Beginner Strength Training Workouts

In a recent article, strength training in your late 50s and early 60s, we discussed the benefits of strength training (at any age) and how to get started if you are new to training. While the title suggests there is nothing after your early 60s, strength training throughout your 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond is completely possible and should be continued in any version you can do it. However, you should consider requesting a more personalized training program tailored to your abilities and goals, provided by a coach or trainer, especially if you are new to training.

Here is a sample workout I recently did with three women of the same family: a 38-year-old daughter, her 60-year-old mother and her 82-year-old grandmother.

Strength Training with an Active Rest of Cardio (Bike, Elliptical, or Treadmill)

In a full-body circuit, we did the following split-type routine: Push, Pull, Legs and Cardio.

This means the exercises of the circuit will be in the order of an upper body push exercise (bench press, military press, dips, pushups, etc.), followed by an upper body pulling exercise (pulldowns, DB or TRX rows, bicep curls). Then we continued the circuit to add a leg exercise (squats, lunges, leg press, KB deadlift, leg extensions, or leg curls, etc.) and their choice of cardio for 3 minutes.

Here’s how it goes:

Warmup

First, we warmed up by doing a warm-up pyramid to 5. Walk 1 minute, 1 squat, 1 bench dip. Walk 1 minute, 2 squats, 2 bench dips (or pushups). We continued the process to 5 squats, 5 dips or pushups, which took about 10 minutes total.

Workout

These exercises were done with the option of machine, dumbbells, or TRX suspension trainer:

Repeat 3 times: 

• 10-15 Bench Press reps (or pushups)
• 10 Pulldowns or 10 TRX rows
• 10 Dumbbell Squats or 10 Sit Down-Stand Ups
• Walk, bike, or elliptical for three minutes

Repeat 3 times:

• 10 Dumbbell bicep curls
• 10 Dumbbell military press 10 or 10 triceps extensions
• Five Dumbbell step-ups or lunges per leg

Three Minute Active Rest Core Workout

Here, Add in a supplemental core section that works the entire system of the core from the hips to the shoulders:

Grand Finale

While the mother and daughter in this training group did extra cardio on the machines for the next 15 to 20 minutes, the grandmother and I did a few floor drills to practice getting up from the floor. She is a strong woman for her age of 82, who is still independent and does yard work nearly daily.

Here is what we did: 

1. Start off with a toe touch, walk it out to the down dog yoga pose, then into the pushup position. Go to the floor.

2. Now repeat in reverse order by doing a pushup (knee pushup is fine), getting into the down dog position, then slowly walking the hands toward the feet to a toe touch position. It is fine to have bent knees if you need to. Transfer the weight to your feet and stand up.

We also practiced using other pieces of furniture to get up off the floor.

Finding a program that fits your abilities and goals is key to enjoying the training and avoiding injury. If you are experienced in the gym, you may be able to develop something for yourself, but always ask for help if it has been a while since you have lifted weights, as it is easy to do too much or move incorrectly.

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