Strength Training During Menopause: What You Need To Know

As I’ve navigated via menopause, along with scorching flashes, temper swings, and different not-so-fun signs, I started to note modifications in my physique’s bodily look.

I’ve all the time labored out a number of occasions every week, however as soon as I hit menopause, my muscle tissues weren’t as agency, my midsection was increasing, and my garments weren’t becoming properly anymore. Even upping my standard weekly routine of cardio, yoga, Pilates, and a day or two of strength training squeezed in—the identical routine that helped me get again in form after two pregnancies—gave me zero outcomes.

And it wasn’t simply me—a lot of my pals and quite a few posts on social posts on menopause assist teams I’m in echoed related experiences and frustrations.

Because it seems, when estrogen ranges plummet in menopause, our go-to exercises won’t minimize it anymore.

The excellent news: There are methods to achieve muscle and alter your physique composition in menopause—so long as you’re prepared to do some heavy lifting.

Learn on to seek out out extra about power coaching throughout menopause.

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Why it’s more durable to construct muscle in menopause

In menopause (outlined as going one yr and not using a menstrual interval), declining hormones, particularly estrogen, are related to modifications in physique composition. This features a lower in muscle mass and power, and a rise in fats mass, in line with a small 2023 examine in BMC Women’s Health that examined the results of power coaching throughout menopause and perimenopause.

Whereas none of us in menopause might be stunned to listen to that, the query is: Why is that this taking place? Because it seems, estrogen (or lack of) has profound direct results on muscle tissues, says Patrick Diel, PhD, a professor on the German Sport University Cologne Institute of Cardiology and Sports Medicine and co-author of the BMC Ladies’s Well being examine.

“We all know skeletal muscle has estrogen receptors,” Dr. Diel says. “Estrogen has anabolic [muscle-building] exercise like testosterone, though not as sturdy as that of testosterone, and prompts satellite tv for pc cells.”

Satellite tv for pc cells are muscle stem cells important to muscle development, restore, and regeneration, in line with the National Institutes of Health.

Estrogen is essential in satellite tv for pc cells’ means to take care of and renew muscle, per a 2019 examine in Cell Reports². Take away estrogen, and satellite tv for pc cells reduce in quantity and effectivity, resulting in a deterioration in muscle mass, power, and regeneration for these in menopause.

How menopause impacts your metabolism

Along with its function in repairing and constructing muscle, estrogen additionally is crucial to metabolism, and a key consider regulating weight, power expenditure, and physique fats distribution, in line with a notable 2012 overview in Molecular Endocrinology.

“The operate of estrogen shouldn’t be solely to control fertility, however to control metabolism. That is one of many primary issues the estrogen hormone does,” Dr. Diel says. With out estrogen, metabolism slows, making it more durable for our our bodies to burn energy, fats, and glucose.

Fortuitously, dropping estrogen in menopause doesn’t imply you are doomed to using an train hamster wheel the place you go spherical and spherical however get nowhere. Energy coaching has been proven to enhance satellite tv for pc cell renewal in older adults, per a 2023 overview in Cell Journal⁴. What’s extra, a notable 2012 examine in Current Sports Medicine Reports discovered that when inactive adults accomplished 10 weeks of power coaching, they gained muscle, misplaced fats, and elevated their resting metabolic fee as much as 7 p.c.

Nonetheless, because of the lack of estrogen (and testosterone, which additionally drops throughout menopause) folks going via menopause want to coach otherwise, placing the deal with power coaching at increased depth to see outcomes, says Michele Cuffe, CPT, a licensed private coach and licensed wellness coach in Tampa, Florida.

“Our hormones are depleted and we have to work more durable to get them to work,” Cuffe says. “Heavier power coaching is what’s going to form our our bodies, elevate hormones naturally, and construct muscle and bone,” which can also be essential as we age.

“You may construct muscle naturally with heavy weight coaching at any age, even in your 60s, 70s, and past. Energy coaching is the rock we wish to construct our home on for well being and longevity.” —Michele Cuffe, CPT

Energy coaching throughout menopause: What your routine ought to appear like

All of it made sense why my most popular technique of low-intensity power coaching with possibly a day or two of heavier (however temporary) lifting classes per week was not garnering the outcomes I received 10 or 20 years in the past—I wanted to pump up my power coaching (pun meant).

Energy coaching throughout menopause ought to be finished at a excessive sufficient depth so that you’re creating micro-tears within the muscle that your physique might want to name on estrogen and testosterone to restore, in line with Cuffe. “In the event you’re lifting weight at a repetition vary of 15 to twenty, that’s not heavy sufficient. You wish to get to a weight the place after six or so reps, you begin fatiguing,” she says.

Dr Diel agrees: “Coaching must be more durable and extra frequent” to see outcomes, he says.

In the event you’re in menopause, you must intention to power practice every muscle group a minimum of 3 times every week, lifting a weight that’s about 60 to 70 p.c of your one-rep max (essentially the most weight you possibly can raise for a single repetition of an train), Dr. Diel advises. Nonetheless, that’s a purpose, not a place to begin—particularly if you happen to’re new to strength training.

“In the event you’re beginning, you need a sluggish, gradual construct. A candy spot for a newbie is likely to be a weight the place you are able to do 10 reps to fatigue, that means it’s arduous to do 11 reps. When you’re comfy with that, you possibly can transfer to heavier weight,” Cuffe says.

