Weightlifting Over 50: Gain with a Little Less Pain

Weightlifters over age 50 can rarely achieve the above look anymore, but they can maintain an effective program that builds mass, strength and endurance. Credit: Damir Spanic, Unsplash

The best approach to weightlifting as we get older is not always for the faint of heart — literally. It’s especially true for weightlifters over age 50.

Weightlifting can increase blood pressure and spike the heart rate, especially for people in later years. It also can lead to severe joint pain and even injuries that may take months to heal, if ever.

But it also builds strength, bone density and muscle mass. It improves the physical capacity for daily activities. It can even decrease average blood pressure over time if done correctly.

Many articles describe the best ways for weightlifting, but they often are written by younger people for younger people. Some of that advice is actually dangerous for older adults.

These expert articles often recommend that a person lift weights equal to 60 percent to 85 percent of their maximum weight — also known as the one-repetition maximum or 1-RM — that they can do in one lift. That one lift might just be enough to cause a serious injury.

Although this article focuses on weightlifting for adults over 50, it also uses principles that all weightlifters should consider in a long-term plan for lifetime weightlifting. Effective weightlifting requires transitional changes over the course of years and decades.