Workout Routine for Men Over 50: It’s the Routine, Stupid

Ulysses McDowell
Aug 13
5 min read

Updated: 19 hours ago

Workout routine for men over 50 showing strength training, stretching, cardio and consistency

During Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, political strategist James Carville famously used the phrase “The economy, stupid” to remind campaign workers to stay focused on one of the issues that mattered most to voters. When it comes to fitness, I have my own version:

“It’s the routine, stupid.”

Now, I’m certainly not calling anybody stupid. The point is the same as Carville’s: Don’t

lose sight of what matters.

When it comes to getting and staying fit—especially as we get older—one of the most important things we can develop is a routine. A good workout routine for men over 50 should include strength training, cardiovascular exercise, flexibility, balance, and adequate recovery.

You Can't Train Only When You Feel Like It

Think about a marathon runner.

A serious runner doesn't decide a couple of weeks before a marathon, “I think I'll go out and run 26 miles.” The race is the culmination of weeks or months of preparation.

Training may include running several days a week, strength work, mobility exercises, stretching, cross-training and, just as importantly, recovery. Depending on the training plan, an athlete may do something related to preparation six or seven days a week—but that certainly doesn't mean running hard seven days a week. There is a routine behind the performance. The same principle applies to the rest of us.

You may not be preparing for a marathon. Maybe you're trying to lose a few pounds. Maybe you want to get stronger. Maybe you want better balance, more endurance, or simply the ability to keep doing the things you enjoy.

Whatever your goal is, random workouts usually produce random results.

A Routine Gives Your Workout a Purpose

Walking into the gym without a plan can easily turn into wandering from machine to machine. A routine gives you direction. You know what you're going to do before you get there. You know which muscles you're working. You know approximately how long you'll exercise. You know when you're going to push yourself and when you're going to back off.

For example, a simple weekly routine might include:

Two or three days of strength training
Several days of walking or other cardiovascular exercise
Regular balance and mobility work
Warm-ups before exercise
Flexibility work when appropriate
At least one easier recovery day
Enough sleep and proper nutrition to allow your body to recover

The exact routine isn't the important part. Having one that fits your age, health, abilities and goals—and sticking with it—is.

Routine Doesn't Mean Repetition

Some people hear the word routine and think: Boring.

But a fitness routine doesn't mean doing the exact same exercises, with the exact same weight, in the exact same order, forever. In fact, most exercises can be modified.

You can change the weight. You can change the number of repetitions. You can substitute one exercise for another that works the same muscle group. You can use machines one day and resistance bands another. You can walk outside instead of using a treadmill. You can alternate harder workouts with easier ones.

Consistency and variety can coexist.

Your routine provides the structure. Variety keeps the structure interesting and allows your body to face different challenges.

Protect Your Physical Investment

I like to think of exercise as an investment. Every workout is a small deposit.

You probably won't see a dramatic difference after one workout. You might not see much after five workouts. But those deposits begin to accumulate. Strength gained today can help you remain independent later. Balance exercises may help reduce your risk of falling. Cardiovascular exercise can improve endurance. Mobility work can help you continue bending, reaching and moving comfortably.

That's what I mean by maximizing your physical investment.

But investments generally grow through consistency, not occasional large deposits.

The same is true with fitness. One exhausting three-hour workout doesn't make up for doing nothing for the next three weeks. I'd rather see someone exercise moderately and consistently than exercise like a maniac for two weeks, get exhausted or injured, and quit.

Your Workout Routine for Men Over 50 Should Change as You Change

This becomes especially important after 50. The routine that worked when you were 25 may not be the routine your body needs at 50, 60, 70 or beyond. That doesn't mean you have to stop challenging yourself. It means you train smarter. You may need a longer warm-up. You may need additional recovery between hard workouts.

You may discover that certain exercises no longer agree with your knees, shoulders, hips or back. Modify them. There's no medal for doing an exercise exactly the way you did it 30 years ago. The goal isn't to prove that you're still 25.

The goal is to keep moving well at 55, 65, 75 and beyond.

Don't Forget the Beginning and the End

Your routine shouldn't begin with the first heavy repetition. Give your body time to prepare. A few minutes of light movement can gradually increase your heart rate and get your muscles and joints ready for exercise. Depending on the activity, dynamic movements can also be useful before the main workout.

And don't immediately rush out the door after your final exercise. Give yourself time to cool down. Let your breathing and heart rate gradually settle. Flexibility work may be appropriate afterward when your muscles are warm. The warm-up and cool-down aren't wasted time. They're part of the workout.

Schedule Exercise Like an Appointment

One of the easiest ways to establish a routine is to stop treating exercise as something you'll do if you have time. Put it on your schedule. Maybe Monday, Wednesday and Friday are strength-training days. Tuesday and Thursday might be walking days. Saturday could be a lighter activity day. Sunday might be recovery. Your routine will look different depending on your goals and schedule.

The important thing is that when exercise becomes part of your normal week, you don't have to wake up every morning and negotiate with yourself about whether you're going to do it. It's simply what you do. And if you miss a workout? Don't turn one missed workout into a missed week. Get back to the routine.

Consistency Beats Perfection

There will be bad workouts. There will be mornings when you don't feel particularly strong. There will be weeks when work, family obligations, travel or life in general interfere with your plans. That's okay. A successful routine doesn't require perfection.

It requires returning. That's one of the biggest differences between people who exercise for a few weeks and people who make fitness part of their lives. They keep coming back.

Find a Routine You Can Live With

The best workout routine isn't necessarily the hardest one. It isn't the one your favorite fitness personality follows. And it certainly isn't the routine you followed when you were 25.

The best routine is one that's safe, challenging enough to produce results, appropriate for your abilities, and realistic enough that you'll continue doing it.

Start where you are.

Warm up.

Do the work.

Vary your exercises.

Give your body time to recover.

Then come back and do it again.

You don't have to be perfect.

You don't have to train like a professional athlete.

You don't even have to love every workout.

But you do have to keep showing up.

Because when all the fitness advice, exercise programs, equipment, supplements and latest trends are stripped away, one principle remains remarkably simple:

It's the routine, stupid.

As always, if you have medical conditions, injuries, or concerns about beginning or changing an exercise program, talk with your healthcare provider or a qualified fitness professional about what's appropriate for you.