Strength Training For Seniors

Daily exercises to build muscle, relieve pain, and live a longer, healthier life .

Robert Harris

© Copyright 2021 - All rights reserved.

It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One:  How To Use The Book

Chapter Two:  Warm-Up

Quick Grips

Wrist Circles

Elbow Circles

Shoulder Shrugs

Forward Swims

Neck Twists

Torso Twists

Hula Rotations

Leg Rotations

High Knees

Gentle Bounces

Chapter Three:  Bodyweight Training

Push-ups

Incline Push-up Exercise

Knee Push-up Exercise

Pull-Ups

Wall Pull-ups

Horizontal Pull-Ups

Full Pull-Up

Dips Exercises

Bench Dips Exercise

Assisted Parallel Dips

Parallel Dips Exercise

Knee Tucks Exercise

Knee Raises Exercise

Bent Leg Raises

Leg Raises Exercise

Squats Exercises

Assisted Squat

Chair Squat

Full Squat

Bridges Exercises

Angled Bridge

Head Bridges

Full Bridges

Calf Raises

Single Leg Calf Raises

Single-Leg Deep Calf Raises

Calf Raises

Chapter Four:  Dumbbell Training

Overhead Press Exercise

Bent Over Rows

Front Raise exercise

Arm Curl

Triceps Extension Exercise

Shoulder Squat Exercise

Forward Lunge

Chapter Five:  Resistance Band Training

Forward Raise Exercise

Squat Exercise

Leg Press Exercise

Calf Push Exercise

Glute Bridge Exercise

Hip Extension Exercise

Chapter Six:  How to Build a Routine

Conclusion

Introduction

Each year, there are more than 5.5 million people worldwide who die before they turn 70 years old. For seniors, the primary concern will be to live a long life while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and staying active throughout their retirement years. The most surprising fact is that nearly half of all deaths resulting from lack of physical fitness are preventable.

I am not going to lie to you; I have had my fair share of health challenges, but nothing compared to what I have seen from other people. Now, I want to give back and spread the message that no matter how old you are or how capable you think you are; it is never too late for a healthy lifestyle change. No one should let their health deteriorate because they believe their age will prevent them from changing things up and living a better life.

In the past, I struggled with poor health, having kidney stones, back pain from an injury when I was younger, as well as other illnesses. I always blamed it on my age and gave up trying to find a solution. It wasn’t until I was injured at work that my doctor forced me to get some tests done. I found out that my cholesterol levels were extremely high and it could lead to a heart attack or stroke. The doctor decided that the best course of action would be to have me put on statin drugs. I got the prescription filled and for the next 16 months, I took care of my health with a pill. After those 16 months, my levels were still extremely high and I was back on the same pill.

Eventually, my pharmacy ran out of the medication so they changed it up, giving me a more potent pill to take. That’s when I learned that my body didn’t like something that was made stronger because it got stronger in order to kill cholesterol-producing cells. I didn’t know if it would make things better or worse, but it was worth a try. My body adjusted to the new medication, and after a couple of months, my cholesterol levels were down enough that I no longer needed to take statin drugs. So, why do I tell you this story? Because in the midst of all of my health issues, there was one constant: a healthier lifestyle away from statin drugs and more toward physical activity.

For years prior, I worked out with P90X and Insanity. I also worked out with resistance bands and did some running. I made a conscious effort to eat healthier foods than I did in the past but, after I was restricted from exercise and took the statin drugs, my weight skyrocketed. My doctor said that statins cause this effect because they inhibit muscle growth. Since then, it had been a struggle to get my weight back down. At first, I was in denial and thought that the small amount of exercise that I did make up for my weight gain. Nonetheless, I came to realize that this was not the case. For me, exercising more would not help me lose weight because my body had adjusted to taking in fewer calories from food and more from somewhere else.

I experienced this firsthand when I moved out on my own and no longer had a good idea of what types of foods I should be eating. I tried a few different diets and worked out more than I was before. I did everything that I could to stick to the diet but, after a few weeks, my body adjusted and started taking in more calories again. All of my weight loss efforts during the process were mostly futile because my body was back on the statin drugs. My next step was to get off of them completely, but it wasn’t as easy as you might think. It took a lot of work to adjust my lifestyle and health back to the point where I could get off the drugs completely.

Now, I am back on track with my weight and getting more exercise, as well. Through all this struggle, I learned that the key to living a healthier lifestyle is balance. People eat too much fast food and processed foods that are high in calories or sugar and then don’t work out enough because they think that they will lose weight from doing so at all. Sometimes, you need to do the opposite in order to see results. You need to go back to basics with exercise and getting good nutrition.

This book provides verifiable facts and information for you to learn to lead a healthy lifestyle by preserving your body through exercise, staying active, and eating a healthy diet to live a long and healthy life. The benefits of daily exercises are wide-reaching and can help you avoid numerous diseases. It may be surprising to hear that it can help people suffering from back or joint pain, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, depression, hypertension, bronchitis, among others. All you need is patience, purpose, and direction to never undergo what I went through in favor of living a longer, healthier life.

It’s no secret that as you get older that it becomes more and more difficult to keep up a daily fitness routine. Sure, your grandparents might have been able to rock those jogging pants and lace up those tennis shoes every morning without a second thought. But when you’re living with chronic pain or other medical conditions, the prospect of having to exercise can seem daunting.

Add this to the fact that most aging adults live in isolation and that being physically active is much harder than ever before. And when it comes to physicals, many of us don’t feel comfortable forcing our bodies to do things they’re not accustomed to. But if you go by my personal experience and what this book provides, you will understand that maintaining a regular dose of routine exercise has vital benefits for seniors who are struggling with chronic health issues and conditions.

Therefore, it’s important to underscore that the most imperative thing in life is our health. Our physical and mental well-being are what keep us happy and, most importantly, healthy. It’s why we need to pay attention to how much exercise we are getting. You may feel as though you are doing all these things but not seeing any results, then it might be time for a change. I am here to show you an alternate way of living that will make your life healthier and happier, having been there myself.

By taking these steps you can live a long and healthy life. Exercise at least 30 minutes each day, eat healthy foods (examples: fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and grains), get enough sleep, and, lastly, maintain a positive outlook through social interaction. Take the steps provided in this life-changing book in order to live a long and healthy life, because aging is inevitable but its effects can be avoided or delayed.

Benefits of Exercising for Seniors

The most important benefits of working out that you’ll experience in the later years can be summarized as independence, balance and fall prevention, preventive and curative health conditions, improved brain function, pain relief, improved bone density, the prevention of diseases, and increased bone density. These huge benefits need to be factored into your decision-making every day.

Independence

Many seniors have said they didn’t want to exercise because it was too boring in their younger years when they were forced to do it by some outside influence. Fortunately, this isn’t the case with this book. Some seniors say that exercising is their favorite part of their day.

Balance and Fall Prevention

The effects on balance are obvious. Just walking or moving around helps to maintain good posture and helps prevent falls. When you reach the age where you can’t move as easily, it's important to do whatever you can to stay active in order to help maintain your physical strength and stability for as long as possible.

