Ladies who lift weights in later life……

[Ally T]

I cannot find a thread on this & think it will be a fascinating & helpful discussion.

How long have you done it & what changes have you noticed to your body shape & overall health / wellbeing?

I started on Jan 1st after negotiating a physically challenging perimenopause journey for the last few years. Like, mentally top notch, physically falling apart. Four iterations of HRT over 10 months later & I am back in the game with no painful joints.

I lifted weights in my 20’s, along with running almost daily & was in the best shape of my life. The last few years have taken their toll with weight gain, lethargy, stiffness etc & I am NOT going to turn 50 this June feeling like I do about myself. I have always looked after my physical & mental wellbeing, so I have felt unsteady & out of control with the negative changes.

My GP gently reminded me that I am not in my 20’s anymore & running daily, for me right now, is a no go. She said twice weekly but make the runs longer, plus concentrate on 3 very focused weight lifting sessions.

I have stuck religiously to this & have completed week 6. I have also been eating really healthily 90% of the time & only had alcohol twice. I am definitely seeing changes for the first time in YEARS & with the weighted squats I am now able to climb the servants staircase all the way up to the attics without any leg fatigue, plus my waist has started to nip back in rather than overhang my hip bones. My mid-rift shape had sadly definitely started to resemble a p@@ emoji

Should I increase weights regularly, or just when I find them starting to feel easier, which is what I have done with one increase so far? How long should a focussed session last? Should I feel almost dead by the end & unable to lift a cup of tea to my mouth, or is that over kill??

Please share what has worked for you & helped you to lose weight & tone up as you have approached this challenging time in life.

@Tonks Am I right in thinking you lift? Care to share, beautiful?

 

[Bron357]

If you’re doing your training at a gym it is worthwhile getting a program done by one of the instructors there.
I got very much into “body building” in my 20s and did different parts of the body each gym visit.
Firstly, dont forget your stretching, especially as we age it’s easy to pull muscles.
secondly, after 50 it isn’t recommended to lift til “failure”. you can end up with damage that will take ages to heal.
Form is most important. Once you fatigue you can lose form (doing the exercise correctly) and injure yourself.
I worked out two ways. Lower weights and more repetitions helps weight loss whereas bulking up requires more weight less reps.
a good diet is important. Sufficient protein and plenty of water. It’s difficult to maintain a calorie restricted diet alongside working out hard.

 

[missy]

Should I increase weights regularly, or just when I find them starting to feel easier, which is what I have done with one increase so far? How long should a focussed session last? Should I feel almost dead by the end & unable to lift a cup of tea to my mouth, or is that over kill??

I recommend starting with an expert who can show you the proper technique for lifting and to make sure you are lifting safely. Warming up before and cooling down after each session.

I am no expert but starting "lifting" weights officially in 2020. I started lifting to where I was fatigued after 10 reps. And I kept increasing when the first set was getting less difficult. So your second alternative. Not on a regular schedule but rather when the weights were no longer challenging after 10 reps. I now do 10 reps with each exercise three times.

I make sure to eat protein after my workout and I also eat a small breakfast an hour to a few hours before my workout.

Don't overdo because it will put undue stress on your adrenals. And for most of us we cannot afford that extra stress. Slow and steady increasing when it becomes easier to lift. Slow and steady is the way. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Mreader]

I recommend getting a trainer if you can as others suggested. I also started lifting in my 40s when I started gaining some weight - my whole life I had been able to eat whatever and never exercise (other than some yoga and hiking) and remain 110 so I was like WHAT IS HAPPENING lol! Anyway I didn’t lose much weight hahah but feel stronger. I alternate upper lower core 3x a week and usually do 3 sets of 12-15. I do work with a trainer.

 

[Arcadian]

I've lifted for a long time, then retired from competition in 2004. I still lift though not for competition purposes but that will always be with me.

I will tell you that having a trainer if you're starting out isn't a bad thing, however, find one that works best with older people. In addition, taking a yoga class is a very good thing as it helps to keep you limber (and as we age that really does become an issue)

 

[nala]

I started taking Les Mills Bodypump classes at my local gym for 6 months straight until they canceled all the group exercise classes. Ugh. They do offer them in a gym that is a 20 min drive vs 5 min, but I haven’t come to terms with frequenting the new gym for a few reasons. One being that as much as I enjoyed the bodypump classes and was consistent (3 times a week) I did not see a visible difference in my body. I felt great. But I also got bitter bc the scale didn’t budge and neither did my clothing sizes. Keep in mind I am in menopause and tho I have improved my diet, I seem to keep adding weight monthly. Like I am 20 pounds heavier in 2 years since peri and meno!! And I didn’t even exercise before meno!
Anyhow. Not to discourage you. Lol. But there are a lot or videos online and bodypump is one of them. I will say that my DD is 25 and when I took her to the class, she gave it her seal of approval! She was so impressed with me for surviving it, lol.
I do plan to go back in March—hopefully after flu season is close to over. Seems like everyone I know has had a nasty case of rsv or something that lasts like a month to overcome! Gonna do lots of outdoor running until then. Oh. Pleasant surprise! I can now run 2 miles nonstop!! And this I can attribute to bodypump bc of all the squats and legs exercises bc pre bodypump, I could barely do one mile!

