This trainer specializes in helping women over 40 build muscle and mobility—here’s her favorite 20-minute dumbbell workout for beginners

Thankfully, the notion that you are over the hill once you hit 40 has gone out of fashion.

This decade can bring plenty of positives, but one downside is a gradual loss of muscle mass, which affects everything from your metabolism to your mobility and strength.

The best way to offset this is by resistance training—lifting weights or using your bodyweight to rebuild strength and muscle, support your joints and stop your metabolism from slowing down.

You don’t need complicated moves, a new gym membership or fancy equipment to do this—a simple set of home dumbbells is enough to make a difference.

Carly Harvey is a trainer who specializes in helping women over 40 build strength and confidence, and recommends this four-move routine for beginners.

“It’s perfect for women 40 and above who want to build lean muscle to support weight management and improve joint aches that are heightened in the peri and menopause phase of life,” she says.

How to do the dumbbell workout

The workout in brief

1. Goblet squat: 3 x 10
2. Shoulder press: 3 x 10
3. Bent-over row: 3 x 10
4. Chest press: 3 x 10

1. Goblet squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out, holding the weights in front of your chest.
• Inhale as you bend your knees and push your hips back to slowly lower.
• Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Exhale as you push through your feet to stand.

Trainer tips: Imagine you’re lowering yourself into a chair when you squat. Move slowly, taking two seconds to lower and keep your center of gravity over your heels throughout.

2. Shoulder press

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells by your shoulders with palms facing forward and elbows out to the sides.
• Engage youre core then exhale as you push the dumbbells overhead, straightening your arms.
• Pause for one second.
• Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the start

3. Bent-over row

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Engage your core and, keeping a flat back and shoulders pulled back throughout, hinge forward at your hips to lower your torso toward the floor to roughly 45°.
• Exhale as you bend your elbows to pull the weights up to your waist, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Pause for one second.
• Inhale as you slowly lower the weights.

4. Chest press

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells by your chest, with your elbows bent and upper arms on the floor.
• Exhale as you push the weights straight up.
• Pause for one second.
• Inhale as you lower the weights back the start.