As we age, strength, balance and mobility become essential for feeling capable and confident in our bodies. Research shows that muscle mass can decline by up to 8% per decade, increasing the risk of weakness and injury over time. The good news? Even short bouts of movement can make a difference, especially when time is tight.
‘Five-minute workouts have their limitations, but they can be surprisingly useful,’ says Steve Chambers, senior personal trainer at Ultimate Performance. That’s particularly true for busy schedules, anyone rebuilding consistency, or those returning to exercise after a period of inactivity. His go-to sequence requires no equipment, can be done at home, and is designed to help you stay mobile well into your 50s and beyond.
How effective can 5-minute workouts really be?
‘Muscle growth comes down to the quality of the training stimulus and your ability to create progressive overload,’ says Chambers. That means placing enough tension on muscle fibres and gradually increasing that stress over time so the body adapts by getting stronger.
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Because of that, a five-minute bodyweight routine can’t replace a structured resistance-training programme performed consistently over two to three hours a week. ‘A short session doesn’t provide enough volume or load to stimulate maximal hypertrophy in someone who’s been training for years,’ he explains.
That doesn’t mean it’s pointless. ‘Building good habits matters just as much as technique when you’re starting out or trying to fit movement into a busy life,’ Chambers continues. ‘Done consistently, short sessions keep muscles engaged, reinforce good movement patterns and lower the psychological barriers that stop people from getting started in the first place.’
Five-minute workouts can also be useful as a mobility and activation primer before a longer session, or as a low-stress “strength tune-up” to ease stiffness, reduce muscle tightness and improve circulation.
The 5-minute bodyweight workout that builds muscle after 50
‘This workout is designed to hit all the major movement patterns in a short, bodyweight-only window,’ says Chambers. ‘That includes pressing and pulling for the upper body, lower-body pushing and pulling, plus core engagement for stability and control.’
Each move has been selected with safety, simplicity and long-term progression in mind. ‘While this routine shouldn’t replace a full resistance-training programme, it helps teach proper muscle engagement and control,’ he explains. ‘That’s what allows movements to be scaled over time, which is key for building strength and muscle.’
How to do it
Duration: 5 minutes
Format: Five exercises, performed for 45 seconds each, with 15 seconds rest between moves.
Top tip: Prioritise control over speed, especially during the lowering (eccentric) phase of each exercise.
1. Tempo push-up
a) From hands under shoulders, lower for three seconds, then pause briefly.
b) Push up with control.
‘Push-ups are a compound pressing movement that target your chest, shoulders, and triceps while forcing your core to stabilise your body,’ says Chambers. Slowing the tempo increases time under tension, a key driver of muscle growth even without weights.
Progression: When you find it easy, elevate your feet slightly or reduce rest between sets.
2. Split-squat pulse
a) In a split stance (one foot forward, other back), lower into a shallow lunge.
b) Pulse in the lower range.
‘This variant reinforces hip and quad strength while maintaining balance and control, which is crucial as people get older, and when stability and functional strength matter just as much as muscle size,’ Chambers explains. ‘The pulsing builds metabolic stress and increases tension duration.’
Progression: Increase the depth of pulses or add a slight pause at the bottom.
3. Reverse Nordic lean-back
a) Kneeling with your torso tall, gently lean backwards while keeping core tight and glutes engaged
b) Return to an upright position.
‘This is one of the most effective bodyweight ways to stimulate your quads without external load, and trains core anti-extension control.’ Its slow, focused tension aligns with fundamental hypertrophy principles.
Progression: Lean further back over time while keeping tension under control.
4. Inverted row variation
a) Find a sturdy table, bar, or railing.
b) Lie under it and pull your chest up to the bar.
‘Balanced push and pull work helps your upper back and biceps grow while supporting shoulder health, making pulling work essential’ Chambers explains. The inverted row uses bodyweight to generate significant relative load.
Progression: Elevate feet or hold the top for 1-2 seconds.
5. ‘Slow march’ high knees
a) Stand tall, lift one knee at a time, while keeping core braced and shoulders relaxed.
‘This standing core pattern still challenges trunk stability and trains coordinated muscle engagement, which is vital for overall strength,’ Chandler explains. Core strength supports bigger lifts and better posture.
Progression: Increase speed only when your core control is flawless.