 

[PastryGirl]

If you’re doing your training at a gym it is worthwhile getting a program done by one of the instructors there.
I got very much into “body building” in my 20s and did different parts of the body each gym visit.
Firstly, dont forget your stretching, especially as we age it’s easy to pull muscles.
secondly, after 50 it isn’t recommended to lift til “failure”. you can end up with damage that will take ages to heal.
Form is most important. Once you fatigue you can lose form (doing the exercise correctly) and injure yourself.
I worked out two ways. Lower weights and more repetitions helps weight loss whereas bulking up requires more weight less reps.
a good diet is important. Sufficient protein and plenty of water. It’s difficult to maintain a calorie restricted diet alongside working out hard.

I was a certified personal trainer as a hobby kind of and haven’t gotten around to renewing my certification.

There was a study done that showed no difference in hypertrophy between low weight/high reps and high weight/low reps. I have questions re: the sample size of that study though, it was pretty low. That said, supersetting can sometimes take the place of a cardio workout when it comes to calorie burning… ex: you use low weights for 4x12 reps and then switch to another exercise with low weights 4x12 reps again with no rest until you’ve completed both (or 3-4 if your me) sets.

I have some pretty crappy injuries from ego lifting in my late 20s early 30s. I’m talking over 200lbs closer to 300. Don’t overdo it especially now when your bone density isn’t the same (though lifting will improve this.)

Form over weight always. Don’t add more weight until you’ve mastered the form and can maintain perfect form down to the last rep of the last set. Then you can add a bit. A good rule of thumb is adding just enough where you struggle a bit with the last 2-3 reps.

 

[Tartansparkles]

I have been focusing on Body pump most recently. I have a Les Mils online subscription, it's about £90-£120 a year depending on how you pay for it. (It includes all of the body pump classes plus hundreds of other work outs including body combat, balance etc). They are very focused on the correct form.

I've been doing 2-3 body pumps per week. I feel stronger. My weight has settled (it went up to begin with) but my backside no longer fits in my jeans.

 

[Mayk]

I started weight training at 42 when I was going through a divorce. I was a cyclist and I had been a runner years before. I did a form of Les Mills and then our gym switched to Les Mills. I love it!

When covid shut the gyms down we turned one of our bedrooms into a workout room. Changed the flooring out and purchased the Les Mills equipment and subscribed to their app. We can watch the workouts (old and new) on the TV and work out from the comfort of our home. I also have a peloton and and ride it on a regular basis to keep my cardio training up.

Through these two exercise routines I am able to maintain a health body weight and composition at 61.

 

[Inked]

August marked 33 years I have been lifting. I started when I was 17 and have consistently lifted ever since, did a fitness competition once, and was a personal trainer for a few years a million years ago and had some certifications that have long expired. With that said, I would never in a million years say that I know what I’m talking about. Lol! There’s just so much information and opinions, and the information is fluid, we learn things with new research every day.

Everyone has an opinion, every expert has some method they believe in. Although I agree that you need to consult an expert who will sit with you and find out your goals and your health history and your medical background and come up with a good plan for you… my concern is the definition of “expert” here lol

I watch trainers in the gym I belong to and I’m horrified at what they’re having people do, stuff that’s completely inappropriate for the persons ages or fitness levels.

The great thing about the Internet though is that you can actually find a really good expert with years of experience and they don’t have to be within a 5 mile radius of your area , like you can search someone who is training age appropriate and has the experience and knowledge to give you a great plan for your specific needs.

This is my personal opinion. For weight training at my age I can’t go super heavy, I can’t go to failure, it’s just not appropriate for my body anymore. I like to focus on trying to do 4 sets between 8 to 12 reps but they should be difficult for me, I shouldn’t be able to breeze through them, i should have perfect form. I focus on two or three heavy free weight exercises and then supplement with two or three machine type exercises. For example for chest I do flat bench and I do incline dumbbells as free weight exercises and then I’ll do push-ups and the machine chest press. I tend to do one major muscle a day and then I also either do spin class or I bike outside. I always hike in the woods outside my house with my dog on a daily basis. I'm physically incapable of running lol I have to bike if I want cardio. I also do a CrossFit type workout once a week.

