Why Women Over 50 NEED To Lift Heavy Weights in Menopause | Ep 252
Surprise... it's our first dramatized mythbusting story! Thanks listeners for voting on this special format for today's episode.
If you're a woman over 50 who's been told to stick to light weights, bodyweight, or resistance bands, you're being robbed of massive strength potential as you age.
Learn how the story of Marlene, a retired accountant turned powerhouse, reveals three dangerous myths about menopause and strength training that are literally making women weaker. Like thousands of women, she discovered that heavy lifting isn't just safe after menopause... it's essential.
Whether you're already lifting or just thinking about starting, understanding these myths will transform how you approach fitness forever.
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Main Takeaways:
Why light weights and high reps aren't enough for post-menopausal women
How proper strength training can reverse THIS condition in women over 50
Surprising evidence showing how fast women over 50 can gain strength compared to younger women
Why avoiding heavy weights is more dangerous than lifting them
Related Episodes:
Why Women Get Bigger, Leaner, and Sexier But Not "Bulky" From Lifting Heavy Weights
The New Over 50 Roadmap to Lifelong Strength, Health, Muscle, and Longevity
Menopause and Heavy Lifting: Shattering 3 Dangerous Myths About Women's Strength After 50
As a coach who works with women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond, I keep hearing the same well-meaning but misguided advice: "Be careful with weights at your age." This advice isn't just wrong – it's actively harmful. Let's break down why, using both science and real-world experience.
The Costly Price of "Playing it Safe"
When women enter menopause, they're often steered toward lighter weights and "safer" exercises. But here's the reality: this approach can actually accelerate muscle loss, decrease bone density, and make you weaker when you need strength the most.
After age 30, women lose about 3-8% of their muscle mass per decade. This accelerates after menopause to as much as 10% per decade. But here's what most people miss: this isn't inevitable. It's largely the result of not training with sufficient intensity.
3 Dangerous Myths About Menopause and Strength Training
Myth #1: "Heavy Weights Are Dangerous After Menopause"
This myth stems from viewing women's bodies as somehow fragile or delicate, especially after menopause. The science shows the opposite:
Post-menopausal women can safely handle the same relative training intensities as younger women
A 2021 study of women lifting at 75-85% of their one-rep max showed zero injuries and significant strength gains
Heavy resistance training can actually reverse bone loss
Myth #2: "Light Weights and High Reps Are Safer and More Effective"
This is the "pink dumbbells" myth. Here's why it fails:
After menopause, women need MORE stimulus, not less, to maintain muscle
Light weights don't provide enough mechanical tension for meaningful adaptation
Protein synthesis efficiency decreases, requiring stronger training stimuli
Myth #3: "Getting Weaker Is Just Part of Aging"
This might be the most dangerous myth of all. The research is crystal clear:
Muscle loss rate is dramatically influenced by how you train
Women can gain strength at rates comparable to younger adults when training properly
Proper strength training can improve bone density at any age
The Solution: A Better Approach to Strength After 50
Focus on Compound Movements
Squats
Deadlifts
Bench and overhead presses
Rows
Train with Purpose
Use weights that challenge you in the 8-12 rep range
Train 2-3 times per week with rest days between sessions
Progressive overload is crucial
Focus on form first, then gradually increase intensity
Maintain adequate protein intake (about 1g per pound of target body weight)
The Surprising Truth About Strength Gains
Here's something remarkable: post-menopausal women can gain strength at rates comparable to younger women when training properly. This isn't opinion – it's documented in multiple studies showing women in their 50s and 60s achieving similar relative strength gains to women in their 20s and 30s.
Taking Action
Your body isn't fragile. It's not weak. It's not past its prime. It's waiting for the right stimulus to show you just how strong you can be. The biggest risk isn't from lifting heavy weights – it's from not lifting them at all.
Ready to get started? Download my free guide "Strong At Any Age" at witsandweights.com/free or schedule a free call to discuss your specific situation.
