8 Dumbbell Exercises That Drastically Change Your Body Shape After 40
The best fitness methods are the ones proven to work over centuries, so what better to use to change your body shape than dumbbells? The workout equipment goes back at least until the 16th century, and got it's name because men in England lifted bells without clappers in them—they were soundless, aka "dumb." Makes sense. Easy to grasp by design, portable and relatively easy to procure, dumbbells act as extensions of your arms, adding weight that builds resistance, which in turn builds muscle. Forgive the pun, but pound for pound they may be the only tool you need. That goes double if you're trying to get fit or stay fit after 40.
Read on to learn more, and next, don't miss Over 40? These 7 Exercises Keep You Strong and Fit for Life
Why You Should Stay Active After 40
What makes the age of 40 important to focus on strength training? Well, as you age, your percentage of body fat increases and lean muscle decreases, the Mayo Clinic reports. "Being active is good for your bones, your heart and emotional as well as social health. It's also great for anxiety and depression management. Exercise not only benefits your muscle and bone health, but it also boosts your emotional well-being," says Physical therapist Amy Cassady, a Cleveland Clinic expert.
"Our understanding now from science, is that even ten minutes of physical exercise a day, aerobic exercise, it could be whatever you most enjoy too: swimming, walking, an exercise bike, but imagine just ten minutes a day. If you could take the time out, it's enough to sort of ensure our success physically for many, many years to come," adds Ardeshir Hashmi, MD, a geriatric medicine specialist with Cleveland Clinic.
"It's probably the most important fitness modality out there for longevity," agrees Dr. Christina Chen, a Mayo Clinic geriatrician.
And Why Dumbbells Are the Perfect Tool For You
What makes dumbbells such an amazing equipment source is they are easy to store and simple to use for exercises that work all of your muscles. Eat This, Not That! spoke with Tyler Read, the founder of PTPioneer.com and a personal trainer who has been in the health and fitness world for the past 15 years, who explains, "Dumbbells provide a large amount of possible resistance while still allowing freedom for the joints to go through optimal ranges of motion since you can rotate each arm/hand individually, as opposed to a barbell that does not allow independent rotation at the arms. The forgiving nature of dumbbells combined with their ability to drive major gains in strength, bone density, and muscle make them my favorite modality for older adults."
Typically, it's important to use a weight that tires your muscles after performing 12 to 15 reps, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you don't feel a solid workout after that, it may be time to up your dumbbell weight.
The best dumbbell exercises to change your body shape after 40.
Dumbbell Lunges
"Lunges with body weight are a challenging way to strengthen and stabilize your body, and once you're ready, you can always add some more weight and resistance to your hands with a set of dumbbells," says National Bowling Academy. Here's their advice on the best way to do it. "You can choose a weight that is going to allow you to continue to perform your lunges with good form without tipping forward or back or swinging the weights. Take one weight into each hand, get set for your lunge, and then step forward, sink down into your deepest lunge and step back. You can alternate side to side, working one leg out of time."
Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks
Here is how to do it, according to Julie Lohre from FITBODY. "Choose a dumbbell. Then you're going to start with one foot back. Get in a lunge position. If you'd like, you can use the opposite arm to support," Julie says. "From here, you're going to bring your elbow up in line with your shoulder. So, a nice 90-degree bend through your elbow down to your wrist. And then you're kicking straight up and back. This is a small movement. You're really just going to feel this in the back of that tricep. Maybe a little bit of rear delt. But mostly, I want you focused on really making that tricep work," she adds.
Goblet Squat
Marco Walker-Ng's from Bony to Bombshell explains how to do it. "Feet about shoulder width apart toes out slightly. Hips are forward, head is high. Shoulders are forward, underneath the weight. Drop your butt down and back. Elbows will touch the inside of the knee, so make sure the knees stay out. Weight's going to stay on your heels. The back stays nice and straight. No rounding and no excessive arching. Drop down and then push through the ground as you come up. Always finishing in that nice rack position at the top."
Dumbbell Bench Presses
Trainer Tyler Read provides five more dumbbell exercises that can totally change your body shape after 40. He starts with Dumbbell Bench Presses. "Using two dumbbells, lie flat on a bench to get started. Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling and fully extend both arms," he says.
Dumbbell Rows
"Hinge forward at your waist while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your torso should be at 45 degrees. Next, row each dumbbell upward until your upper arms line up with your torso." Reader says.
Dumbbell Squats
"For dumbbell squats, hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your hips into a sitting/squat position. Then, lower yourself until your thighs are even with the ground. Return to the start position when done," Reader explains.
Dumbbell Overhead Presses
"Stand holding both dumbbells at shoulder height. Press both over your head until your arms are totally extended." Readers adds.
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
"Start in a standing position while holding each dumbbell at waist level. Bend forward at the waist, lowering both dumbbells toward your knees. Your spine should stay neutral the entire time as you squeeze your glutes to get back to the starting position," Reader says. And if you enjoyed this article, don't miss How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
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