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These simple dumbbell exercises are perfect for boosting your strength without leaving home.
Maintaining arm strength as you grow older is crucial. It plays a vital role in performing everyday activities that we often overlook, such as dressing, taking out the trash, lifting grocery bags, and even walking your dog. Focusing on this aspect of fitness can significantly contribute to your ability to live independently as you age.
If you’re considering investing in fitness equipment, a set of dumbbells is both cost-effective and highly beneficial. For around $32, you can purchase a seven-piece dumbbell set at Target, a fraction of a gym membership’s price. This allows you to enhance your arm strength conveniently at home.
To help you begin, we consulted with Gerard Washack from Strong Republic Personal Training. He shared six beginner-friendly dumbbell exercises designed to strengthen your arms more efficiently than many gym classes for those over 60. With over two decades of experience running personal training studios in the Coachella Valley, Washack founded Strong Republic on the principle that individuals over 40 deserve customized workout programs that cater to their unique needs.
To get you started, we spoke with Gerard Washack with Strong Republic Personal Training, and learned six beginner dumbbell exercises that can help restore your arm strength faster than gym classes after 60. Washack has more than 20 years of experience owning and operating personal training studios across the Coachella Valley. He designed Strong Republic around one belief system: Adults 40+ deserve a workout program designed specifically for them and their needs.
“Arm strength is one of those things that quietly leaves you in your 60s,” Washack explains. “[With dumbbell work at home,] you pick a weight that actually challenges you. Add a little more every couple of weeks. You progress at your own pace. You can also focus on the exact muscles you want to strengthen, which a group class cannot do because it’s designed for the average person in the room, not your specific needs.”
Below are six dumbbell exercises that, when performed two to three times a week at home, will deliver real strength in roughly six to eight weeks.
Bicep Curls
Stand tall with your feet slightly staggered.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
Squeeze your biceps at the top.
Use control to lower, stopping right before your elbows fully lock out.
Begin with whatever weight allows you to perform 10 reps while maintaining solid form.
Hammer Curls
“This hits a slightly different part of the bicep plus the forearms. Forearm strength is what creates a stronger grip. Grip strength is one of the strongest predictors of how long you live,” Washack explains.
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your side with a neutral grip.
Make sure your elbows stay locked to your ribs as you curl the dumbbells up.
Stop once your forearms are vertical or just past.
Slowly lower.
Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Standing Overhead Press
“This works the shoulders and the triceps together,” Washack points out.
Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing inward.
Press the weights overhead, extending your arms.
Use control as you lower the weights to shoulder height.
Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Tricep Kickbacks
“This exercise works the back of the arm, which is where most of the softness shows up after 60,” Washack says.
Begin by standing tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back flat and your core engaged.
Keep your upper arms parallel to the ground as you extend the dumbbells behind you.
Squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement.
Use control as you return to the start position.
Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Bent-Over Rows
“Most people think of this as a back exercise, and it is, but the biceps and forearms are working the whole time—two muscle groups for the price of one,” Washack says.
Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, and a dumbbell in each hand in front of you.
Hinge at the hips until your torso is parallel to the ground.
Maintain a flat back and soft knees.
Allow the weights to lower with your arms completely extended.
Row the dumbbells up toward your torso.
Lower to the start position with control.
Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Lateral Raises
“This is the move that gives the shoulder its shape,” Washack points out.
Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, while holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Raise the dumbbells out to the side to shoulder height.
Use control to lower.
Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
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