Carrie's story: building strength and confidence at 50 as a plant based endurance athlete
Carrie, a Mavy Wellness client, seven time Ironman finisher and plant based eater of 15 years, added a structured strength program at 50 and quickly became noticeably stronger and more confident in the weight room. Her goal wasn't weight loss but staying strong and sturdy through her fifties, sixties and beyond.
Where she started: Carrie trained mostly for swimming, cycling and running, had two past hip surgeries from overuse, and lifted weights without a real plan.
What changed:
Four short strength sessions a week. Two upper body and two lower body, 30 to 45 minutes each.
A plan built around her sports. Free days kept for endurance training and yoga.
Accessory work. Band walks, hip work and cable exercises that support her running.
Fueling for performance. About 85 grams of plant protein a day near maintenance calories.
Tracking her lifts. Seeing the weights go up instead of relying only on the scale.
Life now: "Heck yeah, I belong in the gym." Carrie shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast.
What the research says. A 2011 meta-analysis of 49 studies of adults over 50 found that resistance training increased lean body mass, with bigger gains from higher training volume. [1] In a classic 1990 JAMA study, nursing home residents with an average age of 90 nearly tripled their leg strength after eight weeks of strength training. [2]
"What's best about Maxime's approach is that he emphasizes the fundamentals first. This book lays a solid foundation, guiding readers through core principles of sustainable weight loss on a plant-based diet."
Dr. Matthew Nagra, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, on Forever Fit
If you want to feel strong and sturdy for decades to come, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Peterson MD, Sen A, Gordon PM (2011). Influence of resistance exercise on lean body mass in aging adults: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 43(2):249-258. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20543750/
Fiatarone MA et al. (1990). High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians: effects on skeletal muscle. JAMA 263(22):3029-3034. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2342214/
About the author. Maxime Sigouin is the founder of Mavy Wellness (formerly FitVegan Coaching) and the author of Forever Fit, a book endorsed by physicians including Neal D. Barnard, MD, Laurie Marbas, MD, and James F. Loomis, MD. He has coached for more than six and a half years and, with his team, has coached nearly 1,300 adults over 50 on a whole food plant based diet. He hosts the Forever Fit Podcast, with more than 450 episodes.
Last updated: October 26, 2026. Results vary from person to person. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program.