Preventive and Curative Health Conditions

The most obvious benefit of exercising is the prevention of disease. The greatest risk factor for many diseases is being inactive. If you are not active, then you increase your risk for a number of medical conditions. Infection, cancer, hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis are all major issues that we face as we age.

Improved Brain Function

Exercises also improve brain function for older adults, leading to better cognitive ability. This applies to children and teenagers as well. One of the most important things to do to be healthy is exercise your muscles, which also improves your brainpower. Exercise improves problem-solving skills, which leads to improved overall mental acuity. The benefits you will see from this are better memory retention and a higher perception of what’s going on in the world around you.

Pain Relief

With pain comes the need for distraction; exercise is a great option, as is the use of pain-relieving devices. When you’re active, your muscles will not only feel better but will actually heal faster and feel less pain. Many people are turned off by the idea of exercising because they think it will hurt, but this is an inaccurate assumption. Exercise will actually help to decrease your overall pain threshold. As you age, you should be more active, even if it’s just in a chair or while standing.

Increase Bone Density

Bone density is important in aging, and it’s important to keep track of how much bone you have, especially as you move into your older years. Having too much or too little bone mass can lead to osteoporosis—a condition in which bones become brittle and break easily. Exercise helps to increase bone density for now, but it also helps the body remain strong for years to come.

In brief, the benefits of exercising for seniors begin with the realization that aging is not a disease. The more important thing to recognize is that a sedentary lifestyle accelerates aging and results in major health issues.

Disclaimer

All information within this book is based on the author’s personal experiences with exercising and living a healthy life, research from various literature and books, and more importantly, from licensed and board-certified physiatrists, fitness specialists, sports medics, massage therapists, osteopathic physicians, among others. Therefore, all information within this book is true and accurate.

Nonetheless, the author or publisher of this book and the seller assume no responsibility for any errors in the information contained in this book. Implying, the author or publisher of this book and the seller are not responsible for any personal injury or loss of life resulting from the use, proper or improper, from the exercises, advice, suggestions, tips, methods expressed within this guide.

Consult a Doctor on How to Exercise

It’s important to use this book correctly and safely, and it’s never a good idea to push past your physical limits. Although you can use this book to learn about and begin exercising, it is never a substitute for proper medical care because it’s never a good idea to ignore medical advice. Therefore, if you know that you have any medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or depression, or chronic or recurring medical conditions, consult your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen.

About the Book

It is hard to know what a routine should consist of in order to get the best results. Thankfully, this book will tell you everything you need to know about strength training and how to put together a workout routine. The workouts that are presented here have helped my clients get more toned and stronger bodies. They have also helped them burn fat and boost their metabolism.

This book is filled with proven routines, tips, explanations, and advice for you to follow so that you can achieve the body you desire. You will learn how to adopt strength training into your lifestyle in order for it to be effective. It will help if you set up a proper schedule and take the time to learn some new exercises.

Before You Read Any Further

I highly advise you to read this free healthy diet cheat sheet that I kindly prepared for you. Diet is definitely as important, if not more important, than exercise when you’re talking about being healthy. You know how the saying goes, “You are what you eat.” It will drastically improve your progress and energy levels. In addition, it will be a great help to you throughout your strength training journey.

Stay Healthy!

<<Get Diet Cheat Sheet>>

Chapter One: How to Use the Book

Strength Training

Strength training describes a workout routine that is focused on building muscle strength and sometimes size. Strength training has many benefits to the body. You decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cancer as well as prevent a myriad of injuries.

You can build muscle mass and define muscles in an aesthetically pleasing way that maintains your body fat at a healthy level. It improves muscle memory for activities like sports and running to avoid injury. It helps you lose fat, build muscle, gain strength, and improve your posture. Strength training will even give you more energy. People who begin a regular strength training routine report having higher energy levels and are less prone to fatigue throughout the day.

Importantly, it is one of the best ways to tone your muscles, increase bone density, and lose fat. Understandably, with so many options out there, it can be hard to choose which fitness routine is right for you. For this reason, I have broken down three of the most popular types of strength training: bodyweight training, dumbbell training, and resistance band training. Each type boasts its own set of benefits, and it is important to know exactly what you are getting into before you start.

Each type has its own benefits as well as its disadvantages. Resistance bands and dumbbells (Free Weights) have longer limbs that can be used to target multiple muscle groups at a time. This can help add strength in different areas of the body or help target different muscle groups.

Bodyweight exercises are also beneficial for versatility but do not have as much muscle-building potential, but they are great for cardiovascular endurance and fat loss. Free weight exercises are the most common type of weight training, but some machines provide more resistance to certain portions of the lift and thus can produce better results.

Bodyweight Training Exercises

Bodyweight training can be useful to anyone for a variety of reasons.  Beginners who are not comfortable with weight lifting can utilize bodyweight exercises to get used to the idea of exercise. It is also great for upper body strength, which is often neglected in most routines.

Additionally, keeping your body free from excess bulk can be important as you age, and since these exercises don't require weights anyone can do them. If you do decide to incorporate weights, you should use light weights so you don’t risk injury. Despite this, it is likely that within a few weeks you will feel the results of your hard work.

Equally, bodyweight exercises are designed to strengthen your body. They work out both your upper and lower body muscles. They are very effective because muscle groups that are used together in daily movements, such as the arms and legs, are trained at the same time. For example, when you do a push-up, you work out your arms and chest muscles at the same time.

Lastly, bodyweight training is also referred to as “calisthenics.” This is because the main form of training is based around old-school calisthenics such as push-ups and pull-ups. These are the two most basic bodyweight exercises. However, there are a lot more than you can use to either build muscle or tone your body. A good example of such an exercise is the “hanging leg raise” which builds the abdominal muscles and hip flexors. It is done by raising your legs up to touch your hands without bending your legs and getting your body weight off the ground. This type of training is very simple but very effective.

Dumbbell or Barbell Training Exercises

Dumbbells are the most common type of equipment used for strength training. Dumbbells can be as simple as a pair of adjustable dumbbells, but there are also weight machines where you can adjust the weights according to your workout. Most gyms utilize a variety of weight machines and dumbbells for exercises such as bench presses, squats, bicep curls, and others.

Still, it’s worth a try because of the variety of exercises you can do with dumbbells. If you're looking for a more advanced workout, try mixing up your workouts and using different exercises with the same set of weights at different times. For example, you might start with dumbbell flies and chest presses for shoulders. Later in the workout, try triceps extensions and leg curls to build muscle on your arms and legs.

Resistance Band Training Exercises

Thanks to the internet and the rapidly growing world of fitness products, anyone can benefit from strength training in their homes, offices, or anywhere else they feel comfortable. All it takes is a few minutes a day.

Strength training bands these days are used by both fitness experts and enthusiasts alike. Thanks to the fact that they are available everywhere from sporting goods stores to your local drugstore and that they offer the same benefits as training with weights, strength band training has gained considerable popularity among the masses.

That is why everyone with even the mildest of physical disabilities can now train in order to gain strength, flexibility, and balance at home—without making any progress reports to the doctor. Start harnessing your strength today with this comprehensive guide to strength training and learn that walking and playing don’t have to be limited to your old age.

