Muscle Health
Sarcopenia: Signs of Age-Related Muscle Loss, How to Test for It, and What Actually Works
By Coach Matt Weaver · Founder, Results Transformation Center · Updated October 2026 · 4 min read
Quick answer
Sarcopenia is the gradual, age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and function. It typically begins in midlife and accelerates with age. Common signs include weaker grip, slower walking and difficulty rising from a chair. Progressive strength training at least twice a week, adequate protein, and regular muscle measurement are the most effective ways to slow or reverse it.
Muscle is the organ of longevity. It protects your joints, your metabolism, your balance and your independence. And it leaves quietly, year after year, while the bathroom scale tells you nothing. That quiet loss has a name: sarcopenia.
Educational content only. Sarcopenia is diagnosed by a healthcare provider. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about weakness or falls.
What Is Sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength that comes with aging. It is not just “getting older” — it is a measurable decline that increases the risk of falls, fractures, loss of independence and metabolic problems. Muscle loss can begin in your 30s and 40s and accelerates in later decades, especially in people who do not strength train.
What Are the Signs of Sarcopenia?
- Getting up from a chair or the floor takes more effort, or you need your hands
- Your grip feels weaker — jars, bags and suitcases are harder
- You walk slower or tire on stairs
- Your balance feels less reliable
- Your weight is stable but you look and feel “softer”
- You have lost weight recently (including on a GLP-1) and feel weaker
How Is Muscle Loss Measured?
See your numbers in 60 seconds
A Muscle Protection Scan shows what is actually happening in your body. A coach texts you today to pick a time.
Claim My Muscle Protection ScanClinicians often combine three kinds of tests:
Strength
grip strength, or how quickly you can stand up from a chair five times
Muscle quantity
body composition testing — DEXA, BIA scans such as the Bio Age Scan by EVOLT, or other imaging
Physical performance
walking speed and balance tests
For tracking progress at the gym, a BIA body composition scan on the same machine every few weeks shows whether skeletal muscle mass is going up or down. Results TC offers that scan free to new guests.
What Causes Sarcopenia?
- Physical inactivity, especially no resistance training
- Not enough protein
- Hormonal changes with age, including menopause
- Rapid weight loss, including diet- or medication-driven weight loss
- Illness, injury or long periods of bed rest
Can Sarcopenia Be Reversed?
In many people, muscle loss can be slowed and partly reversed. The strongest tool is progressive resistance training. There is no supplement or pill that replaces it. Walking is valuable for heart health, but it does little to rebuild muscle on its own.
The Best Exercises for Sarcopenia
Sit-to-stand squats
the foundation of getting out of chairs and cars
Deadlift / hip hinge patterns
picking things up safely
Rows and pulls
posture and upper-back strength
Presses
pushing yourself up and reaching overhead
Loaded carries
grip, core and real-world strength
Balance drills
step-ups and single-leg work with support
Train these at least twice a week, increase the challenge gradually, and get coaching on form. That is the protocol behind every Results TC program.
Protect, Restore, Rescue: How Results TC Approaches Muscle Loss
After your scan, your coach names your stage. Protect if you are still strong. Restore if you have lost some. Rescue if the decline is real — because the window to rebuild is still open. Members in their 60s have added nine pounds of skeletal muscle in three months at Results TC (results vary).
Get Your Muscle Measured in West Sacramento or Sparks
West Sacramento: 109 15th St, West Sacramento, CA 95691 · (916) 371-2496. Sparks / Reno: 670 Greenbrae Dr Ste 140, Sparks, NV 89431 · (775) 360-5776.