5 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight or Gaining Muscle After 50
Release Date: 07/18/2025
80 Lb Perimenopausal Weight Loss After Corporate Burnout
The Flipping 50 Show
Perimenopausal weight loss may seem daunting to some. We hear so much more about perimenopausal weight gain and weight loss resistance. If you’ve learned diets don’t work the hard way, you’ll identify with my guest. What you may not realize is why the diet isn’t working. A whole food, healthy diet will often work for most. But it won’t work if that isn’t the problem. My guest in this episode overcame a stressful corporate existence, and thanks in part to the pandemic, was able to leave that and 80 lbs behind. Here is how she achieved her 80lb perimenopausal weight loss in...
info_outline
Muscle Mass and Strength Gains After Menopause How Much How Fast?
The Flipping 50 Show
If you’ve ever doubted your ability to make muscle mass and strength gains after menopause, this episode is for you. It’s not too late to gain strength and lean muscle mass can be gained at any age—even after 85. Based on a 2024 Study on Resistance Training in Older Adults by Int. Journal of Sports Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, here’s what happened and the results: Participants: 17 adults aged 65–75. 12 adults aged 85+. Program: Duration: 12 weeks, 3x per week Structure: Warm-up 4 lower body sets 3 upper body exercises (2 sets each) Stretching ...
info_outline
Aging with Power, (Without an Outage) with Vonda Wright
The Flipping 50 Show
We dive into the true science and strategy behind aging with power. We’re busting myths about menopause, metabolism, and muscle, bone and talking strategy for women over 40 who want strength without burnout. Know how to prevent the physical “outages” that so often follow menopause, injury, or hormonal upheaval. Reclaim control without burning out!! If you’re ready to redefine what aging looks and feels like, this conversation is your roadmap to aging with power—and joy. My Guest: Dr. Vonda Wright is a double-board certified orthopedic surgeon and...
info_outline
Acute vs Chronic Stress Effects on Cortisol in Menopause and Beyond
The Flipping 50 Show
There is no escaping stress but cortisol in menopause changes. With that, your stress response to nearly everything may change. You don’t feel it at first but then there’s unexplained weight gain or belly fat. There’s less focus or concentration than you used to have. It shows up in different ways for each of us. My Guest: Sara Banta is a Certified Dietary Supplement Professional and member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, helping people take their health into their own hands using cutting-edge natural supplements, DNA-driven nutrition, and real...
info_outline
The New Menopause Therapy: Confessions of a Femme Fatale
The Flipping 50 Show
This new menopause therapy is like stand-up comedy for hot flashes. My guest in this episode uses humor and truth to bridge the gap between women’s health then, now and the future. Her message is for all women on how to address the gaps in awareness about menopause. If you’re a health and wellness pro you’ll want to listen to this, the new menopause therapy. My Guest: Satori Shakoor is a dynamic storyteller, performer, and social entrepreneur, known for founding the award-winning The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers®. Her career began as a background singer with...
info_outline
Running vs Walking for Fast Fat Loss in Menopause
The Flipping 50 Show
Fast fat loss in menopause is not really the goal. Let’s be realistic and say this right out of the gate. Fast fat loss is a myth. You may, however, drop inflammation fairly quickly with the right type of exercise. Part 1: The Fat Burning Fundamentals Let's start with the basics. When we talk about fat burning during exercise, we need to understand two key concepts: Percentage of Fat Used for Fuel Total Calories Burned Here's something surprising: At rest, we burn about 85% fat for fuel. Your body is already a fat-burning machine when you're sitting on the...
info_outline
Take Up Space: A Perimenopause Body Builder on Her Strength Journey
The Flipping 50 Show
A Perimenopause bodybuilder shares her story on how to take up space and the history of women being strong before skinny. Book author, Anne Marie Chaker, will surprise you about women’s empowerment and when skinny reared its ugly head. Stay ‘til the end and listen to a very subtle challenge we’ll give you about messages to women. Strong does things Skinny Never Even Dreams About. - Debra Atkinson My Guest: Anne Marie Chaker is a veteran journalist and professional bodybuilder. During her career at The Wall Street Journal, from the Journal’s regional editions...
info_outline
Retired Lawyer Shares How to Advocate for Yourself & Loved Ones
The Flipping 50 Show
From homes to health care, you and I need to advocate for yourself. You have choices and you have power. You can take action and you do have choices. My Guest: Karen Mulroy is an attorney who retired at age 62 without regret to spend quality time with her parents until their death at the ages of 97 and 98. They passed away within 4 months of each other, followed by the death of her former husband, with whom she maintained a close relationship. She has navigated the challenges, rewards and emotional aftermath of caring for loved ones through their final moments. Questions We...
info_outline
How Mold Toxicity Affects Hormonal Balance During Menopause And Effective Detox Strategies
The Flipping 50 Show
Exposure to mold toxicity affects hormonal balance. You may not have been exposed to mold or you may not know that you’ve been exposed to mold. That mold doesn’t always look like asthma or you getting sick, but it may look like a simple symptom that might be mistaken for menopause. Stay tuned to this episode and learn what mold exposure can do, what it might feel like and why you might simply mistaken your menopause symptoms when they could be so much more! My Guest: Dr. Jaban Moore is a Doctor of Chiropractic located in Kansas City who works virtually with clients through functional...
