Machines don’t address the need for “real-life control.”
If you’re training your legs at the gym, the leg press machine is likely part of your routine. This tool offers a low-impact way to strengthen major lower-body muscle groups—including the hamstrings, quads, and glutes—without placing undue stress on the lower back. That said, machines often “isolate effort” and eliminate the essential need for “real-life control,” explains Matt Bandelier, personal trainer and director of business development at Eden Health Club. So, Bandelier outlines a speedy eight-minute routine that helps restore thigh strength quicker than using the leg press machine.
“The leg press loads your quads, sure, but it doesn’t challenge your balance, train your feet, or activate the stabilizers around your knees and hips. That’s why so many people do leg presses and still feel weak going up stairs or stepping off a curb,” Bandelier tells us.
A productive lower-body workout for older adults needs to include multi-directional and weight-bearing movements, along with being scalable and stability-driven.
“We train for how we live, standing, stepping, shifting, holding. This eight-minute sequence locks all of that in, using only your bodyweight, some tempo, and intentional reps,” Bandelier adds.
Complete each exercise for one minute (or 10 to 15 reps on each side). Repeat for a second round to achieve a full eight-minute circuit.
Box Squats
“This replaces your leg press—but now your core and hips help instead of your back resting on a pad,” Bandelier says.
- Begin by standing tall in front of a sturdy chair or workout bench with your feet hip-width apart on the ground.
- Activate your core and keep your chest lifted.
- Bend at the knees and hips and lower slowly into a squat—as if you’re about to sit down. Make sure your weight stays in your heels.
- Lightly touch the surface of the chair with your glutes.
- Press through your heels to rise back up.
- Take 3 to 4 seconds to lower back to the surface for each rep.
- Complete 10 to 15 reps for each round.
Bodyweight Hip Hinge (Good Mornings)
“This teaches your thighs to share the workload with your hips, protecting your knees,” Bandelier points out.
- Stand tall, feet hip-width apart.
- Place your hands behind your head.
- Press your hips back while maintaining a tall chest.
- As you hinge forward, feel a solid stretch in your hamstrings.
- Activate your hamstrings and glutes to drive your hips forward.
- Perform 10 to 15 reps.
Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive
“Move slow. This builds strength, balance, and coordination together,” Bandelier says.
- Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place your hands on your hips.
- Take a big step back with your right foot.
- Lower into a shallow lunge.
- Push through the heel of your front foot to rise, driving your back knee forward toward your chest as you do so.
- Pause briefly.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Complete 10 reps on each leg.
Split Squat Isometric Hold
“This lights up your thighs while being joint-friendly,” Bandelier explains.
- Step into a split stance with one foot forward and the other back.
- Drop down until your front thigh feels loaded and the back knee hovers off the ground.
- Keep a tall chest as you hold this position and focus on your breath.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds on each side.
Squat Pulses
- Begin standing tall with your feet slightly outside hip-width.
- Drop into a shallow athletic squat position.
- Stay low as you begin to perform small, controlled pulses.
- Keep your chest tall and your weight in your heels.
- Perform the exercise for 30 seconds.
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
