Trainer outlines six strength-training pillars to help older adults stay healthy

Marfred Suazo, a New York City fitness trainer known online as Fonz the Trainer, says older adults should make strength training a primary focus to preserve muscle and daily function as they age.

Health agencies advise adults to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities. Suazo, a former lifelong competitor who has trained thousands of people across age groups, said strength work becomes increasingly important in the fourth decade of life and beyond to prevent declines that affect basic tasks such as carrying groceries and climbing stairs.

"Skeletal muscle is like our body armor," Suazo said. "It prevents falls, it prevents hip breakage, it helps with all of these things." He described skeletal muscle as an "organ of longevity" and said preserving it is especially important for women to lower the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

Suazo recommends that older adults structure strength routines around six core pillars of movement: push, pull, carry, hinge, overhead press and squat. He said those pillars cover the primary movement patterns necessary for functional fitness and should be trained regularly to build resilient muscle and joint function.

Push movements involve extending weight away from the body and typically work the chest, shoulders and triceps. Common examples include push-ups, bench presses and chest presses. Pull movements bring weight toward the body and target the back and biceps, as in pull-ups, bent-over rows and lat pulldowns.

Carry work requires holding weight while walking, which improves posture, stability and grip strength while engaging the shoulders, upper back, core and hips. "You want to be able to carry at least 70% of your body weight," Suazo said. Hinge movements, which bend and extend at the hips, strengthen the glutes, hamstrings and the posterior chain; deadlifts, hip thrusts and kettlebell swings are common hinge exercises.

Vertical pressing motions such as the overhead press focus on the shoulders, triceps and core. Squatting patterns target the quadriceps, glutes and core and can be varied with front squats, goblet squats, back squats and split squats. Suazo said the squat is "an essential movement" for daily function.

For true beginners, Suazo advised sticking to fundamentals such as calisthenics, push-ups, squats and progressions for pulling movements. He recommended inverted rows if a full pull-up is not yet possible and resistance-band training as a highly accessible starting option. He emphasized starting slowly and progressively increasing load so the body is challenged without being overwhelmed.

Suazo also urged combining strength training with cardiovascular exercise and mobility work, a combination he calls the "tripod effect." "Those three things, when they come together, they're able to hold you up a lot better," he said, adding that the mix helps maintain endurance, flexibility and strength as people age.

He noted that effective programs do not require a gym; many movements can be performed at home with body weight, bands or minimal equipment. Suazo and other fitness professionals stress that people who are considering a new exercise program, particularly those with chronic conditions or previous injuries, should consult a doctor before beginning to reduce risk of injury.

As populations age, public health experts and trainers alike point to strength training as a measurable way to preserve independence and reduce injury risk. Suazo said approaching fitness with the long view — training "for decades of strength" rather than short-term goals — can help older adults maintain mobility and quality of life into their later years.