Menopause Strength Training & Fitness | 40+ Fitness for Women
If you’re a woman in perimenopause or menopause and are noticing that you’ve lost muscle tone and strength, are gaining belly fat, and the workouts that used to work suddenly don’t anymore — this is the podcast for you.
You’ll learn how to work with your changing body so you can build strength, look toned, feel amazing in your body again and prepare to age strong for the decades ahead.
Each week, host Lynn Sederlöf-Airisto shares science-backed and realistic ways to:
• Strength train effectively
• Build muscle, strength, and bone density
• Adapt your workouts and eating habits to your changing body
• Exercise to prepare your body for the decades ahead
Known for her efficient, effective, and no-nonsense coaching style, Lynn helps you cut through the noise and focus on what actually works so you get results without wasting time.
Lynn has helped thousands of women start strength training, get stronger, and transform their bodies into something they feel proud of.
Lynn is a Certified Menopause Fitness Coach and personal trainer. She graduated from Dartmouth College, where she majored in biochemistry and molecular biology and played Division I varsity lacrosse. Now 54 and postmenopausal, she knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle with these same changes — and how to turn things around.
Menopause Strength Training & Fitness | 40+ Fitness for Women
#160: Are Your Workouts Actually Strength Training? Try This and Find Out
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There are a lot of programs out there calling themselves strength training. If you're confused about what real strength training actually is, I'm not surprised - I was too.
Sometimes the best way to truly understand something is to experience it.
That's why I created Lift-IT! a 10-day introduction to proper strength training, and in honor of my 55th birthday, I'm giving it away for free! 🎈
Zero excuses, zero barrier. Just grab some dumbbells or a couple water bottles and come find out. Use code BIRTHDAY at checkout.
Enjoy the show!
Resources mentioned:
- Lift-IT! (free thru April 30th with code BIRTHDAY):
- Episode #57: Cardio with Weights vs. Strength Training
- Episode #153: Why Follow-Along Programs Don't Build Muscle and Strength
If you’re enjoying the podcast, and would like to support my work please consider buying me a cup of coffee – link’s in the show notes!
- Try out strength training with Lift-IT! My 10-day Intro to Strength Training >>
- Learn to Lift with my 10-week beginner program >>
- Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
- Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
- Support the show: Buy me a coffee >>
#160: Are Your Workouts Actually Strength Training? Try This and Find Out
[00:00:00] So if you've been doing BodyPump. F45, Orange Theory, or following one of the amazingly popular YouTube "strength training" programs, then listen up. Because the truth is that those are not proper strength training.
They may look like it. I mean, after all, they're using weights. You're feeling the burn in your muscles. A lot of the movements are very similar to what you do in strength training, but the problem is that they are not following the science-backed principles of proper strength training, the very ones that make it efficient and effective for building muscle and strength.
And that's why so many women out there are working out. Regularly following these programs, and yet they are getting softer. They are losing [00:01:00] muscle, they're losing strength as they age.
And believe me, I know firsthand because I was an avid BodyPump goer I was going three days a week, for years. Using heavy weights, working out hard, feeling the burn, really sweating, burning calories. I really thought that I was doing the right things to hold onto my strength and my muscle as I aged. And then menopause hit and I became soft and weak and got the Meno belly.
What I discovered at that point was that I was actually doing the wrong thing. I needed to be strength training, and once I started strength training, it was amazing how things changed, I went from bicep curling, 5kg weights. And my arms not [00:02:00] looking at all toned anymore to getting stronger, building muscle and having arms that I love to show off now. In fact, I wear a tank top every day, and I live up north in very cold Finland.
This is one of my huge pet peeves is there is so much misinformation out there and so many programs that label themselves as strength training when they're just not, and we fall for it. We think we're strength training and we're really not strength training. And as much as I try to explain the difference in my podcasts, in my reels, in all my free content, I think the best way for you to understand what really is the difference is to try yourself.
So it's kind kind of like. If you were thinking about playing paddel and you're like, okay, [00:03:00] well I can see that it's kind of like tennis, but it's not quite tennis. It's not till you actually try paddel that. You get it, you know, you get how it is different from tennis for real. And the same thing with strength training, and that's why I created this 10 day mini program. Which lets you try out strength training and I'm turning 55 on April 1st, and in honor of my birthday, I am giving it away for free. I normally charge $27 for it, but you can get it for free till the end of April because I really want you to be able to experience strength training for yourself because I think that is the only way that you are gonna really understand the difference.
Now, what does Lift-IT! Have in it? It has four 20 minute strength training sessions that you can do at home. If you've got some dumbbells, [00:04:00] great. If you don't fill a couple water bottles and get going with that. You get instructional videos where I explain how to do every one of the exercises correctly, Plus I have educational videos in there to explain a little bit more what you're doing and how this is effective and what makes it so effective
now some of you'll try this and decide that, nah, it's not for me. I just wanna do my follow along workouts and that's fine. I respect that, but, and I say this with love, you will be missing out. Because the benefits of strength training are extraordinary, you get stronger bones, more muscle, better metabolism, greater metabolic health, stronger tendons, more energy, and the ability to stay strong, independent, and active for the decades ahead. Those are not [00:05:00] small things, so if there's any part of you that's curious, this is your chance to give it a try and see what all the fuss is about.
Now, here's what Laura wrote to me after finishing . She said, I really didn't know where to start, and it's such a relief to have a well-guided instruction as I begin this journey for my body. And then Kathy after day one, wrote "woo-hoo, day one under my belt and I haven't popped or pulled anything. I really appreciated the how-to videos to make sure I was doing the exercises with the right form."
so this program normally costs $27, but I am offering it for free in honor of my 55th birthday. So if you use the coupon code. Birthday at checkout, you will get it as my gift to you through April [00:06:00] 30th.
So the link is in the notes, zero excuses, zero barriers. Just grab two dumbbells or two water bottles and come find out what real strength training is like.
I hope to see you inside Lift-IT! And I can't wait to hear what you think.
And if you wanna learn more about the difference between strength training and just working out with weights, I have a whole podcast episode on it. But honestly, try it for yourself. I think that is really where you will have that light bulb moment.
And with that, I leave you until next week and wish you happy training.
