Start with the movements you can do now
Strength Training for Older Adults in Kaohsiung
If you're starting strength training after 50, 60 or 70, the first step isn't to rush into heavy weights.
Whether you're learning about training for older adults for yourself or looking for strength training classes for an older family member, the first step isn't to rush into adding weight — it's to understand what you can do right now.
When looking for fitness classes for yourself or a family member in this age group, find out how the coach will assess current mobility. For older adults with no training experience who need more individual attention, we recommend starting with one-on-one, planned around the movements and loads they can manage, and assessing other classes once things are stable.
Beyoung Training first looks at your current mobility, movement experience and health, then chooses movements and intensity you can do steadily.
The studio is in the Wenshan Special District of Sanmin, Kaohsiung, near Chengqing Road, Qingnian Road and Fengshan.
Want coach-led sessions just for you? Choosing between one-on-one and two-person
In both, the coach plans the content, watches your movement and adjusts the load. The difference is whether a session focuses on one person's learning, or manages the alternating rhythm of two regular partners at once.
One-on-One Personal Training
If you have several movements that need to be worked through one by one, or want the coach to keep full track of how you respond to every set, one-on-one allows more observation and adjustment. Sessions are planned around your training experience, learning pace and how you're doing that day — you can start even with no strength training experience.
Two-Person Training
If you already have a regular partner and want to build a training routine with a friend, partner or family member, consider two-person training. You don't need to be at the same level or use the same weights — the coach plans the order you alternate in. Whether your attendance, goals and learning pace fit together matters more.
Two people who are both 65 may need very different training
Some people walk every day and travel,
and can already do many movements steadily at their first session.
Others haven't been regularly active in a long time and are used to pushing off something to get up from a chair,
and are still working out how to produce force steadily when they first handle load.
So when we plan sessions, age is only one factor.
The coach also looks at the following.
坐下與站起
目前能做到多大的活動範圍，起身時身體怎麼出力。
Walking and balance
Whether your body stays in control when walking, turning and bearing weight.
Basic movements
Which versions of squatting down, lifting things from the floor, upper-body pushing and pulling, and loaded carries you can currently do fairly steadily.
How you respond after training
Your breathing, fatigue and how quickly you recover after a set also shape what comes next.
Older adults new to strength training can start with one-on-one
When people over 60 contact us for the first time, we usually recommend starting with a One-on-One Trial.
Early on, there are more details to watch. The coach can adjust movement height, weight, support and rest time to your current condition, and can see more fully how you respond to each movement.
1 | Understand where you are now
We'll talk about your usual activities, past exercise experience, what matters most to you right now, and any health conditions to keep in mind.
2 | Try a few basic movements
We start with what you can do now and look at your control when sitting to standing, squatting, lifting weight, pushing and pulling with the upper body, and doing loaded carries.
3 | Find a suitable starting point
Movement versions and intensity are chosen based on what we see that day — no need to do everything in the first session.
4 | Then discuss next steps
Once the coach has seen the movement in person, we'll discuss whether to continue with one-on-one or whether another class format would be a good next step.
Older adults also need to increase load gradually
Careful planning doesn't mean always doing very light movements.
Once a movement can be done steadily, we can gradually increase the weight, range of motion or difficulty.
For example, you might start with bodyweight sit-to-stands and add dumbbells once they're steady. If you start with short walks, the distance or load can be increased gradually.
Some people suit dumbbells, some suit a hex bar, and some can go on to use a barbell.
The coach chooses the equipment and version that suit you right now, based on your current mobility, control and training goals.
Weight, reps, range of motion and movement version don't all need to increase at once. Adjusting one main variable at a time makes it easier to see how your body responds to training.
This is also the main argument Dr. Li-An Ho, head coach of Monster Training, makes in his book on heavy strength training and ageing (published in Chinese). He describes ageing as a gradual year-by-year loss of muscle, bone and nervous system function, and argues that to stimulate all three systems together, the training load has to be meaningful. Activities that stay at a low intensity for the long term make it harder for the body to adapt in these ways.
"Heavy" here is relative. For a 70-year-old who's just started training, a goblet squat they can do steadily is their heavy weight for now. The key is that the weight goes up as ability improves, rather than staying in the same place forever.
Who should start here
Haven't exercised regularly in a long time
Not sure how much is right for you now, and want someone to look at your current ability first.
Trying weight training for the first time after 50, 60 or 70
Unfamiliar with the equipment and movements, and want someone to guide you step by step.
Want more reserve for daily activities
You want your body to have more capacity for getting up, walking, using stairs, carrying things or travelling.
You're looking for a way for your parents to train
and want to know how the coach will assess them before deciding which class suits them.
Already active, and want to add structured strength training
You walk, hike, swim or do other activities regularly, and want to take up planned, loaded training.
Looking for strength training for an older family member in Kaohsiung? Check these three things first
When looking for training for a family member, check three things: whether the first session starts by finding out what they can do now, whether training is adjusted gradually based on how they actually perform, and whether the coach knows what not to push on with when something needs medical clearance.
Here we've kept to the key points you need when choosing a class. For a fuller comparison of how coaches assess, choose movement versions, plan loads and communicate, see What to look for in a strength coach for your parents | 5 practical points.
One real way to start: a 74-year-old student
A 74-year-old student first found Beyoung Training with his daughter's help. At the start his mobility was fairly limited, so he began with one-on-one, giving the coach more time to observe his current movement, load and how he responded to training.
