If you’re looking to tone your triceps, consider adding these straightforward seated exercises to your routine. Often underestimated, chair exercises can substantially enhance your strength by leveraging your body weight to provide resistance. This method is particularly beneficial for the biceps, triceps, and shoulders. The beauty of these exercises lies in their joint-friendly nature, making them an excellent choice for anyone over 50. With regular practice, you’ll notice improvements without the discomfort that often accompanies high-impact workouts.

As we age, our bodies undergo natural changes that can affect muscle mass and skin elasticity. Jill Jones, Co-founder of FitQuo and Owner of Colosseum Gym, sheds light on this issue. “After 50, it’s common to experience a reduction in muscle mass, a condition known as sarcopenia, and a decline in collagen production,” she explains. “This can lead to sagging skin in areas like the arms. However, strength training can counteract these effects by rebuilding muscle, which supports the skin from underneath. Chair exercises are particularly effective because they offer controlled resistance and maintain proper alignment, promoting muscle growth without putting undue stress on aging joints.”

To help you craft an effective workout routine, we consulted with Jones on which exercises to prioritize. Here are five chair-based moves that can effectively firm and tone sagging arms, potentially more so than traditional bicep curls for those over 50.

“After age 50, the body naturally loses muscle mass (a process known as sarcopenia), and collagen production declines, reducing skin elasticity. As muscle underneath the skin diminishes, the skin loses its support structure, leading to the sagging or ‘crepey’ appearance many people notice in their arms,” explains Jill Jones, Co-founder of FitQuo and Owner of Colosseum Gym. “Strength training helps reverse this process by rebuilding muscle, which acts like a natural scaffold beneath the skin. Chair exercises are especially effective because they allow controlled resistance and proper alignment—stimulating muscle growth without overstressing aging joints.”

We spoke with Jones to learn exactly what to include in your workout routine. Here are five chair moves that will firm sagging arms better than performing bicep curls after 50.

5 Chair Moves That Firm Sagging Arms

“While bicep curls isolate one muscle, sagging arms are usually caused by weak triceps, shoulders, chest muscles, and poor posture – not weak biceps alone. Chair-based exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, leading to better overall arm firmness and functional strength,” Jones tells us. “Chairs also allow for slower tempo, better control, and a fuller range of motion, which are essential for muscle growth after 50.”

The most productive chair exercises utilize compound movements that build strength in the chest, shoulders, and arms while promoting better joint health and posture.

“These moves work synergistically to tighten and firm the entire upper arm,” Jones says.

Chair Tricep Dips

“This move directly targets the triceps—the primary muscle responsible for tightening the back of the arms, where sagging most often occurs,” Jones tells us.

1. Begin sitting at the edge of a sturdy chair.
2. Place your hands on the edge of the seat and lift your tailbone off the chair.
3. Walk your feet away until your knees, hips, and torso form 90-degree angles.
4. Activate your core and keep your shoulders relaxed as you bend your elbows to lower your body just below the seat.
5. Press back up until your arms are straight, engaging your triceps as you do so.
6. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Seated Overhead Press

“This exercise builds shoulder strength and definition while improving overhead mobility without placing stress on the lower back,” Jones says.

1. Begin sitting tall on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor and your core engaged.
2. Hold a pair of lightweight dumbbells or water bottles at shoulder level, palms facing forward.
3. Press the weights straight overhead without locking out your elbows.
4. Gradually lower the weights back to the start position.
5. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps.

Seated Arm Circles

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“This endurance-based move tones the shoulders and arms, improves blood flow, and strengthens stabilizing muscles. Add an extra set if you can,” Jones notes.

1. Begin sitting tall on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor and your shoulders relaxed.
2. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder level, palms facing down.
3. Slowly make small circles in a forward motion, focusing on controlled movement.
4. Then, make small circles in a backward motion.
5. Perform 3 sets of 30 seconds in each direction.

Chair Pushups

“Chair pushups strengthen the chest, shoulders, and arms together while remaining joint-friendly—far easier to maintain good form than floor pushups,” Jones explains.

1. Find a stable chair and place your hands on it, shoulder-width apart.
2. Begin by walking your legs back so you’re at a straight incline from your head to your heels.
3. Keep your legs together and rise onto the balls of your feet. Engage your core and keep your gaze forward.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your body until your chest lines up with your elbows.
5. Return back to straight arms.
6. Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Seated Bicep Curls

“This exercise keeps the core stable while isolating the biceps, helping improve arm shape and functional strength for lifting and carrying,” Jones notes.

1. Begin seated on a sturdy chair, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
2. Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
3. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
4. Use control to lower the weights back to the start position.
5. Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.