The Biggest Mistake Lifters Make as They Age, According to Science

"I used to lift just like you"

"I used to do that stuff, but I can't anymore"

Sound familiar? These types of statements are things you'll likely hear from the older crowd at your gym. Some men reach a point in their lifting career where they stop chasing progress. They show up, do enough to get by, and leave. Basically, they accept their fate.

But new research suggests they probably shouldn't. Researchers wanted to find out whether muscle power is a better predictor of dying than muscle strength. While these terms seem the same, they are actually quite different.

Muscle power is how quickly you can produce force, colloquially referred to as explosive movements. Muscle strength is simply force on its own, like a max lift or squeeze.

What they found was that people with low muscle power were dramatically more likely to die than those with high power. Low strength, by contrast, was not a statistically significant predictor.

Being in the weakest power group was associated with roughly 6–7 times the risk of dying compared to the strongest power group, even after accounting for age, sex, and other health conditions.

When it comes to power training, most people stop doing it out of fear of being injured. But a proper warmup, along with working within your means, can circumvent much of that. Power training also doesn't necessarily mean going to your local track and running sprints. This study utilized the rower. You can also train for power using an airdyne bike, box jumps, or medicine ball throws. You can even do some of your normal exercises in an explosive manner, obviously adjusting for such with lighter loads.

So the next time you hear someone say "I used to do that," consider it a warning rather than wisdom. The research shows your muscles' ability to move fast may be a sign of how much life you have left in you. Training for power doesn't have to be reckless or reserved for the young. Show up, move with purpose, and give your body a reason to stay powerful and athletic.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 3:51 PM.