Deadlifts don't retire.
Twenty-four weeks of hexagonal barbell deadlift-based resistance training twice weekly improves trunk lean mass, reduces body fat, and enhances trunk extensor strength and mobility in older women, with no adverse events reported.
Compiled by FitTools from the study cited below
The citation, figures and study details on this page are taken mechanically from the source record. No human editor has reviewed it.
Added to Pulse 23 July 2026
- Study design
- Study
- Evidence
- preliminary
- Published
- 23 July 2026
Key takeaway
What it shows: Single RCT, n = 32 older women (mean age 67.6 years), supervised twice-weekly training; no assessment of long-term adherence or sustained benefits beyond 24 weeks; whole-body lean mass and lower-limb isokinetic strength did not differ between groups.
Study details
- Design
- Study
- Journal
- Exp Gerontol
- Published
- 2026
- Added to Pulse
- 23 July 2026
What they did
Thirty-two older women (mean age 67.6) trained the hexagonal-bar deadlift twice a week for 24 weeks in a supervised randomised trial.
What they found
Improved trunk lean mass, reduced body fat, and better trunk extensor strength and mobility.
Where it fits
More weight behind heavy, simple compound lifting being viable and productive well past retirement age, though long-term adherence outside a supervised setting wasn't assessed.
The source
Effects of free-weight resistance training based on hexagonal barbell deadlift in older women: A 24-week randomized controlled trial. Exp Gerontol 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2026.113246
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