Serious adverse events were rare , and no serious events were reported to be directly related to the exercise programme .
This review provides evidence that PRT is an effective intervention for improving physical functioning in  older people , including improving strength and the performance of some simple and complex activities .
BACKGROUND Muscle weakness in old age is associated with physical function decline .
Progressive resistance strength training ( PRT ) exercises are design ed to increase strength .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of PRT on older people and identify adverse events .
Influence of resistance exercise on lumbar strength in older, overweight adults.
OBJECTIVE To measure lumbar extensor strength in overweight ( OVW ) and nonoverweight ( NOVW ) elderly adults before and after resistance exercise training ( RX ) . DESIGN Descriptive , comparative study . SETTING University-based wellness center and research facility . PARTICIPANTS Eighty-four adults ( age range , 60 - 83 y ) were placed into 1 of 2 groups based on body mass index ( BMI ): control ( NOVW ; mean BMI , 22.5 kg/m(2 ) ) or OVW ( mean BMI , 29.2 kg/m(2 ) ) . Subjects were then r and omly assigned to either a resistance exercise ( RX ) or nonexercising group . INTERVENTION Six months of total body RX and isolated lumbar extension exercise . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Body composition , isometric lumbar extension strength , and 1-repetition maximum for each of the training exercises . RESULTS Upper-body strength increased by 18.3 % and 17.2 % for the NOVW-RX and OVW-RX groups , respectively . Lower-body strength increased by 12.7 % and 19.5 % for the NOVW-RX and OVW-RX groups , respectively . At baseline , the OVW participants had greater total lumbar extension strength ( 1067 Nm vs 714 Nm ) compared with the NOVW participants ( P<.05 ) . When expressed per kilogram of fat-free mass , there were no differences in baseline total lumbar extension strength . After RX , lumbar extension strength increased by 58 % and 34 % for the NOVW-RX and OVW-RX groups , respectively ( P<.05 ) . No changes in lumbar extension , upper- or lower-body strength were noted for the nontraining groups . CONCLUSIONS OVW subjects were found to have greater absolute and similar relative , upper-body , lower-body , and lumbar extension strength at baseline when compared with their NOVW counterparts . Also , isolated lumbar extension exercise was effective in improving lumbar extensor strength in OVW and NOVW persons
Serious adverse events were rare , and no serious events were reported to be directly related to the exercise programme .
This review provides evidence that PRT is an effective intervention for improving physical functioning in  older people , including improving strength and the performance of some simple and complex activities .
BACKGROUND Muscle weakness in old age is associated with physical function decline .
Progressive resistance strength training ( PRT ) exercises are design ed to increase strength .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of PRT on older people and identify adverse events .