Basic Workouts E
xercise scientist Patroklos Androulakis-
Korakakis, Ph.D., recommends three exercises as a basic workout for your major muscle groups. Together, these exercises strengthen and build muscles in the upper and lower body, improve posture, and enhance overall health. Strengthening these
muscles also helps to prevent everyday injuries that stem from weak muscles, such as getting back or shoulder pain while reaching for a high shelf, carrying a heavy grocery bag, or bending over to pick something up from the floor.
THE CHEST PRESS Works the large muscles in the upper chest, the front of the shoulder, and the triceps at the back of the upper arms. The exercise helps to improve posture by keeping the shoulders back and the chest open in everyday life, and increases the power to push things.
maximum you can out of the potential health benefits resistance training has to offer,” Korakakis tells Newsmax. However, he emphasizes, any amount is beneficial.
MOST EFFECTIVE WORKOUT There are two requirements for success with short but powerful weight- training workouts: Work all the major muscle groups in the chest, back, and legs. (See “Basic Workouts.”) And work those muscles intensely enough. Weight machines make it easier
to accomplish both objectives. “Find a few machine-based exercises that feel comfortable, that you can do safely, and you enjoy doing, and then essentially progress on those,” says Korakakis. On each machine, perform a set
of five to 15 repetitions with the right amount of resistance for you. (By the end of the set, the muscles you’re working should feel tired out, almost at a point where you couldn’t do another repetition.) After a set, rest for 1 to 1.5 minutes, and then do a second set.
THE LAT PULLDOWN Named for the latissimus dorsi muscles, the “lats,” which are large muscles that run down the back. It also works other back muscles that strengthen the shoulders and the biceps. Altogether, the lat pulldown improves posture, stability of the spine, and shoulder movement.
THE LEG PRESS Lower body workout: The big muscles in the front and back of the thighs, that support healthy knees, smaller thigh muscles, the buttocks that support the hips, and the calves. The health of all these muscles is essential for stability and balance, as well as walking, running, and playing sports.
Gym machines make it easy because they are designed to make you use muscles correctly and safely, even when you push yourself.
Doing 30-minute workouts
twice per week is optimal, says Korakakis. A third weekly workout may produce some more cosmetic benefit but isn’t essential. Always have at least one day of rest between strength-training workouts.
HOME WORKOUTS? While any movement is beneficial, it’s difficult to weight train intensely enough at home to get the full benefits of strength training, says Korakakis. And, he adds, being in an exercise environment in a gym is motivating. Gym machines make it easy
because they are designed to make you
use muscles correctly and safely, even when you push yourself. Today, there are many low-cost gym memberships, and some health plans cover the cost. If a home workout is all you
can do, apps and videos can be helpful. However, weight training doesn’t replace the need for some heart-pumping aerobic exercise to strengthen the heart. Most important, Korakakis
cautions against adopting an all-or- nothing approach. “A lot of people out there think
that there’s no way 30 minutes or 20 minutes of lifting per week will do anything,” he says, “when in reality, you are still definitely ticking some major boxes as far as healthy aging goes.” The same holds true for a workout
schedule. If you’ve been doing two gym workouts per week but have to miss one, don’t give up. “That one workout, which most
people would be inclined to skip,” he says, “is still allowing you to make progress.”
AUGUST 2025 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 83
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