By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award-winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training and optimising recovery
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 sled, 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.
Why Strength Training Matters in Your 50s
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 of this supplement daily has been shown to improve power and reduce fatigue. 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
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 is 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.
Day 1: Upper Body and Core Focus
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRX Rows | 4 | 12 | 45 seconds |
| Dumbbell Chest Press (Floor Press) | 4 | 12 | 45 seconds |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 12 | 45 seconds |
| TRX/Bodyweight Tricep Dips | 4 | 10 | 45 seconds |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 4 | 12 | 45 seconds |
| Plank/Knee Plank | 3 | 30 seconds hold | 45 seconds |
Finisher (to get your heart rate up):
- 10 TRX Push-ups or Knee Press-ups
- 10 Dumbbell Overhead Press (light weight)
- 30 seconds Mountain Climbers
Do 3 rounds with 30 seconds rest after each round
Day 2: Lower Body and Core Focus
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squats (Dumbbell or Kettlebell) | 4 | 12-15 | 45 seconds |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts | 4 | 12 | 45 seconds |
| Dumbbell/Kettlebell Reverse Lunges | 4 | 10 each leg | 45 seconds |
| Kettlebell Swings | 4 | 15 | 45 seconds |
| Dumbbell Glute Bridge | 4 | 15 | 45 seconds |
| Plank/Knee Plank | 3 | 30 seconds hold | 45 seconds |
Finisher (to get your heart rate up):
- 10 Goblet Squats
- 10 Reverse Lunges (each leg)
- 30 seconds Jogging on the spot
Do 3 rounds with 30 seconds rest after each round
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. You can also use slightly heavier dumbbells or kettlebells.
Week 5-6: Getting Stronger Phase. This is where you’ll really feel strong. You might go from knee push-ups to full TRX push-ups, or from lighter weights to heavier ones. Listen to your body and progress at a pace that feels challenging but doable.
Download the 12reps app for 7-day free trial
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?
References
[1] National Institute on Aging. (2022, June 30). How can strength training build healthier bodies as we age?https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/how-can-strength-training-build-healthier-bodies-we-age
[2] Isenmann, E., Kaluza, D., Havers, T., Elbeshausen, A., Geisler, S., Hofmann, K., Flenker, U., Diel, P., & Gavanda, S. (2023). Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women depending on menopause – A 20-week control trial. BMC Women’s Health, 23(1), 526. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02671-y
