What capable looks like on an ordinary day
Capable is a list of things you can just do:
- Getting up off the floor without a hand on the sofa.
- Carrying every bag in from the car in one trip.
- Catching yourself when you clip a kerb.
- Getting a suitcase into the overhead locker.
- Playing eighteen holes and walking back to the car without thinking about it.
Fit is usually a number: a 5k time, a resting heart rate, a weight on the scales. Those numbers are worth having. Capable is what you can do with your body when nobody is timing you, and strength training in Poole at Ocean Fitness is built around it.
Capable versus fit in plain terms
When I say capable, I mean strong enough for your life, quick enough to react, and steady enough on your feet to stay upright. When most people say fit, they mean their heart and lungs. You need both. The difference is where you start.
If you train only for the number, you can run further and still struggle to get off the floor. If you train for capable, you lift, carry, push, pull, balance and move fast, and your fitness comes along with it.
What the research says about strength
In 2008 Jonatan Ruiz and colleagues followed 8,762 men aged 20 to 80 for an average of almost 19 years. The men who were stronger on the bench and leg press were less likely to die from any cause and from cancer. That held after the researchers allowed for cardiorespiratory fitness, so strength counted on top of how fit the men were.
In 2015 Darryl Leong and colleagues measured the grip strength of 139,691 adults aged 35 to 70 in 17 countries. Every 5 kg of lower grip strength went with a 16% higher risk of death from any cause over about four years.
Both are observational studies. They show that strength and long life go together, not that strength training causes the difference, and I would rather you heard that from me. Grip strength is a marker of how strong you are overall, not something to train on its own.
In 2019 the National Strength and Conditioning Association published a position statement on resistance training for older adults. It says resistance training counters the loss of strength and muscle with age, and the effects of that loss on physical function, mobility and independence.
How to train for both
You do not have to choose. A week of capable training covers fitness too:
- Lift something heavy from the floor.
- Carry something heavy for a distance.
- Push and pull in different directions.
- Balance on one leg.
- Move something quickly.
- Keep your heart rate up for some of it.
I wrote about that idea in transferable strength training over 40 and about how it changes how you look and feel in training to look good and feel good.
Strength training in Poole at Ocean Fitness
Strength after 40 at Ocean Fitness starts with a conversation about what you want to be able to do, then a look at how you move. The programme is built around that list, and the loads go up as you get stronger.
David has trained with me for almost ten years. In his words: "He looks at your whole life style on a holistic basis and works very hard to find the best system to suit YOU personally."
The studio is private, at 1 Victoria Road in Poole, BH12. One trainer, one client. Book a free consultation and tell me what you want to be able to do.
Strength training in Poole: common questions
What is the difference between being fit and being capable?
Fit usually means heart and lung fitness, measured by a number such as a run time. Capable means you can do the physical jobs in your life: lifting, carrying, getting up from the floor, balancing and reacting quickly. Good training builds both.
Does muscle strength matter as you get older?
A 2008 study of 8,762 men found stronger men were less likely to die from any cause, even after allowing for fitness. A 2015 study of 139,691 adults linked every 5 kg of lower grip strength with a 16% higher risk of death. Both studies show an association, not cause.
Do I need to do cardio as well as strength training?
Some of it. Capable training includes moving quickly and keeping your heart rate up for part of the session, so your fitness improves alongside your strength. How much depends on what you want to be able to do.
Is strength training safe after 40?
The National Strength and Conditioning Association's 2019 position statement supports resistance training for older adults. At Ocean Fitness Poole you start with a movement screen, and the loads go up gradually as you get stronger.
References
- Fragala MS, Cadore EL, Dorgo S, Izquierdo M, Kraemer WJ, Peterson MD, Ryan ED. Resistance training for older adults: position statement from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2019;33(8):2019-2052.
- Leong DP, Teo KK, Rangarajan S, et al. Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. The Lancet. 2015;386(9990):266-273.
- Ruiz JR, Sui X, Lobelo F, Morrow JR, Jackson AW, Sjöström M, Blair SN. Association between muscular strength and mortality in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2008;337:a439.