After 65, building strength doesn’t require gym weights. Real-world strength comes through effective exercises and the amount of time your muscles spend under adequate tension. People who lift light dumbbells through short ranges of motion and rest most of their workout aren’t building strength. They’re wasting time. It’s more important to dedicate 12-minutes everyday to an effective routine than a few hours a week at a gym where you spend most of your time waiting for people to finish using the equipment so you can exercise.
You don’t need additional weights when you can easily use your own bodyweight to build strength. I prefer using standing movements with my clients older than 65, because you can work multiple muscles at the same time and involve your legs, hips, and trunk.
This routine is 4 blocks of 3 minutes of exercise. Stay focused for each block and perform as many reps as you can safely. If you stay consistent, you’ll build strength that you can maintain every day.
Minutes 0–3:00 — Slow Reverse Lunge
It’s always good to start out your workout using your larger muscle groups. You’ll find performing single-leg work much more challenging than bilateral movements that use both legs at once. Lower for 3 seconds and rise up in 1 second. The slow descent is where you get the most tension, so don’t rush through this phase of the movement. Hold onto a chair or a wall with one hand the first couple times you perform the workout. After your balance improves, you can let go of the wall and put both hands on your hips.
Keep most of the weight under your front heel. Step far back enough so that your front knee sits at a 90 degree angle at the bottom of the movement. Alternate legs for 3 minutes.
How to Do It
- Stand tall with a hand on a chair if needed
- Step one foot straight back
- Lower over three slow seconds
- Keep your torso tall and chest lifted
- Drive through the front heel to stand
- Alternate legs for three minutes.
RELATED: 3 Wall Exercises That Smooth Arm Flab in 21 Days After 65
Minutes 3:00–6:00 — One-Arm Doorway Row
Most gym goers overemphasize pushing motions (bench press, overhead press) but forget to pull. Over time this lack of pulling strength contributes to a rounded upper back and elevated shoulders. Including rows in your workout solves this issue. The one-arm doorway row builds upper back, arm strength, and keeps your shoulders healthy.
Grip both sides of the door with one arm and lean back. Bend your knees. Keep your arm straight. Pull your shoulder blades back and down and then bend your elbow, pulling until your chest reaches the doorway. It may take a little bit to find the right position, but this will work wonders. Make sure to do both sides. Because this is a 3-minute block, you’re going to get 1 and a half minutes on each side.
How to Do It
- Grip both sides of a sturdy door frame
- Walk your feet forward and lean back
- Keep your body in one straight line
- Pull your chest toward the frame
- Squeeze the shoulder blades and hold two seconds
- Lower slowly and repeat.
Minutes 6:00–9:00 — Slow Wall Push-Up
Push-ups strengthen your shoulders, triceps, and core. The key with this exercise is to go slow. Most people rush the wall pushup, and they don’t get the adequate stimulus that you need to build strength. Lower the chest slowly to the wall. Press back until your arms are almost straight. Keep the tension on the muscles the whole time.
How to Do It
- Place both hands on a wall at chest height
- Step your feet back and stand tall
- Lower your chest over five slow seconds
- Press back over three seconds
- Keep the body straight throughout
- Step feet further back to progress.
RELATED: 5 Chair Exercises That Shrink Belly Overhang Faster Than Gym Machines After 55
Minutes 9:00–12:00 — Single-Leg Hip Hinge
Let’s finish by using your hamstrings. The single-leg variation is more challenging than the two-leg hip hinge. Balance and posterior strength are very important after 65, so don’t skip this movement. As you start the exercise, think of pushing the hips backward rather than bending down.
Start by holding onto a wall or a stable object to help with balance until you feel ready to do the movement for the full 3-minutes without support. Remember, three minutes are a long time for one exercise. You’re going to be tired by the end. Make sure to switch at a minute and a half so you can do the other side.
How to Do It
- Stand tall beside a chair for support
- Shift your weight onto one leg
- Push your hips back and lower your chest
- Let the free leg travel behind you
- Keep your spine long throughout
- Drive the hips forward and switch sides.
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