Tanya's story: from two and a half hour gym sessions to stronger on three a week in her 50s
Tanya, a Mavy Wellness client, got stronger in her 50s by training less: she went from two and a half hour gym sessions to about an hour, three to four times a week. After about six months with Mavy Wellness she leg presses 240 pounds, deadlifts 115 pounds and carries 90 pound kettlebells in each hand.
Where she started: Tanya was a longtime plant based eater and marathon runner who joined a gym for the first time in her 50s, loved it, and overdid it. She was also nervous that tracking food would pull her back into old diet habits.
What changed:
Less volume, more focus. Her coach scaled her back to shorter, structured sessions with planned rest.
Tracking as a learning tool. A kitchen scale and body composition data, without obsessing.
Coach oversight. Her coach spotted a change in her heart rate data and encouraged rest.
Grip and joint support. Lifting grips helped her wrists and grip strength.
Group coaching calls. Several calls a week with coaches and other members.
Life now: "I feel stronger and stronger. I feel healthier and healthier." She now opens jars with ease. Tanya shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 414.
What the research says. A 2026 Harvard-led study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine followed about 150,000 adults for up to 30 years. People who did 90 to 120 minutes of strength training a week had about a 13% lower risk of dying from any cause than people who did none, and combining strength training with regular aerobic activity was linked to about a 45% lower risk. [1] The World Health Organization recommends muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week for adults, including adults over 65. [2]
"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
If you think more is always better, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Strength training and mortality study, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2026 (Harvard-led). Summary: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260808234959.htm
World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020); summary in Bull FC et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine 54:1451-1462. https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/physical-activity
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.
