In addition to following a nutritious diet,strength trainingis one of your golden tickets tobuilding muscleandavoiding muscle loss.
Get ready to build up your strength!
And rememberas with any fitness goal you’re working toward, consistency is key!
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“Gaining muscle and maintaining a healthy amount of muscle mass is incredibly important as we age.
In addition, emphasizing compound lifts or movements in your strength-based workouts is key.
“Generally speaking, there are two types of deadlifts; conventional and sumo.
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Conventional deadlifts require a more narrow stance, targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles.
Then, activate your lats as you press your hips back and hinge your body forward.
confirm your back remains flat as you drag the weights just below your knees toward the floor.
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Then, return to the standing start position.
“Stances can also vary in a squat, as well as depth and range of motion.
The main muscles targeted are the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves.
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Variations include goblet, sumo, cyclist, barbell back squat, overhead squat, etc.”
To perform squats with weights, position your feet just outside hip-width with your toes pointing forward.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at the sides of your body.
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Press your feet into the floor, bend your knees, and lower your glutes toward the ground.
ensure your chest stays open and lifted and your core is activated.
Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor or lower.
Then, press back up to the start position.
Perform three sets of 12 reps. “Typically, a barbell is used for a bench press.
A chest press can utilize dumbbells or be completed in a more upright position on a machine.”
To get started with a chest press, hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Lie flat on your back on the ground or on a workout bench.
If you’re on the floor, bend your knees and plant your feet.
confirm your back stays flat.
Extend your arms, holding the weights over your chest.
Slowly lower the dumbbells toward your chest, bringing them down and out to the sides of your body.
Your elbows should stay under your wrists throughout the movement.
After lowering the weights, drive them back up to extended arms.
Perform three sets of 12 reps. “There are many variations, including thrusters and the Arnold press.
They can be performed sitting or standing.”
Begin this final exercise by standing tall or sitting up straight and holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Raise your arms to shoulder level at 90 degrees, stacking your wrists over your elbows.
Your palms should face forward.
Maintain a tall chest, and brace your core.
Then, press the weights above your head until your arms are almost fully extended.
The weights should be right over your shoulders at the top.
Then, gradually lower the dumbbells by bending both elbows to return to the position you started in.
Perform three sets of 12 reps.
