Building defined arms in your 60s provides many health benefits. Strong triceps and biceps can make carrying groceries and performing daily tasks more seamless.
If you’re looking to build arm strength, finding the right exercise plan you’ll stick with is an investment in your future. How so? It can help strengthen your bones and preserve confidence and independence.
Sounds sensible, right? We’ve made it simple with five daily exercises that can help restore arm tone after 60.
“Why daily and simple works: The biggest factor after 60 is consistency, not the perfect program. Short sessions you can do at home every day add up to more total work than a gym plan you do once a week. They are not a replacement for progressive weight training; they are a good on-ramp to it. The rule is the same either way: Take each set close to tired with good form, and add a rep or a harder variation every week or two. Anyone with a joint or heart issue should check with their doctor first,” explains Zac Armstrong, Founder of Executive Health Edge, a physician-supervised health program for men 40 to 65 built on a 75-marker blood panel.
Keep in mind that there’s no better way than weight training to tone your muscles, says Portia Page, Balanced Body Educator and NCPT. However, the exercises below are accessible and can seamlessly be weaved into your daily routine. They also promote consistency, which can help you make progress and achieve lasting results.
Incline Pushups
“Incline pushups train the chest, shoulders, and the back of the arm together, and you make them harder by moving to a lower surface,” Armstrong tells us.
- Begin facing a stable surface like a counter.
- Place your hands just outside your chest on the surface.
- Walk your legs back so you’re at a straight incline from your head to your heels.
- Keep your legs together and rise onto the balls of your feet.
- Engage your core and keep your gaze forward.
- Bend your elbows to lower your body until your chest lines up with your elbows.
- Return back to straight arms.
- Perform 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
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Resistance Band Rows
“Band rows work the upper back and biceps and balance out all the pushing and reaching we do all day,” Armstrong says.
- Start by anchoring a resistance band to a sturdy pole at chest level (or a doorknob).
- Stand tall, facing the anchor point.
- Hold the handles with both hands.
- Bend your elbows and pull the band toward your chest.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Extend your arms back to the start position.
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Dumbbell Curls
“The slow lowering is where most of the work happens, so a light load still gets the muscle tired,” Armstrong tells us.
- Hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
- Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top.
- Use control as you slowly lower for a count of 3 seconds.
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Chair Dips
“Chair dips target the back of the arm, which is the area most people mean when they talk about arm tone. Keep the range small and pain-free,” Armstrong says.
- Begin sitting at the edge of a sturdy chair.
- Place your hands on the edge of the seat and lift your tailbone off the chair.
- Walk your feet away until your knees, hips, and torso form 90-degree angles.
- Activate your core and keep your shoulders relaxed as you bend your elbows and lower your body just below the seat.
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Bicep Curls
“Biceps curls are a simple yet effective way to strengthen the front of the upper arms, supporting everyday activities such as lifting groceries, carrying bags, and picking up objects,” Page tells us.
- Begin standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold a water bottle or soup can in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
- Bend your elbows to curl the weight up toward your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top.
- Use control to lower.
- Perform 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
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