By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award-winning Personal Trainer
Age is Just a Number: Ten Years of Helping Women Get Strong
For over ten years, I’ve worked as a personal trainer in the City of London. In that time, I’ve seen something amazing happen. Women are changing how they think about fitness. They’re not just trying to get smaller anymore. They want to get stronger, more able, and more powerful. And the best way to do this? Strength training.
I’ve helped many women get in shape through strength training. We’ve set all kinds of goals together. Some wanted to squat their own body weight for the first time. Others wanted to do their first proper press-up. We’ve worked on deadlifting their body weight, pushing their weight on the sledge, and building the strength to run a 10k, half-marathon, and even a full marathon. I have seen women do it all. The secret behind every success? Building strength.
I always tell my clients that age is just a number in the gym. When you are strong and fit, you can challenge yourself and push your limits. You can do things you never thought possible. This isn’t just nice words – it’s something I see every day. Take my client, Markia. When she first came to me, her goals were small. But as she got stronger, her confidence grew. We worked towards a big goal: deadlifting 1.7 times her own body weight. The day she lifted 100kg from the floor for one rep, her face lit up with pure joy. She told me the feeling was amazing. In that moment, she wasn’t just a woman in her 50s. She was as strong as the young men and women in the gym.
This is what strength training can do. It’s not just about bigger muscles. It’s about a bigger life. It’s about feeling confident, taking on new challenges, and living your best life, no matter how old you are.
As we get older, our bodies change. One big change is that we lose muscle and strength. This is called sarcopenia. Research shows that muscle and strength peak around age 30 to 35. After that, they slowly get weaker. This gets faster after age 65 for women. This affects how we move, our balance, and how we feel [1]. But here’s the good news: this doesn’t have to happen. Strength training can stop and even reverse these changes.
A 2023 study looked at women in their 40s and 50s, both before and after menopause. The study found that 20 weeks of weight training were safe and effective for all women. It made them stronger. While women after menopause might need to train more to build muscle, the message is clear: strength training works at any age [2].
Why Lift at 50? The Big Benefits
Build and Keep Muscle to Stay Strong for Daily Life. Every day, you need to carry bags, climb stairs, play with kids, and stay independent. Strength training makes sure you keep the muscles you need for all these things.
Support Bone Health and Reduce Fall Risk. Weight training tells your bones to stay strong. This is particularly important for women after menopause, when bones can become weak rapidly. Strong muscles and bones mean fewer falls and breaks.
Better Joints and Posture Strong muscles support your joints and help you stand tall. This means less pain and better movement.
More Energy, Better Sleep, and Happier Mood I think this matters most day to day. Regular strength training helps you sleep better, gives you more energy, and makes you feel happier. When you feel strong, it shows in everything you do.
Is Strength Training Safe at 50?
Yes! When done correctly, strength training is a very safe activity. Here’s how to stay safe:
Use Good Form and Go Slow Good technique is more important than heavy weights. Perfect form with light weights is always better than bad form with heavy weights. Every rep is a chance to get better at the movement.
Start Light and Add Weight Slowly. Begin with weights that feel easy. Only add more weight when your current reps feel steady and don’t hurt. Your body will get stronger quickly when you give it the right challenge and enough rest.
Always Warm Up: Spend 5-8 minutes warming up before each workout. Move the joints you’ll be training. Get your heart rate up slowly. This simple step cuts injury risk and helps you perform better.
Smart Training for Women Over 50
Training through menopause needs a smart approach. Here’s what works best:
Eat Protein at Most Meals. Protein becomes more important as we age. Try to get 25-35 grams of good protein at each meal. Think eggs at breakfast, chicken or fish at lunch, and beans or lean meat at dinner. Steady protein throughout the day gives your muscles what they need to repair and grow.
Think About Creatine: Creatine can help with strength and recovery. Taking 3-5 grams daily has been shown to improve power and reduce tiredness. It’s one of the most studied supplements and is very safe.
Focus on Sleep and Stress Recovery happens when you’re not in the gym. Good sleep is when the real magic happens. Aim for 7-9 hours of good sleep each night. Find ways to manage stress like walking, reading, or doing things you enjoy. Too much stress can hurt both muscle building and fat loss.
How to Plan Your Strength Training
From my experience training beginners, I suggest starting with bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, and mobility work. Why? These help you build basic strength while learning how your body moves and what muscle work feels like. This knowledge is the base for all future training success.
Here’s your 6-week program to get started. You can find all these exercises on the 12reps app at just12reps.com. The app has over 1,500 exercises. You can make workouts based on your goals, time, body parts, and equipment. I suggest training twice a week for the first 6 weeks. Each session should be 45 minutes to an hour. This gives you enough rest between workouts – that’s when your muscles actually repair and get stronger.
How to Plan Your Strength Training
Based on my experience training beginners, I recommend starting with bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, and mobility exercises. Why? These help you build basic strength while learning how your body moves and what muscle work feels like. This knowledge is the basis for all future training success.
Here’s your 6-week program to get started. You can find all these exercises on the 12reps app at just12reps.com. The app has over 1,500 exercises. You can make workouts based on your goals, time, body parts, and equipment. I suggest training twice a week for the first 6 weeks. Each session should be 45 minutes to an hour. This gives you enough rest between workouts – that’s when your muscles actually repair and get stronger.
What to Train: The Basic Movements
The 12reps app focuses on basic movement patterns that help with real-life activities:
Squat Pattern: Learn to sit and stand from a chair, then move to squats. This helps with stairs, getting up from chairs, and maintaining leg strength.
