SHIPPING INCLUDED Muscles lose size and strength with age, resulting in physical weakness and a variety of degenerative problems. But muscle loss may be largely avoided with regular strength training, and a large amount of muscle tissue already lost can be replaced, regardless of your age. Strength Training Past 50 presents research-based guidelines to help anyone over 50 develop and perform a sound, safe strength training program. Wayne Westcott, PhD, and Tom Baechle, EdD, two of the worlds most recognized strength and conditioning experts, have developed this comprehensive, practical guide for the over-50 fitness market, one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry. Wayne Westcott is one of the fitness industrys most visible and respected experts, whose articles have appeared in Shape, Fitness, Prevention, Mens Health, and other popular publications and whose research has contributed much of the mounting evidence showing the great benefits of strength training for people past 50. Tom Baechle is the author of Weight Training: Steps to Success, which has sold more than 100,000 copies, as well as several other books. He is also editor of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, the definitive text in its field. Strength Training Past 50 uses data collected and analyzed in a five-year study that examined the effects of regular strength training on previously sedentary adults. Results showed that regardless of gender, age, or physical condition, the 1,132 men and women who participated in the strength exercise program made significant improvements in terms of added muscle, lost fat, and reduced resting blood pressure. In fact, in this group, in which the age range was 21 to 80, participants over 60 responded just as well to strength exercise as everyone else. Research clearly shows that youre never too old to get great benefits from strength training. Strength Training Past 50 explains and shows the most effective way for mature adults to work their muscles by presenting specific strength tests, 9 safety essentials, 39 age-appropriate exercises, a 10-week workout plan, and personalized programs for increasing muscle size, strength, or endurance. About the Author With more than 30 years in strength training as an athlete, coach, teacher, professor, researcher, writer, and speaker, Wayne Westcott, PhD, is recognized as a leading authority on fitness. He is the fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Massachusetts, where he developed a model strength-fitness facility and training program rated the "Best Buy in the United States" by Fitness Magazine in 1995. Westcott has served as a strength training consultant for numerous organizations and programs, including Nautilus, the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the National Sports Performance Association, the International Association of Fitness Professionals (IDEA), the American Council on Exercise, the YMCA