Strength Training Over 50: Tips To Get Started
You know you need to strength train.
Your doctor told you.
Your friends told you.
Every article you read tells you.
But here's what NO ONE tells you: how to actually do it for your body at your age without wrecking yourself.
I'm Wini Linguvic, and I've been a strength and conditioning coach for 44 years—yes, I started when I was 16 years old!
There are so many simple facts about strength training over age 50 I want to share with you that will make starting a strength training program less overwhelming!
This short video explains a few essential facts about strength training when you are over age 50 and need some simple pointers on how to get started.
You Don't Need Heavy Weights to Get Stronger
Here's what happens: once we decide to start strength training, we think, "My weights always need to get heavier."
And that's not always the case.
Most people don't realize there are multiple ways to increase the load of an exercise—and increasing weight is only ONE way.
You could:
Increase your range of motion
Add a resistance band
Increase the volume (more reps or sets)
Slow down the tempo
Add a pause at the bottom of the movement
Work one side at a time
So don't get caught up in "I need to lift heavy weights." Instead, think: How can I appropriately challenge myself so my body gets stronger?
Starting with 3-pound or 5-pound dumbbells is FINE. What matters is that you're adding resistance and building strength consistently.
Good Movement First, Load Second
Here's a rule to keep in mind for strength training:
Do not increase the load or weight of an exercise until you are confident and competent in that exercise.
For example, if your knee hurts while you're squatting, we need to make sure the squat is correct BEFORE we add weight.
There are so many different ways to make a squat work for you:
Change your stance
Try a box squat
Do a wall squat instead
Use step-ups
Do not work through pain. Find the right variation of the exercise so it works for you, and THEN you can add load.
Good movement always comes first. Adding load always comes second. That's how you build a body that works for you.
If an Exercise Feels Ridiculous, It's Ridiculous TODAY
Here's something I want you to remember:
If you think an exercise is ridiculous—it's ridiculous TODAY.
It might not be ridiculous next month, but when you think, "Oh, this is ridiculous," always add that little word: TODAY.
Because that gives you a place to go from there. It gives you permission to modify, adapt, and adjust. It gives you hope that your body will get stronger.
Single-leg deadlifts might feel ridiculous today. Lifting a 5-pound dumbbell might feel embarrassingly light today.
But in three weeks? Six weeks? It won't feel ridiculous anymore.
Smart Mobility Work Beats Hours of Stretching
Here's what most women over 50 don't realize: you don't have to do a million hours of stretching. You don't have to do contortionist yoga poses.
But we do need to work our joints through their optimal and healthy range of motion.
That might mean:
Warming up your shoulders with arm circles
Doing a couple of smart movements to warm up your hips and back
Spending 5-10 minutes on mobility work before you lift
It doesn't need to be super fancy. It doesn't need to be super complicated.
A couple of really good mobility exercises is likely all you need to start moving better.
Because the truth is: life is easier when you're strong, but you need to be able to move well through an optimal range of motion before you start adding load.
So please do not disregard your mobility work—but do not be intimidated and think you have to do hours and hours of yoga or stretching.
Why Five Minutes Of Exercise Matters
Here's something I want you to remember:
The days you don't have five minutes to train are the days you probably need 10 minutes.
Because it's those busiest days—when you're stressed, overwhelmed, and convinced you don't have time—where a little bit of self-care, a couple of minutes of exercise, a little bit of movement is what will help you get through those busy days.
No need to exercise or train for an hour if you don't have an hour.
But if you can't find five minutes?
The days you can’t find five minutes for yourself might be the days that you need it the most!
The Goal Is the Result, Not the Exercise
Here's the biggest thing I want you to take away:
The goal is not the exercise. The goal is the RESULT of the exercise.
The goal is not "I need to do this squat."
The goal is leg strength.
If you think of it like that, you're not limited to "I have to do this squat for my legs."
No—you need to do AN exercise to strengthen your legs. And there are dozens of ways to do that.
The same goes for core strength:
You don't need to do planks to build core strength—but we do want core strength.
So if you think of it like that, you're not overwhelmed with "Oh my goodness, I can never do a plank."
It's all about: Can I find one or two really good core strength exercises that work for me?
There's ALWAYS an alternative. Every single exercise needs to be adaptable and adjustable so it works for you.
Exercise Works When You Know How to Work It
Here's the last thing I want you to bring with you:
Exercise works when you know how to work it.
It's not that you have to do the exercises you did when you were 20, or the exercises your neighbor does, or the exercises you wish you could do.
We want to find the exercises that work for US—and know how to make them work.
That's what my channel is about: how to make an exercise work, how to adapt it, how to adjust it, how to switch it out.
But as you go through your routine, as you take your classes, as you go to your gym—remember:
Exercise works when you know how to work it.
Ready to Get Started?
If you're tired of random fitness classes that don't work for your body—and you want a clear plan designed specifically for women over 50—I've got you covered.
🎁 Learn more about our online strength and mobility program here.
