For most men over 50, you’re pretty much starting from a beginner state — maybe coming back from previous training, but limited on time because of work, home, and the other things you’ve chosen to have in your life. So here’s a quick 30-minute hit that I do that gets you in and out of the gym, works the entire body, and still leaves time to go home, spend time with the family, get some work done, and feel great about your workout.
It starts by concentrating on machine work only. Machines are better here because fewer stabilizers and joints are involved in the movement, which reduces the chance of injury — while still letting you go for as many reps as possible (AMRAP) without putting yourself in danger. The whole programme is three descending sets per exercise, each one AMRAP.
How it’s done
Start with the first exercise — the chest press machine — and load it as heavy as possible to get about 10 reps out of it. You should always have two reps left in the tank: start with the heaviest weight you can move for those reps, then immediately drop the weight by 10 to 15 pounds and go for as many reps as you possibly can. Drop the weight again by another 10 to 15 pounds and go for as many reps as you possibly can one more time. That’s the full set — one heavy set followed by two descending AMRAP sets.
Record the number of reps you get on each drop. The next week, your game plan is simple: try to beat those numbers.
It’s a high-intensity workout that also hits your cardiovascular system — a two-for-one. You’re working the muscle and building your cardio capacity, so you don’t need to do cardio afterward.
The training plan
| Order | Exercise |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chest press machine |
| 2 | Lat pulldown |
| 3 | Shoulder press machine |
| 4 | Low row machine |
| 5 | Bicep curl machine |
| 6 | Cable triceps pushdown |
| 7 | Dead bug (abs) |
Before you start
- Always begin with a 10-minute warm-up — calisthenics or treadmill/elliptical work — just to bring your core temperature up before you go to work.
- Each exercise is one heavy set for about 10 reps (two left in the tank), then two more AMRAP sets with the weight dropped 10–15 pounds each time.
- Write your rep numbers down. Beating last week’s numbers is the whole progression plan.
