Paul's story: a lifelong cyclist makes strength training stick at 81
Paul, a Mavy Wellness client, made strength training a consistent habit for the first time at 81, after decades of starting and stopping. A lifelong cyclist who biked across the United States at 70 and again at 75, he worked with a Mavy Wellness coach on a monthly strength program built to support his riding, and reports better posture, more energy and a little more muscle after six months.
Where he started: Paul was very active and had eaten whole food plant based for about six years, but he noticed a decline in his cycling and his doctor warned that strength drops quickly after 80.
What changed:
A program matched to his goals. Strength work designed to support his cycling and slow age related muscle loss.
Form feedback. Paul films his sets and his coach suggests improvements.
A daily routine. Qigong, meditation, a walk, his ride, then strength training.
Consistency over intensity. "A little of something is better than a whole lot of nothing."
Life now: Paul rides 26 miles a day, 2,912 miles in one season, to raise money for a farm nonprofit that feeds people in need. "To me, the magic sauce is consistency." He shared his story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 410.
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 2017 New England Journal of Medicine trial of 160 adults over 65 who were losing weight, those who did resistance training kept more of their lean muscle than those who only did aerobic exercise. [2]
"Forever Fit gives you everything you need to excel in your athletic endeavors and achieve the best of health simultaneously. Maxime Sigouin packs evidence-based science, integrity, and compassion into this volume."
Neal D. Barnard, MD, FACC, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, on Forever Fit
If you're active but losing strength, 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/
Villareal DT et al. (2017). Aerobic or resistance exercise, or both, in dieting obese older adults. New England Journal of Medicine 376:1943-1955. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28514618/
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.