I think you’re off to a great start which is just understanding that we lose muscle mass as we age and weight bearing exercises are so important at our age to combat the muscle loss. Also, i always told my clients, find the thing you enjoy doing, maybe it's yoga, maybe it's spin, maybe it's zumba, maybe it's swimming, but you wont stick to it if you dont like it so try to find something you like doing.


It changes as you age.... here's me, in 1993 at 20 years old



and here's me this morning at the gym at 50 years old

 

[Austina]

I was the fittest I’ve ever been at 50. Unfortunately I injured my knee and that put paid to my kickboxing training. I did used to train with weights at the gym, but I was building too much muscle, I had huge shoulders and big thighs. I had to cut down on the weight and there were things I was advised to never do because of my knee.

I started off with fairly light weights, and gradually increased them when I was finding doing the reps and sets too easy.

At the moment, I’ve got a rotator cuff injury, so I can’t really do anything

 

[Mreader]

August marked 33 years I have been lifting. I started when I was 17 and have consistently lifted ever since, did a fitness competition once, and was a personal trainer for a few years a million years ago and had some certifications that have long expired. With that said, I would never in a million years say that I know what I’m talking about. Lol! There’s just so much information and opinions, and the information is fluid, we learn things with new research every day.

Everyone has an opinion, every expert has some method they believe in. Although I agree that you need to consult an expert who will sit with you and find out your goals and your health history and your medical background and come up with a good plan for you… my concern is the definition of “expert” here lol

I watch trainers in the gym I belong to and I’m horrified at what they’re having people do, stuff that’s completely inappropriate for the persons ages or fitness levels.

The great thing about the Internet though is that you can actually find a really good expert with years of experience and they don’t have to be within a 5 mile radius of your area , like you can search someone who is training age appropriate and has the experience and knowledge to give you a great plan for your specific needs.

This is my personal opinion. For weight training at my age I can’t go super heavy, I can’t go to failure, it’s just not appropriate for my body anymore. I like to focus on trying to do 4 sets between 8 to 12 reps but they should be difficult for me, I shouldn’t be able to breeze through them, i should have perfect form. I focus on two or three heavy free weight exercises and then supplement with two or three machine type exercises. For example for chest I do flat bench and I do incline dumbbells as free weight exercises and then I’ll do push-ups and the machine chest press. I tend to do one major muscle a day and then I also either do spin class or I bike outside. I always hike in the woods outside my house with my dog on a daily basis. I'm physically incapable of running lol I have to bike if I want cardio. I also do a CrossFit type workout once a week.

I think you’re off to a great start which is just understanding that we lose muscle mass as we age and weight bearing exercises are so important at our age to combat the muscle loss. Also, i always told my clients, find the thing you enjoy doing, maybe it's yoga, maybe it's spin, maybe it's zumba, maybe it's swimming, but you wont stick to it if you dont like it so try to find something you like doing.


It changes as you age.... here's me, in 1993 at 20 years old



and here's me this morning at the gym at 50 years old

Wow girlie - color me IMPRESSED

 

[Ally T]

August marked 33 years I have been lifting. I started when I was 17 and have consistently lifted ever since, did a fitness competition once, and was a personal trainer for a few years a million years ago and had some certifications that have long expired. With that said, I would never in a million years say that I know what I’m talking about. Lol! There’s just so much information and opinions, and the information is fluid, we learn things with new research every day.

Everyone has an opinion, every expert has some method they believe in. Although I agree that you need to consult an expert who will sit with you and find out your goals and your health history and your medical background and come up with a good plan for you… my concern is the definition of “expert” here lol

I watch trainers in the gym I belong to and I’m horrified at what they’re having people do, stuff that’s completely inappropriate for the persons ages or fitness levels.

The great thing about the Internet though is that you can actually find a really good expert with years of experience and they don’t have to be within a 5 mile radius of your area , like you can search someone who is training age appropriate and has the experience and knowledge to give you a great plan for your specific needs.

This is my personal opinion. For weight training at my age I can’t go super heavy, I can’t go to failure, it’s just not appropriate for my body anymore. I like to focus on trying to do 4 sets between 8 to 12 reps but they should be difficult for me, I shouldn’t be able to breeze through them, i should have perfect form. I focus on two or three heavy free weight exercises and then supplement with two or three machine type exercises. For example for chest I do flat bench and I do incline dumbbells as free weight exercises and then I’ll do push-ups and the machine chest press. I tend to do one major muscle a day and then I also either do spin class or I bike outside. I always hike in the woods outside my house with my dog on a daily basis. I'm physically incapable of running lol I have to bike if I want cardio. I also do a CrossFit type workout once a week.

