Beyond Strength and Cardio: The Third Pillar of Longevity Fitness

You Should Know: The longevity fitness conversation has largely settled into two camps. On one side, you have the cardio-first crowd, focused on VO2 max and zone 2 training. And on the other, strength — grip strength and resistance training. Both are well-supported by research, and most experts agree you need some combination of the two.

Going Deeper: But there’s a third variable that doesn’t get nearly as much attention — force. More specifically, rate of force development. In layman’s terms, this is how quickly your muscles can produce force. Research suggests the ability to produce force rapidly declines with age faster than raw strength does, which is a big reason why falls become so dangerous later in life. Your legs may be strong enough, but they can’t fire fast enough. Training for force means incorporating explosive movements like box jumps, medicine ball throws, kettlebell swings, and jump squats.

Takeaway: Strength and cardio are both essential, but adding power-focused exercises into your workout may fill a gap that traditional training misses — one that is particularly important as you age.

Bottom Line: You’re not getting out of your current strength and cardio split (sorry). This research is just encouraging you to mix explosive movements into that routine.