In this week's episode, I dive into what is going on with women's bodies in perimenopause and menopause and how strength training is really the key to keeping our bodies functioning properly and serving us well through the rest of our lives. 

In menopause, our estrogen levels change dramatically. I review all the ways that loss of estrogen negatively impacts the condition of our bodies and the vital role that weight training plays in counteracting it. If you're a woman in her 30s, 40s or 50s, you won't want to miss this one!

I discuss: 

• What are perimenopause, menopause & post-menopause?
• What are the most common symptoms of menopause?
• What age do people hit menopause?
• How long does perimenopause last?
• What's going on with our hormones in menopause?
• What's the role of estrogen, and what happens when there is less of it?
• How to maintain and increase your strength
• How to improve bone density
• What kind of weight training is effective to counteract the changes
• and more!

#menopause #perimenopause #menopausehealth #hrt #menopausefitness #fabulousafter50 #fitafter40 #weighttrainingbenefits #whateverywomanneedstoknow

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

You've probably seen before and after pictures online that show an incredible transformation, and are wondering whether you can get the same kinds of results from your weight training. The short answer is: 'It depends.' It depends on a LOT of factors - some which you can control and others which are more out of your control. 

This week, we pick up where we left off last week - by looking at more factors affecting the results you'll see from your weight training. 

In this week's episode I'll discuss the factors beyond the weight room - some of which you may not have realized can have a real impact on how well you can build and maintain muscle. 

I discuss:

✨ The role of recovery in building muscle and strength

✨ The importance of sleep and tips on how to get better sleep

✨ The challenges of being on a diet (aka. calorie deficit)

✨ The role of protein in building and maintaining muscle

✨ The importance of managing stress & cortisol levels in menopause.

For more information about protein, check out episode #10: PROTEIN: What you need to know to boost strength and fitness

#weighttrainingtips 

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

You've probably seen before and after pictures online that show an incredible transformation, and are wondering whether you can get the same kinds of results from your weight training. 

The short answer is: 'It depends.' It depends on a LOT of factors - some which you can control and others which are more out of your control. 

In this week's episode I'll discuss: 

1. Factors that are beyond your control: genetics & age
2. The effect of HOW you train on the speed and level of your results. 

I'll also offer tips to help you to get the most out of the time you spend resistance training.

Next week, we'll look at factors outside of your training sessions that can affect your results. Subscribe so that you don't miss it!

-----------------
For more information about the role of genetics on how quickly and what kinds of results you can get, check out episode #4: Muscles in Midlife:  A quick lesson in muscle biology.

For more information on progressive overload and training close to failure (or to failure), check out episode #5: 5 Things you need to do to build muscle

#weighttrainingtips 

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

One of the top questions that people new to weight training struggle with is how much weight should they actually be lifting. In this episode, I go over how to choose your starting weight for a new exercise and when to progress to a higher weight. I am using rep ranges as a tool here as I feel it is the easiest to understand and follow for those who are starting out weight training. 

In addition, I review the concept of progressive overload and why you should apply progressive overload and how to do it in practice. 

So you'll get answers to the following questions:

• What weight should I start with?
• When should I increase the weight I'm lifting?
• What is progressive overload?
• How do I apply progressive overload in practice?
• How do I work with rep ranges?

Happy lifting!

#weighttraining101 #startliftingweights #howtolift #progressiveoverload #repranges #howtoliftweights

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

In this episode I dive into the things you should know about protein to enable you to maintain and build muscle in middle age. I also discuss how to determine whether you are getting enough protein each day (I bet you're not), and go through how I've structured my meals to ensure I'm getting enough protein. 

You'll get answers to these questions (and more):

• What are the benefits of eating protein?
• How much protein should I eat each day?
• What are the best sources of protein?
• Does protein help with weight loss?
• How does protein affect muscle growth?
• How much protein do I need after a workout?
• How do I know how much protein I am getting now?
• How can I make sure I'm getting enough protein?

#protein #benefitsofprotein #proteinsources #proteinmusclegrowth #proteinandmuscle #leucine

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

If you've been focusing on cardio or group fitness classes, weight training may feel like a whole new world for you. 

In this episode, I discuss: 

✨ The main differences between cardio and weight training (the things that may feel really weird to you the first time in the weight room)

✨ The 3 stages of your weight training journey

You'll get answers to questions like:

🤔 What is it like in the weight room?

🤔 What can I expect on my first visit to the weight room?

🤔 What are neurological adaptations in weight training?

🤔 How does weight training differ from cardio?

🤔 How often should I switch what exercises I'm doing weight lifting?

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

One of the questions I get asked a lot is how I stay motivated to keep weight training. In this episode, I'll share some tips to help you stay committed and consistent with your weight training. 

Do you struggle to stay committed to your weight training program? Do you find it difficult to find time for your workouts? Or do you want to put in place habits to help you to stay consistent in your weight training? If so, then this podcast will have some tips for you.

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

You've maybe heard of the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) or related terms such as NEAT or BMR, but maybe you're not quite clear on what they are and why you should care.

In this episode, I introduce you to the concept of TDEE, and its components, and share simple ways that you can make sustainable lifestyle changes to boost your TDEE. These strategies have health benefits too!

You'll get answers to common questions such as:

• What is TDEE and how is it calculated?
• How does TDEE affect weight loss and weight gain?
• What factors influence TDEE?
• How can I increase my TDEE?
• How does exercise affect TDEE?

Happy listening!

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

This episode is for anyone who is planning to go on a diet (ie. calorie deficit) to get ready for summer. 

Many women use the strategy of cutting calories and increasing cardio to burn as many calories as possible. But, is this the best strategy? I don't think so. 

in this short (but I think really important) episode:

• I challenge you to think about what your goal really is: is it weight loss or fat loss?
• I discuss how to diet in a way that promotes fat loss
• I also discuss the problem with yo-yo dieting for your long-term health.

If you're ready to get started, check out my free guide: www.befitafter40.com/how-to-start-weight-training 

#dietingtips #weightloss #losefatnotmuscle #weighttrainingbenefits

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/

In this episode, I go over five very important things you need to be doing to build muscle efficiently. If you're not seeing results with your weight training, then one of these is usually the culprit. 

They are:

1. Apply progressive overload
2. Training close to failure (or to failure)
3. Choosing exercises that actually stimulate muscle growth
4. Getting enough recovery - since that's when muscle growth actually happens
5. The role of nutrition: are you eating enough calories and are you getting enough protein

All of these key things are also summarized in my freebie which you can download at www.befitafter40.com/build-muscle.

As always, I would love to hear from you. You can reach out to me in my DMs on Instagram, or email me. 

Time stamps: 

0:19 Progressive Overload

4:15 Training close to failure (or to failure)

8:00 Choosing exercises that actually stimulate muscle growth

11:09 Recovery

13:10 Nutrition

Send me your thoughts 😃

Support the show

• Start strength training with my beginner-friendly Learn to Lift programs >>
• If you have experience lifting weights, join my monthly membership >>
• Download my free guide to working with your menopausal body >>
• Subscribe to my weekly newsletter>>
• Follow & chat with me on Instagram: befitafter40_withlynn/