Mastering five specific standing movements—the goblet squat, push press, bent-over row, sumo deadlift, and standing toe touch—at age 65 indicates you’re fitter than most 50-year-olds, according to Domenic Angelino, MS, MPH, CSCS, CPT, Chief Exercise Scientist at FitCraft.
Standing exercises place demands on your body that seated gym machines remove by supporting the torso.
In Plain English: The Takeaway
- Kinetic Chain Integration: Standing exercises force multiple muscle groups to work together, mirroring real-world physical demands.
- Core Stabilization: Maintaining an upright posture activates abdominal muscles and requires lower back muscles to hold your torso upright.
- Explosive Power: Movements like the push press help you build muscular power and require you to coordinate your upper and lower body muscles.
The Five Core Standing Movements
Integrating these standing moves into your routine is a must to build functional strength and fitness. The selected movements evaluate distinct physiological parameters:
The Goblet Squat requires standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width while holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest height. By hinging at the hips and descending with a straight back before pushing through your heels, you engage your lower body, core, and upper body at the same time. Similarly, the Sumo Deadlift involves many muscles in your body working together to produce a large amount of force, including quads, glutes, transverse abdominis, and trapezius.
Explosive power is evaluated via the Push Press. As an explosive exercise that has to be done quickly, it requires you to coordinate your upper and lower body muscles to lift the weight safely. Conversely, the Bent-Over Row—performed by hinging at the hips until the torso is parallel to the ground with a flat back—targets the back. Finally, Standing Toe Touches are useful to build into your training because they largely test your hamstring flexibility.
| Exercise Name | Primary Target Muscles |
|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | Lower body, core, upper body |
| Push Press | Upper and lower body |
| Bent-Over Row | Back |
| Sumo Deadlift | Quads, glutes, transverse abdominis, trapezius |
| Standing Toe Touch | Hamstrings |
The Long-Term Trajectory of Functional Aging
Research shows that competitive games and physical competition can improve attention and memory. A little dash of competition goes a long way. If you’ve wondered just how physically fit you are, there’s a competition of sorts you can try right at home.
