Really solid breakdown. One thing worth adding for anyone in late perimenopause: hormonal shifts at this stage can cause day-to-day strength variability that has nothing to do with your program or your effort. If you are in your late 40s and out of nowhere you can't lift what you were moving easily last week, or even two days ago, that is not a fitness problem. The weight that feels impossible today might feel completely fine 48 hours from now. Do what you can that day, come back, and try again.
Thank you for reading the article, Irina. Also thank you for all that valuable information about hormonal changes during perimenopause. It’s really important to take that into account and not put too much pressure on yourself on the days when it feels harder.
This is hands-down one of the most comprehensive, simple (easy to understand), and compassionate articles I've seen for people who are curious about starting a strength training routine! I'm now roughly 4 months postpartum and did 3-4x strength training using an app throughout my pregnancy. Now I've been trying to exercise again by doing mat pilates 3-4x at home, but knew at the back of my mind that I need to incorporate strength training to start making gains that make sense to me, but felt unsure about how to go about that since I'm enjoying pilates a lot right now. I'll try by adding/replacing the current routine with 2x strength training using your suggested full-body program slowly over time. Thank you so much!
thank you, this comment made my day. and your plan is exactly right. you don't have to choose between pilates and lifting, especially when you're enjoying the pilates so much. keeping it and slowly layering in 2x full-body strength is a smart, sustainable way to do it. you already trained through your pregnancy, so your body knows this work, back in with intention is the whole game. you've got this.
This is amazing…I’ve been lifting-curious for awhile but I’ve been avoiding gyms since my high school days because I dont know what to do. This makes me want to try!
Do you have any suggested modifications for fitting this in around other exercise routines? How do I do something similar with 1-2 sessions a week? Is it reasonable to make any progress with only 1 session a week? I run 2/week and I like to go to at least one hot yoga class/week.
hi! so glad this made you want to try, that's honestly the best thing to hear. and yes, 2 sessions a week is absolutely enough to make real progress, especially when you're just starting out. 1 session can work too, but you'll get there faster with 2, and your body will adapt more consistently.
since you're already running and doing hot yoga, i'd keep the strength sessions as full body rather than splitting muscle groups — that way you're hitting everything twice a week without needing 4+ gym days. for building your program, go back to the section in the article about movement patterns. those patterns are basically your blueprint: if you pick one or two exercises per pattern, you've got a solid, balanced session without spending two hours at the gym.
speaking of which, with 2 sessions a week, compound movements are your best friends. these are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time, like squats (quads, glutes, core), deadlifts (hamstrings, back, glutes) or rows (back, biceps, core). the opposite would be isolation exercises like bicep curls, which only target one muscle. when your time is limited, compounds give you the most return for your effort.
you've got a great base with running and yoga, the strength work will complement all of it nicely.
This was soooo helpful for a beginner like me! I'm curious what you mean by "rotate in some new variations" at week 6-8. Are you talking a whole new set of exercises, or just swapping out a few focused on areas you want to target? Thanks for this great intro!
Olivia, thank you for reading, I'm so glad it helped. Once you've been doing the same program for 6 to 8 weeks and you feel like you want some variety, you can change a few exercises. Keep the same movement patterns and just swap in a variation. For example, instead of a back squat you can do a front squat (more challenging), instead of a hip thrust you can try a B-stance hip thrust (unilateral movement), and instead of a seated hip abduction you can go for a cable hip abduction. I wouldn't recommend swapping all the exercises at once, just pick 2 or 3, the ones you're bored with or feel stuck on. Hope it helps 💜
Hi Alice, thank you for reading the article. You can adapt most of these exercises for dumbbells and kettlebells. Here’s what you can do: go to YouTube and type [exercise name] + dumbbell (or kettlebell). You can also search for bodyweight alternatives.
For beginners, training at home can bring great results. When you feel the exercises are starting to get easy, you can add more reps or more sets. It will work for a while. However, at a certain point it will be difficult to keep progressive overload going.
