Regain muscle mass after 50 with these bodyweight exercises

Getting older comes with many changes that can be difficult to accept. On the one hand, your muscle mass decreases, as well as power and strength. This natural change in your body, also known as sarcopenia, can occur as early as age 35, according to Harvard Health Publishing. The rate of muscle mass loss can be 1% to 2% each year, and it increases by up to 3% after reaching age 60. muscle every 10 years. Needless to say, strength training isn’t a question; it is a must. So we’re here to help you with the best bodybuilding exercises to regain muscle mass after 50.

If you want to stay in shape, age gracefully, and maintain a good quality of life, strength training is the name of the game. It means using a variety of equipment, such as resistance bands, dumbbells, dumbbells, and machines. during your gym time. However, bodyweight movements can also be a great way to help you regain muscle mass. They can be performed virtually anywhere and are a solid place to start your fitness journey if you don’t have access to equipment.

Below, you’ll find a list of productive bodyweight exercises you can perform to regain muscle mass in your 50s and beyond. Keep reading to learn all about them.

These productive bodyweight exercises begin with manual release push-ups. Think of a traditional push-up, but with a little twist. Start by getting into a push-up; your shoulders should be in line with your wrists, your back should stay straight, your core should stay tight, and your glutes should be tight.

Then lower your body using control until you touch the ground. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, take your hands off the floor, then back in to push yourself up to the starting position. Flex your triceps and chest once you stand up before performing another rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Related: 5 Exercise Habits to Slow Muscle Aging, Trainer Reveals

Next we have the side slits. Keep your core tight and your chest high as you bring one leg to the side while straightening the back leg. Plant your heel firmly on the floor, then push your hips back and sit as low as you can, getting a solid inside stretch on the other leg. Cross the heel of your working leg back up to the starting position before performing another repetition. Perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions for each leg.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Related: The best strength exercises to build stronger muscles in your 60s

Now get ready for single leg glute bridges. If you’ve done glute bridges before, you know the exercise, but this exercise has a little tweak. Begin the movement by lying on your back with both knees bent. Lift one leg, keeping it straight as you lift it into the air. Make sure your core stays tight as you cross the heel of the leg that’s on the floor. Flex your glutes hard at the top of the movement for just two seconds, then come back down. Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions for each leg.

Step-Ups begin by placing your foot on a low step, box, or bench. Keep your chest high and your core tight as you bend over the heel of your front leg and push into it to lift yourself up. Flex your quadriceps and glutes at the top of the movement, then lower yourself using control before performing another rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on one leg before switching to the other.

Last but not least, let’s get to the Side Plank hip lifts. Begin the exercise by leaning against a wall with your heels, buttocks and shoulders touching it. Align your shoulders with your wrists and your feet stacked on top of each other. Keeping your core tight and your glutes tight, tilt and flex your hips up and down, maintaining tension in your obliques the entire time. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Tim Liu, CSCS