Incorporating strength training into your fitness regimen is important at any age, but it’s especially crucial once you hit 40 and beyond and your muscle mass starts to decline. What’s more, choosing the right moves is one of the keys to building muscle. For women over 40, muscle-toning exercises that target the correct muscle fibers can help you maintain mobility and build strength as you age.
As a personal trainer and expert in exercise during menopause, I field a lot of inquiries about building and maintaining muscle tone over 40. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), targeting your type II muscle fibers—or fast-twitch muscle fibers—is the secret to building muscle fast. While type I muscle fibers (slow-twitch muscle fibers) are ideal for endurance workouts and functional fitness, type II muscle fibers are great for bursts of speed and power. They also tend to cause faster muscle growth than type I muscle fibers, helping you achieve quicker results.
The bad news? Research shows fast-twitch muscle fibers are often the first to weaken as you age. So targeting them in your workouts is essential if you want to build muscle tone.
These eight workout moves will help you do exactly that. The fast movements will target those type II muscle fibers and help you build strength. I recommend using a 6-foot resistance band, which will increase the time under tension in each exercise to maximize muscle building and toning. Do eight reps of the first exercise, followed by a 30-second rest, then complete that twice more before moving on to the next exercise. Once you’ve completed the entire workout, if you feel up for it, do the whole routine once more. I suggest completing the workout three times a week.
Top muscle-toning exercises for over 40
Slingshot squat
Stand on the resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the ends of the band in front of your shoulders, keeping your palms forward and elbows bent. Slowly bend your knees and sit back into a squat for a count of 3, keeping your knees behind your toes. Return to standing in 1 count. Repeat.
Crunch and press
Loop the resistance band around a sturdy object near the ground, such as the leg of a heavy chair or piece of furniture. Lie down with the band behind you, keeping your knees bent and your feet flat. Hold the ends of the band in your hands, and bend your arms so your elbows are pointing up and your hands are above your shoulders. Quickly curl your head and shoulders off the ground into a crunch. Then rapidly press your arms up, straightening them above your shoulders. Lower your arms and body, and repeat.
Triangle press
Place your right foot on the center of the resistance band, holding one end in each hand. Step your left foot about 3 feet to the left, turn your foot out, and bend your knee into a side lunge, keeping your right leg straight. Rest your left forearm on your left thigh, and bend your right arm so your hand is in front of your right shoulder. Quickly press your right arm overhead in a diagonal line so that your body forms a straight line from your right hand down to your right foot. Then, slowly lower your arm and repeat the exercise eight times before switching sides.
Half curl
Stand on the resistance band with your feet a few inches apart. Hold one end in each hand and bend your arms to 90-degree angles, your elbows in by your sides, and your palms facing up. Quickly curl your hands to your shoulders. Slowly lower your hands back into the 90-degree angle, and repeat.
Bench press
Loop the resistance band underneath a bench, aerobic step, or something similar, and hold one end of the band in each hand. Lie back with your knees bent, your feet flat, your hands by your chest, and your elbows pointing slightly down and out. You could also lie on the floor with the band around your upper back. Quickly straighten your arms toward the sky without locking your elbows. Slowly lower them, and repeat.
Seated row
Sit with your legs straight out in front of you, knees slightly bent and feet flexed, keeping your heels resting on the ground. Loop the resistance band around the arches of your feet and hold one end in each hand. Keeping your back straight, quickly pull your hands toward your rib cage like you’re rowing a boat. Slowly release and repeat.
Leg press
Lie on your back with your legs bent in toward your chest and shins parallel to the floor. Loop the resistance band around the arch of the left foot and grab the ends of the band. Quickly extend your left leg without locking your knee, keeping your right leg steady. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat the exercise eight times before switching legs. (That’s one set.)
Lat pull-down
Loop the resistance band around something overhead, like a door, and check that the band is secure. Kneel down facing the band, with your arms extended overhead and your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Quickly pull your hands down, squeezing your shoulder blades together until your hands are next to your chest. Slowly release, and repeat.
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