I think you’re off to a great start which is just understanding that we lose muscle mass as we age and weight bearing exercises are so important at our age to combat the muscle loss. Also, i always told my clients, find the thing you enjoy doing, maybe it's yoga, maybe it's spin, maybe it's zumba, maybe it's swimming, but you wont stick to it if you dont like it so try to find something you like doing.


It changes as you age.... here's me, in 1993 at 20 years old



and here's me this morning at the gym at 50 years old

You literally rock

 

[Inked]

Wow girlie - color me IMPRESSED

You literally rock

I was literally just trying to get you guys to laugh at my "Everything hurts and I am dying" shirt... hahahaha.

I'm a mess, menopause sucks, I gained 5 pounds overnight last year that I cant lose (unless i restrict my eating to a point I am not comfortable with), i can't do anything like i used to, everything hurts, I'm tired, it's just really hard. I am physically unable to lift 'heavy' on advise of my doctor with my various injuries. And forget what my skin looks like now, it's all crepey and looks .... OLD!! I get sad about my aging.

BUT we all still get up and TRY! I just try. I don't want to give up.

 

[Tonks]

I cannot find a thread on this & think it will be a fascinating & helpful discussion.

How long have you done it & what changes have you noticed to your body shape & overall health / wellbeing?

I started on Jan 1st after negotiating a physically challenging perimenopause journey for the last few years. Like, mentally top notch, physically falling apart. Four iterations of HRT over 10 months later & I am back in the game with no painful joints.

I lifted weights in my 20’s, along with running almost daily & was in the best shape of my life. The last few years have taken their toll with weight gain, lethargy, stiffness etc & I am NOT going to turn 50 this June feeling like I do about myself. I have always looked after my physical & mental wellbeing, so I have felt unsteady & out of control with the negative changes.

My GP gently reminded me that I am not in my 20’s anymore & running daily, for me right now, is a no go. She said twice weekly but make the runs longer, plus concentrate on 3 very focused weight lifting sessions.

I have stuck religiously to this & have completed week 6. I have also been eating really healthily 90% of the time & only had alcohol twice. I am definitely seeing changes for the first time in YEARS & with the weighted squats I am now able to climb the servants staircase all the way up to the attics without any leg fatigue, plus my waist has started to nip back in rather than overhang my hip bones. My mid-rift shape had sadly definitely started to resemble a p@@ emoji

Should I increase weights regularly, or just when I find them starting to feel easier, which is what I have done with one increase so far? How long should a focussed session last? Should I feel almost dead by the end & unable to lift a cup of tea to my mouth, or is that over kill??

Please share what has worked for you & helped you to lose weight & tone up as you have approached this challenging time in life.

@Tonks Am I right in thinking you lift? Care to share, beautiful?

Hey Ally!
Yes, I lift. I started lifting as injury rehab, and sort of fell in love with it. This is my seventh year of heavy lifting. Prior to that I was into martial arts, and suffered injury after injury on my way to my 3rd degree black belt.

Let me try to answer your questions:

—How long have you done it and what changes have you noticed?

Lifting seven years. The last four years I’ve been training in powerlifting. I’m focused on maximum strength. My injury rate has gone way down as my body has gotten stronger. My lower back pain is MUCH better, almost gone. My body shape has totally changed—it’s hilarious to me, actually. And I want to urge caution in this area. When I started lifting it was to reduce injuries, and to the extent I had an aesthetic goal it was to build a really juicy butt.

However. I forgot about genetics. You can do all the work you want to but to a large extent, what you look like in the end is determined by genetics.

My genetics are not for a huge juicy butt. They are, however, for amazing shoulders and arms. So I started lifting for a butt (and to be fair, my glutes are now crazy strong), but what you’ll see first are my shoulders and arms.

So….my advice as you get started on this journey. First, don’t worry about aesthetics. Change will happen, but it is measured in years, not weeks. Also, your goals may be different than mine so your body changes won’t necessarily look like mine. Here are a few images of me, and you can see these changes took years. I don’t have a date on the last one but I’m guessing four year gap.









Second, PLEASE don’t do that thing so many women do where they want to get “toned” but not bulk up. This drives me bonkers. “Toned” looking bodies happened as a result of….wait for it….building muscle. Many women are terrified to touch a barbell because they think it will turn them into Arnold. To this, I want you to know—it’s really HARD to build muscle. You’re not going to do it accidentally, especially as you get to 50.

