Going on walks, eating well and managing stress are the obvious habits to help stay young, but there is one more component to anti-aging that has previously been thought of as an activity more for men, young athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifters, and that is strength training.

Strength training is for everyone. That includes doing the same squat movement as the guy who grunts and stares at himself in the mirror in the gym. Maybe just use lighter weights, better form and the grunting is optional. Goals for resistance training will vary for each person. Some of the common goals are hypertrophy and/or muscle definition, maximal strength and functional strength and mobility. These are all intertwined though there are ways to focus on specific movements and rep ranges to target some more than others

Muscle hypertrophy refers to growing the actual size of a muscle. This results in a bigger and sometimes stronger muscle as well. This is commonly known as the “bodybuilding” realm. Rep ranges will vary from 6-20 reps. This involves forcing a lot of blood into the muscle and if you’re really looking for definition, doing slower and more controlled repetitions. Although bodybuilders will use this rep range and isolated movements to master their sport, hypertrophy is something needed for everyone. For those who are looking to build maximal the strength, muscle hypertrophy for a period of 6-12 weeks can help prepare the body and the muscles for a solid strength training program. In season of strength training, hypertrophy training will still give assistance to the big lifts that Olympic lifters and powerlifters are focused on.

Maximal strength refers to the ability to lift your best one rep max or lift a specified weight for as many reps as possible. Most people will read this and think this is a young person’s game, which is false. I’ve been coaching powerlifting for 5 years now and at every competition, I see the gray-haired man or woman getting under a loaded bar and pushing it up and straining to show to the audience what the product of weeks, months and years of hard work can be. One rep maxes may not be appropriate for everyone depending on cardio health, previous injuries and personal goals. The point is, raw strength should be a goal of everyone’s even if it’s scaled to age, ability and goals.

The most common goal, for most, will be functionality and mobility. It’s important to note that mobility is not the same as flexibility, though they are closely related. While flexibility is the measure of the body’s ability to stretch, mobility is the measure of the body’s ability to move under tension. Flexibility is being able to bend over and touch your toes, mobility is going to enhance your ability to move more freely, painlessly while also complimenting your strength goals. This is especially important to couple with any sort of fitness program in order to maintain functional capacity and for longevity with both your fitness and your life!

The downside is after a certain point, people start to notice your muscles and they ask you will always get asked to help people move heavy furniture.

In closing, I want to give a shoutout to some local heroes, Ashlyn Sims and Samantha Fletcher for competing and setting records in a USPA powerlifting event on March 21st. We are starting a powerlifting team called Rocky Mountain Barbell that resides in the Woodland Fitness Center for any who are interested. Furthermore, we are doing a squat, bench and deadlift camp for 3 consecutive weeks starting May 2. The first week will be a squat focus, second week bench press focus, and third week deadlift focus. Limited spots available as we want to keep a small but intentional group of people to give the best coaching possible! Please contact me for more information if you’re interested.