Strength Training Basics for Women In Midlife

For some women in midlife, strength training is brand new, and for others, it’s not necessarily new, but their approach to how it fits into their life is.

Midlife (35+) tends to be a stage where we’re at an intersection - our bodies are changing, usually subtly at first, recovery is starting to feel different, and our energy levels and stress levels fluctuate more than they used to. At the same time, our expectations around exercise are still being shaped and influenced by earlier decades when intensity, volume, and a “do more” approach were championed and treated like the best solution.

Strength training in this season of life isn’t about doing more; it’s about understanding the strength training basics that women in midlife need to see the best results in the most realistic timeframe. There are a handful of fundamental basics that women over the age of 35 should understand and accept if they want to look and feel their best through this stage of life and beyond.

Why Strength Training Is a Game-Changer After 35

After 35, strength training starts to play a more important role than it did in earlier adulthood. At this stage, muscle mass and bone density become increasingly easier to lose and harder to rebuild unless you’re applying intentional resistance to your body. Muscle and strength support joints, bones, metabolism, and long-term physical capabilities in ways that cardio alone cannot. 

It becomes about something so much more than the way you look, but about the way you age. Building muscle helps to protect your body from signs of aging, like muscle weakness and bone loss. Women are especially at risk for osteoarthritis, and strength training is one of the best ways to keep it at bay. 

Of course, weight gain tends to be a hot topic of conversation after 35 as well; our bodies and metabolisms start to shift, change, and slow down for a myriad of reasons. The more muscle mass you have on your body, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories your body will naturally burn, even at rest. 

The bottom line is: strength training is a must for women over 35 who want to maintain their bodyweight, their health, and their longevity while feeling good in their bodies and aging gracefully. The basics matter, but they make a lot more sense inside a simple strength training framework for women after 35.

Starting Strength Training at 40? Older?

Beginning or even restarting a strength training journey when you’re 40+ often comes with a different mindset and approach than starting earlier in life. As a mature adult, you’re more aware of concepts like injury, recovery, and sustainability, and that’s a good thing! You’re truly never too old to start strength training, as the benefits will be almost immediately felt.

Many women believe that once they hit a certain age, it’s too late for them to start something new or try something different. But the truth is, whether you’re in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, you still have a lot of life to live,e and you want those years to be lived well. Right now is the absolute best time for you to get started. You’re not behind, and you’re not too late.

Strength Training vs Cardio in Midlife

Unfortunately, cardio and strength training have often been positioned as opposing choices, especially for women in midlife, with many opinions on which is better or more optimal than the other. The reality is, both cardio and strength training play important roles, but they serve different purposes. For many women, the cardio-focused approach that we grew up taking for weight loss will cease to produce the same results for us that it used. 

Strength training should be the foundation of your fitness routine in midlife; there’s no question about that. But cardio should also be present in your routine, but maybe not for the reasons you think. Cardio should not be used as a fat loss tool, a punishment, or a way to “earn food,” as many of us have used it in the past. Instead, cardio should be included selectively for the purposes of maintaining our heart health and enjoyment. 

Yes, cardio burns calories, but it’s not the most optimal way to burn calories long-term. Our bodies are very efficient at adapting, so the more cardio we do, the more our bodies adjust and get more efficient at burning calories, leading to fewer and fewer calories being burned in each cardio session. The old approach was to just keep adding more cardio, but in midlife, this is a surefire way to burn out, damage your metabolism, and end up spinning your wheels. 

Strength training, on the other hand, serves to build lean muscle tissue on your frame. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your BMR (basal metabolic rate), which determines how many calories your body burns at rest. The higher your BMR, the more calories you burn throughout the day naturally. So while you won’t see as high a calorie burn in the moment when doing a strength training workout when comparing it to a cardio session, you can rest assured that the muscle you are working hard to build and maintain will be working for you behind the scenes. 

Strength training, when done strategically, allows you to have more food freedom, burn more calories, maintain your feminine physique, and protect your bones and joints as you age. Cardio, when used as a supplement to strength training, can do wonders for your heart and mental health. 