In summary, bodyweight training, dumbbell training, and resistance bands are all good options for building muscle and losing weight. The best way to figure out which is best for you is to try them all. Their versatility may make all three appealing options, but it's important to understand what each one of them does so you can make an informed decision about starting on either of them.

Chapter Two:  Warm Up

Even five minutes of light exercise before a major workout can help your body prepare for what is about to come. It's best if you do something that raises your heart rate and engages muscles in the arms, legs, or all-around from head to toe. Before you start exercising, warm up with the following exercises:

Quick Grips

Did you ever have difficulty performing tasks such as turning doorknobs or opening jars? This is often because you don’t have enough strength in your hands and gripping muscles. Luckily, there are a few simple exercises you can do to improve this situation.

Muscles Targeted:

Forearm flexors and extensors

Directions:

● Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.

● Grind your fingers around into a clenched fist for 5 seconds, then release.

● Repeat ten times for 20-second intervals

● Two sets should be enough for one session.

Safety Tip:

As with many exercises, proper form is the key to maintaining good health. Therefore, if you feel pain or strain, back off immediately.

Wrist Circles

Wrist circles strengthen your wrists while combating the pain that comes with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Muscles Targeted:

Extensors and flexors of the wrist

Directions:

● In a deep and controlled breath, wave your arms in circles away from the middle of your body.

● Gradually increase the size and speed of these waves until you find a comfortable rhythm.

● Keeping this consistent pace, make one complete circle with each arm then return to the original position and repeat on the other side. If this is too difficult, start with smaller circles for a few minutes before taking on bigger ones.

● Continue until you feel satisfied or feel like it’s time to stop.

Safety Tips:

Remember to keep your elbows in line with your forearms! Start this exercise very slowly and gradually increase the speed and number of circles. Be sure to hold your hands on a stable object for additional balance .

Elbow Circles

It takes you only a few seconds to properly complete, yet it will still be very beneficial in terms of preventing any problems or injuries.

Muscle Targeted:

Triceps and biceps

Directions:

● Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.

● Slowly raise one arm to about shoulder height.

● Bend at the elbow so that it is over your head while keeping both arms by your side and slightly bent at the elbow and wrists.

● Slowly rotate arms (keeping both elbows bent) in circles, with palms facing each other.

Safety Tips:

If you feel pain, stop and consult with a doctor before doing the exercise again.

Shoulder Shrugs

This exercise is beneficial for the muscles that support the neck region and relieve tension from the upper back and shoulders.

Muscle Targeted:

Posterior, anterior, and lateral muscles

Directions:

● Raise your shoulders up and down. Do not shrug them, but try to move them up and down as if you were trying to shake something off.

● See how far you can raise each shoulder in a single cycle without lowering it again. Do this movement in a single fluid motion.

● Continue to raise and lower your shoulders until you feel as if you have done as many repetitions as you need.

Safety Tips:

People sick with Arthritis in a hand joint should carry out this exercise.

Forward Swims

Forward swims strengthen your core muscles, increase flexibility in the spine, and improve posture. They are also a great way to prevent back pain, sciatica, scoliosis, and lordosis.

Muscles Targeted:

Biceps, trapezius, and triceps

Directions:

● Stand up straight with your back, neck, and legs straight.

● Move your hands straight horizontally, towards the ground.

● Bring them to the position with your elbows bent, and your palms and fingers together.

● Now swing them in the swimming motion.

● Repeat this a couple of times.

Safety Tips:

The forward swim should be performed in a continuous motion with even, extended arms.

Neck Twists

A neck twist is a gentle, therapeutic stretch that activates the muscles of your neck and upper back. This will help improve range of motion and flexibility, as well as relieve tension in the area.

Muscle Targeted:

Obliques, quadriceps, trapezius, rhomboid major and minor

Directions:

● From a face-down position, bring your forehead towards your shoulder blades and curl your head up and over so that your neck is completely straightened.

● Stretch your arms out to your sides and keep them relaxed.

● Now, make one small, slow turn in either direction (90 degrees) and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat this process for both sides of the neck.

Safety Tips:

If you feel a sharp pain in your lower back, stop immediately and rest for several minutes before continuing. If the pain continues when you start performing neck twists again, stop immediately and consult a doctor.

Torso Twists

A torso twist is essentially an exercise that involves rotating your body in a twisting motion. The twist is performed by simultaneously twisting the head, shoulders, and torso from one side to another.

Muscles Targeted:

Abs, obliques, lower back muscles, shoulders muscles, the abdominal muscles, hip flexors, and adductor muscles

Directions:

●       Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart.

●       Keep the upper back and shoulder blades lifted.

●      Slowly turn your body to one side, hold for a few seconds, and then rotate back to the center.

●       Repeat on the opposite side.

Safety Tips:

During the exercise, your arms should be kept in a straight line with your torso. Continued sideways movement of the body is not necessary and should be avoided.

Hula Rotations

If you love a good hula hoop, then you will love learning this simple exercise known as “hula rotations.”

Muscle Targeted :

Abs and obliques

Directions:

● Put your arms on your hips.

● Rotate your waist in circles.

● Repeat and switch direction.

Safety Tips:

Avoid jerky motions or incomplete rotations when rotating hips because these can cause injuries to abdominal muscles or lower back.

Leg Rotations

A leg rotation is a simple yet effective form of stretching. It’s a great exercise for beginners, as it does not require much, to begin with, and only taking a couple of seconds to perform. This exercise is also beneficial for those who are recovering from an injury, as it will be easy on the healing muscles.

Muscles Targeted:

Quads, hamstrings, glutes

Directions:

● Move your right leg out to the side about 45 degrees and bend your knee at a 90-degree angle.

● You should feel a stretch in your quads, hamstring, and glutes.

● Rotate your bent leg for 10 seconds and then switch legs.

● Repeat this 8 times on each leg, or 30 times total.

Safety Tips:

Work your way up to the full range of motion. Ensure you are only trying these exercises if you have a clean bill of health from your medical practitioner.

High Knees

The High Knee is a great exercise to build leg strength and simultaneously get a good stretch. This can improve balance, reduce the risk of knee and ankle injuries, increase fitness levels, and target the calf muscles.

Muscles Targeted:

Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and abs

Directions:

● Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart.

● Keep your shoulders down and back.

● Now bent your right leg so that it’s 90 degrees in relation to the ground while keeping your left leg straight, and then bring it back down to the floor. Then do the same with the other leg.

Safety Tips:

This exercise is not recommended for people with lung conditions. Make sure to consult your physician before beginning this or any other type of physical activity program.

Gentle Bounces

Gentle Bounces stretches your muscles in the lower body and pelvic area.

Muscles Targeted:

Quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, lower back muscles, and calf muscles

Directions:

● Standing with legs slightly apart, place your right hand on your right hip and your left hand on your left hip.

● Jump gently

● repeat this a couple of times.

Safety Tips:

It’s best to perform this exercise without any additional weight as an isolated movement—in other words, do it without any other resistance or motor control. Any weight you use will only limit your quickness and explosiveness .

Chapter Three:  Bodyweight Training

Bodyweight training is a form of strength training that utilizes only the body’s weight as resistance to develop muscles and increase physical fitness. Training sessions can be progressive with lifting heavier weights or maintaining the same weight, but increasing repetitions.

