Muscle Mass and Strength Gains After Menopause How Much How Fast?
Release Date: 08/29/2025
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’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
- Results:
- Quadriceps strength increased in all participants
- 65–75 group: 1–18%
- 85+ group: 6–21%
- 1RM leg extension increased in all participants
- 65–75 group: 38% ± 20%
- 85+ group: 46% ± 14%
- Improvements were seen in lean mass, strength and functional activities like chair stands, gait speed, timed up-and-go.
- Quadriceps strength increased in all participants
Defining Muscle Mass and Strength Gains After Menopause
- Exercise intensity is based on decreasing repetitions to muscular fatigue.
- Exercise volume is based on the number of sets.
Considerations for Exercise Volume in Women in Menopause
- Volume = sets x reps x weight or total weekly workload.
- Start small (1–2 sets, 2x per week if inactive). Build to 3x only once consistent.
- Balance recovery: not just alternating workout/rest days, but also factoring in life stress.
- Menopausal women may need 48–72 hours between resistance sessions, per muscle group.
For women post menopause; increasing the number of days per week to reach greater exercise volume can be problematic because of the need for balance with recovery days. We don’t mean 1 day work, 1 day rest. It can mean 1 day of high intensity work and 2 or 3 days light or moderate exercise for another type for recovery.
Start Your Strength Gains After Menopause
The beginning phases of exercise should last longer for a woman starting in her 60s or 70s. Muscle, ligaments and tendons collectively are not as resilient at 60 as they were at 20. Since most early improvements are due to neural adaptations and heavier weights don’t accelerate that, progress at a pace so you know you’ve exercised muscles but aren’t sore or uncomfortable. You’re in this for life. There’s time.
The adaptive response to resistance training is preserved even in males and females over 85.
Protein & Resistance Training
- Two drivers of muscle protein synthesis:
- Resistance Training
- Adequate Protein.
- For metabolic health: ~100g/day (for 160 lb woman).
- For optimal fitness: closer to 160g/day.
- Protein recommendation for a 160lb adult is 60 grams of protein day.
Only 46% of older adults get that.
5-Step Protein & Resistance Training Process:
-
- Track your current protein intake.
- Compare with recommendations based on age, weight, activity.
- Identify gaps without judgment.
- Close the gap gradually.
- Set short-term goals, especially starting with breakfast protein.
Muscle Mass and Strength Gains After Menopause are Dependent On…
Relative Strength Training Power decreased significantly after the age of 50 years and was negatively and strongly associated with mobility limitations.
Mobility & Longevity Connection
-
- Strength must be paired with mobility to prevent limitations.
- Key focus areas: ankles, hips, upper back.
- Loss of mobility = harder to regain later.
More… much more on mobility in upcoming posts.
References:
- Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle. 2021, PMID: 34216098.
- Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2019, PMID: 30932132.
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2023, PMID: 37875254.
Other Episodes You Might Like:
- Previous Episode - Aging with Power, (Without an Outage) with Vonda Wright
- Next Episode - 80 Lb Perimenopausal Weight Loss After Corporate Burnout
- More Like This:
Resources for Strength Gains After Menopause:
- Join the Hot, Not Bothered! Challenge to learn why timing matters and why what works for others is not working for you.
- Get the Flipping 50 STRONGER 12-week program for your at-home safe, sane, simple exercises.
- Get your lean, clean Flipping 50 Protein Powders to maintain muscle and support metabolism.