The Fit List
The corner of the TechRadar site that swaps processors for press-ups, The Fit List is our regular series of fitness listicles. We explore how to improve your health in handy bite-size pieces of advice. You can read the whole series here.
Strength training becomes increasingly important as we move towards (and past) the age of 50. It doesn’t just impact how we look, but also how we live and age. We naturally begin to lose muscle mass, strength and bone density after 35, and that process advances with every year. Sarcopenia, as it’s known, can impact everything from balance and mobility to longevity.
As a personal trainer and strength coach, I’ve helped hundreds of clients over the years to become stronger and fitter. The good news is that you don’t need complicated workouts or hours in the gym to build strength and feel more capable day to day.
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In fact, the most effective results come from consistently doing the basics and doing them well.
I always recommend that clients over 50 focus on compound movements. That’s exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once. These types of moves are also functional, meaning they replicate activities of daily living like sitting, standing, picking things up or reaching overhead.
Mastering the basics doesn’t just make you stronger, it helps you move better and stay confident in your body for years to come. Below, I’ve detailed three fundamental moves to try, and how to get the most out of them. You can start doing all three with nothing but a set of dumbbells.
1. Goblet Squat
We all squat every day without even realising it. Every time we sit in a chair and stand up again, that’s a squat. It’s also a move we want to be able to do long into the future – squat now so you can still get up off the toilet unaided at 80.
Squats are great for recruiting all the big muscles in the legs as well as the glutes and core. Adding weights to any compound movement increases the effectiveness of the move as we have to work that bit harder. When adding weights, always remember that you can go heavier with leg moves as those muscles are more powerful than the muscles of the upper body.
How to do a goblet squat:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart. Toes can turn out or straight on.
- Hold a heavy weight at the centre of your chest, keeping it close but not resting on the body.
- Breathe in through the nose, then lower yourself towards the floor by bending the knees as if you were going to sit in a low chair.
- Keep your chest lifted and weight spread evenly through the feet.
- Push the feet hard into the floor and exhale as you come back up to standing.
- Do 3 rounds of 8-10 repetitions.
Tips: You can squat down to a box or bench to start with, which stops you going too low and acts as extra support if you need it.
If you feel like you need to lean forward to squat low, try elevating your heels with small yoga blocks, weight-plates or something similar.
2. Romanian deadlift
The deadlift is great for working the posterior chain – that’s the group of muscles down the back of the body including the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. It’s great for improving stabilisation and easing the aches and pains we can get from sitting for too long. The movement pattern replicates another action we do very often: picking things up from the floor.
A Romanian deadlift is a great place to start when learning how to deadlift.
How to do a Romanian deadlift:
- Stand with the feet in line with the hips, toes pointing forwards.
- Hold a pair of dumbbells against the top of your thighs, palms facing the legs.
- From here, hinge at the hips pushing them back as far as you can while keeping a flat back (think about trying to touch the wall with your backside).
- Lower the dumbbells down the legs, keeping them touching your body throughout.
- Lower until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings (back of legs) – you don’t need to touch the floor.
- Keep a slight bend in the knees but don’t turn it into a squat.
- Push the feet into the floor and return to standing, squeezing the glutes at the top.
- Aim for 3 rounds of 12-15 repetitions if your weights are relatively light, or 3 rounds of 6-8 repetitions with heavy dumbbells.
Tips: Keep the shoulders rolled back and down throughout the movement. It’s a good idea to watch yourself in a mirror or video yourself to check your form.
3. Overhead press
The overhead press is one of the most effective upper body exercises you can do. It’s a great compound movement, working the shoulders, upper back and arms as well as the core muscles which keep you stable.
It’s a movement we use often in daily life — reaching up to a cupboard, putting something on a shelf or lifting and carrying items safely. Again, it’s a pattern we want to keep practicing as we age.
How to do a dumbbell overhead press:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height.
- Your palms can face forwards or slightly inwards, with elbows just in front of your body.
- Breathe in through the nose, tighten your core (stomach) and keep your ribs down to avoid arching your lower back.
- Exhale as you press the dumbbells overhead in a controlled movement until your arms are straight.
- At the top, your biceps should be close to your ears without shrugging your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells back down slowly to shoulder height.
- Do 3 rounds of 8–10 repetitions.
Tips: If you feel this in your lower back, focus on tightening your core and abs. You can do this by squeezing your glutes and pulling the belly button back towards the spine.
Keep the movement controlled as you lift and lower the weights – this will engage the muscles properly.
Aim to do each of these exercises 2-3 times a week. When it comes to selecting what weights to use, you want a pair of dumbbells that allows you complete all the repetitions with good form, but the last two or three repetitions should be a challenge. Over time, as you get stronger, you’ll be able to increase the amount of weight you use.
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