The Ultimate Strength Training Program for Over 50 (with PDF)

If you’re aged 50 or older–or have a loved one who is–and are concerned about getting stronger and feeling more alive, our Ultimate Strength Training Program for Over 50s is the plan for you!

Not long ago, age 40 was considered old and the beginning of strength decline. That attitude has changed. It’s true that if left unchecked, you will lose muscle and get progressively weaker if you don’t do anything about it.

The good news…

People in mid-life and older can get stronger, and slow or arrest muscle loss, simply by resistance training.

All that’s needed is the right equipment, some willpower, and a well-designed plan (like the one we share here).

Jump to the program now!

Alternatively, you can download the free PDF version of the program using the link below:

The Program In a Nutshell

Two Programs for Different Experience Levels

Our Strength Training Program for Over 50s is designed with two tracks for different experience levels:

• One is for complete beginners, newcomers to strength training.
• The other is for people who know their way around a gym and have laid a foundation by lifting free weights, using machines, or other strength training equipment like tubing or bands.

It was once uncommon to see a middle-aged individual in the gym pumping iron and steel, but not anymore.

Newcomers to the weight room and people who’ve been training with free weights and machines for a while can both benefit from this program.

This assumes generally good health overall. If you’ve got questions or concerns about that, consult your doctor before starting.

Who Should Follow This Program?

Short answer: Anyone of middle age who wants to slow or stop muscle loss and for women who want to reduce the onset of osteoporosis.

The inconvenient truth is that adults begin to lose muscle mass somewhere around age 30. Surprising? Experts debate the exact age.

Let’s be optimistic and say that 3% muscle loss starts at age 45 and that you’ve got some muscle. A normal adult carries about 40% of body weight in muscle. A 180-lb man is therefore going to be carrying 72 lbs (~32 kg) of muscle, assuming you’re not taking a “supplement” whose name ends in “-one”.

At 46, you’re down to just under 70 lbs (~31 kg) muscle.

At 47, you’re down from 72 lbs of muscle to 68. Four pounds, two kilos.

See where I’m going?

By 50, you’ve lost a full 10 lbs (3 kg) of muscle mass.

Sobering, huh?

Now, let’s look at the problem from another perspective.

To maintain the muscle mass you have today, you have to gain 3% muscle mass a year. And that’s just to break even.

Time for another disclaimer: strength training differs from hypertrophy training. It’s possible to get stronger without gaining muscularity. However, the differences can be subtle. Strength gains require pushing the limits of mechanical failure during exercise, and it’s becoming increasingly evident that the reps in a bodybuilding set that grow muscle are also the ones that require pushing or pulling really hard.

Resistance training, and specifically strength training, has been reported to improve bone health. It’s the loading of the musculo-skeleton that creates this positive effect. There are other ways to place beneficial stress on the skeleton; however, weight lifting does very efficiently due to its relative magnitude.

What To Expect From This Program

Beginners and intermediate exercisers will find themselves able to move more weight, able to perform daily tasks more easily, and probably notice subtle changes for the better in muscle shape and tone.

If you’re new to the weight room, you can expect to be a little sore, at least at first. These are commonly referred to by the weight room brethren as “newbie gains”, and they are real, even for middle-aged folks.

If you’re experienced, you might also experience some soreness from the moves you’ve not done before, or by following the application notes on gauging your exertion and pushing past your previous limits.

Finally, you can expect to be doing exercises proven to build strength with minimal risk of injury. There are no barbell squats, cleans, snatches, or other exercises that require skill and that place the lower back in jeopardy of injury. You do not need those exercises to build stronger muscles.

Program Structure

Our Over 50 program includes a track for the weight room newcomer, and another one for those who know their way around it.

This program splits the body into logical regions: legs and arms, chest and shoulders, back and core. There’s an auxiliary day for extra work in areas that the over-50 population needs, especially legs and shoulders.

Beginners are going to be hanging out in the machines. Exercisers with some weight room experience will use some machines and the free weight room.

The Strength Training Programs for Over 50s

Set and repetition schemes are identical for both the beginner and intermediate tracks.