The goal of bodyweight exercise is to train the muscles with a variety of exercises and techniques that can be performed in indoor and outdoor environments. Bodyweight training has the ability to progress participants in their physical development, leading to increased strength, speed, endurance fitness levels as well as improve overall health. Bodyweight exercises can be performed by beginners or trainees that are more advanced.

Push-ups

Push-ups are an exercise that is used by most people for upper-body strength, which stands for pushing against gravity with your body and arms, to build the entire upper body and help strengthen your shoulders, arms, chest, and back.

Wall Push-up Exercise

Description:

The wall push-ups is a great exercise for people that are not very strong. It is called a wall push-up because your arms are against the wall and you lean forward onto your arms. You will feel this exercise in your chest muscles.

Muscles Targeted:

Chest, triceps, and shoulders

Directions:

● Stand next to a wall and lean forward.

● Place your hands against the wall with the arms straight.

● Lower yourself down to the wall and push yourself back up.

● Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Safety Tips:

Make sure that your head is in line with your body, and that you are not driving yourself up with your neck or head, but rather from your shoulders.

Incline Push-Up Exercise

Description:

Incline push-ups are a variation of the push-up exercise that targets the upper chest muscles as opposed to the triceps. They can also be performed with a focus on developing core strength.

Muscles Targeted:

Chest, triceps, shoulders

Instructions:

● Position your hands on top of the elevated bench.

● Keep your arms are straight, and let your elbows take the majority of the exercise load.

● Keep your knees slightly bent and tuck in your chin slightly as you lower yourself down.

● Push yourself up with your arms and repeat these exercises as many times as you can.

Safety Tips:

Avoid putting too much pressure on your wrists while performing this exercise. Incline push-ups place a lot of stress on your rotator cuffs when compared with other versions of this exercise. To alleviate wrist pain or injury, place more emphasis on your chest muscles by bringing your hands toward the shoulders and keeping a strong focus on pressing outward.

Knee Push-up Exercise

Description:

The knee push-up is an exercise focused on the anterior muscles of the lower limb. This isolation exercise isolates a particular muscle group. As such, only the muscles involved in pushing up from a position with your knees on the ground are emphasized.

Muscles Targeted:

Chest, triceps, and shoulders

Directions:

● Begin lying face down with your knees on the floor and put your hands on the ground.

● Keeping your body straight from head to feet, slowly lower yourself onto the ground until your chest is touching the floor.

● At this point, pause for a second and then push yourself back into the starting position.

● Repeat these steps for 10–20 repetitions or until you begin to feel fatigued.

Safety Tips:

You can increase resistance by raising your legs higher; however, be cautious not to do this while you're on the ground or you'll risk an ankle or knee injury.

Full Push-up

Description:

The full push-up builds up muscle mass along the chest, back of the arms, and the core.

Muscles Targeted:

Chest, back of arms, and triceps

Directions:

● Begin lying face down on the floor with your back straight and feet together.

● Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward.

● Bend your arms until your chest is nearly touching the ground, without locking your elbows.

● Push back up again to the starting position, keeping your back straight and body in a straight line from head to toe at all times.

● Make sure you stop at the halfway point, with your chest nearly touching the floor and not your stomach.

Safety Tips:

Keep your back straight to avoid injuring it or becoming more susceptible to injury.

Pull-ups

A pullup is an exercise where your hands are placed on bars or rings above you with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended. It is one of the best upper-body compound exercises that strength training enthusiasts do. You will find them in a lot of weight lifting programs.

Wall Pull-ups

Description:

The pull-up is one of the best exercises for your upper body. It is a powerhouse of muscle-building exercises. The pull-up provides a great cardio exercise since you are utilizing your heart rate along with your muscles during the exercise.

Muscles Targeted:

Muscles on the back, biceps, and core muscles

Instructions:

● Stand next to a doorway and place your hands on it, shoulder-width apart, with palms facing outward and fingers pointing down.

● Lean forward and lift yourself off the ground by bending at the elbow joints. Pull yourself up so that your head is close to the wall while keeping your back flat and leaning slightly forward. Keep your body almost in a straight line as you go up.

● Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position to complete one pull-up repetition.

Safety Tips:

Make sure you do not over-extend your arms during the exercise and keep your back straight.

Horizontal Pull-ups

Description:

You can perform horizontal pull-ups on a low pull up bar or a pair of

rings.

Muscles Targeted:

Biceps and brachii muscle

Instructions:

● Get into a hanging position under a low bar or rings (which height is around the hips' height) with a straight body and your feet touching the ground.

● From that position, pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar or reaches full motion.

Safety Tips:

The intensity can easily vary as doing it in a higher bar will be easier, while using a lower bar will make it harder.

Jackknife Pull-ups

Description:

A Jackknife Pull-up is one of the variations of pull-ups. It can be done on a bar and a bench and targets the muscles in your back.

Muscles Targeted:

Back, biceps

Directions:

● Find an object to put your feet on that is between 2-3 feet high.

● Place the object relatively close to the rings or trainers, probably about 2 feet away.

● Grab the rings and place your feet on the object.

● Pull yourself up until your chin reaches your hands.

● Slowly lower yourself down and repeat the exercise

Safety Tips:

The higher the bench is, the more difficult the exercise will be.

Full Pull-up

Description:

The goal of pull-ups is to use your own body weight combined with gravity as resistance through an overhand grip to lift your chin above the bar.

Muscles Targeted:

Back, biceps

Instructions:

● Take a very wide overhand grip of the pull-up bar with both hands, palms of your hands should be facing the front or one hand facing the front and another pointing the back.

● Pull yourself up in a straight line until your chin reaches the bar.

● Pull your chest to the bar as you lower yourself back down to starting position in an overhand grip.

● Do this exercise for three sets of 10–12 reps.

Safety Tips:

If you feel pain anywhere while doing this exercise, stop immediately and do not continue doing the exercise until you feel pain-free again, this exercise is not for your own safety.

Dips Exercises

It is no secret that dip exercise is one of the most powerful ways to build up your pecs, deltoids, and triceps.

Bench Dips Exercise

Description:

Bench dips are a great exercise to work the triceps and chest. You don't need any equipment to perform this exercise, just a bench and yourself.

Muscles Targeted:

Triceps, pectorals, and anterior deltoids

Instructions:

●      Sit down on a bench, hands next to your thighs

●      Walk your feet out and extend your legs, lifting your bottom off the bench and holding it there with extended arms.

●      Hinging at the elbow, lower your body down as far as you can go, or until your arms form a 90-degree angle.

●       Push up through your palms back to start.

Safety Tips: If you have shoulder injuries, do not try this exercise. There is a lot of weight applying to your shoulders and it can strain them to the point where they will be injured.

Elevated Dips Exercise

Description:

Elevated dips are an exercise similar to regular bench dips, but with your legs elevated to the level of your arms.

Muscles Targeted:

Triceps, pectorals, and anterior deltoids

Instructions:

● Begin by placing your feet firmly on the bench and with hands gripping the edges of the bench tight.

● Slowly lower yourself until your elbows reach 90-degree angle while keeping your elbows close to your body as much as you can.