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Transcript
Philip Pape: 0:01
I want you to pay close attention to this story. You're going to hear advice that sounds reasonable, professional, even caring, but hidden within it are three dangerous myths about menopause and lifting weights, Myths that are literally stealing women's strength, health and independence. These myths are so common, so accepted, that most people, even fitness professionals, never question them. Today we're not just going to question them, we are going to shatter them with science. As you listen to Marlene's journey, see if you can spot these myths, Because once you recognize them, you'll never look at menopause and strength training the same way again. Welcome to Wits and Weights, the show that blends evidence and engineering to help you build smart, efficient systems to achieve your dream physique. I'm your host, Philip Pape, and today's story, the first of its kind we are doing a dramatized, myth-busting story, was inspired by a text message from a listener in Edmonton, Alberta, up in Canada, but it could be the story of millions of women facing the same challenge. Listen carefully, because the myths you'll hear aren't just wrong. They're actively harmful, and spotting them could change everything about how you approach strength training after 50. And as I go through the story, I really want you to pay attention to the myths and try to spot them yourself. And then I'm going to do a breakdown at the end of the story.
Philip Pape: 1:32
It's January 1st, New Year's, 6 am. Marlene stands in front of Elevation Fitness, gripping her coffee like a lifeline. At 54, the retired accountant has spent her entire career analyzing numbers, finding patterns, solving problems. But the figures she's seen lately don't add up Declining bone density, creeping weight gain, loss of strength. Even her posture, once perfect from years of track and field in her youth, is starting to slouch. Time to solve this equation, she mutters, is starting to slouch. Time to solve this equation, she mutters, pushing open the door. 25 years of working with spreadsheets taught her one thing when the numbers go wrong, you have to take action. The gym's window displays the usual New Year's promises Transform your body, Get fit, Feel strong. But there's also a sign that catches her analytical eye Silver fitness specialist, safe training for seniors. Inside, everything gleams with newness.
Philip Pape: 2:29
The front desk staff are impossibly cheerful for this hour and Mike, the trainer doing her consultation, seems to know exactly what she needs. I used to run track, Marlene tells him, watching younger members grunt under heavy barbells in the distance. High school record in the 400 meters. Now I can barely climb stairs without getting winded. I need to get strong again. Mike's smile is reassuring.
Philip Pape: 2:52
Professional, Of course, but at our age we have to be smart about this, especially with menopause. We see it all the time. Women come in wanting to lift heavy, but that's just asking for injury. He leads her to a rack of colorful resistance bands and tiny dumbbells. This is where we'll start Nice and safe, Low impact. The key is high reps with very light weights. Heavy lifting is for the young folks. We'll focus on what works for women your age. Marlene nods, running the numbers in her head. The logic seems sound. After all, he's the expert.
Philip Pape: 3:22
Three months pass. Marlene tracks everything in her training journal Weights, reps, measurements just like she used to track business expenses. The numbers don't lie. After 12 weeks of resistance bands and two-pound dumbbells, her strength hasn't improved, Her bone density numbers are still declining and her posture even worse. One morning, everything changes.
Philip Pape: 3:43
Marlene arrives early, planning to review her progress charts before her usual session. The gym is quiet, except for the rhythmic sound of heavy weight hitting the floor. Her accountant's curiosity gets the better of her. What's making that sound? Peering around the corner to the weight room, she sees a woman she'd noticed before but never spoken to Silver hair and a neat French braid, probably early 60s, setting up for another deadlift. The bar is loaded with what looks like serious weight. Each rep is controlled powerful. Between sets she catches Marlene watching and smiles. Let me guess they gave you the seniors program speech? No-transcript.
Philip Pape: 4:21
Her name is Stephanie, former physical therapist turned strength coach at 62. She left her PT practice after growing frustrated with seeing too many women limited by overcautious advice. 20 years in physical therapy taught me one thing, Stephanie says, chalking her hands for another set we're far more capable than most people think, especially after menopause. Marlene glances at her resistance bands, then back at Stephanie. The accountant in her needs more data. But what about injury risk Safety? Stephanie's laugh is warm but determined. You're an accountant, right? Let's talk numbers. When I started lifting heavy at 55, my doctor said I was crazy. Seven years later, my bone density is higher than it was at 45. My functional strength test put me in the top percentile for women in their 30s. She adds more plates to the bar. Want to know what's really risky? Getting weaker every year because someone told you you're too fragile to build strength that's what's dangerous.
