5 Strength Workouts Men Over 50 Should Do To Maintain Muscle

As you move into your 50s and beyond, your body naturally goes through various changes. For men, one major change is a decrease in testosterone levels, an essential hormone for muscle mass and strength maintenance. To address the effects of aging and keep your body healthy for years to come, we spoke with a fitness expert who shares the best strength workouts for men in their 50s.

“Once you get over 50, you start feeling the effects of age-related wear and tear on your body. Injuries from the past are coming back to haunt you with chronic aches and pains, and new injuries are much harder to recover from,” explains Dave Durell, a certified conditioning specialist and personal trainer. “If you’re experienced with strength training, exercises you might have loved in your 20s now might cause too much pain to perform with any meaningful resistance. So you have to make adjustments to your strength training program to reflect these changes.”

The best way to reduce age-related muscle loss is by being diligent with progressive resistance exercises, aka strength training.

You don’t need long sessions to see results. Just 10 minutes of smart, targeted strength work a few times per week can help you maintain muscle, support testosterone, and stay strong well into your 50s and beyond.

“Regularly imposing a challenging demand on your muscles will keep them strong, and counteract the muscle-wasting effects of sarcopenia,” Dave says.

Below, you’ll find the best strength workouts for men in their 50s to combat sarcopenia and build and maintain muscle.

Leg Press (Lower-Body Push)

1. Sit at the leg press machine with your back against the pad and feet shoulder-distance apart on the platform.
2. Hold onto the handles and activate your core.
3. Push through your heels to lengthen your legs, pressing the platform away from you.
4. Once you reach the top, don’t lock your knees.
5. Use control as you bend both knees to lower the platform. Stop when your thighs become 90 degrees to your calves.

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Leg Curl (Lower-Body Flexion)

1. Adjust the leg curl machine so the pad is resting right above your heels (if lying down) or behind your low calves (if sitting down).
2. Lie or sit with legs lengthened and take hold of the handles for support.
3. Curl your legs as you bring your heels to your glutes.
4. Pause at the top for a moment.
5. Use control to lower the weight to the start position.

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Overhead Press (Upper-Body Push)

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart and dumbbells in-hand at shoulder level, palms forward.
2. Activate your core and squeeze your buttocks.
3. Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are completely extended.
4. Use control to lower the weights back to shoulder level.

Lat Pulldown (Upper-Body Pull)

1. Sit at the lat pulldown machine.
2. Make sure your legs are secure under the thigh pad.
3. Reach up to grab the bar using an overhand grip. Hands should be just outside shoulder-width.
4. Pull the bar down to your chest, keeping your elbows down and back.
5. Use control to return the bar to the start position.

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Trunk Flexion (Midsection Exercise)

1. Lie flat on your back with bent knees, feet flat on the ground, and hands at the back of your head.
2. Activate your core and lift your upper back off the ground, curling your torso toward your knees.
3. Make sure your lower back stays pressed into the ground.
4. Use control to lower.