Revitalize your muscle mass and keep it robust with these four straightforward exercises.

Weight machines, akin to cherished companions at the gym, are particularly effective for muscle development. They facilitate focused muscle engagement by guiding your movements along a set trajectory, which enhances muscle growth. Moreover, they ensure safety and encourage proper technique. However, not everyone has the luxury of using weight machines, and some might seek other methods. This is crucial as muscle deterioration is a universal challenge we encounter with aging.

We connected with Domenic Angelino, CPT from the International Personal Trainer Academy, which provides NCCA-accredited certifications in Personal Training (CPT) and Nutrition (CNS), to discover four uncomplicated exercises that can restore lost muscle more efficiently than weight machines, especially for those over 60.

“If your lifestyle lacks regular physical activity, weightlifting, and a diet conducive to maintaining muscle mass, you’ll likely notice a significant reduction in muscle strength compared to previous decades,” Angelino explains. “Aging naturally leads to muscle and strength decline, and this effect intensifies over time.”

“If you’re generally not very active, don’t lift weights regularly, and don’t have a balanced diet that supports maintaining muscle mass, then you’re probably going to have much less muscle mass and strength than you did decades earlier,” Angelino tells us. “You’ll naturally lose muscle mass and strength as you age, and the effects compound over the years.”

If this sounds familiar, it’s time to get started. And the good news is, you don’t have to perform your routine with standard gym machines—or even at the gym!

“Doing bodyweight or free-weight exercises will help you get stronger in a way that translates to real-life much more effectively. You rely on a complex network of stabilizer muscles to help keep your posture healthy as you go throughout your day, even if you don’t realize it,” Angelino says.

Here are four seamless exercises that help rebuild lost muscle.

Romanian Deadlift

“This [exercise] is extremely effective at reducing your risk of injuring your lower back while lifting something. It strengthens the leg muscles that help you lift when your back would be in a more compromising position. And, as a bonus, it also strengthens your lower back directly,” Angelino notes.

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. (If you’re not comfortable working with dumbbells, use just your body weight.)
2. Bend your knees slightly and hold the weights in front of your thighs.
3. Press your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down your leg. Maintain a straight back as you do so.
4. Squeeze your glutes to return to the start position.
5. Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Squats

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“This [bodyweight move] allows you to train a large number of lower body muscles through a large range of motion, which means it allows you to adapt and improve more quickly than other options. It also closely mimics the movement pattern of sitting down and standing up, something that is really important to build strength in early,” Angelino points out.

1. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Extend your arms before you, place your hands on your hips, or hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
3. Bend at the knees and hips to lower into a squat.
4. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Press through your heels to return to standing.
6. Perform 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Lateral Lunges

“This [move] emphasizes muscles that aren’t often targeted, but are helpful to strengthen, such as your gluteus medius. It also helps you get stronger when  moving from side-to-side rather than just forward and back,” Angelino says.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Take a big step out to the side with your left foot, press your hips back, and lower into a lateral lunge.
3. Press through your left heel to rise back up.
4. Repeat on the other side.
5. Perform 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

“This strengthens your calves, which are really important for maintaining your ability to walk a long distance without experiencing major discomfort,” Angelino explains.

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart on an elevated surface—such as a step—with your heels hanging off of the edge.
2. Hold an optional dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
3. Gradually lift your heels as high as you’re able to, holding at the top for a moment.
4. Lower.
5. Perform 5 sets of 15 to 20 reps.