● Once in this position, push yourself back, using your shoulders and triceps. Repeat severally then stop immediately if you feel as if you are losing control.

Safety Tips:

It is very important to not lower yourself too far, or you will tire quickly and your form will change.

Assisted Parallel Dips

Description:

This exercise is a great way for beginners or those suffering from chronic lower back pain or shoulder problems, as it can be done with greater assistance. It helps develop triceps strength and balance.

Muscles Targeted:

Triceps, Pectoral muscle

Directions:

● To perform this exercise, hold onto the bars and attach the resistance band to the bars so you can put your legs on it.

● Make sure your body is straight and positioned directly over the bars so that the majority of your weight is supported by the band.

● Lower yourself down while gently leaning forward until your elbows reach 90-degree angle

● Push yourself up to the starting position and repeat.

Safety Tips:

If you suffer from elbow pain or had previous elbow injuries should be cautious and seek professional advice before working out with assisted parallel dips.

Parallel Dips Exercise

Description:

This exercise is a great way to work out the lower back muscles that sometimes get neglected during workouts. It uses an alternating movement pattern with repetitive, controlled movement to build strong and endurable muscles.

Muscle Group Targeted:

Triceps, Pectoral muscle

Directions:

● With a firm grip on the narrow parallel bars, keep your head up and chest up, while looking straight ahead as you begin the rep.

● Let your feet hang straight underneath your body or behind you with bent knees.

● Begin to lower your body while keeping your elbows close together and your upper arms at your sides. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor and the elbow joint reaches a 90-degree angle.

● Focusing on your triceps, push yourself back up to the top position until your arms are straight, maintaining an upright posture through the entire rep.

Safety Tips:

A little extra weight will increase the intensity of this exercise. Start with your body weight. As with all new exercises, start with light weights and perform the exercise on a pain-free day.

Knee Tucks Exercise

Description:

Knee tucks are a great core exercise for people with back and hip pain since they take the pressure off those areas.

Muscles Targeted:

Abs, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back

Directions:

● Sit down with your hands on the mat, your legs fully extended, and lean back.

● Bend your knees and pull them up to your chest.

● Hold for a second or two and then fully extend your legs without touching the mat.

Safety Tips:

Keep your spine straight during the exercise. Make sure you're only performing the exercise with your upper body.

Knee Raises Exercise

Description:

A knee raise is an exercise that targets the abdominal muscles and helps them develop and grow. This exercise can help make your knees and joints more flexible.

Muscles Targeted:

Hamstrings, quads, and calf muscles

Directions:

● To perform a knee raise, lie flat on your back with your shoulder blades touching the ground, hands straighten, and feet on the ground.

● Raise your legs until your knees reach a 90-degree angle from the floor, keeping your knees slightly bent throughout this motion.

● Lower yourself back down to the starting position and repeat the exercise.

Safety Tips:

Execution of this exercise incorrectly may lead to a back injury, so make sure to maintain a neutral spine by controlling your breathing while performing this exercise.

Bent Leg Raises

Description:

Bent leg raises are an abdominal exercise that targets both the upper and lower abdominals. This exercise helps you to have a tight, toned, and ripped stomach.

Muscles Targeted:

Abs, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back

Directions:

● Lay down with your back straight and your arms by your sides.

● Raise your legs while keeping them bent to a comfortable degree.

● Lower your legs down to the starting position.

Safety Tips:

Applying resistance on the legs when lifting them may lead to tears in muscle fibers. Instead, focus on drawing your belly button inwards while preventing arcing during the exercise.

Leg Raises Exercise

Description:

The leg raise is a great exercise that works the abdominal muscles.

Muscle group targeted:

Abs, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back

Instructions:

● Lie on your back with your hands at your sides. Your legs should be flat on the ground.

● Slowly raise your legs to a 90-degree angle with your knees straight.

● Repeat for 1–2 sets of 10–20 reps, resting for 30 seconds to one minute between sets.

Safety Tips:

You shouldn’t do this exercise if you have had back problems in the past.

Squats Exercises

A squat is an effective exercise for developing your leg muscles, core muscles, and increasing overall strength.

Jackknife Squat

Description:

A Jackknife squat is a weight-bearing exercise variant of the squat. You need to use something you can put your hands on like a chair.

Muscles Targeted:

Glutes, quads, and hamstrings

Directions:

● Stand in front of the chair, about two feet away.

● Place your hands on the chair for support.

● Slowly lower your body down by bending at the knee and hip.

● Next, stand up. Slowly straightening your legs.

● Repeat this exercise.

Safety Tips:

Since your abdominal muscles are being completely shortened and worked in this movement, it may not be ideal for those with lower back problems.

Assisted Squat

Description:

This is a great exercise for hamstrings, glutes, calves, and abs. Find something to hold to like the doorway about 2 or 3 feet in front of a squat rack.

Muscles Targeted:

Glutes, quads, and hamstrings

Instructions:

● Stand with your right side facing the doorway and grasp tightly to both handles.

● Keep your chest up and back flat.

● As you engage your legs, press down through both heels to descend.

● Lower yourself until you feel a deep stretch in the hamstrings.

● Pause, then return to the starting position (still facing the doorway).

● Repeat.

Safety Tips:

Always remember to warm up!

Chair Squat

Description:

The chair squat is a bodyweight exercise that will work your chest, shoulders, back muscles. It is a good workout for people who have limited mobility or those who are just beginning to exercise. The position of the chair should be about 6–8 inches from the ground with the footrests on either side.

Muscles Targeted:

Glutes, quads and hamstrings

Instructions:

● Start sitting on the chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back straight.

● Push yourself up to the standing position.

● Then slowly lower yourself down at the chair while strengthening your arms.

● Repeat the exercise

Safety Tips:

If you have a back problem don’t do this exercise. Ensure you are sitting correctly on the chair. Lastly, ensure that the chair you are sitting on can support your weight .

Full Squat

Description:

In the full squat exercise, you bend your knees and lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your weight should be on your heels and the balls of your feet. Keep your back straight and chest lifted, aiming to keep a 90-degree angle in the knee joint.

Muscles Targeted:

Glutes, quads, and hamstrings

Instructions:

● Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outwards.

● Extend your hands in front of you for balance.

● Now squat down as if sitting back into a chair, without letting your knees go past your toes.

● Hold it for two seconds and straighten up again while squeezing the lower muscles of the butt.

Safety Tips:

Do not let your knees buckle inward. Also, do not let your knees go past the toes.

Bridges Exercises

Did you know that bridges are a great way to firm up your butt and thighs? They’ll also help you work on strengthening your back. I love these exercises for the strength they bring in the end.

Short Bridges

Description:

If your back is strong, but you still have trouble bending, then here's a great stretching routine for you. Not only will it help with your flexibility, but it also strengthens the muscles that support the spine in all its moves.

Muscle Targeted:

Glutes

Instructions:

● Start by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent and arms at your sides.

● Slowly raise your hips up off the ground and hold that position for 2–3 seconds.

● Do not rock back and forth or cave-in at the hips.

● Return to the starting position slowly.

● Repeat 10 times before moving on to other exercises for the lower body.

