Author, fitness model, and trainer Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CES, knows that as you get older, life can get more complicated. But that shouldn’t prevent you from being on top of your game. He’ll help to answer the tough training questions that come with age so you too can be Fit Beyond 40.
Older guys like me can have a harder time packing on muscle than when we were young, but with a solid plan, gains are possible. I’ve always been weaker in my upper body, so I include targeted exercises in my routine to hit the biggest muscles in my arms: the triceps.
Triceps pressdowns are one of my favorite moves to home in on the muscle, especially as I’ve gotten older and have to think more about joint health. Since the triceps extend the elbows and assist in extending the shoulders, the triceps pressdown is great to strengthen the ligaments and tendons of those joints. The exercise should also be done properly to activate and strengthen the target muscle, the triceps, while preventing other muscles (lats and shoulders) from dominating the movement. I prefer the simplest form of the exercise from a standing position with your arms at your sides.
To start, your resistance band should be anchored at a point above you (like on top of a door) while you’re standing below. Stand up straight and tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Flex your elbows by bringing your hands up toward your shoulders, but don’t let your elbows and upper arms jut forward and away from your body (you’ll notice that the flex of your elbows will be about 140 to 150 degrees).
All you must do now is reach forward and grab the resistance band with both hands. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core, then retract and squeeze your shoulder blades together, keeping your upper arms close as if they were cemented to the sides of your body.
Start the reps extending your elbows, focusing your attention on using only your triceps (that’s why this is called an “isolation” exercise). Work to keep your upper body still to make sure your shoulders and lats aren’t part of the equation. Pause at the bottom of the movement to increase the stimulation, then return to the starting position. This is one rep.
One common pressdown mistake is bringing your elbows forward as you return to the starting position. When the upper arms come away from the body, you can wind up perform a rowing motion, and your lats can take over and move the focus from the triceps. Think instead of only moving at your elbows, like a hinge, and keeping the rest of your body in position the whole time. Another mistake is pulling straight down from the anchor, instead of at an angle. Pulling down from an approximate 45-degree angle gives you more tension at full contraction of your biceps, something you do want.
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Once you’re confident with the movement, you can challenge your muscles even more. At full contraction of the triceps (when elbows are fully extended), try holding for three seconds, then releasing back to the starting position. On the last rep, try holding at full contraction for 10 seconds. The isometric holds will help you maintain and develop even more power and muscle mass. My recommendation for the triceps pressdown is four sets of 10 repetitions when you train upper body, at most twice per week.
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