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Over 50? This Strength Workout Will Make Your Body Look Younger

Maintaining muscle will help you age gracefully and make your body look younger.
FACT CHECKED BY Alexa Mellardo

Middle age falls between 40 and 60 years old, so if you're 50 or over, it's important to live it up. However, in order to do so, you need to make staying fit, healthy, and feeling younger more of a priority, and we have just the plan. Over 50? This strength workout will make your body look younger.

As you age, your body begins to change if you're not staying active. You start to lose muscle mass, your metabolism slows down, and you end up gaining unwanted fat in the process. Although this is not great news to hear, there are some steps you can take to help.

In order to reverse this process, you need to perform strength training to build and maintain as much muscle as possible. Muscle is really the key to youth, as it will help you age well and make your body look younger. We recommend performing a strength workout at least two to three times each week, focusing on full-body workouts. When choosing what strength training exercises to include in your routine, compound movements are king. They engage the most muscle groups and will give you the best results.

We've made your journey simple with a strength workout to get started with. Keep reading to learn more, and next up, don't miss The 1-Month Weight Loss Challenge for a Slimmer You.

Kettlebell Deadlifts

mature senior man doing kettlebell deadlifts
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To start your kettlebell deadlifts, stand in front of the kettlebell, and position your feet outside of the weight. Hinge your hips back, then squat down low enough to pick up the kettlebell. Be certain your shoulders are in line with the handle of the kettlebell, and keep your torso straight. Keep your core tight and shoulders down, and take hold of the kettlebell by pushing through your heels and hips. Stand up tall, and flex your glutes at the top of the movement. Reverse the motion to put the weight down before performing another rep. Complete three to four sets of 10 reps.

Lat Pulldowns (Supinated Grip)

supinated lat pulldown illustration
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To start your lat pulldowns, take hold of the lat pulldown bar with your arms shoulder-width distance apart and your palms facing you. Lean back slightly, and pull the bar down toward your sternum with both elbows, squeezing your lats at the very bottom of the motion. Use resistance on the way back up, keeping tension in your lats. Get a good stretch at the top by letting your shoulder blades come up prior to performing another rep. Complete three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps.

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Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

mature woman doing dumbbell split squat exercises to regain balance after 60
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To begin dumbbell reverse lunges, grab a pair of dumbbells, and take a long stride back with one leg. Firmly plant your heel on the floor, then lower yourself until your back knee touches the floor. Push through with your front leg and rise back up. Complete three to four sets of 10 reps on each leg.

Incline Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

dumbbell crush press exercise
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To set up for this bench press, lie down on an incline bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, then position the weights up with your palms facing each other. Press your shoulder blades back into the bench, then lower the dumbbells keeping control. Get a solid chest stretch at the bottom of the motion, then drive the dumbbells back up to the ceiling, flexing your triceps and upper pecs to complete the move. Complete three to four sets of 10 reps.

Rope Triceps Extensions

rope triceps extensions
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This final exercise is performed by attaching a rope to a cable pulley and gripping it just above the knobs. Keep your chest up and slightly leaning forward, then pull the rope down with your elbows, tearing it apart at the very bottom while flexing your triceps. Complete three to four sets of 15 reps.

Tim Liu, C.S.C.S., CSCS
Tim Liu, CSCS, is an online fitness and nutrition coach based in Los Angeles Read more about Tim