Safety Tips:

Use a mat or towel to cushion your knees and elbows on the ground. Stay in control of your body at all times and avoid bouncing or swinging the hips.

Angled Bridge

Description:

This is an exercise that requires little space, yet it is important and great for the back and abdominal muscles. It targets the hip flexors and can help to strengthen your core muscles.

Muscles Targeted:

Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, glutes

Instructions:

● Lay down in front of the bench, arms spanned out beneath you.

● Lift up so you are seated on the bench, leaning back slightly and pulling in your abdominals.

● Lift up a few inches, and then slowly lower back down.

● Repeat for 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps.

Safety Tips:

Keep your weight on your back and in your heels throughout this exercise. Keep your hips from rotating up to lift your leg and do not let the knee bend while lifting. Keep the leg straight as you lower it back down to the floor.

Head Bridges

Description:

Head bridge is a strength training exercise that targets the back of the neck and shoulders and usually takes place in one position.

Muscles Targeted:

Glutes

Instructions:

● Lay on your back with your hands behind your head.

● Raise your head and shoulders off the ground and keep them up.

● Hold the position for two to three seconds.

● Lower slowly to the ground.

● Repeat the exercise three times.

● Maintain a slow pace and do not allow the head to drop faster than one inch per second.

Safety Tips:

It is a dangerous move and should not be attempted by beginners or individuals with shoulder injuries. Avoid jerking or dropping your head in an uncontrolled fashion and excessive straining at any time during the exercise .

Full Bridges

Description:

Full bridges require balance and stability among the four major muscle groups and is also one of my favorite exercises for developing greater core stability and strength because it challenges the muscles in their lengthened state while applying load.

Muscles Targeted:

Glutes, hamstrings, back, and abdominals

Instructions:

● Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Position yourself in a semi-prone position.

● Exhale and engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button towards your spine to initiate some tension in your core, as if you were about to get punched in the abdomen.

● Lift your hips off the floor, then lower your hips until they are in line with your knees.

● Slowly lift up to an isometric position and hold for 10 seconds, then slowly lower back down to the starting position.

Safety Tips:

Don't overextend any of the muscles, it is easy to do so during this exercise. Make sure that you don't overdo it on this exercise; limit yourself to 3 sets of 10 repetitions .

Calf Raises

Calf raises are a great way to strengthen your calves. You can do them at work, at home, and anywhere else that you would like to pamper your calves or improve their health. The best part is that they are easy enough for anyone to do! All you need is a chair and a surface of carpet flooring that isn’t too worn out.

Calf Raises

Description:

Calf raises, also known as seesaw shifts, is an effective exercise for the calf muscles and can be done by activating your toe flexors. It helps prevent common foot problems.

Muscles Targeted:

Calf muscles

Instructions:

● Stand on a step or curb. If you are using a curb, don’t stand directly in front of it.

● Keeping your legs straight, lift up onto the balls of your feet.

● Push through your heels to do this, don't try to pull up with your toes or push down with your knees.

● Slowly lower yourself back down, careful not to trip.

● Repeat the steps then switch sides.

Safety Tips:

Warm up before you do this exercise with a few light toe curls or by walking on your toes for a few minutes. Take care not to come down too hard when you land, especially if you are using a curb or step that can cause injury. Never perform these exercises barefoot.

Deep Calf Raises

Description:

To do this exercise you stand facing away from an elevated surface, like stairs or something similar to that height with a goal to raise your heels off of the ground and then return back down.

Muscles Targeted:

Calf muscles

Instructions:

● Find an elevated surface, like stairs or a workout bench to put your feet on

● Stand with your legs apart with your feet on the surface step/bench.

● Begin to raise and lower your feet off of the step then go back to the starting position.

● Repeat this exercise as many times as you need.

Safety Tips:

Be sure to keep your back straight, knees straight.

Single-Leg Calf Raises

Description:

Single leg calf raises exercises are relatively easy for the lower leg muscles that can also help to improve balance, increase flexibility, and promote blood flow.

Muscles Targeted:

Calf muscles

Instructions:

● Stand on one leg with the other leg extended behind you and bent at 90 degrees. The knee of the leg that is extended should be slightly bent.

● Rise on the toes of your standing leg using your calf muscles, keeping your heel off of the ground. When you are at the top, hold for one second then slowly lower yourself down smoothly.

● Repeat for the desired number of repetitions and then switch legs.

Safety Tips:

Be cautious when performing this exercise and ensure that you standing strongly to avoid injury, also keep the spine straight, and avoid bending through the back, or hyperextending the leg.

Single-Leg Deep Calf Raises

Description:

The greatest exercise for the soleus muscle, and one of the most popular with athletes. It is a convenient exercise that you can do by yourself in your home or at the office.

Muscles Targeted:

Calf muscles

Directions:

● Place your right leg on the bench and your left leg on top of it, with the left knee bent.

● Balance with your left leg on top and straighten your right leg from a 45-degree angle.

● Slowly raise the heel up like you are stepping in place. Do not lift any higher than 75% of your maximum weight while standing.

● Lower slowly to the starting position by bending the right knee and straightening the left leg again.

Safety Tips:

Hold your balance while lifting your heels, never do it with the

weight only on your left leg. In case you have any medical condition or a painful muscle do not try. It is important to hold on to something while performing this exercise.

Chapter Four:  Dumbbell Training

Bells and weights have been used for centuries to build muscle, develop balance, stimulate the cardiovascular system, and improve strength. A dumbbell should be heavy enough so that when you hold it in both hands you can't lift it over your head in one motion. It is very important to use dumbbells correctly because performing exercises incorrectly or using improper weights can lead to serious injury.

This section will demonstrate how to perform workouts and train with dumbbells. When it comes to dumbbell training, it is significantly simpler to substitute tough workouts for dumbbell training. As a result, you won’t require many of them, as you won’t need to modify the workout to increase its complexity.

Overhead Press Exercise

Description:

This exercise will help you work the upper body part. The point of the

exercise is to build the muscles at the front of your shoulders,

which are used in a variety of overhead exercises, such as weightlifting,

throwing objects, stopping motion, and twirling.

Muscles Targeted:

shoulders

Instructions:

●   Stand upright and keep the back straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip and your arms bent at a 90-degree level.

● Exhale as you raise the weights above the head in a controlled motion.

● Pause briefly at the top of the motion.

● Inhale and return the dumbbells to shoulder level.

Safety Tips:

Make sure that your shoulders are raised up towards your ears and that you are not hunching your back or bending forward during this exercise. This exercise should be done with slow, controlled movements to avoid injury.

Bent Over Rows

Description:

Bent over rows is a weight training and strength workout exercise that primarily targets the muscles in the back.

Muscles Targeted:

Back

Instructions:

● Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hip so your upper body is almost parallel to the floor.

● Keep your core tight and your back straight as you row the weights up to your chest.

● Lower and repeat.

Safety Tips:

Remember to keep your back and shoulders in a straight line.

Front Raise exercise

Description:

Front Raises are a great way to work the anterior side of your deltoids, strengthening and toning them.

Muscles Targeted:

Shoulders

Directions:

● Standing with your feet together, hold a dumbbell in each hand.

