It’s well known and studied that loss of muscle mass that occurs with aging is a major problem.

Loss of strength is correlated with everything from poor surgical outcomes to death.

It’s also well known among the older population that strength loss is a problem.

Who cares about aesthetics when you can’t get up off the ground or get off the toilet (both requiring great strength).

It’s also well known that strength training improves strength.

Which sounds obvious when you state it like that…

But what kind of strength training is best for older adults?

Every exercise has a risk. And as we age these risks become higher.

For example, barbell squats strengthen a ton of muscles and you can load it easily. But it also can be risky if form falters and the weight loads the wrong structures.

Would it be more effective to use a machine where you are very unlikely to get injured?

According to the research…yes.

This study looked at over 4,000 older adults (63-87).

The found the largest strength gains were from (in order of most to least):

Machine Weights
Free Weights
Elastic Bands
Mixed
Body weight

Keep in mind they all gained strength. So it’s not to say body weight is bad.

But if you’re trying to optimize your strength and stay healthy, maybe you should try a machine workout.

And one caveat is that the variable you should worry about most isn’t reps or load. It’s intensity.

The last few reps of any set should be difficult.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40452461/

The effects of different resistance training modalities on muscle strength in community-dwelling older adults: a network meta-analysis. Tim Wiedenmann et al. Gerontology. 2025.