Will Lifting Make Me Bulky?

For women over 35, the fear of getting “bulky” has prevented many of us from going all in on strength training. And I get it, I used to hold the same beliefs and fears. But the truth is that the fear of getting bulky stems from outdated and inaccurate ideas about how muscle is built and maintained. 

Women don’t have the same capacity as men do to build muscle; we lack testosterone. Plus, the effort, time, and intensity required to develop large muscles is far more than what most women realize. It takes a whole lot more time, effort, and intentionality than we think to grow our muscles. And it certainly doesn’t happen after just one workout.

The bulky conversation when it comes to women in midlife is a “trust the process” and one that asks you to lean into health vs aesthetics. It’s significantly healthier and more advantageous for you to have muscle on your body than not to. The women who continually strive to be as small and meek as possible are the ones who end up looking and acting frail as they age. I don’t know about you, but I want to age with independence. I want to be able to grocery shop, carry my groceries inside, walk my dog, play with my grandkids, etc. In order to do that, I’ve accepted that I need to take care of my muscles, bones, and joints so that I can remain active and capable as I age.

Plus, once you start strength training and building muscle on your frame, I think you’ll be surprised to see that you don’t get bulky, but you do get more shapely. Most of us desire a “lean, toned” look, which is exactly what you’ll get by focusing on strategic strength training. You’ll develop a shape and tone that’s feminine and complements your clothing well. 

How to Start Strength Training at Home

The vast majority of us in midlife choose to strength train from home solely out of convenience, but it also often raises questions about whether you can still get good results from home. And where to start? How much equipment do you need? 

First and foremost, I want to reassure you that you can absolutely get great results from strength training at home, and it doesn’t require a lot of equipment. With a realistic plan in place that’s designed to be done from home, you can get started strength training with just a few pieces of equipment. 

I recommend women working out at home who are just getting started begin by purchasing a couple of pairs of dumbbells (a lighter weight and a heavier weight), and grab a couple of exercise bands (long loop bands and “booty bands”). You can check out my Amazon workout essentials list to get started with strength training basics that will be more than enough to get you started on your strength training journey from home.

Minimal Equipment for Home Strength Training

You don’t need a fully stocked home gym to see great results. In fact, too much equipment can even create more confusion than clarity. I recommend women in midlife keep it simple by utilizing a few key pieces of equipment, especially when just starting out.

Dumbbells, bands, and some kind of step, bench, or elevated surface are the key equipment required to get an efficient and effective workout from home. And don’t stress about having the perfect equipment set up right off the bat. For example, if you don’t have a bench yet, an ottoman, sturdy chair, cooler, etc., will work just fine. 

Long loop bands can be used to replicate cable machines, especially for upper body pull (back) workouts. You can either secure your long loop bands to something sturdy in your home or grab an over-the-door anchor to make your setup super simple. You can always add more equipment as you go, but the main goal is to just get started. 

How to Choose Your First Dumbbells

Choosing your first couple of pairs of dumbbells to get started with isn’t as complicated as many make it out to be. A lot of women worry about picking weights that are too light, too heavy, or just somehow “wrong.” Don’t worry, it’s hard to mess this up. 

If you’re brand new to strength training, I recommend starting off with a set of light weights (2-5 lbs) and a set of heavier weights (8-10 lbs). For most women, a set of 5 lb dumbbells and 10 lb dumbbells is a great place to start. Lighter weights tend to work best for upper body strength exercises, and heavier weights for lower body strength. 

Keep in mind that your first dumbbells will unlikely be your last and only dumbbells, especially if you’re following a progressive plan and want to build real strength. Eventually, you will need to add more dumbbells to your collection so you can keep leveling up, but a couple of pairs make the perfect place to start. 

