The Strength Training Program That Actually Works After 60 (The One I Secretly Printed for My Friend’s Dad)
Look, my buddy’s dad is 68 and was moving like he was 88. Couldn’t get up from the sofa without pushing off both armrests, kept dropping the grandkids’ toys because his grip was shot, and his doctor was already dropping the “pre-frail” word. Three months ago I slipped him this exact program with a “don’t tell anyone I gave you this” note. Now he’s carrying the groceries in one trip and bragging that his back doesn’t hurt after gardening. So yeah… it works. Here’s the dead-simple plan he’s been doing 3 days a week. No gym required (though he eventually joined one because he got cocky).
The Non-Negotiable Rules (Tell Your “Friend” to Read These Twice)
•Warm up properly or don’t bother
•Start embarrassingly light (ego in the trash)
•Add a tiny bit of weight whenever it feels too easy
•Rest as long as you need between sets (2–3 minutes, no heroics)
•Never go to absolute failure. Leave one rep in the tank.
The Actual Workouts (Monday-Wednesday-Friday or whatever three days don’t clash with golf)
Workout A
Goblet Squat (hold one dumbbell or a heavy grocery bag at your chest) 3 sets of 10–12
Romanian Deadlift (two light dumbbells or water jugs) 3 sets of 10
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (sit on a sturdy chair with back support) 3 sets of 10–12
One-Arm Dumbbell Row (hand braced on chair or knee) 3 sets of 12 each side
Farmer Carry (walk holding something heavy—dumbbells, bags, grandkids) 3 walks of 30–40 steps
Workout B
Glute Bridge or Hip Thrust (start bodyweight, then put a dumbbell on your hips) 3 sets of 12–15
Split Squat (hold onto a counter at first, progress to holding weights) 3 sets of 8–10 per leg
Dumbbell Chest Press (lie on the floor or a bench) 3 sets of 10–12
Band Pull-Aparts or Seated Rows (cheap resistance band works wonders) 3 sets of 12–15
Dead Hang from a doorframe pull-up bar (or just more carries) Work up to 30–60 seconds
The Warm-Up My Friend’s Dad Still Tries to Skip (Don’t Let Yours)
10 minutes, every single session:
•March in place or walk around the house × 2 min
•Cat-cow on the floor × 10
•Bird-dog × 8 each side
•Glute bridges × 15
•Arm circles and gentle leg swings
•10 chair squats (hold the back of a chair if needed)
How to Make It Harder (Without Breaking Anything)
•When 12 reps feel easy, add 2–5 lbs (or fill the water jugs a little more)
•Stuck at a weight for 2–3 weeks? Stay there until it’s smooth again
•Sore joints? Drop the weight 10% and build back slower. Better than surgery.
Home-Only Version (Because Some People Refuse to Leave the House)
•Squats → hold a backpack full of books
•Deadlifts → two grocery bags
•Rows → resistance bands or backpack rows
•Carries → walk laps around the living room holding the bags Still works. My friend’s dad started this way and still does it when the weather’s bad.
Real Results I’ve Watched Happen
•Getting off the floor without using hands
•Carrying the grandkids without lower-back pain
•No more “I can’t open this jar” complaints
•Doctors shocked at bone-density scans going the right direction
Bottom line: Your “friend” isn’t too old. They’re just untrained. Three short workouts a week, forever, changes everything.
Tell them to start next Monday with weights that feel laughably light. In six months they’ll be the one bragging at the family barbecue.