Men over 40 can use Bear Plank Rows to strengthen their entire body

Trainer, author, and fitness model Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CES, knows that life can get more complicated as you age. But that shouldn’t stop you from being up to date. He will help you answer the tough exercise questions that come with age so that you too can get fit over 40.

If you’ve ever done a bear plank, you know how challenging the exercise can be on your core, buttocks, hips, shoulders, and triceps. This is especially true for everyone who sits at a desk all day. But the static plank hold is just the beginning. I often suggest my older clients who are looking for a bigger challenge try the bear plank row to get to a higher level. The variation is ideal for testing your whole body strength even more by adding two more components. You work out your shoulders and lats by adding the row – but the real beauty is that it adds the dimension of anti-rotation to push your core more than you think. I especially love programming the exercise for my senior clients as it challenges them in ways they are not used to.

To prepare for Bear Plank Row, grab two lightweight dumbbells or kettlebells. Get on your hands and knees and place your hands on the dumbbells, which should be just below your shoulders. Your knees should be just below your hips. Your back should be in a neutral position with no curve or curve. While squeezing your abs and glutes, lift your knees off the floor so your shins are parallel to the floor. From this starting position, row a weight up and briefly press up, then return to the starting position. Repeat the same movement with the other arm. That’s on rep.

When rowing, it is important that you squeeze your core and glutes, along with your back, as much as possible. This will help maintain balance and stability as the lifting will keep you off balance all the time. There should be no torso movement when preforming the Bear Plank Row, so resist the urge to twist your row shoulder up to pull the barbell up. Row the barbell with a firm body. If you find your shoulders twisting, drop the weight or do it using only body weight.

In addition to the strength of the upper body, the Bear Plank Row also tests the strength of the lower body. As you work through repetitions and start to tire, your quads can give way, which can mean your bum rises higher towards the ceiling. When you start to get up, take a break and rest your quads.

This maneuver can be difficult to master without compensation, so don’t be afraid to use just your body weight. When you can move from side to side without shifting, add the weights. Start with 4 sets of 8 repetitions per side.

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