• Beginner exercises rely on machines. Machines offer excellent stability, which is great for beginners.
• Intermediate lifters will mostly be using free weights.

Beginners, don’t feel ashamed of the machines. Ironically, many expert bodybuilders are now gravitating back to machines because of the stability they add, allowing them to concentrate muscular force directly on target body parts without expending unnecessary energy stabilizing their bodies.

A well designed chest press machine lets the lifter put all his energy toward the press, versus say, setting up and stabilizing dumbbells for a DB bench press.

Exercise	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
Leg Press	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Leg Extensions	2 sets @ 10-12 reps	2 sets @ 8-10 reps	2 sets @ 6-8 reps
Leg Curls	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Arm Curl machine	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 8-10 reps	3 sets @ 6-8 reps
Triceps machine or Cable Triceps Extensions	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 8-10 reps	3 sets @ 6-8 reps

Exercise	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
Machine Chest Press	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Machine Chest Fly	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Overhead Press, machine	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Lateral Raise, machine	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps

Exercise	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
Pull-Down machine	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 10-12 reps
Seated Row machine	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 10-12 reps
Reverse Fly machine	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10- 5 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps
Crunches	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps

Exercise	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
Push Ups	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 12-20 reps
Bodyweight Squats	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 12-20 reps
Wall Slides	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps
Reverse Push Ups	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps

Exercise	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
Hex Bar or DB VMO Heel Elevated Squats	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
“Halting” RDLs (don’t lock out and don’t touch the ground between reps)	2 sets @ 10-12 reps	2 sets @ 8-10 reps	2 sets @ 6-8 reps
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 8-10 reps	3 sets @ 6-8 reps
Biceps Curls (Cable, DB, or BB)	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 8-10 reps	3 sets @ 6-8 reps
Triceps extensions (Cable, DB, or EZ Curl)	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 8-10 reps	3 sets @ 6-8 reps

Exercise	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
Machine Chest or BB Bench Press	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Seated Smith Machine Bench Press or DB Press (Utility or Adjustable Bench)	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Seated Incline Smith Machine Overhead Press (Adjustable Bench set high)	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps
Cable Side Laterals	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 6-8 reps

Intermediate	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
Lat Pull-Downs or Pull-ups	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 10-12 reps
Seated Row Machine or Seated Cable Row	4 sets @ 10-12 reps	4 sets @ 8-10 reps	4 sets @ 10-12 reps
“Kelso” Shrugs (Cable or DB)	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps
Cable Reverse Flyes or Reverse Fly Machine	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps
Crunches or Sit-Ups with a Twist	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps

Intermediate	Weeks 1-4	Weeks 5-8	Weeks 9-12
DB Flat Bench	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 12-20 reps
Rear Foot Elevated Squats (Bulgarian Split Squats)	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-12 reps	3 sets @ 12-20 reps
DB Lu Raises or “Y” Raises or Plate Raises	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps
Lat Pull-Downs or Pull-ups	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps
Hammer Curls	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps
Triceps extensions (Cable, DB, or EZ Curl)	3 sets @ 12-20 reps	3 sets @ 10-15 reps	3 sets @ 8-12 reps

Program Guidelines

1. Warm Up and Stretch!

Warm up before your workout to prevent injury and practice the movements. Warm-ups are important for anyone and even more crucial for older adults. If you’re a newcomer to the gym but a veteran in another sport, you’ll already understand the value of a good warm-up.

The warm-ups included in this workout program are composed of very light sets of the movements you’ll be doing during the workout, an application of the SAID Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands).

You should also get in the habit of stretching the target muscles before actually targeting them. This program will target basically every single muscle you have in your body, so getting those muscle loose is crucial.

There’s nothing worse than getting started on a heavy set of RDLs and pulling your glutes, which could have easily been prevented with some simple stretches.

2. Observe Progressive Overload

Progressive overload applies to any resistance training program. It’s a constant.

Progressive overload is adaptive stress applied to exercise. As muscles adapt to the stresses of additional weight or reps, more weight or reps can be performed. With strength routines, the reps scheme stays constant so your goal is to raise the weight instead of increasing reps as you progress.

