Liz Hilliard, 68-year-old trainer, owner and creator of Hilliard study method in Charlotte, North Carolina, she focuses on arm strength for both herself and her clients. And she says that, personally, her arms are stronger today than they were when she was 30, since she added arm resistance training to her workout routine three times a week.
“We start losing muscle mass around age 30,” says Hilliard. “While traditional workouts like cardio and stretching are important, nothing beats resistance training to keep your bones strong and your body healthy.”
Upper body strength—and particular grip strength— is a “biomarker” for overall health and is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease, chronic disease, and many forms of cancer. To be clear, grip strength itself does not protect you against these conditions, but if you have strong grip strength, it indicates that your overall health is in good shape.
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“Unsurprisingly, people with greater strength tend to also have better balance, bone density and general physical functioning,” said the injury and body performance expert. Rami Hashish, PhD, DPT, previously said Good+Good.
So whether you’re new to resistance training or just looking to bulk up your current workout, adding upper-body-focused movements is a great idea for your short- and long-term health. Here are Hilliard’s three favorite arm strength moves for seniors and people of any age.
1. Incline push-ups
- Place your hands a little wider than chest width on the edges of a stable surface like a counter, bed, or couch that won’t budge.
- Walk your legs back so that they are at a straight incline from head to heels. Stick your legs together, reach to the balls of your feet, engage your core, and keep your neck long and look straight ahead.
- Bend your elbows, lowering your body until your chest is in line with your elbows. Return to straight arms engaging your core, chest, and biceps.
2. Triceps dips
- Sit in a stable chair or sofa, then place your hands on the edge of the seat and lift your tailbone, drawing your feet apart until your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
- Engage your core and keep your shoulders relaxed as you bend your elbows to lower your body just below the seat.
- Press back to straight arms by engaging and squeezing the triceps muscles on the back of the arms.
3. Iron Crossed Arm Circles
- Stand tall with your toes slightly turned out and your heels raised two inches off the floor and touching each other. Bend your knees slightly to create a diamond shape with your legs, engaging your quads and core for balance.
- With a three-pound weight in each hand, raise your arms out to the sides at shoulder height to form a T (or “Iron Cross”).
- With your knuckles facing the sky and your palms facing the ground, begin rotating the dumbbells up and around in baseball-sized circles.
Complete each move 10 times and then move on to the next. Hilliard suggests that he try to complete three sets at a time and increase the reps to 20 as he builds strength.
