These drills are great for checking in on your physical health and fitness level.
As we get older, it’s more important than ever to stay strong and fit. It helps you stay active and independent, and it also improves your overall quality of life. It doesn’t matter if you’re already active or just starting out—adding strength drills to your routine can make a big difference. This article looks at 10 key strength exercises that are great for checking your physical health and fitness, especially if you’re over 50.
Doing these strength exercises, with or without weights, is really important for several reasons. They help you assess your strength and relative strength (especially for bodyweight variations), balance, stability, and coordination. These are vital for safely and effectively doing everyday activities.
In the following sections, we’ll take a look at these 10 strength drills. We’ll explain why they’re important and show you how to perform them correctly. As a certified strength and conditioning specialist, I regularly include these exercises in warm-ups or as core elements of a strength training program to assess and improve my clients’ and athletes’ fitness levels.
Let’s jump in and see how you stack up!
Strength Drill #1: Squats
Squats are a key movement that engage lots of different muscle groups, including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core. This exercise is key for building lower-body strength and improving overall mobility. Having strong legs and a stable core is important for everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and lifting objects. Squats also help to improve your balance and coordination, which helps to prevent falls.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. To get started, just bend your knees and hips. Keep your chest up and your back straight. Go down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then push through your whole foot to get back to the starting position. Make sure your knees track over your toes and don’t let them cave in. You can do squats with just your body weight, or you can add resistance with dumbbells or a barbell if you want to make it more challenging.
Doing three sets of five to eight squats, of any kind, is a great way to track your progress.
Strength Drill #2: Pushup
Pushups are a great way to measure upper-body strength. They work the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. This exercise helps build muscle, improve posture, and stabilize shoulder joints. If you do pushups regularly, you’ll be able to maintain the strength you need for everyday tasks like pushing a heavy door or carrying groceries.
Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your heels. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, keeping your elbows close to your body. Push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position. Make sure you keep your core engaged throughout the movement to maintain proper form. If a full pushup is too challenging, you can modify the exercise by performing it on your knees.
You’re in good shape if you can complete a set of 10+ push-ups. Ideally, you should be able to complete three sets of 8+ pushups.
Strength Drill #3: Pull-up
Pull-ups are a great way to build upper body and back strength. They engage the lats, biceps, shoulders, and core, making them a great all-around upper-body workout. Pull-ups also help to strengthen your grip, which is important for carrying and lifting objects. If you can do pull-ups, it shows you’ve got strong upper body muscles and can keep going for a long time.
Grab the pull-up bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you. Grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and hang from it with your arms fully extended. Engage your core and pull your body upward until your chin is above the bar. Lower yourself back to the starting position with control. If you’re new to pull-ups or find them too challenging, use an assisted pull-up machine or resistance bands for support.
As a strength coach, I feel confident if a client or athlete can perform a single set of five pull-ups.
Strength Drill #4: Forward Lunge
Forward lunges are a great way to build strength in your lower body, especially your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. They’re also great for improving your balance and coordination. These skills are essential for everyday activities, and the forward lunge helps us maintain and enhance them.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Your front knee should be right above your ankle, and your back knee should be just above the ground. Push through your front heel to get back to the starting position. Repeat on the other leg. Keep your torso upright and your core engaged throughout the movement. If you want to make it more challenging, hold dumbbells in each hand.
While forward lunges aren’t tested like other movements, I look for stability, strength, and coordination when clients perform any lunge variation. See if you can perform three sets of six to eight bodyweight lunges per leg. If you pass this test, start adding some weight!
Strength Drill #5: Plank
Planks are a great way to strengthen your core, back, and glutes. They also help improve your posture and stability. One of the best things about planks is that you can modify them to suit any fitness level, which makes them a great addition to any workout routine.
Start in a forearm plank position with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels. Keep your core engaged and avoid letting your hips sag or rise too high. Hold this position for as long as you can, but make sure you keep your form right. If you’re new to planking, start with shorter durations and gradually increase the time as you build strength.
A great way to judge your plank is to see if you can hold the perfect form for at least 30 seconds.
