comes with age. It was a reality check that what worked for me in the past wasn't going to cut it anymore. That realization was the turning point. I shifted my focus from the treadmill to the weight room, embarking on a journey into strength training that radically ..read more
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Barbell Strength Training for the Over 50s: The Best Exercises for a Healthy and Active Lifestyle
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
1y ago
As we age, it's important to maintain our physical health, and strength training with a barbell can be a great way to do so. Not only does it help to improve muscle mass, but it can also increase bone density, which is especially important for those over 50 who may be at higher risk for osteoporosis. Here are some great barbell exercises for people over 50: Squats Barbell squats are a great way to build lower body strength and can also help to improve balance and stability. To perform a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, grip the barbell with both hands at shoulder width, an ..read more
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Getting Back to Training After a Short Break
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
2y ago
So I had to pause my training because of traveling for a week to be with family in the North East for Thanksgiving. Training would be an impossibility because of the schedule leaving no such opportunity. Prior to Thanksgiving my training was going very well, having been extremely consistent with my training and had completed a successful linear progression block. Upon my return home I had to hit the gym and figure our how to get back to training after this short break. I have learned from experience that getting back to training should be taken more carefully when over 50. The reality is that ..read more
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Building muscle after 50
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
3y ago
So today as I write this I saw an article shared by someone on a Facebook Group where the author of the article said that after the age of 40 one has to modify their training habits. Initially I thought to myself, yes this would be correct - after all we all change physiologically and recognizing this and training around this we can still make progress... assuming maintaining or building muscle mass is the goal. The article then went on to say that muscle loss over 40, or sarcopenia, is inevitable and that weights should be avoided because it'll put undue stress on the body as it ages. This i ..read more
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How I Improved my Deadlift over 50
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
3y ago
There is nothing better than getting a lifetime deadlift PR on your birthday, right? I'm so very happy with myself that I finally pulled 405 pounds - the big 4 plate lift - on the day of my 54th birthday no less. It is true that this took a lot of time to get a bigger deadlift - about two and a half years - and a lot of training. I have been consistent with my training over this 2.5 years and have missed very few sessions. I will be honest and thought it may have been beyond me. After all when I first started I was able to deadlift around 280 ish and a year later I entered into my first power ..read more
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A 4-Step Formula For Slimming Down
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
3y ago
I had a conversation yesterday with a good friend of ours who has recently been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. She is in her 40s and is worrying about how to make changes to reverse this condition. The reality is that although she is super busy with work - and she will readily admit this - she has excess weight, eats a carb-rich diet and doesn't do enough physical activity. She is scared because she doesn't have the tools to be able to fix these. While losing excess weight is good for your health, taking off those pounds can be stressful. You check the bathroom scale each morning wondering why th ..read more
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7 Tips for Injury Prevention in Weight Training
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
3y ago
Weight training is dangerous.... or is it??? The fact of growing older usually means being more prone to getting injured. It might also be argued that these injuries are more impactful and take longer to recover from than when young. This is true even after all the benefits gained from weight training (improved muscle mass, improved bone density, stronger ligaments and tendons, strengthening of the heart etc.) So we need ways in which to stay safe even when using heavy weights. I'll get to that, but first a little background... I have found that injuries can manifest themselves in different w ..read more
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How to use Wrist Straps
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
3y ago
What is the best way to maintain grip on a barbell, especially when doing high reps? I present to you wrist straps. For a long time I made sure that I trained with my hands fully on the bar at all times. Sometimes though my grip failed, but it was usually while doing a set of 5 deadlifts, and typically on the last rep. But in general my grip kind of keeps up with my deadlift pace of improvement, which is the goal. We really want to not use any assistance so that grip strength can improve.  When we want to use Wrist Straps As I got stronger my supplemental lifts - such as Romanian Deadl ..read more
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Can 50 year old men get in shape?
Mark Lowe Lifts
by mark
3y ago
Is it true that a 50 year old man can get in shape, even if he hasn't been physically active? Before we discuss this, let us first discuss what is happening to the majority of 50 year old men... Did you know that by the age of 50 physically inactive people may have lost 10% of their muscle mass? This type of losing muscle from aging is scientifically known as sarcopenia [1] and is becoming increasingly common. Did you know that 12.4% of the US population ages 45 - 64 have Type 2 diabetes? According to the CDC data [2] for 2018 over 1 in every 10 people between the ages of 45 and 64 h ..read more
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