Philip Pape: 5:18
Later that morning Marlene cancels her session with Mike. She has research to do. Numbers don't lie, and Stephanie's numbers tell a compelling story. All right, so that's my attempt at a little bit of a dramatic story, and what I wanna do now is break down the three myths that we just heard in Marlene's story, because each one sounds reasonable on the surface. Each one gets repeated all the time In the industry. I hear it all the time and I get questions about it all the time, and each one is completely wrong. So myth number one let me know if you got this Heavy weights are dangerous for postmenopausal women.
Philip Pape: 5:53
Now you could even change this to heavy weights are dangerous, period as the myth. But this is the myth that the trainer Mike used to steer Marlene away from the weight room, and it's based on an outdated view of women's bodies as somehow fragile or delicate, especially after menopause or really in general folks as they get older. And here's what the science actually shows Postmenopausal women, of course they don't just tolerate heavy resistance training, they actually thrive on it, just like all humans thrive on loading up our skeletal muscular system. And studies show that women in their 50s, 60s and beyond can safely handle the same relative training intensities as younger women. And I'm going to put some numbers to this. There's a 2021 study that followed postmenopausal women doing heavy compound lifts at 75 to 85% of their one rep max. So we're talking pretty heavy weights and the results zero injuries, significant gains in strength and improved bone density. Now Stephanie, the woman that Marlene met in the weight room, is the perfect example of what is completely possible. She's not an outlier. She's just doing what the human body is designed to do at any age, and that is to adapt to adapt to progressive overload.
Philip Pape: 7:05
So myth number one that heavy weights are dangerous, busted. Myth number two, that light weights and high reps are safer and more effective Now, this was the recommendation by the trainer. The tiny pink dumbbells, the endless reps, maybe using machines, maybe doing body weight exercises, and not that. None of those things are effective for a short period, but it's for a very short period before you outgrow them and need more load, Because the problem is it's not enough stimulus to create meaningful change over time, which is really what you need as you're getting older. Now remember how Marlene followed this advice for three months. She didn't have any results.
Philip Pape: 7:42
And, granted, if you've been completely sedentary your whole life and then you do something, you're probably going to feel a little fitter, a little more active, maybe even a little stronger, but it's going to plateau very quickly. And that's really the point I'm trying to make. And there's a reason for that because, you know, as we age and after menopause, especially for women, women need more stimulus, not less, to maintain and build muscle. And that's for a few reasons. First is the estrogen level that drops and it actually makes it harder to maintain muscle mass, just naturally, if you don't do anything about it. The second is that protein synthesis efficiency goes down right, which is also why I recommend women eat more protein the older they get. And then, number three, your metabolic rate is naturally declining and just to be clear on that, it's only declining primarily because of your loss of muscle mass and your worsening body composition. That's it, Not because of menopause, hormones or anything else Now I mean, other than the estrogen levels drop, which make it harder to maintain muscle mass. But if you, that doesn't mean you can't. As long as you focus on your body composition, these things don't have to happen. And lighter weights you know the circuit machines in the gym where you're just hitting the same weight on the stack week after week forever. That's not going to provide you the stimulus to overcome these changes. It's like trying to fill a bucket with a dropper right when what you need is a hose, just to put an analogy on it.
Philip Pape: 9:01
And then the third myth in the story is that getting weaker is just part of aging and menopause, and I really I hate this one. I have to be honest, and you know, men say the same thing. Right, it's probably the most dangerous myth of all the idea that it's inevitable you're going to lose strength and muscle. It is not aging that makes us weak, it is the lack of using our bodies and using our strength that makes us weak, and the research is crystal clear on this. The rate of muscle loss during and after menopause is dramatically influenced by whether and how you train. That's it, Strength training. Women who actually engage in strength training can maintain and gain new muscle mass. They can increase their bone density. They have improved metabolic health. They have improved functional strength right, and I mean functional in a more colloquial sense, not giving it any sort of special meaning just to be able to do things in the world.
Philip Pape: 9:57
Now you remember how Stephanie mentioned that her bone scan, you know, shocking her doctor afterward after it went up, and that's because heavy resistance training actually can reverse bone loss. And I've heard many stories like this, where you go to the doctor and like, oh my goodness, what are you doing? I'd never seen this before. The bone density is actually going up. That is how few people are actually lifting weights. I mean, it's very sad, but it's also very empowering for you when you know that that's the thing that's going to work. So what should Marlene and you do instead? Here's the action plan Number one focus on compound movements in the gym when you train, you know, two or three days a week, ideally three, maybe even four, using squats, deadlifts, pressing rows.
