PRT results in improvements to muscle strength and some aspects of functional limitation , such as gait speed , in older adults .
However , based on current data , the effect of PRT on physical disability remains unclear .
Further , due to the poor reporting of adverse events in trials , it is difficult to evaluate the risks associated with PRT
BACKGROUND The aim of this systematic review was to quantify the effectiveness of progressive resistance strength training ( PRT ) to reduce  physical disability in older people .
Strength training normalizes resting blood pressure in 65- to 73-year-old men and women with high normal blood pressure.
OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of heavy resistance strength training ( ST ) on resting blood pressure ( BP ) in older men and women . DESIGN Prospect i ve intervention study . SETTING University of Maryl and Exercise Science Laboratory . PARTICIPANTS Twenty-one sedentary , healthy older men ( 69 + /- 1 year , n = 11 ) and women ( 68 + /- 1 year , n = 10 ) served as subjects for the study . INTERVENTION Six months of progressive whole body ST performed 3 days per week using Keiser K-300 air-powered resistance machines . MEASUREMENTS One-repetition maximum ( 1 RM ) strength was measured for seven different exercises before and after the ST program .  Resting BP was measured on six separate occasions before and after ST for each subject . RESULTS Substantial increases in 1 RM strength were observed for upper body ( UB ) and lower body ( LB ) muscle groups for men ( UB : 215 vs 265 kg ; LB : 694 vs 838 kg ; P < .001 ) and women ( UB : 128 vs 154 kg ; LB : 441 vs 563 kg ; P < .001 ) . The ST program led to reductions in both systolic ( 131 + /- 2 vs 126 + /- 2 mm Hg , P < .010 ) and diastolic ( 79 + /- 2 vs 75 + /- 1 mm Hg , P < .010 ) BP . Systolic BP was reduced significantly in men ( 134 + /- 3 vs 127 + /- 2 mm Hg , P < .01 ) but not in women ( 128 + /- 3 vs 125 + /- 3 mm Hg , P < .01 ) , whereas diastolic BP was reduced following training in both men ( 81 + /- 3 vs 77 + /- 1 , mm Hg , P = .054 ) and women ( 78 + /- 2 vs 74 + /- 2 mm Hg , P = .055 ) . CONCLUSIONS Six months of heavy resistance ST may reduce resting BP  in older persons . According to the latest guidelines from the Joint National Committee for the Detection , Evaluation , and Treatment of Hypertension , the changes in resting BP noted in the present study represent a shift from the high normal to the normal category
PRT results in improvements to muscle strength and some aspects of functional limitation , such as gait speed , in older adults .
However , based on current data , the effect of PRT on physical disability remains unclear .
Further , due to the poor reporting of adverse events in trials , it is difficult to evaluate the risks associated with PRT
BACKGROUND The aim of this systematic review was to quantify the effectiveness of progressive resistance strength training ( PRT ) to reduce  physical disability in older people .