Spread the love

At a recent panel, I was asked what is the best way to preserve and build muscle for menopausal women? As women enter menopause, the natural decline in estrogen accelerates the loss of lean muscle tissue — approximately seven pounds per decade — and the process speeds up after age 40. This loss doesn’t just affect physical appearance; it impacts strength, endurance, metabolism, posture, bone density, balance, and overall energy levels. For menopausal women, building and preserving muscle isn’t just about fitness — it’s a crucial step in protecting long-term health, longevity and vitality.

Don’t forget to sign up under “Weekly Fitness Tips” to receive my latest blog post in your inbox automatically!

Build Muscle for Menopausal Women – strategies to help menopausal women maintain and grow muscle mass:

Strength Train Consistently

Aim to strength train at least 2–3 times per week. Resistance training is the most effective method for building and preserving lean muscle, which helps offset the muscle loss that naturally occurs during menopause.

Lift Heavy and Challenge Yourself

Conduct at least one workout per week, focusing on heavier weights with fewer repetitions. Using challenging resistance forces your muscles to adapt and grow stronger. If you can easily do more than 12 reps, it’s time to increase the load.

Focus on Compound Movements

Incorporate multi-joint exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, rows, pull-ups, chest presses, and overhead presses. These compound lifts engage multiple muscles at once, boosting efficiency and strength gains. Both of which are essential for women managing the effects of menopause.

Increase Your Volume

To effectively stimulate muscle growth, aim for at least 10 sets per muscle group each week. How you divide those sets depends on how many days you train. Whether you follow a full-body routine or a split plan, the total weekly volume is key.

Prioritize Protein

Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, especially as estrogen declines. Make sure you’re consuming enough based on your age, weight, and activity level — ideally spaced out throughout the day. Most menopausal women would benefit from consuming at least 75 grams of protein per day. Start with that amount and increase up to 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight based on how your body responds.

Eat Regularly

Aim for 3-4 meals or snacks per day that include high-quality protein. Frequent, balanced eating helps support muscle protein synthesis for menopausal women and keeps your energy levels steady.

Stay Hydrated

Every cellular process in your body — including building muscle — depends on proper hydration. A good goal is to drink half your ideal body weight in ounces of water each day.

Strength training has often been called the real “Fountain of Youth.” Muscle is your longevity tissue. It improves posture, boosts metabolism, enhances balance and coordination, and helps you feel strong and confident. For menopausal women, muscle truly is medicine and strong is the new sexy and empowered!

Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan

High or Low Reps for Menopausal Women

Cardio or Strength for Menopausal Women?