Question: I am 82 years old and perform 10 reps each with 5-pound weights on a series of exercises.

I have read that I should perform more reps, then another article says that I am wasting my time unless I use increasingly more weight. What's right?

Answer: There really is no right or wrong with this situation because there are so many different ways to attain positive results.

Variation is the key to any successful fitness endeavor. I would take both philosophies, use them both and switch every eight to 12 weeks.

For the first 12 weeks, you could concentrate on gaining strength by performing exercises with heavier weight at 10-15 reps per exercise. The next 12 weeks, you could focus on muscular endurance by using lighter weight at 15-25 reps per exercise.

To keep the body guessing, you could use a "mix-and-match" format where you switch the amount of weight and reps you use every other week for 12 weeks.

When you do the same routine over and over again, the body gets to a point to where it neither gets any better nor worse, thus causing boredom and lack of progression. When you keep the body guessing, you can continue to pull results out of it by forcing it to constantly adjust to various types and intensities of stimuli.

Be sure to lift with great form, technique and slow speed of movement. If you are unsure how to perform exercises, go to your gym and have a fitness trainer show you.

Contact personal trainer Dave Patania by e-mail: davpatania@aol.com