The greater fluctuations in motor output that are often exhibited by old adults during submaximal contractions can be reduced with strength training. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of strength and steadiness training by old adults on the fluctuations in force and position during voluntary contractions with the quadriceps femoris muscle. Healthy old adults (65 - 80 yrs) completed 16 weeks of heavy-load (80% of maximum) strength training (n = 11), heavy-load steadiness training (n = 6), or no training (n = 9). Steadiness training required subjects to match the angular displacement about the knee joint to a constant-velocity template. The Heavy Load group experienced a 5.5% increase in muscle volume, a 25% increase in maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force, and a 26% increase in the one-repetition (1-RM) load. The Heavy-Load Steady group experienced increases of 11.5%, 31%, and 36%, respectively. The maximal AEMG of the quadriceps femoris muscle increased by 51% in the two training groups. The coefficients of variation (CV) for force during submaximal isometric contractions did not change with time (0, 2, 8, and 16 weeks) for any group. Although both training groups also experienced a reduction in the CV for force during anisometric contractions with a 50% 1-RM load, the standard deviation (SD) of position did not change with time for any group. The Heavy-Load Steady group also experienced a significant reduction in the CV for force during the training contractions performed with the 80% 1-RM load. Thus, strength training reduced the force fluctuations of the quadriceps femoris muscles during anisometric contractions, but not during isometric contractions.