Training didn't chase heavy weights from day one. It started with what he could do and gradually increased load and activity.
Three months later, in his own feedback, he mentioned that he could now walk four laps of the elementary school track. This is one student's personal experience; everyone's starting point, training process and results may differ.
To learn how training for older adults is planned, read these three articles
People of different ages, activity backgrounds and physical abilities may all start in different places.
Articles on our site cover more real training plans and coaching decisions.
The courses I've taken at Monster Training in recent years have updated how we look at training for older adults. Dr. Li-An Ho talks about strength training stepping in before long-term care is needed, to preserve physical capacity. How to apply that to each student still has to be judged afresh here on the training floor in Kaohsiung.
How to adjust a strength program for older adults | Choosing weight, reps and versions
To see how weight, reps, range of motion and movement versions are adjusted step by step once training starts, read this article.
What to look for in a strength coach for your parents | 5 practical points
If you're comparing coaches for a family member, look at their assessment approach, movement versions, load planning and communication together.
What does the coach look at before an older adult starts strength training?
If you're not sure what happens at the first session, this article explains how sit-to-stand, walking, range of motion and basic movements help find the starting point.
中高齡開始肌力訓練常見問題
Is it too late to start strength training after 60?
We start by looking at your current ability to work out how best to begin.
Age affects how sessions are planned, but your year of birth alone doesn't decide what you train. Beyoung Training first looks at your current mobility, movement foundation and the intensity you can handle steadily, then chooses suitable movement versions.
50 歲、60 歲才開始健身，安排上和年輕人差在哪
基本方向一樣，回到蹲、髖鉸鏈、上肢推、上肢拉、負重行走。差別通常在起始版本、增加負荷的節奏與恢復時間，這些會依目前的活動能力 、動作基礎與身體狀況安排，年齡只是其中一個參考。教練會多留意訓練後的疲勞與恢復速度，再決定下一步。每個人狀況不同，如有疑慮請先與專業醫療人員討論。
Is it OK with no strength training experience at all?
Yes.
You don't need to know how to squat or deadlift, or get fit first. The coach starts by observing the basic movements you can currently do steadily.
Will I use a barbell from the start?
Not necessarily.
Some people are better off starting with bodyweight or dumbbells; others already have the mobility and control to use other loaded equipment.
Equipment is chosen based on your current ability and the purpose of the training.
Do older adults really need to train with heavy weights?
Yes — but "heavy" here is relative to each person's current ability.
In his book on heavy strength training and ageing, Dr. Li-An Ho explains that for muscle, bone and the nervous system to improve together, you need training that uses large muscle groups and multiple joints with enough load, while machine exercises work better as accessory work. So programs for older adults still use movements like the squat and deadlift — the version, range of motion and weight are just set according to your current condition.
Your first session won't go straight to heavy weights. The coach first looks at the version you can do steadily now, then increases the weight one step at a time. Everyone's situation is different — if you have any concerns, please talk to a medical professional first.
Can people over 60 join the Free-Weight Group Class directly?
Beyoung Training's Free-Weight Group Class currently suits adults aged 20 to 59 best.
If you're over 60 and contacting us for the first time, we recommend starting with a One-on-One Trial. Once the coach has seen your current mobility, movement foundation and a suitable intensity, we'll assess which class format suits you best going forward.
Can I start if I have an old injury, a history of surgery, or am under medical care?
We first need to confirm what activity limitations you have.
If you're under medical care, have recently had surgery, or a medical professional has set activity limits, we recommend completing the relevant medical check first, then telling the coach about your known conditions.
Beyoung Training provides strength training and movement coaching. This is not a medical or rehabilitation service.
Everyone's situation is different. If you have any concerns, please talk to a medical professional first.
Can adult children enquire on behalf of their parents?
Yes.
When you first contact us, you can tell us their age, usual activity level, any past exercise experience, and any health conditions to keep in mind.
The actual sessions will still be planned around the student's own movement and responses on the day.
My parents walk every day. Do they still need strength training?
Walking is a daily activity worth keeping up, but it may not provide enough strength stimulus.
Getting up from a chair, carrying things and using stairs all require the ability to handle load. Strength training, with suitable movement versions and gradually increasing load, can build abilities that everyday activities don't practise much.
It's not about replacing walking with strength training, but letting different activities complement each other.
Is strength training once a week worth it?
Once a week can be a way to start building a training habit, but the results depend on what you train, the load, how long you keep it up and how active you are otherwise.
For some older students, once or twice a week can be a starting point, with frequency adjusted later based on goals, recovery and daily life.
My knees are uncomfortable. Can I still start strength training?
We first need to understand the cause of the discomfort and your current condition. If you've recently been injured, have ongoing pain or swelling, or already have medical activity restrictions, you should be assessed by a medical professional first.
Once it's confirmed that activity is suitable, the coach can adjust movement height, range of motion, support and load to your current ability, starting with a version you can do steadily — there's no need to squat deep in the first session.
Not sure how to start? Just ask
You don't need to decide which class you or your family member should take first.
Just tell us their age, current activity level, past exercise experience and anything to keep in mind.
For people over 60 who are new to training, we usually start with a One-on-One Trial.
Once we've seen the movement in person, we'll discuss together what suits best going forward.