If I could draw up a plan for you it would look like this: find a trainer in your area who can work with you in person and show you how to do basic lifts. Basic lifts = squat, push (bench press), pull (row), hinge (deadlift). Look for someone who will teach you barbell lifts as well as dumbbell work. You will do better at a powerlifting gym than someplace like Planet Fitness.

Red flags for me when looking for a trainer:

—trainers who gatekeep barbell lifts. No, you do not have to be able to do x number of a random body weight exercise before they can teach you barbell lifts.

—trainers who are all about “functional” fitness. (Side note: all fitness is functional.) You can often spot these because they will do a ton of bizarre combined movements. I’ve seen dumbbell chest press on a yoga ball, or squats on a bosu, or combo squat row thingies. This is not ideal because it almost always shortchanges a body part. You aren’t getting the load required for muscle growth if you’re wobbling on a bosu. If you want to work on ankle strength separately, great, wobble away. If your goal is better looking and stronger legs, you need more load than you can put on a bosu.

—trainers who have you do a different set of movements every time you see them. NOPE. You need a program to stay the same for at least a four week block. More below on progressive overload.

—Trainers who talk about “muscle confusion.” That’s not a thing. Avoid.

Work with a trainer in person for a while, at least until you understand how basic lifts work. They should program for you. A good program uses the principles of progressive overload. That means that you do the same exercises for AT LEAST four weeks in a row, progressively increasing the load. Week one you’ll be figuring out the movements and learning what your load should be. From there you increase week by week as you get more confident and gain strength (though to be honest, newbie gains are not strictly strength; a huge part of it is neuromuscular adaptation as you learn new movements).

After you have a good understanding of basic lifts, you can venture elsewhere for your programming. Good resources include Bret Contreras (his program is unfortunately named Booty By Bret but it’s great programming). Sohee Carpenter also offers a great program called Lift With Sohee.

You also asked should you increase weights regularly…. So this is where I’d love to see you start with a trainer. Because YES. You should be lifting heavy. And most people are a bit scared to do that on their own and need some guidance on loading. You can lift heavy without lifting to failure. You also asked if you should feel dead by the end, and NO. Soreness is not indicative of a great workout. You do not need to feel sore and awful at the end or the next few days.

You also asked what has helped you lose weight. That’s actually very rarely going to be exercise. That’s all diet. Make sure you are getting a LOT of protein (you’ll need it to build muscle). You may actually gain weight as you build muscle.

Oh good lord I’ve written a novel. I’ll stop now but please ask me more questions.

Oh wait, one more thing. Follow lifting based accounts on instagram. There’s a ton of educational content out there.

@soheefit is wonderful, and she’s very body positive. Good info on both lifting and nutrition.

@claire_barbellmedicine is full of wonderful info. She’s a competitive powerlifter.

@squat_university is also great. He’s a physical therapist and lifter. Tons of lifting info from a PT perspective. You will see a lot of Olympic lifts here (the snatch and clean and jerk) as well as more general barbell lifts.

 

[Tonks]

I was literally just trying to get you guys to laugh at my "Everything hurts and I am dying" shirt... hahahaha.

I'm a mess, menopause sucks, I gained 5 pounds overnight last year that I cant lose (unless i restrict my eating to a point I am not comfortable with), i can't do anything like i used it, everything hurts, I'm tired, it's really hard. And forget what my skin looks like now, it's all crepey and looks .... OLD!! I get sad about my aging.

BUT we all still get up and TRY! I just try. I don't want to give up.

Love your photos! And the shirt!!!

I’m with ya on the hormonal changes. I do meal prep services for lunch and dinner, so I know EXACTLY what I eat, and yet poundage just appeared overnight this year. Sigh.

Do you do a body part split? I’ve never done that but it fascinates me from a recovery standpoint. I don’t know that I will end up trying that as my goal is to do a powerlifting meet at some point, but it is fascinating nonetheless.

 

[Mreader]

@Tonks I want to go back and read everything you wrote; don't have time rn but to you and to @Inked how much does nutrition play a role in building your muscles to where they actually show as muscles? That is what I want lol I have been lifting for about 2 years now but probably not to the extent y'all have (inked you're at another level and I think you mentioned competition - again I want to go back and read more carefully later) and I want my bicep to show etc but it's not. And I wonder if it's bc of diet. Or I need to go 5x a week for hrs instead of 3x a week for 1-1.5. I am 48 5 4" and about 130 (would prefer to be 115 but oh well). This is as much definition in my arm as I am getting (with me flexing hahaha).

