Research points more and more to the importance of strength and preserving muscle for our overall health, especially as we age. At Fitness Together, most of our clients are in their 40s and older, so it’s important that we focus on helping them improve their strength safely and efficiently. With this in mind, here are some of our favorite strength exercises. This isn’t a comprehensive list by any means, but they are staples in most strength programs. They are based on what is known as “Primal patterns,” or basic movements that humans most likely needed to be able to do in order to survive. These movements are: Lunging, Squatting, Pushing, Pulling, Twisting, Hinging, and Gait (walk/run).
IMPORTANT: Be sure to warm-up well before strength training and stretch afterwards. While most exercises are safe for most people, if you have a medical condition that can be made worse, consult with a medical professional before starting a program.
Squats: Often considered the “king of lower body exercises,” almost every client of ours will have some variation of the squat included in their program.
Why we love them: Squats strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and can be modified from quite easy to quite challenging. The ability to get up and down translates into many everyday activities like yard work, housework, and playing with kids.
Trainer Tips: Maintain good posture and tight core, try to keep feet flat on the ground, initiate the movement by sitting back with your hips.
Lunges: Similar to a squat in some ways, but places more emphasis on individual leg strength (uni-lateral) and balance.
Why we love them: Lunges, like squats, work the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. But because at least one foot typically moves during a lunge, we can change the direction of the lunge to a front lunge, reverse lunge, side lunge, etc. They translate well to activities like hiking, tennis/pickleball, running, and most other sports.
Trainer Tips: Use the fullest range of motion possible. Stop your forward momentum and then drop the back knee towards the ground.
Romanian Dead Lifts (RDL’s): This is a classic “hinging” exercise that strengthens your posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back).
Why we love them: RDL’s reinforce the idea of hinging from the hips instead of flexing at the spine, which can be very valuable in preventing back injuries, especially when bending over to lift something. They emphasize extension of the hips, which can help counteract all the time we spend sitting.
Trainer Tips: Focus on creating a stretch in the hamstrings and don’t let your lower back round. Keep a “proud chest” and your shoulder blades squeezed together. Lower the weight down slowly and don’t bounce at the bottom.
Push-Ups (Push pattern): Perhaps the most common calisthenic exercise in history! You can do them just about anywhere, and there are a million variations from easy to super challenging.
Why we love them: Push-ups are another compound exercise (uses multiple joints) and builds strength and endurance in the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. They can be easily modified for all ability levels.
Trainer Tips: Try to bend elbows to at least 90 degrees, then push up until elbows are straight. Keep a neutral spine. Experiment with different hand positions (close grip for more triceps, wide grip for more chest).
Row (Pull Pattern): The row can be performed with bands, machines, or free weights, and is a great exercise to strengthen the upper back, latissimus dorsi (lats), and even the biceps.
Why we love them: Like the RDL, the row is a great posterior exercise. Especially beneficial for helping to undo hours behind a steering wheel or a computer because of its emphasis on upper back strengths.
Trainer tips: Focus on pulling your shoulder blades together (retraction) and down (depression). Hold the squeeze for two seconds.
Andrew Henderson
Owner of Fitness Together
My Tennessee story begins in 1995, when I started my master’s degree in Sports Psychology at UTK. For an assignment on motivation, I interviewed several trainers and their clients at the gym I went to. This sparked my interest in becoming a trainer, so I became certified and posted advertising flyers all over campus. However, I soon decided that I wanted something more consistent, so I accepted a position at a health club, where I spent ten great years.
While this was a great way to start my career, I knew I would be my own boss. When I learned about Fitness Together, I spent a year scraping up enough money to secure a business loan, and I became an owner in 2007. Since then we’ve expanded to four locations with 20 employees. My wife, Sara, and I love living here. Boating, biking, enjoying the local restaurant and music scene, and of course, cheering on the Vols, keep us quite busy. I am grateful for the opportunities that Knoxville has provided and the friends we’ve made here.
For more information, visit knoxft.com