Hip Hinge Pattern Start with basic hip hinges, then try deadlifts with light weights. This protects your back and makes your backside stronger.
Push Movements Begin with wall push-ups, then work up to knee push-ups and regular push-ups. These build upper body strength for pushing things.
Pull Movements Focus on rowing exercises to strengthen your back and improve posture. These help fight the forward head position from looking at screens.
Carry Exercises: Farmer carries improve grip strength and core stability. They’re like carrying shopping or luggage.
Balance Training: Standing on one leg and walking heel-to-toe improves balance and reduces fall risk.
Your 6-Week Starter Program: Building Your Base
Workout 1: Lower Body and Core Focus
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Bodyweight Squats | 4 | 12-15 | 45 seconds |
Mini Loop Band Crab Walk | 4 | 30 seconds | 45 seconds |
Bodyweight Reverse Lunges | 4 | 10 each leg | 45 seconds |
Bodyweight Glute Bridge | 4 | 15 | 45 seconds |
Plank/Knee Plank | 3 | 30 seconds hold | 45 seconds |
Finisher (to get your heart rate up): – 10 Bodyweight Squats – 10 Reverse Lunges (each leg) – 30 seconds Jogging on the spot
Do 3 rounds with 30 seconds rest after each round
Workout 2: Upper Body and Core Focus
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
Resistance Band Bicep Curl | 4 | 12 | 45 seconds |
Loop Band Bent Over Row | 4 | 12 | 45 seconds |
Knee Press-ups | 3 | 12 | 45 seconds |
Loop Band Chest Press | 4 | 15 | 45 seconds |
Bodyweight Walking Lunges | 4 | 8 each leg | 45 seconds |
Plank/Knee Plank | 3 | 30 seconds hold | 45 seconds |
How to Progress Through the Program
Week 1-2: Learning Phase Focus only on doing the exercises right. If something feels too hard, make it easier. Do squats to a chair or wall push-ups instead of knee push-ups. The goal is to learn the movements and feel confident.
Week 3-4: Getting Better Phase Start to challenge yourself a bit more. If you can do all the reps with perfect form, try adding 2-3 more reps to each set or hold positions for 5-10 seconds longer.
Week 5-6: Getting Stronger Phase This is where you’ll really feel strong. You might go from knee push-ups to full push-ups, or from bodyweight squats to holding a light weight. Listen to your body and progress at a pace that feels challenging but doable.
The Mental Change: From “I Can’t” to “I Can”
One of the biggest changes I see in my clients isn’t physical – it’s mental. When you start strength training in your 50s, you’re not just building muscle. You’re breaking down old beliefs about what you can do. Every weight lifted, every rep done, every personal best is proof that you are stronger than you thought.
The gym becomes a place to learn about yourself. The discipline you build in training helps in other parts of your life. The confidence you get from lifting weights shows up in work, social situations, and relationships. The toughness you develop pushing through hard workouts prepares you for life’s challenges.
This is why I love strength training for women over 50. It’s not just about the physical benefits – though they are huge and life-changing. It’s about taking back your power, changing what you think is possible, and refusing to believe that your best years are behind you. Your 50s can be the start of your strongest, most confident decade yet.
Remember, every expert was once a beginner. Every strong woman was once weak. Every confident person was once full of doubt. The only difference between where you are now and where you want to be is the choice to start and the commitment to keep going. Your journey to strength begins with one step, one rep, one decision to invest in yourself.
The weights are waiting. Your stronger self is waiting. The only question is: are you ready to meet her?
Getting Started: Your First Steps
Starting can feel scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some simple steps to begin:
- Start at Home: You don’t need a gym to begin. Use the bodyweight exercises in this program. All you need is a small space and maybe a resistance band.
- Focus on Form: Watch videos of the exercises on the 12reps app. Practice the movements without weight first. Good form is everything.
- Listen to Your Body: Some muscle soreness is normal, but sharp pain is not. If something hurts, stop and check your form or try an easier version.
- Be Patient: Results take time. You might feel stronger in 2-3 weeks, but visible changes take 6-8 weeks. Trust the process.
- Track Your Progress: Write down what you do each workout. Seeing your progress on paper is very motivating.
- Get Help if Needed: If you’re unsure about anything, consider working with a qualified trainer for a few sessions to learn the basics.
The Science Made Simple
Research shows that strength training can: – Slow down muscle loss by up to 50% – Increase bone density by 1-3% per year – Improve balance and reduce fall risk by 25-30% – Boost metabolism for up to 24 hours after training – Improve sleep quality and mood
These aren’t just numbers – they represent real improvements in your daily life. Better balance means more confidence walking on uneven surfaces. Stronger muscles mean carrying groceries is easier. Better bone density means less worry about fractures.
Your New Chapter Starts Now
Your 50s don’t have to be about slowing down. They can be about speeding up, getting stronger, and becoming the best version of yourself. Strength training isn’t just exercise – it’s an investment in your future self. Every workout is a deposit in your health bank account.
The woman who starts this program today will be different from the woman who finishes it in 6 weeks. She’ll be stronger, more confident, and ready for whatever life brings. That woman is waiting for you to take the first step.
Don’t wait for the perfect time. Don’t wait until you feel ready. Don’t wait until you have all the equipment. Start where you are, with what you have, right now. Your future self will thank you for beginning today.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Your journey to strength begins with a single rep. Are you ready to take it?
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