ETA OOPS forgot photo. Teeny tiny somewhat of a muscle hahha

 

[Tonks]

@Tonks I want to go back and read everything you wrote; don't have time rn but to you and to @Inked how much does nutrition play a role in building your muscles to where they actually show as muscles? That is what I want lol I have been lifting for about 2 years now but probably not to the extent y'all have (inked you're at another level and I think you mentioned competition - again I want to go back and read more carefully later) and I want my bicep to show etc but it's not. And I wonder if it's bc of diet. Or I need to go 5x a week for hrs instead of 3x a week for 1-1.5. I am 48 5 4" and about 130 (would prefer to be 115 but oh well). This is as much definition in my arm as I am getting (with me flexing hahaha).

ETA OOPS forgot photo. Teeny tiny somewhat of a muscle hahha

Inked will have great info on nutrition as she’s competed (I’m assuming in bodybuilding).

My input, fwiw: nutrition has a MASSIVE impact on what you see. My big recommendations are to eat, especially protein, and to take creatine. For protein, I try to get 1 gram per pound of body weight per day, and i would recommend you shoot for this as well. Yes, that is a lot of protein, but it’s essential for building muscle. I do this by getting roughly 40 grams of protein with each meal (sometimes dinner is more). The lunch I just ate had 45 g, as an example. Then I’ll do a protein shake as a snack (I like Ascent protein because it mixes clean and doesn’t stick to the glass or blender bottle.

Creatine is also hugely helpful. I just take 5g every day. Any creatine monohydrate will do. The one I’m liking right now is by Thorne. Anyway, it does so much. Helps you to recover better so you can lift more, helps you build muscle, and slightly plumps that muscle up with water. You may retain a pound or two as water, but it’s seriously just water.

 

[Ally T]

I was literally just trying to get you guys to laugh at my "Everything hurts and I am dying" shirt... hahahaha.

I'm a mess, menopause sucks, I gained 5 pounds overnight last year that I cant lose (unless i restrict my eating to a point I am not comfortable with), i can't do anything like i used to, everything hurts, I'm tired, it's just really hard. I am physically unable to lift 'heavy' on advise of my doctor with my various injuries. And forget what my skin looks like now, it's all crepey and looks .... OLD!! I get sad about my aging.

BUT we all still get up and TRY! I just try. I don't want to give up.

Us women really go through the mill. It’s horrible how much some of us suffer, all because Mother Nature deems us redundant after the reproduction years & therefore we can lose all of our ‘attractive’ components as they are no longer needed to attract a mate. Rubbish.

BUT!

We are amazing & intelligent & educated & attractive & feisty as f@ck!

We will NOT go quietly!

DO. NOT. GIVE. UP, beautiful lady.
EVER.

You are a warrior. Have you tried HRT? Mine is body identical & topical, so no risks associated. It has given me the amazing gift of ‘me’ back. I no longer hurt. I can run again & chase the dog around & kick a football without pulling a muscle. Christmas 2022, I fractured two ribs & tore the muscle in between by coughing hard with a chest infection whilst simultaneously turning over in bed. Just like that. Nope. I am not that old woman….

 

[Ally T]

Hey Ally!
Yes, I lift. I started lifting as injury rehab, and sort of fell in love with it. This is my seventh year of heavy lifting. Prior to that I was into martial arts, and suffered injury after injury on my way to my 3rd degree black belt.

Let me try to answer your questions:

—How long have you done it and what changes have you noticed?

Lifting seven years. The last four years I’ve been training in powerlifting. I’m focused on maximum strength. My injury rate has gone way down as my body has gotten stronger. My lower back pain is MUCH better, almost gone. My body shape has totally changed—it’s hilarious to me, actually. And I want to urge caution in this area. When I started lifting it was to reduce injuries, and to the extent I had an aesthetic goal it was to build a really juicy butt.

However. I forgot about genetics. You can do all the work you want to but to a large extent, what you look like in the end is determined by genetics.

My genetics are not for a huge juicy butt. They are, however, for amazing shoulders and arms. So I started lifting for a butt (and to be fair, my glutes are now crazy strong), but what you’ll see first are my shoulders and arms.

So….my advice as you get started on this journey. First, don’t worry about aesthetics. Change will happen, but it is measured in years, not weeks. Also, your goals may be different than mine so your body changes won’t necessarily look like mine. Here are a few images of me, and you can see these changes took years. I don’t have a date on the last one but I’m guessing four year gap.









Second, PLEASE don’t do that thing so many women do where they want to get “toned” but not bulk up. This drives me bonkers. “Toned” looking bodies happened as a result of….wait for it….building muscle. Many women are terrified to touch a barbell because they think it will turn them into Arnold. To this, I want you to know—it’s really HARD to build muscle. You’re not going to do it accidentally, especially as you get to 50.

