Obesity in the U.S. is an extremely concerning issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from the timeframe of 1999 to 2000 through 2017 to March 2020, the number of obese individuals in the country jumped from 30.5% to 41.9%. “Severe obesity” also skyrocketed from 4.7% to 9.2%. So it should come as no surprise that a common fitness goal individuals strive to achieve is weight loss. In order to make weight loss happen for you, you need to be diligent about what you’re putting into your body via following a healthy diet and get in the right forms of exercise. We took the guesswork out of the equation and are here to share 15 of the best exercises for rapid weight loss after 50.
If you feel like losing weight as you age is more challenging than when you were younger, you’re not alone. Many individuals don’t remain as active when they grow older, and as a result, lose lean muscle. In order to turn things around, strength training is a must-do, as it helps you build and preserve muscle, burn more calories compared to cardio, and increase your metabolism.
Most people who are older and perform strength training spend too much time on single-joint movements such as curls, triceps extensions, and lateral raises. Although there’s nothing necessarily wrong with those exercises, if you want to lose weight, you need to select the best bang-for-your-buck movements. So let’s get into the 15 best exercises for rapid weight loss after 50. And when you’re done reading, don’t miss out on The Only 5 Exercises You Need To Lose 10 Pounds.
To set up for the dumbbell goblet squat, hold the head of a dumbbell in both hands like a “goblet” up by your heart’s center. Maintain a tight core and a tall chest as you press your hips back and lower into a squat until your hips are at least parallel to the floor. Then, drive through your heels to stand back up. Be sure to flex your glutes and quads as you do so.
Start your dumbbell rows by firmly placing one hand and knee on a workout bench. Hold a dumbbell with your opposite hand as you extend that arm toward the floor. Then, row the weight up toward your hip, squeezing your lats and upper back at the end of the motion. Straighten your arm back down, and feel a solid stretch before rowing the dumbbell up again.
For this exercise, grab onto the wide grip attachment on a seated row machine. Firmly plant both feet on the footpad. Pull the handle out, then completely straighten out your legs. Keep your chest tall, and drive your elbows back toward your hips, squeezing your back and lats hard to finish. Straighten your arms, and get a good stretch in your shoulder blades.
Start dumbbell thrusters by holding a set of dumbbells up by your shoulders. Engage your core, and squat down until your hips become parallel to the floor. Once you hit parallel, drive through your heels, and use the momentum of the squat to press the weights overhead. Flex your triceps at the top of the motion, then, with control, lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders.
Begin your dumbbell walking lunges by holding a dumbbell in both hands with your arms extended at your sides. Bring one leg forward, and firmly plant that foot on the ground. Then, descend into a lunge until your back knee touches the ground. Step forward with the opposite leg for a lunge, and repeat.
Hack squats begin with you placing your feet in front of you and pointing them out a bit. Press yourself up before hitting the switches to unlock the machine. Then, lower yourself using control as you would with traditional squats. Descend until your hips are at least at a 90-degree angle. Press through your heels in order to rise back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
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The leg press begins by sitting down and placing your feet on the platform just outside shoulder-width. Point your toes out a bit. Then, drive through your heels to press yourself away from the platform so your legs extend, and lower to the start position.
For Bulgarian split squats, stand tall with a dumbbell in both hands. Position your back foot on a workout bench, couch, or sturdy surface, and step out with your other foot just about two to three feet away from the bench. With control, lower your body into a split squat; your back knee should almost touch the floor. Then, press back up to standing, flexing your quads and glutes as you do.
The kettlebell deadlift begins with you standing in front of the kettlebell. Your feet should be outside of the weight. Hinge your hips back, and squat down low enough to grab onto the kettlebell. Make sure your shoulders are lined up with the handle. Keep your core tight and your shoulders down, and take hold of the kettlebell by pushing through your heels. Stand up tall, and flex your glutes at the top of the movement. Reverse the motion to put the weight down.
For bodyweight rows, you can work with rings, a bar, or a TRX strap. If using a strap, make sure to grab onto it with a neutral grip. If you’re using a bar, utilize an overhand or underhand grip. Stick your feet forward, and lean back slightly to at least 45 degrees. Engage your core, and pull yourself in by bringing your elbows toward your hips. Squeeze your lats and upper back hard, then straighten your arms fully.
Lat pulldowns start by grabbing onto the bar with an overhand grip and placing your hands outside shoulder-width. Slightly lean back, and pull the bar down toward your sternum, squeezing your lats at the bottom of the motion. Feel the resistance on the way back up. Let your shoulder blades come up at the top for a solid stretch.
Begin your incline dumbbell neutral grip bench presses by lying flat on your back on an incline bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, positioning them with your palms facing each other. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench, and lower the weights. Once you feel a solid chest stretch at the bottom of the motion, press the weights back up. Flex your upper pecs and triceps at the top.
For dumbbell pushups, position a set of dumbbells ahead of you. Assume a pushup/high plank position, and grab onto the dumbbells. Engage your core, and lower your chest toward the ground with control. Lower until your chest is just about an inch or two above the floor. Then, press yourself back up. Flex your triceps and pecs.
Set up for landmine deadlifts by placing a barbell inside a landmine attachment. If you don’t have one available to you, anchor the end of the barbell against a wall, which will deliver the same effect. Keep your chest tall, press your hips back, and squat down until you can grab the end of the bar. Brace your abs, then push through both heels to come back up. Flex your glutes hard at the top of the move, then reverse the motion back down to the floor.
Lastly, this list of the best exercises for rapid weight loss after 50 wraps up with kettlebell swings. Maintain a tall chest as you grab onto the kettlebell with both hands. Keep your core tight, and bring the kettlebell toward you before pressing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes. Swing the kettlebell until it becomes parallel to the floor. Then, use your lats in order to bring the weight back down. With a slight bend in your knees, pull the kettlebell back between your legs, and hip hinge backward before popping them forward to repeat.
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