Older Adults Get Big Benefits From Low-Volume Strength Training
A massive review of 151 trials shows small weekly doses of resistance training increase muscle function and size with less.
Our older adults don’t need long, high-volume gym sessions to move better and stay independent. This large 2024 review of 151 trials found that low weekly resistance training volume was enough to significantly improve walking, functional tests, lean mass and muscle size in healthy older adults, while higher volume was mainly needed to squeeze out extra strength gains. The takeaway is that for older adults, a small amount of well-structured resistance training goes a long way for healthy ageing.
Aim
The researchers wanted to find out how much weekly resistance training volume works best for older adults to improve:
Physical function (walking tests and “get up and go” performance)
Lean body mass
Lower-body muscle size
Lower-body muscle strength
They also checked whether the effects changed based on:
Program duration (short term under 20 weeks vs 20 weeks or longer)
Physical health status (physically healthy, physically impaired, or mixed)
Methods
This study was a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in adults aged 60 and older. It only included supervised resistance training programs.
Programs were split into three groups based on weekly training volume, calculated as frequency × number of exercises × number of sets:
Low-volume resistance training (LVRT)
Moderate-volume resistance training (MVRT)
High-volume resistance training (HVRT)
The main outcomes were:
Physical function
Timed Up and Go
6-minute walk test
Fast walking speed
Muscle mass and size
Lean body mass
Lower-body muscle hypertrophy
Strength
One-repetition maximum (1RM) knee extension and leg press
Isometric strength
Isokinetic torque
A random-effects network meta-analysis was used to compare the different training volumes, even when the original trials did not directly compare all three.
Results
The review included 161 articles covering 151 trials and a total of 6,306 older adults.
Low-volume resistance training:
Was the most effective for improving Timed Up and Go performance
Produced the largest gains in the 6-minute walk test
Led to clear increases in lean body mass
Produced meaningful lower-body muscle hypertrophy
Moderate and high-volume resistance training:
Were superior for boosting lower-limb strength compared with low volume
High volume, in particular, was the only approach that clearly improved fast walking speed
Program duration did not meaningfully change the pattern of results. The benefits of low volume and the strength advantage of higher volume were similar in both shorter and longer programs. Most of the evidence came from physically healthy older adults, and there was not enough data to draw strong conclusions for those who were physically impaired.
Takeaways
For healthy older adults, the key practical points are:
You do not need high weekly training volume to improve function
Low volume was enough to improve key markers of independence, such as getting up from a chair, turning, and walking for 6 minutes
Low volume is also enough to build lean mass and increase lower-body muscle size
If the main goal is to get as strong as possible, especially in leg press or knee extension, then moderate to high weekly training volume works better
The benefits of low-volume training appeared regardless of whether the program lasted less than 20 weeks or continued for 20 weeks or more
For physically impaired older adults, caution is needed because the evidence base is much smaller
In practice, this supports using low-volume resistance training as a default starting point for healthy older adults who want to move better, stay independent, and build or maintain muscle. Higher volume can then be layered on for those who tolerate training well and have specific strength goals.
Wrap-up
This review reinforces that “minimum effective dose” resistance training is a realistic and effective strategy for healthy older adults. Low-volume programs can deliver meaningful improvements in function, lean mass, and muscle size without long, demanding sessions, while higher volume is mainly needed for maximal strength gains.
Reference
Radaelli, R., Rech, A., Molinari, T. et al. Effects of Resistance Training Volume on Physical Function, Lean Body Mass and Lower-Body Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of 151 Randomised Trials. Sports Med 55, 167–192 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02123-z
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