If I could draw up a plan for you it would look like this: find a trainer in your area who can work with you in person and show you how to do basic lifts. Basic lifts = squat, push (bench press), pull (row), hinge (deadlift). Look for someone who will teach you barbell lifts as well as dumbbell work. You will do better at a powerlifting gym than someplace like Planet Fitness.

Red flags for me when looking for a trainer:

—trainers who gatekeep barbell lifts. No, you do not have to be able to do x number of a random body weight exercise before they can teach you barbell lifts.

—trainers who are all about “functional” fitness. (Side note: all fitness is functional.) You can often spot these because they will do a ton of bizarre combined movements. I’ve seen dumbbell chest press on a yoga ball, or squats on a bosu, or combo squat row thingies. This is not ideal because it almost always shortchanges a body part. You aren’t getting the load required for muscle growth if you’re wobbling on a bosu. If you want to work on ankle strength separately, great, wobble away. If your goal is better looking and stronger legs, you need more load than you can put on a bosu.

—trainers who have you do a different set of movements every time you see them. NOPE. You need a program to stay the same for at least a four week block. More below on progressive overload.

—Trainers who talk about “muscle confusion.” That’s not a thing. Avoid.

Work with a trainer in person for a while, at least until you understand how basic lifts work. They should program for you. A good program uses the principles of progressive overload. That means that you do the same exercises for AT LEAST four weeks in a row, progressively increasing the load. Week one you’ll be figuring out the movements and learning what your load should be. From there you increase week by week as you get more confident and gain strength (though to be honest, newbie gains are not strictly strength; a huge part of it is neuromuscular adaptation as you learn new movements).

After you have a good understanding of basic lifts, you can venture elsewhere for your programming. Good resources include Bret Contreras (his program is unfortunately named Booty By Bret but it’s great programming). Sohee Carpenter also offers a great program called Lift With Sohee.

You also asked should you increase weights regularly…. So this is where I’d love to see you start with a trainer. Because YES. You should be lifting heavy. And most people are a bit scared to do that on their own and need some guidance on loading. You can lift heavy without lifting to failure. You also asked if you should feel dead by the end, and NO. Soreness is not indicative of a great workout. You do not need to feel sore and awful at the end or the next few days.

You also asked what has helped you lose weight. That’s actually very rarely going to be exercise. That’s all diet. Make sure you are getting a LOT of protein (you’ll need it to build muscle). You may actually gain weight as you build muscle.

Oh good lord I’ve written a novel. I’ll stop now but please ask me more questions.

Oh wait, one more thing. Follow lifting based accounts on instagram. There’s a ton of educational content out there.

@soheefit is wonderful, and she’s very body positive. Good info on both lifting and nutrition.

@claire_barbellmedicine is full of wonderful info. She’s a competitive powerlifter.

@squat_university is also great. He’s a physical therapist and lifter. Tons of lifting info from a PT perspective. You will see a lot of Olympic lifts here (the snatch and clean and jerk) as well as more general barbell lifts.

This is fabulous. I will need to re-read many times & make notes.

Thank you, for the pictures, the information & the advice.

I will definitely have more questions for you tomorrow if that’s ok?

 

[Mreader]

I was literally just trying to get you guys to laugh at my "Everything hurts and I am dying" shirt... hahahaha.

I'm a mess, menopause sucks, I gained 5 pounds overnight last year that I cant lose (unless i restrict my eating to a point I am not comfortable with), i can't do anything like i used to, everything hurts, I'm tired, it's just really hard. I am physically unable to lift 'heavy' on advise of my doctor with my various injuries. And forget what my skin looks like now, it's all crepey and looks .... OLD!! I get sad about my aging.

BUT we all still get up and TRY! I just try. I don't want to give up.

Well to me in your second pic you still look great and 5lbs - sheesh lady - I wish it were just an extra 5 for moi. That said I am sorry you are having such a hard time! I don't feel any change yet despite approaching that age...

 

[Tonks]

This is fabulous. I will need to re-read many times & make notes.

Thank you, for the pictures, the information & the advice.

I will definitely have more questions for you tomorrow if that’s ok?

Happy to answer whatever questions I can! Ask away. I really love to see this topic on the forum.

 

[Mreader]

Ok so this part piqued my interest @Tonks

"Work with a trainer in person for a while, at least until you understand how basic lifts work. They should program for you. A good program uses the principles of progressive overload. That means that you do the same exercises for AT LEAST four weeks in a row, progressively increasing the load. Week one you’ll be figuring out the movements and learning what your load should be. From there you increase week by week as you get more confident and gain strength (though to be honest, newbie gains are not strictly strength; a huge part of it is neuromuscular adaptation as you learn new movements)."

So you are saying that if I go in for "upper body day" and do let's say, hammer curl, bicep curl, bench press... that I should do those exact same exercises with those same weights/machines etc for four weeks at least?

