Is it too late to start strength training at 70?
No. People who start strength training at 70, and even later, can get stronger. Muscle responds to training at any age when the program starts where you are and gets gradually harder. Mavy Wellness coaches adults from 50 to 87, and many members lifted their first weight in their sixties or seventies.
How to start at 70 without getting hurt:
Start with two or three short sessions a week, about 30 to 40 minutes, full body.
Learn the movements first. Sit to stand, wall or counter push ups, rows with a band, carries. Good form before more weight.
Increase slowly. Add a few reps, then a little weight, over weeks. This is where a coach helps most.
Eat enough protein so your body has what it needs to build muscle.
Expect it to feel awkward at first. Every skill does, at every age.
Arlyce started at 70. She had been plant based for ten years but had never done strength training, partly because girls weren't in sports when she grew up. At first every move felt awkward. A few months later the movements were automatic, and she now trains in her own workout room at home. Her advice to her younger self: "Don't wait until you're 70. Get going." The best time to start was years ago. The next best time is now.
Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have a health condition.
What the research says. 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. [1] 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. [2]
Watch on the Forever Fit Podcast: This 86-Year-Old Woman Proves You Can Build Muscle at Any Age (Ep. 423)
"Forever Fit is my go-to book that explains the real risk of being under-muscled. Maxime lives and breathes his exact protocol and has helped hundreds change their body composition."
Cyrus Khambatta, PhD, NYT Bestselling Coauthor of Mastering Diabetes, on Forever Fit
To have a Mavy coach build your first program, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
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/
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/
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 19, 2026. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program.
