For those seeking a longer, healthier life, incorporating strength training into their routine is paramount. According to Ollie Thompson, a personal trainer and founder of Welltolead, a performance-focused health coaching company, strength training can help us stay vibrant, physically independent and disease-free in our final decades. This isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about building a resilient body capable of thriving through the years.

The Underrated Power of Muscle

The importance of maintaining healthy muscle mass is often overlooked.Thompson emphasizes that the benefits of maintaining healthy muscle are highly underrated. Resistance training offers a multifaceted approach to long-term well-being, extending beyond mere physical strength.

• Metabolic Function: Consistent resistance training enhances metabolic function by improving insulin sensitivity. This is crucial for preventing type 2 diabetes and managing blood sugar levels.
• Cardiovascular health: It supports cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure and inflammation, key factors in preventing heart disease.
• Hormonal Balance: Resistance training helps maintain hormonal balance to combat age-related declines, such as decreased testosterone in men and estrogen in women.
• Bone Density: It preserves bone density to reduce fracture risk, a meaningful concern as we age.Osteoporosis, characterized by weakened bones, can be mitigated through consistent weight-bearing exercise.
• Immune System: Resistance training strengthens the immune system to help fight off disease, enhancing the body’s natural defenses.

The Longevity Trio: Gym Exercises for a Better Life

Thompson recommends three key gym exercises that offer the most significant benefits for those prioritizing longevity:

1. Assisted Chin-Up
2. Bulgarian Split Squat
3. Farmer’s Carry

These exercises, when combined, strengthen muscles across the upper and lower body, boost joint health, develop balance and coordination, and improve posture.

Thompson states, Based on my experience, if we define longevity as living better for longer – with an emphasis on staying vibrant, physically independent and disease-free in our final decades – then these are the top three gym exercises for longevity.

exercise 1: Assisted Chin-Up

How to Perform an Assisted Chin-Up:

• Place a barbell in a rack at roughly chest height.
• Sit on the ground under the barbell then reach overhead and grasp it with an underhand grip, hands roughly shoulder-width apart.
• Keeping yoru feet on the floor for support,pull your body upwards until your chin is above the bar. Think about squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do this.
• Slowly control yourself back to the starting position.
• Over time, try to provide less support with your feet to make the exercise more challenging, in line with your increasing strength levels. You can also use an assisted pull-up machine or resistance band to perform this exercise.

Benefits of the Assisted Chin-Up:

The chin-up, often perceived as intimidating, can be modified to suit various fitness levels using machines, resistance bands, or lower pull-up bars with foot support. This adaptability unlocks numerous benefits.

The chin-up recruits multiple muscles across the back, biceps, forearms, and core, making it an excellent exercise for overall upper body strength. It is indeed also beneficial for shoulder health.

One key reason I picked the assisted chin-up is that performing a full repetition – from a dead hang to the top with your chin at the bar – takes your shoulder blades through a full range of motion.
Ollie Thompson,Personal Trainer

Thompson further explains:

In the bottom hanging position,with your hands supinated [palms towards you],you create external rotation at the shoulder joint while under load with your arms overhead – an excellent way to maintain strong,stable and well-functioning shoulders.
Ollie Thompson, Personal Trainer

Grip strength is another significant benefit. Moreover, this exercise can’t be beaten for training grip strength, which studies have strongly correlated with healthier muscle mass and better longevity.

Exercise 2: Bulgarian Split squat

How to Perform the Bulgarian Split Squat:

• Stand one step in front of a bench or sturdy surface that’s around knee height. Face away from this surface.
• Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in your left hand with your arm by your side, palm facing your body.
• Keeping your right leg long and your hips square, place the top of your left foot on the bench behind you.
• Lower your left knee until it’s just above the ground, keeping your chest up as you do this, then drive through your right foot to return to the starting position.

Benefits of the Bulgarian Split Squat:

Mirroring the chin-up’s upper body benefits,the Bulgarian split squat strengthens multiple muscles in the lower body.As a unilateral exercise, it builds strength and stability at the hip, knee, and foot, correcting muscular imbalances while incorporating a balance component.

As a unilateral [single-limb] exercise,it’s excellent for building strength and stability at the hip,knee and foot,helping to correct severe muscular imbalances while also incorporating a balance component.
Ollie Thompson, Personal Trainer

This exercise also challenges kinaesthetic awareness, which is crucial for preventing trips and falls later in life.

Thompson highlights another advantage:

I’m a huge fan of this exercise becuase, when performed correctly, it not only engages every major muscle in the leg but also forces you into hip extension.
Ollie Thompson,Personal Trainer

Hip extension tends to weaken substantially with age. Developing strength and mobility in this range maintains movement quality and walking mechanics, reducing back and hip pain.

Exercise 3: Farmer’s Carry

How to Perform the Farmer’s Carry:

• Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand with your arms by your side and your palms facing inwards.
• Maintaining an upright torso and tight core, walk with the weights.

Benefits of the Farmer’s carry:

The farmer’s carry, a straightforward exercise involving walking with weights, is often overlooked despite its numerous benefits. This full-body movement tests grip strength and improves posture.

The farmer’s carry is an exercise I don’t see performed nearly as often as it should be. Here’s why: it’s a full-body movement that involves ambulation,it tests your grip strength and it’s fantastic for improving posture.
Ollie Thompson, personal Trainer

It builds strong joints, enhances hip stability, challenges balance, coordination, and kinaesthetic awareness, and provides a brilliant way to build strength while taxing the aerobic system.

the farmer’s carry bolsters heart and lung health while strengthening the entire body. Its accessibility and scalability make it suitable for most individuals.

Thompson notes:

I frequently enough prescribe farmer’s carries to my online clients as they are incredibly accessible and can be scaled easily, with progress easily tracked. Simply pick a challenging kettlebell or dumbbell, then walk for time, distance, steps or breaths. This way, you can keep track of how your performance improves over time.
Ollie Thompson,Personal Trainer

beyond Resistance Training: A Holistic Approach to longevity

While resistance training is crucial,cardiovascular exercise is equally important for longevity. Activities that elevate the heart rate for a sustained period are essential for heart health,mitochondrial function,disease prevention,brain health,energy production,sleep quality,and stress management.

A well-rounded approach includes both low-intensity zone two cardio (60-70% of maximum heart rate) and short bouts of high-intensity training. This combination builds a wide aerobic base and a high aerobic peak (VO2 max), strongly associated with better health, longevity, and reduced all-cause mortality.