Strength Training for Women Over 40: What Actually Works

I’m talking about years of endless cardio, or hot yoga, or intense spin classes (six times a week?). Plus the barely eating (then binging because the barely eating is impossible to maintain).

Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing: There absolutely is a place for spin classes or hot yoga or running (S would kill me if said to stop running, haha). But when they’re the only thing you do, you end up using cardio to chase a result that – and here’s the big thing – only strength training can give us. This is the cycle I’m talking about. It’s one I know well – I lived it, too.

As a trainer and 45-year-old woman, I’ve experienced and seen this cycle constantly – especially with women in their 40s!! We are exhausted, frustrated, and still chasing skinny…when I believe we should instead be chasing strong.

Strength Training for Women Over 40: The Only Fitness Formula You Actually Need

What actually works for women over 40 comes down to a pretty basic formula: Lift weights. Eat real food. Walk. Sleep.

That’s it!!

Simple? Sure. Easy? Uh…not always, I get that. But it is doable. Let’s break it down.

Lift Weights

This one is the big non-negotiable, especially for us women in our 40s (and beyond!). Here’s what weightlifting actually does for your body: Builds the muscle that gives you shape. That “toned” look everyone wants? That’s muscle. Cardio doesn’t build it. Lifting does. Keeps everything lifted and firm. I know you know what I mean. 😉

• Increases bone density (critical as we age to prevent injury!)
• Revs up your metabolism so your body burns more at rest.
• Stabilizes blood sugar and helps prevent diabetes.
• Protects your neurological health.
• Helps with menopausal symptoms (research shows lifting can significantly reduce hot flashes).
• Improves your balance, mobility, and how you move through life (honestly, being strong is FUN).
• Makes you mentally stronger. Don’t underestimate this one – I’ve found that lifting unlocks something, and is a serious confidence booster.

Once we hit 40, muscle loss happens at a more rapid rate. Without some sort of resistance or weight training, we get weaker, softer, more tired, and…more fragile. I do not want to be fragile! I want to enter my old age powerful and strong and able to do fun things with my kids and (maybe, eventually) grandkids!!

Muscle is protective. Building it is one of the most powerful things we can do for ourselves! LFG!!!!

Eat Real Food

Your diet doesn’t need to be complicated. Eat real food and get your protein up – protein is what supports and preserves your muscle as you get stronger.

If fat loss is one of your goals…my advice is to eat at a slight calorie deficit, but not forever!! Six to twelve weeks is plenty, then, at that point, reassess. I do find tracking calories helpful at first – just because most of us (haha me) are often shocked by what we’re *actually* putting into our body (rather than what we intended to eat that day). One note: if tracking food has ever felt compulsive or stressful for you, skip it – the program works without it.

In summary?  Get your protein. Eat your healthy fats and carbs. Drink your water!! This is the foundation. You can do it!

Walk

I cannot say this enough: walking is your cardio. Walking is low-stress on the body, it doesn’t spike cortisol levels or trigger hunger hormones the way intense HIIT cardio does. It keeps your body in a slow, relaxed, fat-burning state.

And it feels good!! Get outside and walk the dog, walk and chat with a friend, breathe real air.  This is your cardio prescription. 🙂

Sleep

Sleep is a big one. We need to prioritize it, full stop. Our bodies repair, build muscle, and regulate hormones while we sleep. You can do everything else right…then undercut it all by not sleeping enough.

Sleep can be especially tricky during perimenopause, I get it. A few things that have genuinely helped me: when I’m lifting consistently, I am tired in the best way and I sleep so much better. I’m also a big fan of magnesium glycinate. It’s made a real difference for me and I know Shana too (here’s a peer reviewed study) And personally, giving up alcohol was a game-changer for my sleep. If sleep is a real struggle for you, it’s worth talking to your doctor, but don’t underestimate what consistent lifting and a few small lifestyle shifts can do.

Why I Made This Program

I was tired of watching women run themselves into the ground and still feel like they’re failing – my friends, my family, the women I teach or train – we are all struggling.  I’m tired of women (myself included!!) trying to shrink ourselves – literally and figuratively! – in pursuit of something that never comes.

I know it’s hard to fit in One More Thing. I know your schedule is packed! I know you’re tired – me, too!! But I also know what happens when women start lifting – I’ve watched it hundreds of times! Honestly, this is a ‘trust the process’ moment. And the process I want you to trust? Looks like this:

Women start to lift weights. First, they get stronger. Then…they start to feel stronger. And then? Something shifts. Typically, once my clients (and myself!) start to feel stronger, we stop focusing on the number on the scale and start focusing on what our bodies can actually DO. What we are capable of.

And this shift – from focusing on a scale to focusing on our abilities – this shift is everything. Once that shift has been made, these women walk taller, they feel more capable, they trust their bodies more – they become happier when they look in the mirror.

This is what I want for you!!

Introducing: My 4-Week Full Body Strength Program

This is a beginner-friendly, 4-week full-body strength program using dumbbells only. Three workouts a week, 30–40 minutes each. No gym. No complicated equipment. Just you, some weights, and a plan.

What You’ll Need

• A set (or a few sets) of dumbbells
• A chair, stool, or bench
• A small space to move
• A book or step to elevate your front foot (for Week 4 — I’ll explain when we get there!)

How It Works

Each week has three workouts: A, B, and C. One workout each week is a full follow-along video – press play and do it with me, warm-up to cooldown. The other two are shorter videos that walk you through the exercises with sets and reps listed, so you can move at your own pace. Each week, the same workouts repeat…but the challenge grows. That’s the whole point!

The Progressive Overload Principle (This Is Why It Works)

My criticism of most programs is that they are changing movements each week. While it might feel more “fun”, the downside is that your body never really has a chance to adapt, and the muscles never actually have a chance to grow. This program works because we repeat and progress. You do the same movements, but you push further. More weight. Better form. More reps. That’s how we can build real strength!

Scheduling It

Guys, you have 7 days to get 3 workouts in. That’s it. Do them any day, any time (I do recommend putting at least one day between workouts).

Miss a week? Do it the following week and keep going. No starting over.

Short on time? Shorten your rest periods. (Fair warning: if you’re lifting heavy enough, you’re going to want that full 60–90 seconds. )

Want to keep going past 4 weeks? Do it. Repeat the program for 6 weeks. The longer you stay consistent, the more you’ll see and feel.

One More Thing

Get a buddy!! No, but seriously: find a friend, a sister, a coworker – someone who needs this too! Workouts are more fun when you’re doing them together, even if you’re in different cities. Accountability makes a BIG difference.

You Don’t Need to Be Perfect. You Need to Start.

Like…right now. Just start. You don’t need to be advanced, you don’t need to find a gym, you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just need to show up three times this week and do the work.

I promise you: if you stick with this for four weeks, you will feel different! You will move differently!! You will think differently about what your body is capable of!

And?  You will want to keep going (which is my whole evil plan MWAH HA HA).

We start with Week 1 Workout A. Keep an eye out for Sunday’s post where I’ll walk you through exactly how to start Week 1, what to expect, and where to find everything.

WE RIDE AT DAWN, BITCHES.