Philip Pape: 10:37
Okay, and you can reach out to me. I've got all sorts of programs that I can recommend. I'm not going to charge you for it. I'm going to give you a free resource. If you need it, Reach out for a. That can be in a wide rep range, all right, Anywhere from three or four reps all the way to 15 to 20 reps. It's really gonna depend on the lift and on the programming and whether you're actually pushing hard, where you're a few reps shy of failure, and what I find is that going up for 20 or 25 reps and keeping the weight really light doesn't usually do that, because people tend to just stop before they get to that point. So that's another reason I like a heavier rep range, especially for women, especially post-menopause.
Philip Pape: 11:19
Number three progressive overload is the critical piece here. We have to increase your work over time. Your work, meaning your sets, reps, load over time. All right, Primarily the weight. That's the most basic variable to change for most people, but then eventually it gets a little more nuanced than that. Number four is again, training enough with enough frequency. So I'm going to say three times a week If you're, let's say, in your seventies or eighties and you're listening to this, and if you never trained before, I would start with one or two and then add to that and you have recovery in between your sessions. And then, number five, you've got to support your training with plenty of protein and calories, and so protein is going to be somewhere around 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of your target body weight. But then having enough calories is important as well, and that's a whole separate topic.
Philip Pape: 12:06
When it comes to nutrition, here's something else that the research has revealed which I think is really amazing, and it validates what Stephanie discovered in the story. Post-menopausal women can gain strength and muscle at the same rate as younger women when training properly. And I'll add the shock value. I'll make the shock value even higher at the same rate as men. So don't think that you have any disadvantage. Now, yes, women start with less muscle mass. They have more body fat when they're younger, so the actual quantity of muscle might be different, but who cares? The rate that you can gain is the same, right, and this isn't just an opinion or conjecture. This is documented again in many studies that show women in their 50s and 60s achieving similar relative strength gains to women in their 20s and 30s when following proper resistance training programs. I mean, think about that for a moment. Right, the very time when most women are being told to back off from training or to just act. Your age or this is inevitable is actually when they can make incredible progress, not despite their age, but regardless of it. Right, Like it doesn't factor in.
Philip Pape: 13:14
So let's end by returning to Marlene's story. Remember how it began standing outside that gym on New Year's Eve I mean on New Year's day, right, New Year's resolution clutching her coffee and her spreadsheets, trying to solve the equation of aging. And this is actually the exact story of so many clients who I work with who eventually find their way to the weight room, hopefully sooner than later, with who eventually find their way to the weight room, hopefully sooner than later, and from day one. If you reach out to me for a rapid fitness assessment or need help with coaching, we are not going to avoid the weight room. We are going to get you on a proper training program if you're not doing it already, or we're going to make adjustments to what you're doing to make sure it's effective.
Philip Pape: 13:50
That is number one for me when it comes to having a good nutrition plan. You're like what Nutrition? That is number one for me. When it comes to having a good nutrition plan, You're like what Nutrition? Yes, Number one for me in having a good nutrition plan is that you're training, training properly, right, that you're deadlifting, that you're squatting, that you're doing all these wonderful things. Now, if you're not interested in that, that's your choice. But the truth is your body is not fragile, it's not weak, it's not past its prime. It's waiting for the right stimulus to show just how strong you can be.
Philip Pape: 14:18
So today's episode resonated with you and you want to talk to other people, like Marlene in the story, who are looking to get stronger regardless of their age. Get strong at any age. They want to know what to do. They want to inspire each other. Join our Facebook group. It's totally free. Go to Facebook and just search Wits and Weights or click the link in the show notes. That is also where I often test out some of these ideas, like today's dramatized, myth-busting story. Again, just click the link in the show notes or go to Facebook and search Wits and Weights and join our group and you'll hear about episodes like this. But you can also interact with others and we do a bi-weekly live Q&A where you could have your questions answered. All sorts of other fun stuff. Until next time, keep using your wits lifting those weights and remember strength has nothing to do with age. It's about smart training and consistency. This is Philip Pape and you've been listening to Wits and Weights. I'll talk to you next time.
