Doing the heavy lifting in your 60s | Letters

Kathleen Askew and John Wise respond to Phil Daoust’s article about taking up a punishing resistance training regime

What with running, high-intensity interval training, swimming, yoga and now resistance training too – how much time exactly is left for work, relationships and domestic chores? Does Phil Daoust have servants (The muscle miracle: can I build enough in my 60s to make it to 100 – even though I’ve never weight-trained?, 7 April)? I’m 60 too. I’ve done heavy, outdoor work all my life, and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that Daoust is fortunate not to have arthritic or otherwise damaged joints that might hinder such a punishing schedule. If he’s going to live another 40 years, I’m hoping we lesser mortals won’t have to read about how freakishly strong his core is every week.
Kathleen Askew
Hayling Island, Hampshire

• Phil Daoust is correct that maintaining muscle mass is critical. But people will be put off by the amount of time his advisers say to devote to it. High-intensity, slow-movement resistance training for just 15 minutes a week can have results. For five years, I’ve been following Dr Doug McGuff and John Little’s approach in their book Body By Science, and am moving 50% more weight than when I started.
John Wise
Centreville, Ontario, Canada