● With both hands gripping the dumbbells, raise them directly up to your shoulders while keeping your arms straight.

● Hold the dumbbells at your shoulder level with palms facing each other.

● Lower the dumbbells to the position of your starting point.

● Repeat the exercise.

Safety Tips:

Always use a weight that you can handle. If you suffer from back pain, you should not perform this exercise. Keep your arms straight at all times during the exercise. Don’t swing back and forth to move the weight.

Arm Curl

Description:

Arm curls are a weightlifting exercise used to isolate the biceps and strengthen the lower arm.

Muscles Targeted:

Biceps

Instructions:

● Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging by your sides.

● Ensure your elbows are close to your torso and your palms are facing forward.

● Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale as you curl the weights up to shoulder level while contracting your biceps.

Safety Tips:

Make sure to not move your elbows while performing this exercise

Triceps Extension Exercise

Description:

The triceps extension exercise trains the triceps and helps with strengthening the arms.

Muscles Targeted:

Triceps

Instructions:

● With feet shoulder-width apart and core tight, hold a dumbbell with both hands.

● Lift the dumbbell until your arms are fully extended with palms facing the roof and elbows pointing forward. This is the start position

● Bending at the elbows and squeezing your triceps, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head

● Slowly return to start position and repeat

Safety Tips:

Be careful not to lock elbows at the top of the extension as this can lead to injury.

Shoulder Squat Exercise

Description:

This exercise is used to stretch and strengthen the muscles of lower body and to improve balance and posture.

Muscles Targeted:

Hamstrings, quadriceps, Glutes

Instructions:

● Rest a dumbbell on each shoulder with the dumbbell end pointing forward.

● Position the feet about as wide as the hips and do not allow heels to rise up during the exercise.

● Stand tall, shoulders pulled back with good balance.

● Point your butt backward as you start to lower your body by bending at the knees.

● Descend to where your thighs are parallel to the floor. Less than the full distance is OK until you develop good form.

● Press into your heels to straighten your knees and hips and rise back up to a standing position.

Safety Tips:

Don’t allow your head to lean forward or backward.

Forward Lunge

Description:

This exercise is a great way to strengthen your quadriceps while

engaging the hamstrings as well.

Muscles Targeted:

Quadriceps, hamstrings, groin, and calves

Instructions:

● Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.

● Bend one knee and step forward with that leg until you feel some tension in the hamstring of the back leg (do not actually touch the floor).

● Return to start, and then repeat on the opposite side.

Safety Tips:

Do not overreach on your lunge; that is, keep your front knee from going beyond your toes.

Dumbbell Calf Raises

Description:

The calf muscle exercise focuses primarily on the lower calves, as well as your forefoot and ankle stabilization muscles. The exercise helps balance out any potential strength imbalances when moving across platforms in general.

Muscles Targeted:

Calf muscle

Instructions:

● Stand upright holding two dumbbells by your sides.

● With your toes pointing forwards, raise your heels off the floor and contract your calves.

● Slowly return to the starting position.

Safety Tips:

Make sure that the floor is dry and free of any obvious debris before performing this exercise. You don’t want to slip.

Chapter Five: Resistance Band Training

Resistance band training is the perfect solution for when your usual fitness routine gets boring. It provides the same benefits as traditional exercise, but without having to commit a significant amount of time or money that other forms might require.

The Row Exercise

Description:

The row exercise targets the back muscles.

Muscles Targeted:

Back

Directions:

● Secure one end of the band and hold the other end with your hands together and strong tension in the band.

● Pull the band in to your chest and hold for a second, shoulders back and shoulder blades together. Don’t let your elbows flare out while you do the exercise.

● Return to the starting position.

Safety Tips:

If you have shoulder problems, the row exercise can cause injury. If you feel discomfort, try performing the different exercises.

Shoulder External Rotators Exercise

Description:

Shoulder external rotations is performed by lifting the arms outward away from the body.

Muscles Targeted:

Shoulders

Instructions:

● Stand with feet hip-width apart.

● Hold the band at chest height.

● Rotate your arm from in front of your body to behind, with elbow bent to 90 degrees and palm facing down.

● Hold for 10 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Safety Tips:

Keep your elbows from bending inward during the exercise.

Forward Raise Exercise

Description:

The forward raises exercise targets the front of the body, specifical muscles in the deltoids and biceps.

Muscles Targeted:

Shoulders

Instructions:

● Hold onto the band with both hands, palms facing each other and arms extended straight out in front of you.

● Attach the resistance band to the toes.

● Slowly raise your arms up and away from your body until they are almost fully extended overhead.

● Slowly flex your elbows to slowly lower yourself back down to starting position.

● Repeat.

Safety Tips:

Don’t forget to maintain good form!

Chest Press Exercise

Description:

The chest press is the exercise most people think of when they consider strength training. It’s a great upper-body workout, working both the pectorals and triceps.

Muscles Targeted:

Pectorals and triceps muscles

Instructions:

● Hold one end of a resistance band in each hand, and slide the middle of the band behind your upper back.

● Get into a split stance with one foot in front of the other for balance.

● From here, slowly push both of your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height, straightening your elbows but not locking them.

● Pause, then slowly bend your arms to return to starting position.

● That’s one rep. Alternate which foot is forward on each set.

Safety Tips:

Be careful not to overstretch your shoulders.

Squat Exercise

Description:

It is more effective when done in combination with other exercises such as leg press in glutes and hamstrings.

Muscles Targeted:

Hamstrings, quadriceps, Glutes

Instructions:

●      Attach a band to your feet at your chosen height.

●      Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the other end of the band in both hands, shoulder-width apart.

●      Keep elbows straight and arms extended as you pull in your abs and push out your chest.

●      Bend at the waist, pressing back into heels while pushing knees outwards and shins inwards so that thighs are parallel to ground.

●      Stand up by extending hips and knees simultaneously until legs are straight but not locked off. Maintain a natural arch in the lower back throughout.

Safety Tips:

If you have knee and ankle problems, seek the advice of your doctor before beginning the squat exercise. Avoid bending or squatting excessively.

Leg Press Exercise

Description:

The leg press is a weight-training exercise that targets the quadriceps and hamstrings. The exercise is performed by lying on one's back and pressing the weight upward by straightening the legs

Muscles Targeted:

Quadriceps and hamstrings

Instructions:

● Lie on a mat face up. Lift your feet off of the mat. Bend your knees, creating a 90-degree angle. Flex your feet, pointing your toes toward the ceiling.

● Wrap the band around your feet and hold the ends. Keep your feet side by side.

● Press your feet against the bands until your legs are straight.

● Bend your knees to return to a 90-degree angle.

Safety Tips:

If you feel any pain in the back of your thighs or a cramp in the quadriceps during or after an exercise, stop immediately.

Calf Push Exercise

Description:

The calf push exercise is an exercise of the gastrocnemius muscle group. It can be done as part of a warm-up routine, stretching routine, or muscle-building routine.

Muscles Targeted:

Calf muscles

Instructions:

●      Push a band around your calves, holding the band in both hands.

●      Keep your arms straight and do not let the band move.

●       Push your toes back into the ground.

●      Contract your calf muscle for 10 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds, and release.

