Strength training is important at any age, but building strength is especially crucial when you’re over 40. Muscle mass and strength tends to peak between 30 and 35, according to the National Institute on Aging. After that, you have to work harder to maintain power, mobility, and performance.
And if your goal is muscle tone, you’ll want to focus on something even more specific. National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) experts say type II muscle fibers—or fast-twitch muscle fibers—are the secret to building muscle fast. While type I muscle fibers (slow-twitch muscle fibers) are ideal for endurance workouts and functional fitness, type II muscle fibers are great for bursts of speed and power. They also tend to cause faster muscle growth than type I muscle fibers, helping you achieve quicker results.
The bad news? Research shows fast-twitch muscle fibers are often the first to go as you age. So targeting them in your workouts is essential if you want to build muscle tone.
These eight workout moves will help you do exactly that. The fast movements will target those type II muscle fibers and help you build the strength you need to meet your fitness goals.
Try this: Grab a 6-foot resistance band, and do this workout routine three times a week. Do eight reps of each exercise (that’s one set). Repeat the set three times, resting for 30 seconds in between, then move onto the next exercise. Once you’ve done three sets of all eight exercises, repeat the entire routine once.
Slingshot Squats
Stand on the resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the ends of the band in front of your shoulders, keeping your palms forward. Bend your hips and knees and sit back into a squat, keeping your knees behind your toes. Then stand up for 1 count and slowly lower for 3 counts. Repeat.
Crunches and Presses
Loop the resistance band around a sturdy object near the ground. Lie down with the band behind you, keeping your knees bent and your feet flat. Hold the ends of the band in your hands, and bend your arms so your elbows are pointing up and your hands are above your shoulders. Quickly curl your head and shoulders off the ground into a crunch. Then rapidly press your arms up, straightening them above your shoulders. Lower your arms and body, and repeat.
Triangle Presses
Place your right foot on the center of the resistance band, holding one end in each hand. Step your left foot about 3 feet to the left, turn your foot out, and bend your knee into a side lunge, keeping your right leg straight. Rest your left forearm on your left thigh, and bend your right arm so your hand is in front of your right shoulder. Quickly press your right arm overhead in a diagonal line. Then, slowly lower your arm and repeat the exercise eight times before switching sides. (That’s one set.)
Half Curls
Stand on the resistance band with your feet a few inches apart. Hold one end in each hand, keeping your arms bent at a 90-degree angle, your elbows in by your sides, and your palms face up. Quickly bend your elbows to bring your hands toward your shoulders. Slowly lower your hands back into the 90-degree angle, and repeat.
Bench Presses
Loop the resistance band underneath a bench, aerobic step, or something similar, and hold one end of the band in each hand. Lie back with your knees bent, your feet flat, your hands by chest, and your elbows pointing slightly down and out. Quickly straighten your arms toward the sky without locking your elbows. Slowly lower them, and repeat.
Seated Rows
Sit with your knees slightly bent and your feet flexed, keeping heels resting on the ground. Loop the resistance band around your feet and hold one end in each hand. Keeping your back straight, quickly bend your arms and pull your hands toward your rib cage like you’re rowing a boat. Slowly release and repeat.
Leg Presses
Lie on your back with your legs bent in toward your chest. Loop the resistance band around the bottom of the left foot, with the sole of your foot facing up, and grab the ends of the band. Quickly straighten your left leg without locking your knee. Slowly lower your leg and repeat the exercise eight times before switching legs. (That’s one set.)
Lat Pull-Downs
Loop the resistance band around something overhead, like a door, and check that the band is secure. Kneel down facing the band, with your arms extended overhead and your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Quickly pull your hands down, squeezing your shoulder blades together until your hands are next to your chest. Slowly release, and repeat.