Here’s how it looks in practice:

• Select the weight that you can use to perform the number of specified reps with excellent form.
• The last 4 to 5 reps should be challenging. Example: if the program calls for 10 to 12 reps, reps should be getting hard right around rep 6 or 7, and the 10th, 11th, and 12th (if you can squeeze that one out) should be all you can do with good form.
• Only do weights you can lift well. Use a lighter weight if your form suffers. The only reps you should count are perfect reps.

3. Push Yourself

Once you learn an exercise, it’s time to amp up the force you exert.

The commonly used analog scale that’s referred to often by trainers is the Borg scale of Rating of Perceived Exertion. The key word there is “perceived”.

As you gain expertise in lifting weights, if you learn well, what you thought was intense yesterday is not intense today.

Except for your warm-ups, your perceived exertion should be a 5, “challenging”, or 6 to 7, “hard”.

Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Strike a balance between pushing yourself enough to make progress and staying within your own limits.

By no means does that mean take it easy.

Pay no attention to gimmicky motivations like “all it takes is all you’ve got” and “pain is weakness leaving the body”. Yes, getting stronger will mean there will be discomfort; however, by no means does it mean “pain”.

4. Have Reps in Reserve

Reps in Reserve refers to the number of additional repetitions you are capable of performing if you were to keep going but do not in the interest of not overtaxing the muscles and joints.

If you’re no stranger to resistance training, you already know that recovery is as important as lifting. By holding back that one last rep, you’re prepared to exert strongly on the next set.

So…

Keep one Rep In Reserve (RIR) if you’re in the over-50 group. In other words, leave one rep in the tank.

As you advance with your resistance training, you’ll need to take a couple of sets of each exercise to complete mechanical failure, or zero RIR. Your last rep of each set is all you could do with decent form.

5. Be Mindful of Rep Cadence

Strength requires applying force to do work, in our case, to move a weight. Naturally, the heavier the resistance becomes in relation to the force being applied, the slower it’s going to move.

Use a rhythmic cadence for your reps, lowering slowly and under control on the eccentric phase and then exploding against them for the concentric.

To the casual observer, your reps are going to look pretty slow, but to you, you’re going to feel like you’re pressing as hard as you possibly can on those final reps of each set.

This is not the same thing as tempo training where you intentionally slow the reps down. Speed should be governed by how heavy the weight is versus the force you’re applying.

You do not want to use momentum to move the weight. If just gaining raw strength is your goal, you want the muscles doing the work and not simply physics.

6. Rest Days: Don’t Miss Them

Making gains requires rest. Rest days should be truly for rest. Stay out of the gym.

Low intensity steady state (LISS) exercise like long walks or leisurely bike rides are fine.

Work out hard and rest as intently as you work out.

Rest between sets

You also need rest between sets. How much?

That’s under some debate these days, but the conventional wisdom is shifting toward longer rest periods in between each set.

Target three minutes between sets. Especially for the over-50 age bracket–and if you’re executing each set with enough intensity–you’ll need those 180 seconds to get ready for the next set.

Wearing a wrist worn device? Meh. You’re better off learning to read your body’s signals to determine readiness to perform your next set.

Any slavish clock-watching will keep you from getting in touch with your own biofeedback. Use the clock or wrist-worn watch for a while and see what actual time correlates to how ready your body feels.

The Exercises: The Why and Benefits

Each of the exercises that appear in this program were intentionally selected along with their sequence within the workout days with the 50+ somagraphic in mind.

People who are over 50 face issues that younger people simply do not.

The data show that nearly half suffer some kind of lower back pain. One in four adults have arthritis that’s been diagnosed by a doctor.

That percentage is larger in the older population. Exercise and a healthy lifestyle play a role in reducing it but it’s also true that joints simply wear out as people age.

At no point in my adult life have I been overweight. I’ve worked out regularly and been “fit” for 44 years. But I’ve had lumbar spine problems that required surgery, a hip that’s been replaced twice, and osteoarthritis in my right knee.