I’d say that for a beginner, one year of training at home can bring really good results, but after that you’ll only be able to maintain what you gained, and seeing real muscle growth will require more options in terms of weight and machines.
Programming a lift the way you would structure code - progressive overload as version increments, deloads as scheduled refactors - is a genuinely useful mental model, and it is the part most beginner routines skip entirely. For anyone who wants that structure without a gym or equipment, home_workout_react_native (https://github.com/p32929/home_workout_react_native) is a free app with guided routines that basically does the "programming" part for you. Convenient, if a little less character-building than writing your own spreadsheet.
I completely agree with everything said in this post. During my life I've committed all the mistakes, and also applied all solutions.
When I didn't like training I was constantly switching exercises, and tracking the workouts was something that happened only to other people. Time came when I started taking the training seriously: I developed a structured program, I complied with progressive overload and I rested well... But still saw no results. The missing part was nutrition. It was not aligned with my goals.
Once I fixed it, everything started to change. Not fast, nothing dramatic, but I started to notice progress. For me, what made me consistent with fitness was the following:
- Increase one rep per exercise when doing the progressive overload. Not in all the sets, but just in one.
- Do meal prep to ease the food tracking and know how many calories and protein I'm eating.
In the end we all need to do some trial and error to reach a method that personally suits us. The principles laid out in this article are absolute gold to find it.
Thank you for sharing, Juan. And couldn't agree more. Nutrition is often the missing piece for most people when we talk about results. And also, the hardest thing to stay consistent with
I use the Hevy app and second the part about doing the same movements for 6 weeks or so! The Hevy app can give you a workout program to follow and you can also tailor it and add in your own exercises. It also really helps me track my weight progress.
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for reading the article. I also tried the Hevy app and honestly, it’s really well designed and great for tracking your progress.
Hi - I have a question. Do you complete all 3 sets of the same exercise before moving on to the next exercise, or complete your 6 individual exercises as a circuit, and then go back to the beginning for set 2, then set 3. ? Thanks!
Hi Molly, good question! The programs I shared in the article are not designed for circuit training, as the idea is to train at a moderate to high intensity with weights that are challenging enough to create muscle growth. You need to complete all the sets of the same exercise before moving on to the next one.
I'm a pilates instructor and I cant wait to share this with my clients who are navigating adding lifting to their routine. I especially love the emphasis on resting between sets and unlearning the need to "keep your heart rate up." Thanks!
I'm so happy I found your substack, your writings are so good! I have a question, what to do if some exercise just doesn't progress? I'm progressing very well overall but in some exercise the weight just stays the same week after week. I've tried to add more weight, but it seems almost impossible. So frustrating!
I completely understand your frustration. You can start by trying to do more reps with the same weight. When you reach a high rep range (let’s say 15-16 reps for a big lift like a squat or a hip thrust, for example), you can try to add 1.5 or 2 kg next week. If it’s still hard, try to add another set instead (and keep the same rep range, same weight).
Another option is to try a different variation of the same exercise for a while to adapt your body to new stimuli. For hip thrust, for example, you can swap for a b-stance hip thrust. This is more challenging as it is a unilateral movement, so you will need to drop the weight. Unilateral movements are great to correct any imbalances and help your muscles and joints get stronger.
For a squat, do leg press instead as it is easier on your joints and allows you to progress the weight easily. Hope it helps!
Really solid breakdown. One thing worth adding for anyone in late perimenopause: hormonal shifts at this stage can cause day-to-day strength variability that has nothing to do with your program or your effort. If you are in your late 40s and out of nowhere you can't lift what you were moving easily last week, or even two days ago, that is not a fitness problem. The weight that feels impossible today might feel completely fine 48 hours from now. Do what you can that day, come back, and try again.
Thank you for reading the article, Irina. Also thank you for all that valuable information about hormonal changes during perimenopause. It’s really important to take that into account and not put too much pressure on yourself on the days when it feels harder.
