At 42, opera soprano Angel Blue has made strength training a regular part of her routine. The two-time Grammy winner has been lifting weights for nearly two years and says her approach to fitness was partly inspired by watching her mother prioritize movement.

"I've been lifting weights here for almost the last two years," Blue told BBC's Woman's Hour, as reported by Kate Cheng of Women's Health.

Blue credited part of her motivation to watching her mother, Sylvia, take movement seriously when she was her age, a habit she's now carried into her own routine with seven core exercises.

The seven strength moves in Angel Blue’s routine

As per Kate Cheng of Women's Health Magazine, here's a breakdown of the seven moves that make up Blue's strength routine.

Hammer Curl

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides in a neutral grip, palms facing each other.

Curl the weights toward your shoulders while keeping your upper arms still, squeezing your biceps at the top before lowering slowly.

Bent-Over Row

Put your right knee and hand on a bench so you're braced, back flat, nothing swaying.

Grab a dumbbell in your left hand. Now just pull it up toward your hip, elbow leading the way, and give your upper back a good squeeze once you get there. Then ease it back down, don't just drop it.

Back Squat

Get the bar loaded on a rack so it sits right below shoulder height, then walk under it and let it rest across your traps, not your neck. Feet a little wider than your hips.

Once you unrack, sit back like you're lowering into a chair, chest staying tall, knees pointing the same way as your toes. Go down until your hips are just past your knees, then drive back up through your feet.

Landmine Row

Lock one end of a barbell into a landmine attachment, stand over the other end facing away, feet about shoulder width. Bend forward at the hips until you're almost flat, back staying straight.

Pull the bar up toward your chest, elbows going back, and really squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top. Lower it slow, don't let it yank you forward.

Pull Up

Hang from the handles with your arms straight out. Tighten up through your core, drop your shoulders away from your ears, then pull yourself up, elbows driving down and back, until your chin gets over the bar. Lower yourself down nice and controlled, don't just let go and drop.

Reverse Lunge

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, feet about shoulder width apart. Step one foot way back, more than you'd think, landing on your toes.

Let your back knee drop almost to the floor, front leg bending to about 90 degrees. Push through your front foot to come back up, then switch sides.

Shoulder Press Machine

Adjust the seat first so the handles start around shoulder height. Feet flat on the floor, grip the handles, brace your core, and press straight up until your arms are nearly locked out, but don't force it. Bring it back down slow and steady.

Two years in, and Blue's still just sticking to the basics. Nothing flashy about it. But at 42, it's obviously working.

Written by

Rudra Dubey