Strongevity

A lot of women are hesitant to lift heavy because they don't want to get bulky. I understand that concern.

But here's something worth considering.

There are some things that are much more likely to happen as we get older than accidentally building too much muscle.

Losing muscle and strength.

Declining bone density.

Having a harder time getting up off the floor.

Struggling to carry groceries or lift luggage.

Losing balance and confidence in your ability to move.

Finding everyday physical tasks more difficult.

Becoming increasingly dependent on others for things you used to do yourself.

These are the things I'd rather see us working to keep at bay.

Strength training helps build and preserve muscle, supports bone health, and gives us the physical capacity to keep doing the things we enjoy.

And you don't have to train like a competitive powerlifter to get those benefits. You just need to challenge yourself appropriately and keep getting stronger.

The women in this video are doing exactly that.

They're not just lifting weights. They're investing in the strength, health, and independence they'll want to have for years to come.

There's a lot more to lose by not getting stronger than there is to worry about by lifting weights.

That's how we get strong for the long haul.

300 pounds for 5 reps.

In the strength world, that's not an impressive deadlift. Plenty of people lift a lot more.

Heck it's not even much more than a warm-up for me, even at 51.

But here's what I find interesting about this set.

I've probably done thousands of reps over the years to build the strength that makes 300 pounds feel easy and almost nonchalant today.

Years of squatting, hinging, carrying, lifting, and showing up when I didn't feel like it.

And that's really the point.

The goal isn't to lift 300 pounds forever. It's to build a body that's capable of doing hard things for a long time.

As we get older, we want to keep picking things up off the floor. Carrying luggage. Moving furniture. Working in the yard. Getting up and down without wondering whether our bodies can handle it.

Those abilities don't just happen. We build them, rep by rep, year after year.

You don't need to deadlift 300 pounds. You don't even need to deadlift from the floor.

But you do need to give your body a reason to stay strong.

Because the real payoff isn't what you can lift today.

It's what you're still able to do years from now.

Do the boring work.

That's how we get strong for the long haul.

Balance is more than standing on one foot.

Watch his foot, ankle, and lower leg in this exercise. They're constantly making small adjustments to keep him steady.

He's working in a staggered stance, with most of his weight on the front leg, while dribbling a ball with the opposite hand. That adds another challenge: maintaining his balance while coordinating a separate task.

Why does this matter as we get older?

Because life doesn't happen while we're standing perfectly still with our full attention on our feet.

We walk while talking. We carry things while stepping around obstacles. We turn, reach, shift our weight, and occasionally have to react when something catches us off guard.

Those little adjustments help us stay steady on our feet.

This exercise challenges his balance, coordination, and ability to control his body while his attention is divided.

It's not about doing a fancy exercise or trying to make a workout harder just for the sake of it. It's about training abilities that help us stay capable and independent as we age.

Strength matters. So does the ability to stay steady on your feet.

That's part of how we stay strong for the long haul.

170 pounds for 5 reps... that's a strong set...

This client is building something that will serve her well long into the future.

**A reserve of strength.** The stronger you are today, the more strength you have in the bank for the years ahead. Age will eventually get all of us. The stronger you get NOW... the more strength you'll have available in your everyday life... even after the decline.

**Stronger bones.** Progressive strength training helps support bone health as we age. Bone density is not likely to be an issue with this kind of strength.

**Muscle that keeps you capable.** Muscle helps us move, balance, get up and down, carry things, and maintain our independence as the years go by. It also keeps the metabolism humming along.

She's enjoys challenging herself. But these benefits are available to everyone.

You don't have to squat 170 pounds to get them. You don't even have to use a barbell.

You need to start at the right level for you, then keep building.

Because the goal isn't just to be strong today. It's to build a body that keeps serving you well 10, 20, or even 30 years from now.

This is how, and why, we get strong for the long haul.

Same movement pattern. Three different approaches.

All three of these clients are training the hip hinge, a movement pattern we use when we bend at the hips while keeping the spine neutral.

But each person is doing it a little differently, and there's a reason for that.

The hex bar deadlift: Allows us to progressively load the movement and build serious strength.

The kettlebell deadlift from a box: A great way to learn the movement, work on technique and build confidence before progressing.

The barbell hip thrust: Puts more emphasis on the glutes, which play an important role in getting up from chairs, climbing stairs and producing power through the hips.

Three exercises. Same basic movement family. Different benefits.

And that's an important part of training, especially as we get older.

You don't need to do the heaviest version of an exercise to get something out of it. You need the version that makes sense for you, your abilities and what you're trying to accomplish.

Then we build from there.

Different people. Different approaches.

This is how we get strong for the long haul.

Three people. Three different exercises. One training session.

This is one of the things I love about semi-private training.

All three of these clients are training together, but they're not doing the same workout.

One is doing a kickstand box squat.
One is doing a Zercher box squat.
One is doing band pull-aparts.

Why?

Because they're different people.

Different strengths. Different mobility. Different experience. Different goals.

In a traditional group workout, everyone often gets the same exercise and the same number of reps.

That's not how I think strength training should work, especially as we get older.

With semi-private training, you get the coaching and individualization of your program, along with the encouragement and camaraderie that comes from training with other people.

You're not left on your own.

You're also not forced to do what everyone else is doing.

We find the right exercise for you, then help you get stronger at it.

That's a big part of what makes semi-private training such a good fit for adults 50+.

Train together. Get stronger individually.

That's how we get strong for the long haul. Together.