Strength Drill #6: Deadlift
Deadlifts are a great way to build overall strength, especially in the back of your legs, which includes your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. This exercise also helps to strengthen your grip and core stability. Deadlifts are great for your real-life strength because they mimic picking up heavy objects from the ground. They’re a functional and practical exercise to include in your routine.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the barbell in front of you. Bend at the hips and knees to lower your body. Grab the barbell with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your back flat and your chest up. Push through your heels and extend your hips and knees to lift the barbell to a standing position. Lower the barbell back to the ground with control, maintaining a neutral spine throughout the movement. Start with lighter weights to get the hang of it before moving on to heavier loads.
I challenge clients to build the strength to deadlift their body weight for five reps. I’ll prescribe three sets of five to eight deadlifts from here to develop and maintain stability.
Strength Drill #7: Box Step-ups
Box step-ups are great for building lower-body strength and improving balance and coordination. They work the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. This is a great exercise for everyday activities like climbing stairs or stepping onto a curb. Box step-ups also work your core, making them a great full-body workout.
Stand in front of a solid box or step. Put one foot on the box and push through your heel to lift your body, then bring your other foot up next to the first one. Step back down with the same foot you used to step up. Do the same with your other leg. Keep your torso upright and your core engaged the whole time. If you want to make it more challenging, you can hold dumbbells in each hand.
Box step-ups are similar to lounges in that they aren’t necessarily tested, but I do observe the movement quality to assess balance and stability. Try to do three sets of six to eight box step-ups per leg on an 18-inch to 24-inch box.
Strength Drill #8: Single-Leg RDL
The single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a great way to improve your balance, coordination, and lower-body strength. It works the hamstrings, glutes, and core while improving your stability. This exercise helps even out muscle imbalances and improves your ability to perform movements on one side only.
Stand on one leg, bending your knee slightly. Bend at the hips and push your free leg back while lowering your torso towards the ground. Keep your back straight and your core engaged. Let your torso move down until it’s parallel to the ground, then come back up to the starting position. Repeat on the other leg. You can do this exercise with just your body weight, or you can hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in the other hand if you want to make it more challenging.
Single-leg RDLs are pretty tough to get down pat. I’m looking for a stable core, controlled hips and pelvis, and a swing leg and torso movement that’s in sync. If you can do five to eight reps of bodyweight single-leg RDLs, you’ve passed this drill.
Strength Drill #9: Lateral Lunge
Lateral lunges are a great way to build strength in your lower body and improve your hip mobility. They work the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and inner thighs. This exercise also helps to improve your balance and coordination, as you have to stabilise your body while moving in a different direction. Lateral lunges are great for your body because they help you to move in ways that you might need to do in real life, like stepping to the side to avoid obstacles.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step sideways with one leg and lower your body into a lunge, keeping your other leg straight. Your bent knee should be right above your ankle. Push through your heel to get back to the starting position. Do the same on the other side. Keep your torso upright and your core engaged the whole time. If you want to make it more challenging, you can hold a dumbbell in each hand.
I’ll be looking at the lateral lunges to see how well you’re moving, not how strong you are. The idea is to be able to balance while achieving a parallel squat (hips at knee level) with both feet flat and your chest up. Lateral lunges are a great way to test your single-leg strength and stability, and they also give a good indication of your hip mobility. If you can do two or three sets of five reps, you’re in great shape!
Strength Drill #10: Side Plank
Side planks are a great core exercise that works your obliques, shoulders, and glutes. They also engage the muscles in your hips, which are important for overall stability and movement efficiency. Side planks are great for strengthening your core, improving your stability, and helping you maintain good posture. Having a strong core is key for maintaining balance and reducing the risk of lower back pain.
Start by lying on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other. Put your elbow right under your shoulder and lift your hips off the ground, so your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet. Keep your core engaged and hold this position for as long as you can, making sure you keep your form right. To make the exercise more challenging, you can raise your top leg or extend your top arm towards the ceiling. Do the same on the other side to make sure you’re building strength evenly.
As with the traditional plank, the side plank is considered excellent if you can hold the perfect form for 30 seconds or more. The best form is a straight line from head to toe, hips up, and shoulders stacked on top of each other.