Finally, you wish to get to the purpose the place you’re lifting weight heavy sufficient you possibly can solely knock out about six to 10 reps of three to 4 units of every train, Cuffe says. She likes to interrupt her power coaching routine down to 2 upper-body and two lower-body days per week, aiming for a complete of eight workouts in every session. And also you don’t should go hardcore each time you’re employed out—it’s okay to throw in days the place you raise lighter weights, aka “deloading.”

When power coaching throughout menopause, Cuffe favors compound exercises—comparable to squats or rows—that work a number of muscle teams at a time whereas additionally partaking the core. Although utilizing free weights like barbells or dumbbells helps enhance useful motion, it’s completely wonderful to make use of machines if you happen to’re within the fitness center—particularly if you happen to’re a newbie or have any accidents.

In the event you’re beginning out, each Diel and Cuffe advocate getting a private coach to indicate you the ropes, provide help to construct correct approach, and keep away from accidents. Listed below are a number of extra tricks to take advantage of your exercise:

• Raise and decrease weights in a sluggish and managed method. Ever see somebody “pace lifting” on the fitness center? Yeah, you don’t wish to do this.
• Follow mind-to-muscle connection. Once you’re doing an train, be current and take into consideration the muscle tissues you’re working, making an attempt to mentally join with them.
• Don’t overlook cardio. Attempt working in some leaping jacks, operating in place, or different quick bursts of cardio between power coaching units. Diel additionally recommends getting about an hour of low-intensity cardio, like strolling, twice every week.

Lastly, it’s by no means too late to start out power coaching or amp issues up if you happen to’ve been at it for some time. I’ve already began concentrating on boosting my power coaching routine and am wanting ahead to seeing the place my physique can go.

“You may construct muscle naturally with heavy weight coaching at any age, even in your 60s, 70s, and past,” Cuffe says. “Energy coaching is the rock we wish to construct our home on for well being and longevity.”

A muscle-building exercise for power coaching throughout menopause

You need to do that exercise with weights that really feel heavy sufficient that the final one or two reps of every set are tough. In the event you get drained, it’s wonderful to maneuver to a lighter weight or drop the weights fully to complete your reps or units. Be sure to do all workouts slowly and with management. (Take a look at this menopause workout plan for a extra complete train routine.)

1. Sumo deadlift

1. Place weight plates in your barbell and place it on the ground in entrance of you.
2. Step as much as the barbell together with your shins virtually towards it, toes wider than shoulder-width aside, knees bent, and toes barely angled out. Hold your again straight, chest up, and shoulders again and down.
3. Grip the bar with each arms about shoulder-width aside, arms prolonged. (Cuffe demonstrates a combined grip above, however you need to use an overhand grip—each palms dealing with the bottom—if that is extra comfy.)
4. Squeeze your glutes, legs, and core, then drive your toes into the bottom.
5. Straighten your legs and slowly pull the bar up, retaining your arms prolonged.
6. End the transfer standing as tall as potential.
7. Slowly decrease the barbell again right down to beginning place.
8. Carry out 4 units of 10 reps.

Muscle tissues labored: glutes, quads, interior thighs, and hamstrings

2. Barbell again squat

1. Place weight plates in your barbell and place it in your higher traps (slightly below, however not on, your neck).
2. Place your toes simply exterior your hips together with your toes barely mentioning.
3. Protecting your head up and core braced, slowly bend your knees as you push your hips again to decrease towards the ground to squat down such as you had been sitting in a chair.
4. Decrease down so far as comfy, or till your thighs are parallel with the ground.
5. Press via your heels to return to standing.
6. Carry out 4 units of 10 reps.

Muscle tissues labored: glutes, quads, hamstrings, core, and decrease again

3. Bent-over barbell row

1. Place weight plates in your barbell.
2. Stand simply behind the barbell together with your legs hip-width aside and seize the bar with an overhand grip (palms dealing with down). Your arms ought to be shoulder-width aside and your torso ought to be bent at a 40- to 60-degree angle.
3. Press your toes down into the bottom and pull the barbell towards your higher waist. Squeeze your core and maintain your again flat the entire time.
4. Lengthen your arms to decrease the bar to round ankle top to complete the rep.
5. Carry out 4 units of 6 to 10 reps.

Muscle tissues labored: latissimus dorsi, center and decrease trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids

4. Overhead shoulder press

1. Stand together with your toes hip-width aside holding a dumbbell in every hand (palms dealing with in), arms down by your sides.
2. Raise the weights to your shoulders together with your elbows bent at 90 levels.
3. Brace your core and have interaction your decrease physique for stability. Exhale as you press each dumbbells instantly over head, rotating your palms barely inward as you raise to scale back the pressure in your shoulders.
4. Hold urgent till your arms are straight.
5. Inhale as you come back the dumbbells to start out place.
6. Carry out 4 units of 10 reps.

Muscle tissues labored: pectorals, deltoids, triceps, and higher again

5. Biceps curl

1. Stand together with your toes hip-width aside holding a barbell with an underhand grip (palms dealing with up). Your arms ought to be absolutely prolonged down, elbows tucked into your sides.
2. Squeeze your core and glutes, then bend your elbows to convey barbell as much as your shoulders, retaining your elbows tucked, in a clean movement, whereas retaining the remainder of your physique nonetheless.
3. Slowly decrease the barbell right down to beginning place, retaining management as you convey your arms again right down to your sides.
4. Carry out 4 units of 10 reps.

Muscle labored: biceps