The best exercises for building strength after 50

Strength training is one of the primary strategies for competing in the sport of aging.

This is why champions of aging incorporate strength training into their fitness program.

The best way to build overall strength is through compound movements that mimic basic human movement patterns and can ultimately be loaded with significant weight.

The best exercises for building strength after 50 are the deadlift, barbell squat, bench press, overhead barbell press and the chinup.

Let’s look at each exercise in a little bit more detail.

Deadlift

Deadlifting in my garage

The one core exercise you need if you want to build muscle mass is the deadlift.  For a single movement exercise, it hits more muscle groups than any other.

The deadlift works the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, abdominals, shoulders, lats, trapezius, and the forearms.

The deadlift is the one exercise that allows you to lift the most weight.  At present, the world record for a deadlift is just over 1,100 pounds.

It is also the one exercise where you can progress the fastest in regard to adding weight to the bar.

Because it works both the upper and lower body, it is virtually a must exercise to include in any strength training program.

In spite of the fact that a significant portion of the fitness community regards the deadlift as a risky exercise, it’s simply not, when performed correctly and with proper programming.

I’ve literally seen a 100 year old woman deadlift 165 pounds, and she did not start training until she was 91 years old.

Therefore, there are few excuses for excluding the deadlift from your program.

Barbell Squat

While the deadlift involves more muscle groups, the low bar squat actually engages more muscle mass through the greatest range of motion.

The squat works virtually the entire posterior chain, from the calves all the way up to the upper back.

As a result, powerlifters who specialize in the squat are able to handle upwards of 900 pounds.

In most strength training programs, the squat is viewed as the most important exercise, and it is also often trained in these programs more than the other exercises.

Similar to the deadlift, you can also add weight to the bar fairly quickly with the squat.

With that in mind, if it all possible, try to incorporate the squat into your program.

Bench Press

The bench press is the exercise that allows you to develop the greatest upper body strength.  Power lifters who specialize in this lift are able to bench upwards of 800 pounds.

When performed properly, the bench press can incorporate significant leverage, which is why you are able to push up significanly more weight than with the barbell press.

As such, it is a movement that allows you to build significant strength and muscle mass in the upper body.  The bench press works the muscles of the chest, upper back, front of shoulders, and triceps.

The forearms also get some work from holding the barbell.

Overhead barbell press

The overhead barbell press is the most technical of the lifts discussed here.  It is also the one exercise where your progress in regard to adding weight to the bar will stall most quickly.

While the prirmary muscle group employed in this lift is the shoulders, since it is done standing, it also engages many muscles from the feet all the way out through the forearms.

Because of its difficulty, many non-competitive lifters simply choose to do seated presses with barbells or dumbbells.

This is acceptable, as long as you are at least incorporating the squat and deadlift into your training.

Remember, the goal with these lifts is overall strength, and that is built with as much range of motion as possible.

Chinups

While chinups are primarily a bodyweight exercise, they are excellent for developing pulling strength with the lats, upper back, shoulders, biceps and forearms.

The problem is, most people can’t even perform a single chinup, and for many people, this is because they are overweight.

For these people, lat pulldowns are an alternative until significant weight loss occurs, and strength is built into these muscles.

The chinup is excellent for achieving balance in your body and training, since the two major strength training exercises for the upper body involve pushing movements.

While the deadlift does incorporate the lats in its motion, chinups are more effective at targeting that muscle group.

Final thoughts

As mentioned, strength training is a primary strategy for competing in the sport of aging.

Combined, these exercises will help you build significant strength and muscle over a relatively short period of time.

This is the case if you start after 50, 60 or even 70 years old.

The key is to get started by learning how to properly perform the movements with very conservative weights.

Ultimately, if you are able to train these exercises, you’ll have the ability to improve your overall quality of life over the long run.

Now, get to work!