info_outline
What Is Sarcopenia and How to Avoid Sarcopenia In Menopause
The Flipping 50 Show
What is sarcopenia and why is this such an important topic for every woman over 40? That is the topic of conversation today. What is Sarcopoenia? Sarcopenia is to muscle what osteoporosis is to bone. Significant loss of skeletal muscle mass and or muscle strength. Sarcopenia is tied to anabolic resistance in midlife women, making it harder to gain lean muscle growth or maintenance after 40. Older adults - both men and women - have to work harder to gain lean muscle mass. Women have less overall body mass and muscle to begin with and more dramatic reductions in...
info_outlineIf you are exercising but not losing weight or gaining muscle after 50, there are some easy and yet not-so-obvious reasons why.
This is for all of you exercising but not getting results.
Whether you or women you work with are interested in gaining muscle after 50, you may like this:
How to Design Strength Programs that Work PRE, peri and post-menopause is a new workshop I'm offering complimentary to our members and existing Menopause Fitness Specialists. If you’re interested as a non-member, add your name here to the notifications list.
5 Reasons You May Struggle Losing Fat or Gaining Muscle After 50
-
Not Working To Muscular Fatigue
-
- Starting out: 5-6 reps to fatigue
- Experienced - 2 reps from reserve
Workouts to gain muscle strength:
-
- Light - in between 6-30 reps
- Moderate - +/- 15 reps
- Heavy - 10 or fewer reps
-
Too Little Recovery
3 things that have to recover: Muscle, Connective tissues, Adrenals
-
-
Muscle
-
48 hours of recovery is not enough for a lot of people. As we age, we need more recovery time.
If you take too little recovery time, you will feed more tired than better and not gain lean muscle mass.
-
-
Connective tissues (ligaments & joints)
-
Recovery may be slower and healing from an injury or a strain.
Take time with warm ups and cool downs. Work on mobility around key joints like ankles, hips and shoulders regularly.
-
-
Adrenals
-
Prolonged elevated cortisol after a workout is problematic if already chronic elevation of cortisol exists.
Estrogen regulates the HPA-axis (cortisol/adrenal signaling) function. Less estrogen reduces the ability to regulate stressors.
Decreasing exercise, reducing inflammation and taxing of the adrenals, improving sleep, nutrition sufficiency, and identifying ways to reduce negative effects of cortisol with tools that work for you.
More Reasons Why You're Not Gaining Muscle After 50
-
Too Few Calories Or Protein
May limit muscle protein synthesis.
If you’re in a caloric deficit:
-
- a moderate deficit (<500 calories below maintenance)
- resistance training
- high protein intake
Can help preserve muscle during fat loss.
BUT for muscle growth, a calorie surplus is usually necessary.
An 8-week study on heavy resistance training performed in a split routine (with young adults) suggested a much higher protein intake successfully improved fat loss with resistance training in active adults. That was 3.4g protein / kg body weight. For me doing that math at 130lbs would mean an intake of 200g of protein.
A recent study pointed out that for muscle strength older adults need adequate protein, and for mass, adequate micronutrient density.
-
Too Little Sleep
Inadequate sleep can lead to a decrease in muscle strength in the post-night session .
Sleep, post-exercise recovery and athletic performance seem to be significantly related and it appears that vigorous exercise can intensify the negative relationship between sleep deprivation and recovery.
-
Not Enough Quality Volume
POST menopause requires more volume than PRE menopause for adequate stimulus.
Post-menopause recommendations are 6-8 sets of exercise for any one muscle group per week.
PRE menopause:
-
- Per day: 3 to 4 sets per 8 major muscle group
- Per week: 48 to 64 sets total, spread out in 2 (or 3) workouts.
These work before estrogen and other hormonal declines have occurred.
POST menopause:
-
- Per day: 6 to 8 sets per 8 major muscle group
- Per week: 77 to 144 sets total, spread out in 2 (or 3) workouts.
That is a wide range but researchers suggested more is needed. More research is needed to determine if this is really true. More importantly, you should test it to see if it’s true for you.
References for Gaining Muscle After 50:
- Sports Medicine, 2024, PMID: 38970765.
- Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study. Menopause, 2009, PMID: 19322116.
- The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2017, PMID: 29106594.
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2022, PMID: 34697259.
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2015, PMID: 26500462.
- Biology of Sport, 2021, PMID: 33795917.
- BMC Women’s Health, 2023, PMID: 37803287.
Other Episodes You Might Like:
- Previous Episode - What to Do When Joints Hurt, Ache or Need Replaced? A Doctor Viewpoint
- Next Episode - You’re Not Really Bloated!
- More Like This - Extended Cardio and Low Protein Equal Short Term Weight Loss
Resources:
- Don’t know where to start? Book your Discovery Call with Debra.
- Understand how sleep relates to your hormones, muscle mass and weight loss with Flipping 50 Sleep Yourself Strong.
- Learn how to Design Strength Programs that work pre, peri and post-menopause.