5 Exercises Men Over 55 Should Do Each Morning to Build Arm Muscle

Even little daily tasks require solid arm strength.

Men over 55, listen up! You may not know this, but in this stage of life, arm strength naturally declines due to sarcopenia (the loss of muscle and strength), lower hormone levels, and a more sedentary lifestyle. It’s something to be mindful of and proactive about. Strong arms are more essential now than ever before. After all, without strength, you place yourself at risk of being less independent. The little things in life—like carrying a golf club or picking up groceries—involve solid arm strength.

We spoke with Rob Moal, CPT with Train Like Rob who’s based in Vancouver, BC and has over 20 years of experience helping clients build strength, shed fat, and move without pain, to learn how you can improve this strength. Moal holds certifications in personal training, nutrition, TRX, FMS, CAFS (Grey Institute), kettlebell training, corrective exercise, Twist Conditioning, and CrossFit, specializing in strength, mobility, and recovery for individuals over 35.

Moal encourages you to focus on your grip and forearms first. After all, they decline the quickest after 55. As he puts it, your curl is only as strong as your grip strength.

“Triceps second. They make up roughly two-thirds of the arm and are the most visually impactful, but most men underwork them because pushing activity naturally decreases with age,” Moal adds. “The rear delt and rotator cuff are the most important for shoulder longevity. Build those, and the whole arm functions better. Biceps hold on longer than most because daily tasks keep them somewhat stimulated passively. They still need direct work, but they’re not the priority most guys treat them as.”

Below, Moal shares five exercises men over 55 should do each morning to build arm muscle. They’re easy to add to your routine, and this small commitment will go a long way in living an active, independent lifestyle.

Rope Cable Tricep Pushdowns

“The rope cable pushdown keeps the shoulder in a neutral position with no overhead stress. By 55, most guys have some shoulder history and skull crushers and overhead extensions aren’t worth the risk,” Moal tells us.

1. Attach a rope to a cable machine’s high pulley.
2. Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-distance apart, and take hold of the rope using a neutral grip—palms facing each other.
3. Keep your elbows close to the sides of your body and begin with your forearms bent to roughly 90 degrees.
4. Press the rope downward by extending your elbows until your arms are completely straight, separating the rope ends at the bottom of the movement to promote further tricep engagement.
5. Hold at the bottom for a moment before using control to return to the start position.

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Farmer’s Carry

“The farmer carry is there because grip and forearm strength decline the fastest with age, and it’s the most functional thing you can do for overall arm strength and longevity,” Moal points out.

1. Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell—50% of your body weight—in each hand at your sides.
2. Start walking forward, keeping your torso still.
3. Continue to walk for the prescribed distance or time.

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Zottman Curls

“The Zottman curl hits the biceps, brachialis, and forearms in one movement with a slow eccentric that builds muscle without a heavy load,” Moal says.

1. Begin standing tall with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your palms facing forward.
2. Activate your core and keep your elbows close to your sides.
3. Curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
4. At the top of the movement, rotate your wrists so your palms face down.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbells.
6. At the bottom, rotate your wrists so your palms face up.

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Lying Side Lateral Raises

“The lying side lateral raise eliminates momentum and removes the impingement risk of standing variations,” Moal explains.

1. Begin by lying on your side on a mat, with your bottom arm supporting your head.
2. Hold a lightweight dumbbell in your top hand, with your arm resting along your side.
3. Stack your shoulders and hips.
4. Lift your top arm up toward the sky in a lateral motion, maintaining a slight bend in that elbow.
5. Hold at the top for a moment.
6. Use control to lower.
7. Repeat on the other side.

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Rear Delt Machine Fly With Protraction

“The rear delt machine fly with protraction at the end of the movement activates the rear delt fully through a fixed path. The rear delt and rotator cuff atrophy fast after 55, and most people never train them directly,” Moal notes.

1. Begin sitting tall, facing the machine with your chest against the pad.
2. Make sure the handles are set so your arms begin slightly ahead of your chest with a soft bend in the elbows.
3. Press your arms slightly forward, gently rounding your upper back as you do so.
4. Once you achieve the forward reach, use control to sweep your arms out wide in a reverse fly motion, squeezing your shoulder blades.
5. Gradually return forward.

Alexa Mellardo

Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa