{"id":331560,"date":"2026-03-06T06:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T06:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/331560\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T06:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T06:28:11","slug":"these-4-exercises-are-crucial-for-body-recomposition-after-50-heres-what-makes-them-so-effective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/331560\/","title":{"rendered":"These 4 exercises are crucial for body recomposition after 50 \u2013\u00a0here’s what makes them so effective"},"content":{"rendered":"

Muscle<\/a> matters regardless of age \u2013 but proactively maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older. From around age 30, our bodies naturally \u2013 and gradually \u2013 begin losing muscle mass unless we intervene, resulting in reduced ability to complete daily tasks and increased risk of injury. Declining muscle can also impact body composition \u2013 the ratio of lean mass to fat mass \u2013 which influences metabolic health, mobility<\/a>, and your likelihood of developing a chronic or serious condition, such as type 2 diabetes<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re currently training with body composition in mind, personal trainer and founder of Silver and Strong, Ilene Block<\/a>, has a message for you: \u2018Stop doing 47 different exercises at the gym. You only need 4 to completely change your shape after 50,\u2019 she writes in the caption of a recent Instagram post. <\/p>\n

Before we go any further: body shape is determined by much more than just muscle and fat \u2013 it\u2019s also influenced by genetics, bone structure, height, digestion, and more. Ergo, while some kinds of training can alter body shape through muscle hypertrophy<\/a>, for instance, there are some factors you can\u2019t change with weightlifting<\/a> alone. It\u2019s also worth remembering that body shape is not a reliable measure of health, nor your body\u2019s capability. <\/p>\n

Back to Block. On Instagram, the PT discusses her struggle to build muscle<\/a> and alter her body composition when she first started resistance training<\/a>, despite lifting consistently. \u2018I wasted years doing whatever I felt like at the gym. Mostly upper body<\/a> because that\u2019s what I enjoyed,\u2019 she writes. \u2018I avoided legs. I never changed my weights. Same routine for probably five years wondering why nothing changed.<\/p>\n

\u2018Then I learned what actually builds the muscle that reshapes your body after 50. It\u2019s not complicated. But you have to do the right movements and progressively challenge yourself.\u2019<\/p>\n

Block proceeds to list the four movements she rates for body recomposition after age 50 \u2013 all of which are compound exercises<\/a>, meaning they recruit multiple major muscle groups at once, and build functional strength<\/a> that\u2019s transferrable to everyday life.<\/p>\n

\u2018Do these 3 times a week and rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets,\u2019 she advises. \u2018Add a little more weight every couple weeks.<\/p>\n

\u2018I started with 5 pound dumbbells at [age] 61. Five years later I\u2019m stronger than I have ever been in my life. It is never too late to start.\u2019<\/p>\n

4 compound exercises that build strength and support body composition after age 501. Barbell or goblet squats\"Image<\/p>\n

Do: 3 sets of 10<\/p>\n

Squats<\/a> are the \u2018single best lower body exercise for women over 50,\u2019 according to Block. \u2018Works your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core all at once,\u2019 reads her Instagram caption.<\/p>\n

The PT recommends starting with bodyweight or a light dumbbell<\/a>, and gradually introducing more load as you get stronger.<\/p>\n

2. Romanian deadlifts\"Image<\/p>\n

Do: 3 sets of 10<\/p>\n

\u2018This changed my entire backside,\u2019 Block writes. \u2018Targets your hamstrings and glutes<\/a> in a way nothing else does. Also strengthens your lower back which matters more as we age.\u2019<\/p>\n

Again, Block emphasises the importance of becoming familiar with the movement pattern while using a light weight first, before slowing adding more load over time. <\/p>\n

3. Overhead press\"Image<\/p>\n

Do: 3 sets of 8<\/p>\n

According to Block, \u2018most women skip this entirely.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Your shoulders and arms give you that strong defined look in sleeveless tops,\u2019 she writes. \u2018Standing overhead press also forces your core to stabilise so you\u2019re working your midsection without a single crunch.\u2019<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to flag that, while generally a great exercise, the overhead press<\/a> does put a lot of stress on the shoulders and rotator cuffs, which can increase injury risk. If you have access to a physio or PT, double check they\u2019re happy to give you the go-ahead before you introduce the overhead press into your routine. The landmine press is a great alternative for targeting the shoulders while reducing the demand.<\/p>\n

4. Rows\"Image<\/p>\n

Do: 3 sets of 10<\/p>\n

Any kind of horizontal row will do the trick, per Block, whether you\u2019ve got dumbbells, kettlebells, a cable machine or barbell to hand. <\/p>\n

The exercise \u2018builds your back and improves posture,\u2019 Block writes. \u2018Nothing ages you faster than rounded shoulders and a forward head. Rows fix that and give you a confident upright look.\u2019<\/p>\n

RELATED STORIES\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Abbi Henderson is Acting Nutrition writer who covers health, fitness, women\u2019s sport and lifestyle for Women’s Health and Men’s Health. Before settling in a British seaside town, she spent a couple of years living in Canada, where she contributed to publications such as Best Health, Foodism and Canadian Living, and discovered she is, in fact, a little outdoorsy. With a desire to help make healthcare, exercise and sport more accessible to women, she writes about everything from the realities of seeking medical support as a woman to those of being a female athlete fighting for equality. She has a personal trainer qualification, a couple of medals from her short time in competitive Irish dancing, and an Arsenal Women season ticket. When she\u2019s not in front of a screen working, she enjoys weightlifting, going for walks and stopping for little treats (matchas and pastries), and trying new recipes (that are almost always pasta-based).\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Muscle matters regardless of age \u2013 but proactively maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we get older. From…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331561,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[133356,131377,1134,152852,1107,499,103,61,60,1135,152851],"class_list":["post-331560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-collection-fit-at-50","tag-collection-fitness-app","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-3f7f5be0-e8ce-4eb2-86e8-d586406b35f7","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-4-exercises-for-body-composition-after-age-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331560\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}