Can you build muscle at 60?

Yes. Strength and some muscle size improved with training even in people around 90 in a small study, and trials in menopausal women show gains too.

Is it safe to start lifting weights at 60?

For most people, yes, starting light and building up. See your GP first if you have a heart condition, recent falls or fractures.

Is it too late to start strength training at 50 or 60?

Updated 29 October 2026

No. In a small 1990 study, frail adults around 90 years old gained strength and some muscle after eight weeks of strength training. Trials in menopausal women show the same pattern: strength improves within weeks. UK guidelines advise strength work on at least two days a week at every adult age, and say any activity is better than none.

What the research shows

In Fiatarone and others (1990), nine frail nursing home residents aged about 90 more than doubled their leg strength on average in eight weeks of high-intensity training. It was a small study with no control group, but it changed how researchers thought about age and strength.
In menopausal women, a 2023 meta-analysis found exercise improved grip and leg strength.
The NHS advises adults aged 65 and over to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week.

Starting later

Talk to your GP if you have a condition
Especially heart problems, recent falls, osteoporosis with fractures or a recent operation.
Start with your own baseline
The home strength test has published norms from age 60 for the chair stand.
Include balance
See How to improve your balance after 40.
Build slowly
Two sessions a week, a little more each week.

Know your starting point: work out your daily protein with the protein calculator and check your strength with the home strength test.

Questions people also ask

Can you build muscle at 60?: Yes. Strength and some muscle size improved with training even in people around 90 in a small study, and trials in menopausal women show gains too.
Is it safe to start lifting weights at 60?: For most people, yes, starting light and building up. See your GP first if you have a heart condition, recent falls or fractures.

Find out where you stand.

Take Ojafi's free strength check and get a plan built around your week, your food and your joints.

Take the strength check

Sources

Ojafi gives general food and exercise guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose or treat any condition. See our medical disclaimer.