Midlife Muscle: One Writer’s Weightlifting Journey

Fellow writers and women of a certain age, let’s talk about something we often overlook: how are you taking care of your bodies?

This was the question I asked on my Facebook page recently. And many of you chimed in with fantastic stories about women becoming stronger and fitter in middle age and beyond. I was so inspired, I thought I’d dig in a bit deeper here.

What triggered my initial question? Well, I had come across a Wall Street Journal article titled “Gray Hair, Huge Muscles, Why Older Women Are Bulking Up,” which I thought was so cool. Not to mention the fact that Team USA’s Olivia Reeves won Olympic Gold in weightlifting. And female gymnasts and runners are stronger than ever before.

All this talk about strong and fit women — especially older women — encouraged me to share about my weightlifting journey in hopes it might benefit others.

Jump to:

• The Impetus: Hip and Back Pain (and Perimenopausal Weight Gain)
• My Fitness Routine
• The Perimenopause Factor
• Getting Started with Weightlifting
• The Equipment
• The Mental Benefits
• A Call to Action

The Impetus: Hip and Back Pain (and Perimenopausal Weight Gain)

In February, I was suffering from some excruciating hip and back pain, caused by weak hip flexors. The most likely culprit? All those hours spent hunched over a keyboard, with my hip flexors in a constant state of tension. Walking 3.5 miles a day and stretching just weren’t cutting it.

Plus, I was putting on the perimenopausal pounds, mostly around my middle, and was having a heck of a time whittling back down. Then, some particularly unflattering photos from the Charlotte H. Huck Children’s Literature Festival were the final straw. Things that had worked in the past (like intermittent fasting or cutting out sugar/refined carbs for a few weeks) didn’t seem to work. I knew I needed to do something different.

Meanwhile, I was in a Artists Way book study with several other authors, and one author mentioned that that weight training was the only thing that kept her blood sugar under control. Interesting! Plus Joanna Penn, an indie author I admire, had been recounting her efforts with Olympic weight lifting and its effects on her perimenopausal health on her “The Creative Penn” podcast. I was intrigued at the possibilities of weightlifting and how it might benefit women in middle age, so I decided to do some research.

My Fitness Routine

I’m not a stranger to weightlifting. I took weightlifting in college and did the “Body for Life” workout (from former bodybuilder Bill Phillips) in my 20s. And periodically, I would convince myself to do some Apple Fitness+ weight training routines or just a bunch of push ups. But this time, I wanted to get more serious. And I kept reading about the benefits of lifting heavy weights for women (or “lifting heavy sh&t” as they say over at Feisty Menopause).

So first, the usual caveats. I am not a doctor or fitness professional. This is just what has worked for me. This should not be construed as health or fitness advice. Please talk to your doctor before starting any new fitness routine. With that said, here are some of the articles that framed my thinking:

• Menopausal Women Need Unique Muscle Making Guidelines (Feisty Menopause)
• Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women depending on menopause – A 20-week control trial (BMC Women’s Health)

After reading about the benefits of lifting heavy weights on those sites and elsewhere, I committed to three heavy weight-training sessions per week and two HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) sessions of about 20 minutes per week (1 minute on, 1 minute off). Each day, I aim for 10,000 steps, which I mostly accomplish by putting a wooden board across my treadmill and walking at 2 miles per hour while working on my computer for about an hour. Oh, and let’s not forget the stretching!

The Perimenopause Factor

Let’s be real for a moment. Perimenopause is tough. For years, I battled horrible night sweats and exhaustion akin to having a newborn again. I was waking up every 90 minutes. I was cranky. HRT wasn’t an option for me because I have clotting issues and am at risk for breast cancer. I tried everything (we can talk about that another day). It’s only in the last year that the night sweats finally stopped. If you’re going through this, you have my complete empathy. It’s crucial that we normalize talking about these experiences. I will say that after I lift, I sleep a lot better. So that’s an added bonus!

Getting Started with Weightlifting

For those of you considering weightlifting, here’s how I approached it:

1. Find a Good Resource: I get my workouts from the Feisty Menopause newsletter, which has been a fantastic guide. When you join their mailing list, you can download a 3-day-a-week weightlifting routine, which is what I follow. The Mom Edit also recently did a blog series on lifting for women over 40. It has workouts too.
2. Start Where You Are: We all start in different places. I used the website StrengthLevel.com to get an idea of appropriate starting weights based on my age and weight for each exercise in the Feisty Menopause workout. Ideally, you want it to be difficult as you near the end of each set.
3. Understand the Numbers: The Strength Level website gives 1-rep max weights for each exercise based on age, gender, body weight, and how long you’ve been training. That means the weight given is a weight you can only do a single repetition of. For muscle gain, you typically work out at about 80% of your 1-rep max. So, if you don’t know where to start, look at the age and bodyweight table on Strength Level. Assume you are a novice. Then multiply that number by 80 percent and adjust as you try it out.
4. Progressive Overload: After 2-3 of weeks at a new weight, I try to add reps. Then after 2-3 more weeks, I increase the weight again, if I can. Sometimes it take me longer before I can up reps or weight.
5. Examples from My Journey:

• Shoulder Dumbbell Press: I started with 17.5 pounds in each hand and now use 27.5 pounds five months later (3 sets of six reps)
• Dumbbell Bench Press: I started at 12 pounds (probably too low) and am up to 27.5 pounds in each hand (3 sets of six reps)
• Goblet Squat: I started at 17.5 pounds (which was probably way too low, but I’ve had a lot of lower body injuries, and was being cautious), and now I can squat 30 pounds (3 sets of 12 reps)
• Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift: I started lifting 17.5-pound dumbbells (3 sets of 8 reps) and now lift 27.5-pound dumbbells.
• And I can now do a pull up! Check out the video!

The Equipment

I can’t stand lifting at the gym. You have to wait your turn for equipment. And I hate the wasted time of driving back and forth. So I bought at home equipment. Here’s what I’m using:

• Iron Gym Pull Up Bar (see in video)
• Resistance Bands (to assist with pull ups)
• PowerBlock Elite Dumbbells (adjustable up to 90 lbs)
• I also have some neoprene dumbbells I got at Target that I still use for things like reverse flies (though I could use the PowerBlocks)

And our piano bench is currently my weight bench. 😂 I don’t have room for anything else.

Listen to Your Body

Remember, these are just my experiences. It’s crucial to listen to your body and progress at your own pace. If you have any health concerns or previous injuries, always consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise regimen.

The Mental Benefits

Beyond the physical changes, weightlifting has given me a sense of empowerment. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching your strength increase week by week. It’s a tangible reminder that we’re capable of growth and change at any age. And I feel like I’m being a good role model for my teenage boys. They get a kick out of the pull up bar, and frequently do pull ups on their way into and out of the dining room.

A Call to Action

So, fellow writers and women of a certain age, I encourage you to consider adding strength training to your routine. It’s not just about building muscle; it’s about training for our old-lady bodies. We have to maintain both muscle and bone mass for healthy aging.

How are you taking care of your body? Have you tried weightlifting or other forms of exercise? I’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.

Remember, it’s never too late to start taking care of yourself. Your body (and your writing) will thank you for it!