Lifting Weights in Midlife
There’s no debate!
Research shows that strength training offers incredible benefits for women in midlife.
And it has the potential to increase your overall health more than any other form of exercise.
Strength training should be your top priority in your fitness routine!
So what is “Strength Training”?
It’s an umbrella term for any kind of training that uses some form of resistance to build your muscular strength.
This can be your own bodyweight, resistance bands, free weights, weight machines, etc.
And many other experts online these days are touting the importance of “lifting heavy” in midlife.
But is “lifting heavy” for you?
Why This Matters
Strength training is key to keeping your bones strong and dense, your joints pain-free, and your metabolism running efficiently. It can help you lose body fat, boost your energy, regulate your blood sugars more efficiently and keep you feeling mobile and confident for all the activities you love.
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
Remember this: If you’re a woman over 40, your joints and connective tissues are more sensitive to sudden increases in workout intensity or volume.
Because of this, jumping straight into weightlifting without proper preparation can lead to tendinitis, muscle imbalances, and avoidable injuries.
Fitness Tip To Safely Start Weight Lifting
Strategically build up to weight lifting
Before you pick up the weights, it’s important to master bodyweight exercises first.
Learning to control, balance, and maneuver your bodyweight through fundamental movements sets the stage for safe and effective weightlifting.
Spend 2–3 months focusing on bodyweight-only strength training first.
Then once you feel stable and confident with each exercise, gradually introduce weights.
Never rush or sacrifice your form!
If your technique suffers when you add weights, go back to the no-equipment version.
Here’s a simple at-home full-body workout that uses just 4 moves - perfect for busy days and building strength the right way!
Quick Low-Impact Full-Body Workout
- Y Squats - Do 8-10 reps (Squeeze your shoulder blade muscles!)
- Bent-over thoracic rotations - Do 5-6 reps per side
- Glute Bridges - Do 8-10 reps (Squeeze your glutes to lift!)
- Bear crawls - Do 5-6 reps, pausing & exhaling as you hover
Extra tip: Perform this circuit of 4 exercises 3-5 times through. Take minimal rest breaks between exercises, and then rest for 30-60 seconds between sets.
Did You Know...
- Bodyweight-only exercises gradually improve the strength of your tendons, ligaments, muscles, fascia and articulating joint surfaces so they’re more resilient under heavy loads.
- Other bodyweight-only moves that will help you build your foundation of strength and control are squats, hip hinges, bear crawls, bridges, inchworms, birddogs, planks, split squats, and crossover reaches.
- Volume matters when you’re first starting, so keep it simple! A quick 10-minute routine (like the one above) will not only help you be more consistent, but you’ll also avoid risking injury from doing too much at once.
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
The perfect partner for building muscles.
Nutrition Tip To Safely Start Weight Lifting
Eat Enough Protein
Yes, it sounds a little backwards, but strength training actually breaks down your muscle tissue, creating micro-tears in the muscle fibers.
When your muscles heal and repair themselves, they become stronger than they were before. 💪
Protein is the key ingredient your muscles need during this repairing process.
Without enough of it, your progress in strength, muscle tone, and metabolism could stall.
As a fit and active woman who wants to build her muscle mass and improve her health, a great goal is to aim for at least 100g of protein daily.
This hearty chili recipe is a delicious way to fuel up, and get you closer to your protein goal!
Michelle’s Beef Chili
More ideas for fiber-rich foods:
- Swap your regular yogurt for Greek yogurt - it has over double the amount of protein!
- Add 1-2 extra egg whites to your breakfast scramble or omelet.
- If you’re tired of peanut butter, string cheese, and chicken, here are some other great ideas for how I eat over 100g of protein a day.
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
Worried that strength training will make you look “bulky”?
Don’t be!Your unique genetic code determines how much muscle mass you can gain.
And for most women, it’s far less than you might imagine.
To look like a bodybuilder…It would take hours and hours of lifting extremely heavy loads every week (2-3 hours a day), very pinpointed nutrition, and consuming a significant amount of specific foods.
An approach far beyond the average strength training and nutrition routine.
For the average woman who's strength training (even 25 lbs+) a couple times a week, getting “bulky” is NOT going to happen.
Instead, what WILL happen is that you’ll feel stronger, have a higher metabolism, and have less body fat.
In fact, it’s actually the BEST way to achieve the “toned” appearance a lot of women desire.
Plus, it strengthens your bones, helps prevent injuries, makes you less fragile, and boosts your confidence.
It’s all about feeling your best now and for decades to come!
Mindset Tip To Safely Start Weight Lifting
Embrace Strength Training Without Fear
THE TAKEAWAY
Weight lifting is one of the best things you can do for your body in midlife.
But easing into it and pairing it with protein are important to safely getting stronger.
- Strategically Build up to Weight Lifting
- Eat Enough Protein
- Embrace Strength Training Without Fear
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
Episode 392: How to Start Strength Training & Lifting Weights
Ep 159: The BEST Nutrition Hack for Improving Your Metabolism
Ep 303: Increasing Muscle Mass - How Much Weight Should You Lift?
SPECIAL RESOURCE
This is a quick full-body workout that you can easily do anywhere, and it only uses your body weight. Join me and follow along as we do a quick warm-up, then a simple workout, and then end with a refreshing cool down.
15 MIN Full Body Workout for Beginners.
Until next week... Be strong
