How Jennifer Lopez, 52, uses resistance training to build muscle

Our muscle mass does indeed decline as we get older, but you can use exercise to improve your strength no matter your age, and Jennifer Lopez, 52, has shared on Instagram how she uses resistance training to build muscle.

Resistance training can be completed in a variety of forms. People often refer to it as weight training since it is all about making your muscles work against a weight, such as exercising with a best kettlebell. Or against a less aggressive force, like with your body weight or with a set of best resistance bands.

This form of training is exactly what Lopez uses to build and maintain her strength and fitness these days. She recently shared her impressive '#WorkoutWednesday' routine to Instagram and it seems like the gym is where she is working on becoming a 'better me'.

In the workout video, the mum of two uses dumbells for completing bicep curls and the cable fly machine to work her chest muscles. This is followed by some core-burning reverse crunches performed on a bench. 

If you want to give J-Lo's 2022 exercise regime a go without heading to the gym, you can still complete this resistance session at home. The upper body part can be performed using a set of best adjustable dumbbells and long resistance bands to replicate the effect of the cable fly machine. 

JENNIFER LOPEZ'S RESISTANCE TRAINING WORKOUT

The comments section of her post is filled with words of respect for Lopez's hard work. One person commented, "My motivation", while another said, "I want to reach the age of 52 like this, working out like you."

Strengthening your muscle is actually a lot more important than many may realize. Researchers at the University of California conducted research across 4,000 healthy American adults aged 55 or over to find out if there is a link between muscle mass in older adults and their lifespan. 

The study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, revealed older adults with greater muscle mass were less likely to die prematurely, whereas those with a lower muscle index had higher mortality rates.

A co-author of the study and professor in the geriatrics division stated, "the greater your muscle mass, the lower your risk of death," but added that "rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle mass."

Any over 50s can grow muscle with some resistance training that's suited to their fitness abilities. Forget about what size or form of weight you are using initially, as long as your body is being forced to overcome some form of resistant force, and you do this regularly and consistently then your muscles will grow stronger.

Of course, like with most big-name celebrities, J-Lo works with a trainer to help her maintain her sculpted physique but it most definitely requires her own discipline to achieve her goals.

Most importantly, she stays fit to feel good, rather than to change her body to like something that it isn't. She previously told Heat magazine, "I think the idea of being curvaceous, being a little bit bigger than normal or smaller than normal, all of that is okay." 

Lopez added, "As long as it’s healthy. I embrace who I am. I feel sexy, I feel youthful, I feel pretty sometimes!"