This is hands-down one of the most comprehensive, simple (easy to understand), and compassionate articles I've seen for people who are curious about starting a strength training routine! I'm now roughly 4 months postpartum and did 3-4x strength training using an app throughout my pregnancy. Now I've been trying to exercise again by doing mat pilates 3-4x at home, but knew at the back of my mind that I need to incorporate strength training to start making gains that make sense to me, but felt unsure about how to go about that since I'm enjoying pilates a lot right now. I'll try by adding/replacing the current routine with 2x strength training using your suggested full-body program slowly over time. Thank you so much!
thank you, this comment made my day. and your plan is exactly right. you don't have to choose between pilates and lifting, especially when you're enjoying the pilates so much. keeping it and slowly layering in 2x full-body strength is a smart, sustainable way to do it. you already trained through your pregnancy, so your body knows this work, back in with intention is the whole game. you've got this.
This is amazing…I’ve been lifting-curious for awhile but I’ve been avoiding gyms since my high school days because I dont know what to do. This makes me want to try!
Do you have any suggested modifications for fitting this in around other exercise routines? How do I do something similar with 1-2 sessions a week? Is it reasonable to make any progress with only 1 session a week? I run 2/week and I like to go to at least one hot yoga class/week.
Thanks for sharing your expertise!
hi! so glad this made you want to try, that's honestly the best thing to hear. and yes, 2 sessions a week is absolutely enough to make real progress, especially when you're just starting out. 1 session can work too, but you'll get there faster with 2, and your body will adapt more consistently.
since you're already running and doing hot yoga, i'd keep the strength sessions as full body rather than splitting muscle groups — that way you're hitting everything twice a week without needing 4+ gym days. for building your program, go back to the section in the article about movement patterns. those patterns are basically your blueprint: if you pick one or two exercises per pattern, you've got a solid, balanced session without spending two hours at the gym.
speaking of which, with 2 sessions a week, compound movements are your best friends. these are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time, like squats (quads, glutes, core), deadlifts (hamstrings, back, glutes) or rows (back, biceps, core). the opposite would be isolation exercises like bicep curls, which only target one muscle. when your time is limited, compounds give you the most return for your effort.
you've got a great base with running and yoga, the strength work will complement all of it nicely.
This was soooo helpful for a beginner like me! I'm curious what you mean by "rotate in some new variations" at week 6-8. Are you talking a whole new set of exercises, or just swapping out a few focused on areas you want to target? Thanks for this great intro!
Olivia, thank you for reading, I'm so glad it helped. Once you've been doing the same program for 6 to 8 weeks and you feel like you want some variety, you can change a few exercises. Keep the same movement patterns and just swap in a variation. For example, instead of a back squat you can do a front squat (more challenging), instead of a hip thrust you can try a B-stance hip thrust (unilateral movement), and instead of a seated hip abduction you can go for a cable hip abduction. I wouldn't recommend swapping all the exercises at once, just pick 2 or 3, the ones you're bored with or feel stuck on. Hope it helps 💜
Amazing, thank you!
How would you tailor this for an at home workout rather than in the gym. I have dumbells and Kettlebells but no access to machines
Hi Alice, thank you for reading the article. You can adapt most of these exercises for dumbbells and kettlebells. Here’s what you can do: go to YouTube and type [exercise name] + dumbbell (or kettlebell). You can also search for bodyweight alternatives.
For beginners, training at home can bring great results. When you feel the exercises are starting to get easy, you can add more reps or more sets. It will work for a while. However, at a certain point it will be difficult to keep progressive overload going.
I’d say that for a beginner, one year of training at home can bring really good results, but after that you’ll only be able to maintain what you gained, and seeing real muscle growth will require more options in terms of weight and machines.