●       Repeat 8 times.

Safety Tips:

Glute Bridge Exercise

Description:

The glute bridge exercise is a great way to strengthen your butt. It’s also an effective, low-risk way to prepare for back surgery with fusion.

Muscles Targeted:

Gluteal muscles and hamstrings

Instructions:

●      Loop the resistance band just above your knees and lie on your back with your feet on the floor and your knees bent at 90 degrees.

●      Lift your toes off the floor, then raise your hips until you form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders, contracting your glutes throughout the entire movement.

●      As you raise your hips open your knees slightly to press against the resistance band.

●       Return to the starting position.

Safety Tips:

This exercise is best performed on a surface that will take the shock of your weight, such as a carpet. If the surface is not firm enough, you can step onto a thickly padded roller or foam pad.

Hip Extension Exercise

Description:

This exercise strengthens the hip extensor muscles of the legs, which will

recruit the gluteal muscles in order to accomplish the movement.

Muscles Targeted:

The hamstrings and iliopsoas muscles

Instructions:

● Kneel on and place your hands and knees on the floor.

● Kick one leg back behind you.

● Keep your knee straight.

● Hold for a couple of seconds and then return to the starting position.

Safety Tips:

Be sure to keep your back straight .

Chapter Six:  How to Build a Routine

A routine is a series of activities that are done in the same order to get something done. A simple example is brushing your teeth: you take out your toothbrush, put on toothpaste, and then brush. The same thing is done in the morning with clothes and food.

A routine helps you to do these things without having to think about it because the routine becomes automatic. In this section, I am going to teach you how to build a workout routine.

You’re probably thinking, “Do I have to separate workouts for muscle groups or just do a full-body workout?” or “I won’t be able to do a full workout, is it OK for me to do a couple of exercises day?” And the answer is - it depends. For each of you, there will be the

the perfect way to structure a workout.

Most of you won’t have to separate your workouts for different muscle groups if you don’t want to be a bodybuilder, which I suppose most of you aren’t. Instead, a simple full-body workout will be enough for you to keep your body and mind strong and healthy.

As for those of you who can’t handle the difficulty of a complete workout, it is crucial to understand that IT IS OK. Everyone should do their best and not look at what over people are doing. And if your level is doing one or two exercises a day, it is in your best interest not

to go overboard with it.

Now let’s get to the point. How do you found out how many exercises do you need to include in your routine? First, you need to select the exercises based on a muscle group you want to train and the difficulty of the exercise.

If you want to do a full-body workout, then pick exercises that cover each major muscle group. See the examples.

But if you want to do fewer exercises, it is best to separate muscle groups by the days. See the examples.

As for how many reps and sets do you need to perform, it is pretty simple - do as many reps as you can while maintaining perfect form for 2 to 3 sets. Maintaining perfect form is the key to prevent injury and speed up your progress.

While choosing your bodyweight routine, you should consider the difficulty of the exercise, but with dumbbell and resistance band exercises, it is a lot easier. All you have to do to decrease or increase the difficulty of the exercise is to add or remove weight or get the band with more or less resistance.

Examples

Full body workout routines

Bodyweight full-body workout

Do this routine 2-3 times a week with at least a whole day in between workouts. Do 2-3 sets with 60-90 seconds of rest in between.

Dumbbell full-body workout

●       Warm-Up

●       Overhead Press

●       Bent Over Rows

●       Front Raises

●       Arm Curl

●       Tricep Extensions

●       Shoulder Squat

●       Forward Lunge

●       Dumbbell Calf Raises

Resistance band full-body workout

●       Warm-Up

●       The Row

●       Shoulder External Rotations

●       Forward Raises

●       Chest Press

●       Squat

●       Leg Press

●       Calf Push

●       Glute Brige

●       Hip Extensions

Split workout routines(easier)

This routine is very easy so you can do it almost every day but don’t forget to take at least 1-2 days off every week.

Bodyweight split workouts

Very easy

Easy

Medium

Hard

Dumbbell split workout

Resistance band split workout

Last words

Strength training is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle that has several health benefits. Through strength training, proper techniques can be learned and slow progressions from easier exercises to more difficult ones can be made. Strength training even helps prevent falls and other injuries. In fact, the number one cause of an older person’s death in the United States is falling! A safe and effective way to help prevent this is with exercise.

Through the application of various types of strength training, the older individual can learn safe and effective techniques to start building muscle and increase strength. This will not only help prevent further injuries but also allow them to live a longer and healthier life, as exercise can help prevent many illnesses.

One of the types of weight training that is highly effective in helping senior citizens maintain and even build muscles is the use of free weights. A free weight is weight, such as a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell, that does not have an attached machine. Free weights are one of the most common ways to build muscle which helps the older individual stay active by not having to rely on machines for assistance.

A good strength training program to follow for the elderly individual is one starting with the basics. The first exercises to be performed are simple warm-up stretches followed by very lightweight training. This helps break up any stiffness and gets the blood flowing through the system. Once this is done, a beginner program can be selected such as a circuit program or a push/pull style program that consists of a variety of exercises that are performed in succession. This type of program allows the individual to start with less weight and increase the difficulty as they become stronger.

Once the individual becomes accustomed to lifting weights it can be beneficial to start combining different types of weight training. The key is not to overdo it, which can lead to an injury. To prevent this, a program should be started that recruits more than one muscle group at a time. This is beneficial as our bodies are meant to work together in groups called synergies. Synergy is a group of muscles that are combined to do something, such as opening a box, and therefore the more muscles that are involved the better.

A synergistic program to follow would be one that begins with a compound exercise that uses more than one muscle group, such as a squat. This will engage all of the leg and hip muscles. After the compound movement is complete another exercise can be performed for another muscle group, such as an upper-body push or pull exercise. This is performed afterward and allows each muscle group to be worked individually.

A variety of different exercises can be performed depending on the goals of the older individual. Exercises such as bicep curls, pull-ups, squats, and leg extensions are very effective at building strength and helping prevent injury. Additionally, these exercises provide the opportunity for an older person to improve their self-esteem while gaining satisfaction from being able to accomplish something they used to be able to do.

It is very important that the elder individual takes care of themselves with regard to their recovery, or lack thereof. This starts before and after each workout. The best way to do this is to set a personal goal for how long they will be able to train. Anything from an hour to two hours is a good goal to work toward. This helps ensure that even if they have a bad day, they still have enough strength and endurance left in their body so that they can make it through their fitness routine.

The second and last step to the strength training for seniors program involves proper nutrition and recovery. Proper nutrition is essential to allow the body to grow and repair itself. As an older person's appetite diminishes, strength training becomes much more difficult without adequate nutrition. Nutrients go a long way in helping with this as proper vitamins, minerals, and proteins are necessary for the body to be able to function at its maximum potential.

The final step to recovery is getting a good night's sleep. It is very important to get a good night’s rest because this allows the body to not only repair itself but also grow. Getting plenty of sleep will help the body grow stronger and recover from exercise allowing for better workouts. It should be noted that exercising after work or other activities can exhaust the body and make it more difficult to fall asleep at night. This should be avoided if possible so that the senior citizen can get all of their required rest and recovery time.

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