Revitalize Your Muscles Over 55: Top 5 Standing Exercises That Outperform Traditional Ab Workouts

Building strength requires both time and commitment.

Strength training should be a priority as we age, primarily to maintain and restore muscle mass. After the age of 30, our muscle mass naturally begins to decline, making it crucial to preserve it for an active and independent lifestyle. Everyday activities rely on strength: strong legs and knees are vital for bending and walking, while strong arms are essential for lifting and carrying. From cycling and standing at a sports event to bowling, strength is key to enjoying life fully. Regular exercise is therefore indispensable.

If you’re unsure where to begin, we have some guidance for you. Terry Tateossian, the Founder and Certified Lifestyle Medicine Coach, Trainer, and Nutritionist for Women 40+ at THOR – The House of Rose, offers insights. She has completed extensive advanced training focused on women’s health and middle-aged weight management. Tateossian recommends five standing exercises that can effectively rebuild muscle more rapidly than traditional ab routines for those over 55.

Tateossian explains, “Building muscle requires more than just mechanical load, progressive overload, proper form, and consistency. Developing genuine strength takes time.” She adds, “Standing exercises are highly functional and effective for building comprehensive body strength. Unlike floor-based ab exercises, which often isolate muscles, standing exercises focus on building practical strength that is applicable to real life.”

“Muscle is not built through mechanical load, progressive overload, proper form, and consistency. You need time to develop true strength,” says Tateossian. “Standing exercises are one of the best and most functionally effective ways to build true full-body strength. Floor based ab work tends to isolate muscles in a way that doesn’t necessarily translate to real life. And the goal really is to build usable strength, not just muscles.”

Below, Tateossian shares five standing moves to add to your routine.

Dumbbell Deadlifts

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, holding a heavy dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs.
2. Make sure your legs are mostly straight with just a slight bend in the knees.
3. Hinge at the hips to lower the dumbbells down your legs and toward the floor.
4. Keep your back flat and the dumbbells close to your body when lowering, feeling a solid stretch in the hamstrings.
5. Activate your glutes and hamstrings as you rise.
6. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps, sticking with a 2010 tempo and resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Bodyweight Squats

“Squats are a compound functional movement that targets the glutes, quads, back, and core. Squats build foundational lower-body muscle and are directly tied to longevity, independence and metabolic health,” Tateossian explains.

1. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart on the floor.
2. Extend your arms ahead of you or place your hands on your hips.
3. Bend at the knees and hips as you lower into a squat.
4. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Press through your heels to rise back up to standing.
6. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps, sticking with a 3010 tempo and resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Romanian Deadlifts

“Another compound functional movement, [the RDL] targets the glutes, hamstrings, back, and core,” Tateossian says. “RDLs also create a deep and controlled tension in the hamstrings and glutes, which is key to protecting the lower back and rebuilding muscle.”

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand.
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 to 4 sets of 10 reps, sticking with a 3010 tempo and resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Walking Lunges

“This exercise is great for building single-leg strength, balance, and coordination which are essential for real-life movement,” Tateossian tells us.

1. Stand tall.
2. Step forward with one foot.
3. Lower into a lunge until your knee almost touches the ground.
4. Maintain a tall posture and keep your front knee aligned with your foot.
5. Rise back up and step forward with the other foot.
6. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps on each side, sticking with a 2010 tempo and resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Landmine Rows

“These strengthen the upper back, posture muscles, shoulders, and basically the entire upper body, which is critical for alignment, shoulder health, and overall health,” Tateossian says.

1. Set up a barbell in a landmine attachment.
2. Stand facing the bar with your feet hip-width apart.
3. Hinge at your hips, leaning your torso forward and keeping your back flat.
4. Hold onto the bar near the weighted end with both hands.
5. Pull the bar toward your torso, driving your elbows back.
6. Squeeze your shoulder blades.
7. Return the bar to the start position.
8. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps on each side, sticking with a 2010 tempo and resting for 60 seconds between sets.