— Perry Mykleby

Finally, many in the over 50 group will have developed problems with their posture.

Desk jobs and increased reliance on computers and mobile devices have left people with rounded upper backs, internally rotated shoulders, and head-forward posture.

The exercises in this Over 50 program consider these factors. The Auxiliary Day exercises in particular are included to help reverse joint weaknesses and poor posture.

Exercise	Primary muscles	Why?
	Legs
Leg Press	Quadriceps, Glutes, Adductors	LP machine stabilizes the upper body, drastically minimizes lower back risk
Leg Extensions	Quadriceps	Strengthens the knee joint
Leg Curls	Hamstrings	Strengthens the knee joint, balances torsion on the knee created by the quads
Hex Bar or DB VMO (Vastus-Medialis Only) Heel Elevated Squats	Quadriceps, Adductors	Places less stress on lower back than traditional barbell Deadlift
“Halting” RDLs (don’t lock out and don’t touch the ground between reps)	Glutes, Hamstrings, Adductors, Spinus erectors	Maintains healthy tension on the hips and lower back
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)	Glutes, Hamstrings, Adductors	Trains and strengthens the hip hinge motion used in everyday life
	Arms
Arm Curl machine	Biceps	Provides stability for the upper body allowing the exerciser to concentrate more intently on target muscles
Triceps machine	Triceps
Biceps Curls: cable, DB, or BB	Biceps	Requires core work to stabilize the upper body
Triceps extensions, Cable, DB, or EZ Curl	Triceps
	Chest
Machine Chest Press	Pectoralis major, Anterior deltoid	Provides upper body stability, no set-up requirement as with dumbbells.
Machine Chest Fly	Pectoralis major	Isolates the pectorals without undue stress on the elbows and anterior shoulder.
BB Bench Press	Pectoralis major, Anterior deltoid	Gym staple. Requires core engagement.
Seated Incline Smith Machine Press, or DB Press, Utility or Adjustable Bench	Anterior deltoid, Pectoralis major	Incline presses can contribute to shoulder health if performed correctly.
	Shoulders
Overhead Press, machine	Deltoids, Shoulder blade stabilizer muscles	Stable platform for overall shoulder work.
Lateral Raise, machine	Middle deltoids	Prevents cheating common with side lateral exercise. Allows for a beneficial overload.
Seated Smith Machine Overhead Press, Adjustable Bench set to steep angle.	Deltoids, Shoulder blade stabilizer muscles	Steep incline presses can contribute to shoulder health if performed correctly with reasonable load.
Cable Side Laterals	Middle deltoids	Graduates from machine lateral raise. Isolates middle delts best.
	Back
Pull-Down machine for Lat Pull Downs	Latissimus dorsi, Middle and Lower traps	Trains muscles responsible for good seated posture. Contributes to more aesthetic physique.
Seated Row machine	Middle and Lower traps, Latissimus dorsi
Pull-ups	Latissimus dorsi, Middle and Lower traps
Seated Cable Row	Middle and Lower traps, Latissimus dorsi, Spinus erectors
Shrugs, Cable or DB, “Kelso” Shrugs preferred	Middle and Lower traps
	Core
Crunches	Rectus abdominis (“the Abs”, aka Six Pack)	Crucial for good posture and lower back health.
Crunches or Sit-Ups with a Twist	Obliques
	Auxiliary (Supportive)
Push Ups	Pectoralis major, Anterior deltoids, Core	Chest and shoulder work with crucial core engagement. Postural benefit.
Bodyweight Squats	Quadriceps, Glutes, Adductors	Additional training of leg muscles. Support progress with other leg exercises. Metabolic benefit.
Wall Slides	Rhomboids, Serratus anterior, Middle and Lower traps	Contributes to healthy seated posture.
Reverse Push Ups (supine, press elbows into floor)	Posterior deltoids, Latissimus dorsi	Conditions upper back, encourages proper posture.
DB Flat Bench	Pectoralis major, Anterior deltoids	Requires shoulder stabilizer muscles to work. Additional light work to support progress in heavier chest movements.
Rear Foot Elevated Squats (Bulgarian Split Squats)	Quadriceps, Glutes, Adductors	Allows focus on individual legs, one at a time. Removes bilateral deficit.
DB Lu, “Y” Raises	Middle deltoids, Upper traps	Helps align and strengthen shoulders, crucial to good erect posture.
Plate Raises	Anterior and Middle deltoids, Middle and Lower traps	Contributes to stability and good alignment of the shoulder blades, rotator cuff stability.
Hammer Curls	Brachioradialis	Stabilizes and strengthens the elbow joint.
Triceps extensions, Cable, DB, or EZ Curl	Triceps	Triceps are an underworked muscle and contribute to balanced tension on shoulder and elbow joints. (Biceps can be overtrained.)