Warming Up and Cooling Down for Strength Training

For women 35+, warming up and cooling down for strength training is a must. I know there’s a lot of temptation to skip these exercises, but the truth is that we’re much more likely to injure ourselves and experience setbacks if we aren’t making sure our bodies are properly primed for our workouts and then cooled down and stretched out after.

As we age, our body’s tolerance for sudden stress changes. We’re no longer as adaptable as we once were. Plus, a proper warm-up and cool down help to ensure that we’re making the most of our workouts while also leaving our bodies feeling relaxed and pain-free. Warming up and cooling down help to support strength training, recovery, and long-term joint health. 

Your warm-ups and cool downs don’t need to be extensive or complicated, but they should be in place to help protect your body and make the most of your workout. You only need 5-10 minutes before and after your workout to get the benefits of your warm-up and cool down. 

The 5 Most Important Dumbbell Exercises

It might sound boring, but the basics work, and in strength training, there are a small number of foundational exercises that will be your bread and butter. While variety will always have its place, a solid strength training program for women in midlife will always prioritize these 5 important dumbbell exercises:

• Dumbbell squats
• Dumbbell hinge (RDLs)
• Dumbbell press
• Dumbbell row
• Loaded carry (farmer carry)

Variety has its place, but a good strength training program for women in midlife will make these movement patterns the foundation. 

What Your First Month of Strength Training Feels Like

The first month of a strength training program can feel unfamiliar for many women, even those who have spent years exercising. Strength training, done in a way that promotes strength and progression, will often leave you feeling sore, uncertain, and maybe even questioning if you’re doing it right. 

For many women in midlife, the first month of following a strength program will involve breaking down barriers and busting myths that have been ingrained in their minds since their teens and twenties. Fears of getting bulky, gaining weight, and not fitting in their clothing often come up for women in this age group. That said, you will also experience incredible positive impacts within your first month of strength training like more energy, increased confidence, and a newfound sense of strength and wellbeing. 

As someone who is new to strength training or just getting back into it, you will likely experience results pretty quickly. This is often referred to as “newbie gains,” which basically means that since it’s a new stimulus, your body responds very quickly to it. Whereas those who have already been strength training consistently are far less likely to experience results and changes as quickly. Increased strength, more muscle definition, and even weight loss (especially if paired with a calorie deficit) can absolutely happen within your first month of strength training.

How to Track Strength Progress Without the Scale

While many women in midlife have a weight loss goal, and strength training can definitely assist, strength progress doesn’t always show up on the scale, so it’s important to be aware of other measures of progress. Many women notice that their clothing is fitting better and begin to see improvements in strength and ability faster and more frequently than movement on the scale.

Body recomposition is when you drop body fat while adding lean muscle mass. This is the goal, but it doesn’t always come with drops on the scale. In fact, some women might notice the scale going up, but if they’re tracking their body measurements, they’ll notice their measurements going down. Essentially, you can get leaner and more toned without noticing much on the scale because you’re dropping body fat, which takes up much more space on your body, and adding muscle tissue, which takes up less space. The saying “muscle weighs more than fat” isn’t true, but what is true is that muscle is sleeker and more condensed, so it will look vastly different on your body.

I encourage women who are beginning a strength training journey to track their progress beyond the scale using things like body measurements, strength gains, how their clothing fits, and their capacity and energy in the gym. The scale is a great tool and has its place, but these other markers are extremely important, too. Progress doesn’t always show up in the traditional ways we’ve been accustomed to measuring, so it’s important to be open-minded and analytical about what progress looks like.

How These Topics Work Together

Strength training basics for women isn’t a single lesson; it’s a system of interconnected ideas that support and build on each other over time. Understanding how strength works in midlife, how to get started from home, how to make and measure progress, and how to let go of old thought patterns will allow you to finally discover the strong, lean, and capable body that you’ve been seeking. 

Our goal here at Simply Strong is to enlighten and encourage you to get started with strength training, regardless of your age, background, or goals. If for no other reason than to take care of your body and your mind as you age, because strength training in midlife and beyond is about so much more than what your body looks like, and so much more about what your body can do.