Targeting the upper chest and shoulders will compliment the work you do for your back, biceps and triceps. The barbell chest press is a great movement for the upper body. Men love this exercise, but usually it is with a flat bench and very heavy weights to build a strong massive chest. Women can also do the flat bench press for overall strength development but target more of the upper chest muscles with the incline bench chest press.

By performing the incline bench chest press you are using more of the muscles just under your collar bone which will help create a stronger, more defined chest.

Start out by first getting used to doing push ups before you actually start using the barbells. Body conditioning exercises  always helps strengthen the joints to prepare for more intense work with the free weight.

Below is a demonstration of the incline e-z bar incline press with 55 pounds for 12 reps. This weight is about 35% of her bodyweight.  You do not want to overload the joints to much, take your time and progress slowly.

As you approach your retirement years strength training becomes an investment. An investment that pays very high dividends.

Strength training will help you maintain a high degree of physical functioning. It will also protect your bones and ease the stress on your joints. Strength training also helps you fight the accumulation on excess body fat by increasing the metabolic activity in your muscles to burn more calories.

Your exercise program must include some strength training to be considered complete.

Men and women over 50 with exercise experience who have a good understanding of proper weight lifting technique are well advised to increase the intensity of their strength training sessions. This does not mean lifting heavy beyond what you can control. It’s all about progressing slowly to a higher level of performance.

In the video below you will see a demonstration of an advanced strength training exercise called a super set. You lift for a number of reps and immediately go to another exercise for the same muscle to perform a second exercise. This requires strength and endurance. At an advanced level it is performed with a weight close to or greater than your bodyweight.