Strong After 50: A Simple 50-Minute Strength +Sprint Workout

Aug 18

The benefits of strength training are undeniable. The science overwhelmingly shows that strength training and building muscle after 50 may be one of the most important things you can do for your health - not just to live longer, but to THRIVE in your golden years.

You have worked hard to get to the point where you can do what you want to do, when you want to do it. Maybe you are cutting back at work, semi-retiring or retired. This is your time to put yourself first and truly live.

Aging is a fact of life, and some of the consequences are undeniable. We do slow down. We've got achy joints, and maybe we don't have quite the same stamina we did in our younger years. But that is no reason to make excuses not to exercise. In fact, it is more important than ever that you build strength and stamina through weight training and sprints.

Yes, I said SPRINTS!

That does not mean you have to go to the track and run a 50-yard dash. A sprint simply means doing an activity that quickly raises your heart rate and moving at a very high intensity for about 30 seconds.

You can sprinkle your sprints in between strengthening exercises, or you can do them consecutively. If you do them in a row, give yourself a good 2-3 minutes to recover before beginning again.

Start with just two sprints and gradually work your way up to five.

Strength training combined with short bursts of high-intensity exercise can have tremendous benefits for your heart health, stamina, sleep and brain health.

Try to incorporate both strength training and sprints 2-3 times per week. I think you'll begin to feel the difference within a few weeks - and in a few months, you may feel like a new person!

Strength + Sprint Workout - About 50 Minutes

1. Warm Up - 5 Minutes

Start with active range of motion either standing or on your back.

Straight-leg raises
Hip rotations
Knee bends
Ankle circles
Spinal twists
Shoulder rotations in each direction
Hip thrusts/bridges
Dead bugs
Air squats

The goal is simply to get your body moving and prepare your joints and muscles for what's coming next.

2. Strength Training: Progressive Overload

Perform 3 sets or rounds. With each set, increase the weight and decrease the repetitions.

Set 1: 12-15 reps
Set 2: 9-12 reps
Set 3: 6-9 reps

Start your first set relatively light.

The goal is to bring the muscle group close to failure - ideally feeling as though you could perform only another one or two repetitions while still maintaining good form.

If you finish the set and feel like you could easily keep going, you are probably too light on the weight.

This is called progressive overload, and it is one of the most effective ways to build strength and reshape your body.

3. Use the Six Foundational Movement Patterns

These are the six functional movement patterns I want you to include whenever you strength train: • Squat: Traditional squat, sumo squat, pistol squat

Lunge: Step-back lunge, forward lunge, lateral lunge, walking lunge
Hip Hinge: Romanian deadlift, good morning, single-leg deadlift
Push: Push-ups, bench/chest press, overhead press
Pull: Bent-over rows, high rows, cleans, pulling something heavy
Carry: Farmer's carry - bilateral or unilateral, carrying a heavy weighted ball

There are MANY variations of these exercises, but start with the simplest. As you get stronger and master the basic patterns, you can begin playing with the movements and doing all kinds of fun stuff!

Basic Strength Training Circuit

Perform each exercise consecutively, then repeat the entire circuit 3 times.

Because you are moving from one exercise to another and working different muscle groups, you don't need as much rest as you would if you performed three sets of the same exercise in a row.

About 30-45 seconds of rest between exercises should be sufficient for most people. Take more if you need it.

Loaded Squat

Hold a weight close to your body in front.

Biceps Curl to Overhead Press

Curl the weights toward your shoulders and continue into an overhead press.

Walking or Stationary Lunge

Start with body weight if necessary and gradually add load as you get stronger.

Bent-Over Row

Perform unilaterally with one arm or bilaterally with both arms.

Romanian Deadlift

Keep a soft bend in your knees, hinge from your hips and maintain a long spine.

Farmer's Carry

Go fairly heavy with a weight in each hand and walk for approximately 1 minute.

Repeat the circuit three times. With each round, try to add a little more weight while decreasing the number of repetitions.

Add Your Sprints

Sprinkle five 30-second sprints throughout your workout.

Jump squats
Jumping jacks
High knees
Quick feet
Slam balls
Battle ropes
Stationary bike
Treadmill
Rowing machine
Stairs

Or really anything that allows you to work at a very high intensity for 30 seconds. You are aiming for roughly a 9 out of 10 effort.

And remember: you can start with just two and work your way up to five.

4. Finish With a 5-Minute Stretch

Hold each stretch for approximately 30 seconds.

Hip flexor stretch
Hamstring stretch
Glute/piriformis stretch
Spinal twist
Quadriceps stretch

You Are Done!

You have effectively worked all of your major muscle groups in a functional way, challenged your core stability and worked on your cardiovascular fitness and VO2 max through the sprint intervals.

And as a consequence, you are building strength of both body and mind.

Use this as your basic routine. As you become more comfortable with it, start playing with different variations and make it fun.

Better yet, do it with a friend or take a class so that you are held accountable and have more fun doing it! We have four strength and conditioning classes at the studio, where we combine heavier weight training and cardio intervals in one class. You are much more likely to stick with a routine when accountability and fun are involved. So what are you waiting for?

For your convenience, download a PDF of this specific workout with diagrams so you can print it out or easily pull it up on your phone and follow along. I want to make getting strong as easy as possible!!

Download the Strong After 50 Workout Guide

Let me know how it goes - I want to hear about your progress!

Christine