Programming a lift the way you would structure code - progressive overload as version increments, deloads as scheduled refactors - is a genuinely useful mental model, and it is the part most beginner routines skip entirely. For anyone who wants that structure without a gym or equipment, home_workout_react_native (https://github.com/p32929/home_workout_react_native) is a free app with guided routines that basically does the "programming" part for you. Convenient, if a little less character-building than writing your own spreadsheet.
This is so helpful thank you!
thank you! so glad it helped 💖
I completely agree with everything said in this post. During my life I've committed all the mistakes, and also applied all solutions.
When I didn't like training I was constantly switching exercises, and tracking the workouts was something that happened only to other people. Time came when I started taking the training seriously: I developed a structured program, I complied with progressive overload and I rested well... But still saw no results. The missing part was nutrition. It was not aligned with my goals.
Once I fixed it, everything started to change. Not fast, nothing dramatic, but I started to notice progress. For me, what made me consistent with fitness was the following:
- Increase one rep per exercise when doing the progressive overload. Not in all the sets, but just in one.
- Do meal prep to ease the food tracking and know how many calories and protein I'm eating.
In the end we all need to do some trial and error to reach a method that personally suits us. The principles laid out in this article are absolute gold to find it.
Thank you for sharing, Juan. And couldn't agree more. Nutrition is often the missing piece for most people when we talk about results. And also, the hardest thing to stay consistent with
Do you have any tips on building an upper/lower program? Which I can repeat twice per week (four days in total)
if you can train 4x a week i'd go for an upper/lower split like this:
-push
-legs A (full legs)
-pull
-legs B (more focused on whatever you want to improve at the time, i.e. quads & glutes, quads & hammies, glutes & hammies, etc.)
Great info! Thank you.
Thank you for reading the article, Gabby! I’m glad you liked it and found it valuable ❤️
I use the Hevy app and second the part about doing the same movements for 6 weeks or so! The Hevy app can give you a workout program to follow and you can also tailor it and add in your own exercises. It also really helps me track my weight progress.
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for reading the article. I also tried the Hevy app and honestly, it’s really well designed and great for tracking your progress.
Hi - I have a question. Do you complete all 3 sets of the same exercise before moving on to the next exercise, or complete your 6 individual exercises as a circuit, and then go back to the beginning for set 2, then set 3. ? Thanks!
Hi Molly, good question! The programs I shared in the article are not designed for circuit training, as the idea is to train at a moderate to high intensity with weights that are challenging enough to create muscle growth. You need to complete all the sets of the same exercise before moving on to the next one.
Thank you for the clarification!! Really helpful article, thank you for sharing your knowledge
Thank you ❤️ I'm glad it helped.
This was so comprehensive and so helpful! Will be trying at the gym this week
Hi Samantha, thank you for reading the article. I’m really happy to hear that you liked it and found it valuable.
this is an absolute gold mine. thank you!!
I'm a pilates instructor and I cant wait to share this with my clients who are navigating adding lifting to their routine. I especially love the emphasis on resting between sets and unlearning the need to "keep your heart rate up." Thanks!
I'm so happy I found your substack, your writings are so good! I have a question, what to do if some exercise just doesn't progress? I'm progressing very well overall but in some exercise the weight just stays the same week after week. I've tried to add more weight, but it seems almost impossible. So frustrating!
Hi! Thank you, I’m glad you liked the article 💖
I completely understand your frustration. You can start by trying to do more reps with the same weight. When you reach a high rep range (let’s say 15-16 reps for a big lift like a squat or a hip thrust, for example), you can try to add 1.5 or 2 kg next week. If it’s still hard, try to add another set instead (and keep the same rep range, same weight).
Another option is to try a different variation of the same exercise for a while to adapt your body to new stimuli. For hip thrust, for example, you can swap for a b-stance hip thrust. This is more challenging as it is a unilateral movement, so you will need to drop the weight. Unilateral movements are great to correct any imbalances and help your muscles and joints get stronger.
For a squat, do leg press instead as it is easier on your joints and allows you to progress the weight easily. Hope it helps!