I go MWF and usually do upper body, core, lower body and I don't always do the exact same things.

 

[Mayk]

I started weight training at 42 when I was going through a divorce. I was a cyclist and I had been a runner years before. I did a form of Les Mills and then our gym switched to Les Mills. I love it!

When covid shut the gyms down we turned one of our bedrooms into a workout room. Changed the flooring out and purchased the Les Mills equipment and subscribed to their app. We can watch the workouts (old and new) on the TV and work out from the comfort of our home. I also have a peloton and and ride it on a regular basis to keep my cardio training up.

Through these two exercise routines I am able to maintain a health body weight and composition at 61.

This is me at 61. Age is just a number. My goal is to healthy I do low weight high rep.

 

[Tonks]

Ok so this part piqued my interest @Tonks

"Work with a trainer in person for a while, at least until you understand how basic lifts work. They should program for you. A good program uses the principles of progressive overload. That means that you do the same exercises for AT LEAST four weeks in a row, progressively increasing the load. Week one you’ll be figuring out the movements and learning what your load should be. From there you increase week by week as you get more confident and gain strength (though to be honest, newbie gains are not strictly strength; a huge part of it is neuromuscular adaptation as you learn new movements)."

So you are saying that if I go in for "upper body day" and do let's say, hammer curl, bicep curl, bench press... that I should do those exact same exercises with those same weights/machines etc for four weeks at least?

I go MWF and usually do upper body, core, lower body and I don't always do the exact same things.

Great question and I should have clarified.

Ok, first, there are many different ways to program a workout. Let’s say you’re working out MWF. You could do full body on each of those days (that’s what I do), or you could do a body part split (not what I do. From my understanding it would typically need to be more of a five day kind of workout to really get that done, though).

So if you’re doing full body MWF, you would have a Monday workout, a different Wednesday workout, and a different Friday workout. Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. So you would do the same workouts from week to week but not from day to day.

An example might be
Monday: deadlift, dumbbell bench press, pull-ups, various accessories.
Wednesday: squat, hip thrust, military press, various accessories.
Friday: bench press, rows, single leg Romanian deadlifts, various accessories.

From week to week you’d increase weight as you were able, but you’d stick with this program for at least four weeks to allow time for you to progressively overload each exercise.

 

[Mreader]

Great question and I should have clarified.

Ok, first, there are many different ways to program a workout. Let’s say you’re working out MWF. You could do full body on each of those days (that’s what I do), or you could do a body part split (not what I do. From my understanding it would typically need to be more of a five day kind of workout to really get that done, though).

So if you’re doing full body MWF, you would have a Monday workout, a different Wednesday workout, and a different Friday workout. Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. So you would do the same workouts from week to week but not from day to day.

An example might be
Monday: deadlift, dumbbell bench press, pull-ups, various accessories.
Wednesday: squat, hip thrust, military press, various accessories.
Friday: bench press, rows, single leg Romanian deadlifts, various accessories.

From week to week you’d increase weight as you were able, but you’d stick with this program for at least four weeks to allow time for you to progressively overload each exercise.

How long do you spend on those full body workouts?

If I take in that amount of protein but am not working out “enough “ would that cause me to gain weight lol?

 

[Tonks]

How long do you spend on those full body workouts?

If I take in that amount of protein but am not working out “enough “ would that cause me to gain weight lol?

Hey! Usually about 1.5 hours.

As to whether taking in that amount of protein will cause weight gain….it doesn’t matter what macronutrient you’re talking about (protein, carb, fat) as far as weight gain. You can adjust your levels of any. The factor for weight gain or loss is total calories consumed vs calorie expenditure. If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. If you consume an equal amount, you maintain. If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose.

So if you up protein without adjusting anything else, you could end up in a calorie surplus and gain weight. If you up protein and adjust the rest of your diet so that you’re consuming the same amount of calories overall, you will not.

One bonus of consuming more protein is that it tends to be satiating. You may find yourself more full.

 

[Mreader]

Thank you @Tonks this has been an interesting thread for sure! I am glad @Ally T started it

 

[Ally T]

I am also learning a lot from this thread - thank you to everyone!

@Tonks Your pictures are truly inspiring.

@Mayk You look absolutely amazing!

 

[llamacat]

I've been lifting on and off since late 20s, took a break while pregnant and the early years for both kids.
Only in the last 3 years getting back into seriously. Primarily based around the powerlifts but this year I'm also learning to do the Olympic lifts.
I have to say that since I started lifting heavy again 3 years ago, I'm now, at 40, physically in the best shape of my life and I intend on keep going, as long as I can.