A Hollywood trainer who has coached Samuel L. Jackson and Pedro Pascal shares the movements that build strength, improve balance and protect your joints as you age
In your sixth decade, fitness priorities shift. While big compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, and bench presses are often retired in favour of longevity and injury prevention, restructuring your training plan to suit your age is the smartest way to maintain progress.
It’s a strategy elite performance coach David Higgins knows well, having prepped Hollywood stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Pedro Pascal, Eddie Redmayne, and David Harbour for high-pressure roles in blockbusters like The Last of Us and Gladiator II.
“Most of the men who come to me in their fifties, sixties and seventies aren’t lacking movement entirely; they’re lacking specific movement,” he explains to Men’s Fitness. “Years of sitting, driving, working at desks and repeating the same daily habits create predictable weaknesses.”
These include the glutes switching off, he says, the posture deteriorating and balance declining, while muscle mass reduces and joints become less stable. “Together, these issues require targeted exercises that restore strength, mobility and movement quality in the areas that need it most.”
Additionally, “it’s also important to recognise that the over-50 population is incredibly diverse,” says Higgins. “At one end of the spectrum, you have people running marathons and competing in triathlons, while at the other, you have people struggling to get off the floor, climb stairs or walk without discomfort.”
His advice is aimed squarely at the latter group: “the people who feel their body is beginning to work against them and want to regain strength, confidence and independence.”
To reclaim that independence, Higgins stresses the power of “NEAT”—Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis—which includes “all the movement you do throughout the day that isn’t formal exercise: walking the dog, gardening, carrying shopping, climbing stairs, cleaning the house and generally staying active.”
For men over 50, ramping up these micro-movements is “one of the most powerful things they can do for their health” to manage weight, improve cardiovascular fitness, and protect joints from prolonged sitting.
However, don’t ditch structured workouts just yet; as Higgins advises, “NEAT alone won’t solve the biggest problems I see in clinic.” Allow him to make a few suggestions…
Sit-to-stand squats
Why: “For many people over 50, the ability to get out of a chair without using their hands is one of the most important indicators of lower-body strength and independence,” says Higgins. “Sit-to-stand squats strengthen the quadriceps, glutes and core while directly improving a movement pattern that people rely on dozens of times every day.”
How:
- Sit on a sturdy chair or bench with your feet flat on the floor, slightly wider than hip-width apart, and toes turned out a fraction.
- Lean your torso slightly forward from the hips, engage your core, and push firmly through your feet to stand completely upright.
- Take a deep breath, push your hips back as if searching for the chair, and lower yourself under control until you touch the seat. Avoid crashing down.
Step-ups
Why: “Step-ups build strength, coordination and balance while mimicking one of life’s most common movements, climbing stairs,” says Higgins. “They improve lower-body power and can help reduce the fear of falling, which becomes increasingly important as we age.”
How:
- Stand facing a sturdy box, bench, or platform. Keep your feet hip-width apart and your posture tall.
- Place your entire right foot firmly onto the surface.
- Drive through your heel to lift your body up, bringing your left foot to meet it.
- Step back down smoothly with your left foot first, followed by your right. Switch legs.
Farmers carries
Why: “Carrying weight while walking develops grip strength, core stability and postural control; and grip strength is strongly associated with healthy ageing. Carries challenge the body in a way that closely resembles real-life activities.”
- Place two heavy weights ( dumbbells or kettlebells) on the floor on either side of your feet. Squat down with a straight back, grip the handles firmly, and stand up.
- Pull your shoulders back and down, brace your stomach, and take small, deliberate, heel-to-toe steps forward.
- Keep your gaze fixed ahead—not at your feet—and maintain a rigid torso throughout the walk. Carefully reverse your squat to place the weights back down.
Resistance band rows
Why: “Years of sitting often leave people with rounded shoulders, weak upper backs and neck tension. Rowing movements strengthen the muscles responsible for pulling the shoulders back into a healthier position, improving posture and shoulder function.”
- Loop a resistance band securely around a sturdy anchor point at chest height (or wrap it around your feet while sitting down with legs extended). Grip the handles with your arms straight out in front of you.
- Pull your shoulders down, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and draw your elbows back towards your ribs.
- Pause for a second at the peak contraction, then slowly extend your arms back to the starting position, resisting the pull of the band.
Hip Bridges
Why: “Many people over 50 have forgotten how to use their glutes properly. Hip bridges reactivate and strengthen these muscles, helping to support the lower back, improve walking mechanics and reduce unnecessary stress on the knees.”
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart and close to your glutes. Relax your arms at your sides.
- Squeeze your buttocks and drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Hold the top position for a moment, keeping your core tight so your lower back doesn’t arch, then gently lower your hips back down to the floor.
3 Exercises Men Over 50 Should Avoid
While the moves above have some serious carry-over, there are a host of modalities and training styles that Higgins remains wary of.
Firstly, he points to ‘ego lifting,’ fitness parlance for lifting weights that are too heavy to handle with proper form. “The issue isn’t the exercise itself; it’s the load,” he says. “Too many people attempt weights their joints, tendons and movement quality are no longer prepared for.”
Additionally, high-impact jump training — “repeated jumping can place significant stress on ageing joints and connective tissue,” says Higgins, who sees this as particularly problematic for those carrying excess weight or managing previous injuries.”
Lastly, complex Olympic lifts, such as heavy cleans and snatches. “These require high levels of mobility, coordination and technical proficiency,” he says. “For most people looking to stay strong and healthy after 50, there are safer and more effective alternatives.”
