TacticalBarbell.com

Hello everybody,

I am wondering if you have any ideas or experiences in convincing ladies over 60 to take up resistance training. My mother is not "unfit" by general standards - she is leaning more towards the too lean spectrum for her age and does some Yoga / Pilates and some LISS - Running.
What i am worried about is her being at risk for further muscle loss / frailty / osteopenia or -porosis.
She has not had any fractures yet but i would think it very helpful for her to pursue some small measure of resistance training.

I would love for her to do a Fighter Cluster based on the Trap Bar Deadlift but she is quite anxious about heavy weights.

I was thus thinking about going Bodyweight / Resistance Bands and lightweight Kettlebell first to let her accommodate a bit and to slowly get her lifting heavier Kettlebells (Goblet Squat / Deadlift) before progressing to anything more serious.

Any thoughts / advice?

I would look at two sources. Strong Medicine by Chris Hardy and Marty Gallagher has a progression for those with no lifting background or real athletic ability. The full progression would take her from where she is to being able to do pretty much anything. There is plenty of text in the material that may help to convince her. Quantitative Medicine by Charles Davis and Mike Nichols has a rather more aggressive lifting program (kind of surprising) but as Nichols is an MD and bases the book on his clinical practice, it may come across as even more convincing. Both books are worth reading (especially for the over-40 club) and if you can get her to read them (and if you read them so as to be able to discuss with her), you can probably make headway.

Cool tips, thank you!

Hehe - i should have mentioned that i am Austrian - she will not be able to read them, except if i find those books in german italian or french ( she was a high school teacher )

I will have a look for sure though!

Alex