Getting older comes with many changes that are difficult to accept. One is that you lose muscle mass along with power and strength. This natural change your body endures is also known as sarcopenia. Harvard Health PublishingThe rate of muscle mass loss is 1% to 2% each year, increasing by up to 3% after age 60. Adults who never incorporate strength training into their fitness regimen can lose 4 to 6 pounds. Muscle every decade. Needless to say, strength training is not the problem. that’s what you have to do. So, here are the best bodyweight exercises to regain muscle mass after age 50.
If you want to stay fit, age gracefully, and maintain a quality life, strength training is the way to go. However, bodyweight movements are also a great way to help restore muscle mass. It’s the perfect place.
Below is a list of productive bodyweight exercises you can perform to regain muscle mass in your 50s and beyond.
These productive bodyweight exercises start with hand-release pushups. Think traditional push-ups. However, with a little twist. Start with push-ups. Your shoulders should be in line with your wrists, your back should be straight, your core should be tight, and your glutes should be tight.
Then use the controls to lower your body until it touches the floor. When you reach the bottom of the motion, lift your hands off the floor and push them back up. As you stand up, flex your triceps and chest before performing another rep. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
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Next is the lateral lunge. As you extend one leg out to the side while straightening your back leg, keep your core engaged and your chest high. With your heels planted firmly on the floor, push your hips back, sit as low as you can, and extend the inside of your other leg. Drive the heel of your working leg back to the starting position before performing another rep. He does 3 sets of 8 repetitions on each leg.
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Now prepare for the single-leg glute bridge. If you’ve done glute bridges before, you know the drill, but this exercise has a few tweaks. Begin the movement by lying on your back with both knees bent. Lift one leg and raise it into the air while keeping it straight. Make sure your core is tight as you pass through the heel of your leg on the ground. Bend his butt hard for just 2 seconds at the top of the move, then bring it back up. For each leg he does 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Stepping up begins with your feet on a low step, box, or bench. Keeping your chest high and your core engaged, lean into the heel of your front foot and step up with your feet apart. Bend your quadriceps and glutes at the top of the motion and use the controls to lower your body before performing another rep. On one leg he completes 3 sets of 10 repetitions before switching to the other leg.
Last but not least, enter the Side Plank Hip Lift. Begin the exercise by leaning against a wall with your heels, buttocks, and shoulders touching the wall. Bring your shoulders in line with your wrists and overlap your legs. Tighten your core, tighten your glutes, and bend your hips straight up and down to maintain tension in your obliques. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Tim Liu, CSCS
Tim Liu (CSCS) is an online fitness and nutrition coach based in Los Angeles. Read more about Tim
