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Are you over 40 and looking to adopt a workout routine that suits your age? Check out this over 40 workout plan.
Exercise is essential for everyone as it boosts both physical and mental health, but it becomes even more important as we get older. In this blog post, we’ll explore the best ways for individuals over 40 to build muscle safely and effectively.
You’ll get a 7-day workout plan for the gym or at home plus learn how your exercise routine needs to change now that you're a little older. Get ready to get fit with our over 40 workout plan!
What You Need to Know About Exercising Over 40
As you get older, your body goes through a number of changes that can make it more difficult to exercise. Your metabolism slows down, making it harder to lose weight; joint and muscle pain is increased due to overuse or age-related issues; and your energy levels are often lower than they once were.
Therefore, your exercise routine and your priorities when exercising are going to shift a bit as well. Here are some things you should keep in mind:
Heart health
People over the age of 40 are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other conditions that can put a strain on the heart. Exercise is an important part of helping to manage heart health as you age.
Doing workouts like the ones listed below helps strengthen the heart and lungs, improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure, and burn calories and fat. As well as strength training, aerobic exercises like running and cycling play a big part in keeping your heart healthy for a long time to come.
Flexibility
As we age, our muscles lose their elasticity over time. This makes it harder to move, can cause joint pain, and can limit your range of motion if left unchecked.
Making sure to warm up properly and stretch out your muscles after every workout can help to improve flexibility, as well as reduce the risk of injury.
Joint health
The over 40 workout plan below includes exercises that help to improve joint health and strength. As you age, your joints can become stiffer and more prone to injury, so it’s important to take measures to protect them and keep them moving.
Strength training helps build muscle around the joint, while cardio helps lubricate the area and improve flexibility.
Power
When over 40, you'll want to be sure to include exercises that help build strength and power. This will help you maintain muscle mass as you age, while still getting a good workout.
Doing strength training workouts with heavier weights is best for those over 40 as it will help build up strength without overworking your body.
Recovery
As you age, your body takes longer to recover from intense workouts. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to rest and recover between exercises - overtraining can lead to overuse injuries and greater fatigue.
Notes for the Over 40 Workout Plans
- Start each workout with a full-body warm-up. If you're short on time, at a minimum warm up the muscles that you'll be training that day.
- The number of sets/reps for all exercises will be 1 set of 12 reps, then 1 set of 10 reps, then 1 set of 8 reps, and then 1 set of 6 reps. Use these numbers unless I specify otherwise below.
- Use the lightest weight or band for your set of 12 reps. Increase the weight with each set until you're using the heaviest weight for the set of 6 reps.
- Try to pick a weight or band for every set so that you literally fail doing your last rep of each set. If you don't fail on the last rep, do one more as slowly as you can so that you do fail.
- It's ok if you need to work up to completing all 4 sets. This workout is designed to help you improve over time. You don't need to be able to complete it all week 1.
- The core section of this workout includes weighted back extensions, crunches, leg lifts, and laying side touches to your heels.
- Don't forget to end each workout with relaxing stretches.
Over 40 Workout Plan for the Gym
If you're planning to hit the gym, here's a 7-day workout plan to get you started. For this workout, you'll need access to dumbbells and cable machines.
Day 1:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Chest
- Flat bench DB chest presses
- 1-arm chest cable flys
- 100 pushups
- 100 decline pushups
Core
Stretch
Day 2:
Warm-up
Biceps
- Standing 1-arm DB curls
- Incline bench DB curls
-
1-arm cable curls
- 3 sets concentric
- 1 heavy set eccentric
Core
Stretch
Day 3:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Triceps
- Front triceps cable push downs
- Reverse overhead triceps cable push overs
- 1-arm triceps cable push downs
- 1-arm reverse overhead triceps cable push overs
- 100 chair dips
Core
Stretch
Day 4:
Warm-up
Back
- Lat pulldowns
- Seated cable rows
- Standing 1-arm cable pulls
- Stiff-armed rope cable pulldowns
- 10 chin-ups
Core
Stretch
Day 5:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Shoulders
- DB lateral raises
- DB front raises
- Bent over DB rear delt raises
- 1-arm cable lateral raises
- DB military presses (if it doesn't hurt)
Core
Stretch
Day 6:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Legs
- Weighted back squats
- Weighted calf raises
- Weighted walking lunges
- Stiffed legged deadlift with dumbbells
- Deadlifts with the barbell
Stretch
Myofascial release/rolling
Day 7:
- Rest/Recovery
Over 40 Workout Plan at Home
If you prefer to work out at home or find yourself traveling a lot, this over 40 workout plan is for you. Instead of traditional weights, you can do all of these exercises with a set of resistance bands and just your body weight.
Resistance bands are a great way to get a home workout because they can produce a high amount of resistance, but take up hardly any space and are perfect for traveling. I recommend this set of resistant bands.
Note:
For the leg exercises, you can choose to do them with or without a resistance band. If you don't use a resistance band, do 3 to 4 sets of 15-20 reps for each exercise. To increase the intensity, go extra slow throughout the movement.
Day 1:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Chest
- Standing resistance band chest press
- 1-arm resistance band cable flys
- 100 pushups
- 100 decline pushups
Core
Stretch
Day 2:
Warm-up
Biceps
- Standing 1-arm resistance band curls
- Reverse 1-arm resistance band curls
-
1-arm resistance band hammer curls
- 3 sets concentric
- 1 heavy set eccentric
Core
Stretch
Day 3:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Triceps
- Front triceps resistance band push downs
- Reverse overhead triceps resistance band push overs
- 1-arm triceps resistance band push downs
- 1-arm reverse overhead triceps resistance band push overs
- 100 chair dips
Core
Stretch
Day 4:
Warm-up
Back
- Lat-focused bent over rows
- Seated resistance band rows
- Standing 1-arm resistance band pulls
- Stiff-armed resistance band pulldowns
- 10 chin-ups
Core
Stretch
Day 5:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Shoulders
- Resistance band front raises
- Bent over resistance band rear lateral raises
- 1-arm resistance lateral raises
- Resistance band military presses (if it doesn't hurt)
Core
Stretch
Day 6:
Warm-up
10-30 mins of cardio depending on your goals
Legs
- Back Squats
- Calf Raises
- Walking lunges
- Stiffed legged deadlift
- Deadlifts
Stretch
Myofascial release/rolling
Day 7:
- Rest/Recovery
Conclusion to 7-Day Over 40 Workout Plans
By following the over 40 workout plans outlined above, you can ensure that you stay healthy and fit for many years to come. Keep in mind that these plans are not meant to be exhaustive, you can always modify or change exercises as needed.
If you have any injuries or medical conditions, please consult a doctor before starting an over 40 workout program. Also, if you’re looking for something tailored specifically to your individual needs and goals, check out my custom weight training plans and custom meal plans.
If you’re looking for an extra dose of accountability, check out my 16-week virtual training plan, it has everything included. Good luck and stay healthy!
