Unfortunately, many women still believe the myth that lifting weights will make them "bulky" or "manly".
However, the truth is that strength training can be an incredibly empowering and beneficial practice for women of all ages and fitness levels, especially through perimenopause and menopause.
Why the bulky myth doesn't hold up
Building the kind of visible muscle mass people picture when they hear "bulky" takes years of very specific, high volume training, a deliberate calorie surplus, and for most people, genetics and hormones that the average woman in her 40s or 50s simply doesn't have.
What strength training actually does for most of the women I coach looks nothing like that.
It looks like more energy. Better sleep. Clothes fitting differently. Feeling steadier on your feet. Getting up off the floor without thinking about it.
The real barrier isn't your body, it's the belief that this has to be hard
The problem is, most people already think strength training is hard before they've even tried it.
And for a lot of the women I work with, a gym on top of that feels intimidating.
So we take both of those away.
If you've never trained before, week one isn't heavy lifting. It's gentle movement, some stretching, very light exercises. Just building consistency and getting used to it.
As your fitness and flexibility improve, we gradually bring in a bit more. Slowly enough that you finish each session thinking, "that was a little bit challenging, but honestly, easy enough."
That's exactly where you want to be.
What consistent, gradual strength training actually adds up to
On day one, holding a plank for 10 seconds might feel like plenty.
Give it six months of consistently showing up, and that same 10 seconds can turn into a full minute.
That's a 500% increase.
If your salary went up by 500%, would you be happy with that?
Put like that, it's actually a huge deal.
Walking is brilliant, and I'll never tell anyone to stop doing it. But if you want to feel your fittest, strongest, and set yourself up for the best longevity, strength training is where it's at.
Because the real barrier was never your knees, your hips, or your fitness level. It was the belief that this had to be hard.
Take that away, and going from a 10 second plank to a full minute isn't the exception. It's just what happens when you start small and keep showing up.
You don't need to lift heavy to get strong. You just need to start, and keep going.