Notes on Exercises for the Beginner

Like any exercise, the ones in the Beginner workout track require good form and can be screwed up beyond all recognition.

Well-made machines nowadays have how-to instructions posted on the machine, or include a QR code to access instructional videos.

All the beginner exercises are easy to learn and master with very little practice.

They were selected also because they require less coordination with other body parts–like the core muscles–and offer more stability until the body acclimates to weight training.

Notes on Exercises for the Intermediate Weight Trainer

Exercises in the Intermediate track require more involvement by the core and the stabilizer muscles of the hips, knees, and shoulders.

These exercises will also impose more metabolic demands. Exercises like the deadlift and squat variants will leave you breathing harder and raise the heart rate more so than the machine exercises will in almost every instance.

About those deadlift reps

Deadlifting for reps is simple, right?

No. Deadlifts are one of the exercises most easily screwed up. And how a set is performed adds complexity.

And, you can really hurt yourself by doing this seemingly simple exercise improperly.

Picking a weight you can lift repeatedly with good form, and executing a series of repetitions correctly will keep you injury free and help you enjoy the benefits of this truly great exercise (although it’s truly not great if done wrong).

Deadlift sets come in two varieties: a set of reps, or, a set of “singles”, where the weight is lifted, set down, then lifted again quickly. A bunch of singles does not make a set.

Sets of Reps

Keep the tension on your muscles for the entire duration of the set during this program. If your form falls apart, like your lower back rounding, then set the weight down, reposition, and re-start the set. But ideally, keep the back rigid and rep through your entire set without letting go of the weight for even a second.

Don’t bang and bounce the weight off the floor. Try starting back up once the weight kisses the floor.

Sets of Singles

Sets of singles is a series of reps that include the weight stopping on the floor for any length of time, even a split second. The lifter lets the bar come to a stop without releasing their grip, repositions and starts another lift.

Powerlifters and strongman competitors train sets of singles as a way to practice setting up for one strong pull at a competition. Because they compete under the constraints of time, they need to practice quick set-up and lifting.

Why are Auxiliary Exercises Important?

Auxiliary Day exercises were carefully selected because they address specific issues faced by the Over-50 group.

People over 50 need to work on stability, mobility, and flexibility in their shoulders and hips. Age and years spent at desk jobs make this true.

Don’t ignore the auxiliary days. Practice the exercises using weights you can lift with exacting form, and you’ll see the benefits emerge in other exercises. For example, mastering the Wall Slide will lay a foundation for more strength in an overhead press. It will also help reverse rounded shoulders.

Final Notes About Postural Conditions and Joint Problems

Pronounced postural issues such as severely rounded upper back, and pain such as chronic sciatica, require the attention of a healthcare professional.

I developed pain in my left shoulder that I trained around for months. Even with my knowledge of how to do that, there came the time when I had to admit there was something going on that my training wasn’t going to solve.

So I called my friendly neighborhood physical therapist, a guy I’ve worked with before professionally.

On exam, he found that the problem wasn’t just shoulder joint, it was an over-shortened biceps. After a couple of treatments, the problem’s getting better.

And of course train regularly with purpose, eat right, and sleep enough.

Suggested additional resources for the Over-50 group:

• The Aging Proposition, and Physique Over 50, both by Scott Abel.

Download our 90-Day Strength program PDF here: