April 4, 2025 • 34 mins
This episode is for you if you’ve ever wondered why maintaining muscle and keeping your metabolism strong gets harder with age. Kat breaks down the science of muscle loss, metabolism, and how strength training can counteract the natural decline that begins in your 30s. She also shares practical strategies to help you build and maintain muscle through smart training, progressive overload, and proper nutrition.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why muscle mass naturally declines after 30 (sarcopenia) and how it affects metabolism.
- How strength training preserves muscle and supports a faster metabolism.
- The role of estrogen in muscle maintenance and how perimenopause impacts strength.
- Compound movements (squats, deadlifts, pushups) are essential for practical training.
- How progressive overload helps you build strength over time.
- Rest, recovery, and sleep are essential to muscle growth and fitness.
- How to balance strength training and cardio for optimal health.
Take Action:
Ready to level up your strength training? Explore KatFit Strength’s tailored programs for women navigating perimenopause, motherhood, and busy lives. Visit www.kat.fit or connect with Kat on Instagram @KatFitStrength.
Did you love this episode? Hit Follow or Subscribe and leave a review! Your feedback helps more women discover this space. Share this episode with a friend who is ready to embrace strength and take charge of her health.
Stay Connected:
- Follow Kat on Instagram: @KatFitStrength
- Visit the KatFit Strength website: www.kat.fit
Until next time—keep moving forward, one mile at a time.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kat (00:00):
You've heard it before.
We lose muscle as we age, buthere's the real question.
Why does it happen?
And more importantly, how can westop it?
In today's episode, we're goingto do a deep dive into why
lifting heavy weights even after35, could be the key to
maintaining muscle combatingage, and boosting your overall
(00:21):
health.
Stick around and learn thescience of estrogen and why
strength training matters in howyou can take control of your
body.
As you age, welcome to MilesFromHerView, the podcast powered
by KatFit strength, where busywomen like you find practical
solutions to fuel your fitnessjourney with authenticity and
resilience.
(00:41):
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties.
With nearly two decades ofexperience, I'm here to help you
cut through the noise of fads,hacks, and quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
motherhood, all while buildingstrength and resilience and
(01:02):
reconnecting with you from aplace of self-compassion and
worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
Welcome back to Miles fromReview.
I'm Kat, and this topic, I havetalked about it before.
(01:24):
If you're a long time listener,you've heard me say heavy
lifting strength training.
Things are so important for uswomen as we progress through our
thirties, forties, fifties,sixties, seventies, whatever
decade you're in.
Strength training is important.
We're also gonna talk about howto balance those weeks.
But I think what is really,really deep.
(01:45):
Is the understanding of how ourhormones change.
And it's not all about doom andgloom.
There is a lot of positive andways we can control how we go
through that midlife period aswe are in that perimenopause.
To menopause timeframe, thattimeframe in your thirties,
you're raising a family,managing a career, and
(02:06):
navigating those early stages ofperimenopause.
You may not know you're directlyin perimenopause.
You may feel changes starting tohappen, and sadly.
You can talk to your doctorabout it, but sometimes there
just isn't more knowledge onthat.
Your Dr.
May be dismissive.
You yourself may be stillbuilding your family 30.
You know, between that 35 to 45range where our hormones are
(02:28):
starting to fluctuate andstarting to prepare us for that,
menopausal years does not mean.
That anything is wrong withthat.
It's just the way life is.
Or maybe you had your kids whenyou were in your late twenties
or early thirties, and nowyou're starting to feel those
flexes.
Could it be perimenopause tillmenopause?
Maybe it's not.
(02:48):
So really what you can do to setyourself up for success and not
feel like you've triedeverything and failed.
So we're gonna be breaking down,like I said, those hormonal
changes that come with midlifeand explain.
Why muscle mass naturallydecreases after 30, and why it
is so crucial to take control ofyour strength now, you'll also
learn how to structure thoseworkouts to build muscle power
(03:10):
and strength and navigate yourway to better health despite
these changes.
But we're gonna go into whatmidlife really is and when
perimenopause starts to affectus.
With that, it's different foreach person.
Does not mean there isn'tanswers for you.
I wanna be very clear on that.
One of the biggest things that Iwould say with perimenopause and
(03:32):
menopause is look to the womenin your family.
See when they went throughmenopause.
That can kind of give you atimeframe as to when you might
be entering or feeling some ofthose perimenopause flexes.
On average, it's about likeeight to 10 years before you go
through menopause.
Each person is different, so youneed to make sure that you
(03:52):
document it for yourself.
Also have those conversations ifyou can with sisters, mothers,
aunts, et cetera.
All the women in your directbloodline family, that can
really help shed some light onthe age frame of when you might
be going through it.
Symptoms are different for eachperson.
Sometimes how your mom wentthrough perimenopause to
(04:15):
menopause also may give you someindication.
However, there are somedifferences there.
But going back to what doesmidlife even mean?
We hear midlife, you know, am Imiddle aged?
Am I in my midlife?
What does that really mean?
But it's oftentimes considered,you know, right around the start
of your 40, so a little bit over35, that is when we start to
(04:35):
notice some changes Midlife.
Isn't just a number.
It's kind of a shift inpriorities, energies, and the
way our body responds to life.
If you're raising a family orjuggling multiple roles, you're
navigating changes physically,mentally, and emotionally.
The stress of trying to do itall can really take a toll.
Trust me, I am right there withyou guys.
(04:56):
I mean, juggling it all and thestress of it can really be
exhausting, but midlife is alsoa time to lean into our own
strength because.
Physically things are changing.
You might notice it's harder tobuild or maintain muscle, or you
might feel like you justnaturally were strong or a
(05:17):
little bit harder and you'refeeling quote unquote softer.
You might find that you could godo a hard workout or do
something really hard for aweekend, but now it's taking
longer to recover.
Or maybe you're seeing.
More fat accumulate around yourabdomen.
These changes aren't justinevitable.
They're largely due to hormonalfluctuations and especially from
(05:40):
estrogen.
We're gonna take a little stepback and we're gonna talk about
estrogen because it's going toplay a huge role in everything
we're discussing today.
So it's going to get, get alittle sciency, but I think it's
really important because from mystandpoint, I.
See it talked about a lot and alot of people blame their
hormones, and hormones do play arole.
(06:00):
However, estrogen is not oftengone into a deep dive.
It's just like, oh, estrogen isthe main player.
It's, it's the thing that iscausing the issue.
And that's that perimenopause isthat transitional period before
menopause.
So it typically starts in yourforties, and it can happen
earlier.
It's when your body graduallystarts.
Starts to produce less estrogenand your ovaries slow down in
(06:25):
releasing eggs.
So this shift has a big impacton that muscle mass metabolism
and fat distribution.
And here's why.
Estrogen does more than justregulate the menstrual psych.
It's essential for musclepreservation, that fat
metabolism and bone health.
And as estrogen levels dropduring perimenopause, muscle
(06:46):
mass tends to decrease morequickly while fat, particularly
around the abdomen starts tobuild up more easily.
So let's, let's really breakthis down, okay.
Because if we understand kind ofthe science, we can provide a
little bit more understanding onwhat's going on with ourselves
and give back control toyourself.
(07:06):
So there are three main types ofestrogen.
Estro, which is E one, steroidalE two, and Estriol E three.
And I may be butchering thepronunciations on E two and E
three, but roll with it here.
E one Estro is the primary formof estrogen during menopause.
So ESTRO becomes the dominantform of estrogen as we enter
(07:30):
menopause.
It's a weaker estrogen comparedto the other two.
So, and how it impacts musclesis when Estro plays a role in
maintaining that some hormonalbalance it does, doesn't have
the muscle preserving power ofrado.
Okay.
And I'm, again, that's E two andthat is.
The key factor why we losemuscle as we age.
(07:54):
Now, E two estro Dole, andagain, please if I'm butchering
these, but forgive me and reachout to me, I will learn how to
pronounce'em.
The dominant form of estrogenhere is E two, and those are in
the reproductive years.
So that is the strongest andmost effective form when it
comes to muscle preservation andmetabolic health and how it
impacts muscles is it plays acrucial role in muscle protein
(08:17):
synthesis.
So.
That's the process of buildingmuscle without sufficient esra,
estradiol mu muscle breakdownaccelerates and rebuilding slows
down.
So this can make it reallyharder to maintain and build
that muscle, especially whenyou're strength training E three
ESTRO that is produced duringpregnancy.
It typically isn't discussedoutside of pregnancy.
(08:38):
It can still have a mild effecton the body's estrogen levels
during perimenopause.
So that's.
Kind of like the, I don't wannasay the lesser, but it's
predominantly during thatpregnancy time period.
So ESTRO has a weaker effect onmuscle mass metabolism as
estradiol.
However, the presence alongsideof low estradiol can also
contribute to the decline inmuscle mass and muscle function.
(09:01):
All, all is estrogen levelsstart to decline, particularly E
two, that esher oil, yourmuscles become more prone to
breakdown and rebuilding.
Slows.
This means you need to be morestrategic with your strength
training to maintain and buildmuscle mass.
Okay?
So that nowhere in there it saysit's impossible.
(09:23):
It's just being very strategicwith maintaining the muscle mass
and to build your muscles.
All right, let's dive in to.
Why lifting heavy matters?
You've heard me talk about it somuch on this podcast, and if
there's one thing I can hope youtake away is understanding some
(09:44):
of the strategicness of why weneed to lift heavy and how it is
possible even in a busyschedule.
The simple answer of why itmatters so much in midlife is
it's all about preserving yourmuscle, building bone density,
and improving functionalstrength, not just so you look
stronger.
But it's about feeling strongaesthetics.
(10:06):
I'm all for it, but we also haveto understand it's about feeling
strong.
Think about individuals,particularly women, maybe in
your own family or others thatyou might know who are older.
You see them as very strong, andthen at some point they look
frail.
Whether or not they're stillindependent, they just start to
look frail again, I can think ofindividuals who.
(10:31):
I have known throughout my lifewhere they are very strong
individuals and then at somepoint they start to look very
frail and limit their selves.
This is something that strengthtraining can give back and we
wanna feel stronger.
So if we're focused on aestheticgoals solely, it can jeopardize.
Feeling strong, being moreindependent and mobile as we get
(10:51):
older.
So when you lift heavy weights,what you are doing is you're
stimulating hypertro hypertrophyincreases the muscle size.
I wanna be very clear on this.
You will not bulk up if you wantto bulk up and look like a
bodybuilder.
That is a different way ofworking out.
So that is not what I'm talkingabout here.
If that is for you, fantastic,but that's not what we're gonna
(11:15):
cover today.
So the strategies today aremaintaining current muscle mass,
building more muscle mass inwhich you will not bulk up.
You will build stripe.
So lifting in the four to sixrep range with heavy, heavy
weights is optimal for buildingmuscle Research shows that this
type of resistance training is.
(11:35):
Really a very effective way tocombat age related decline in
muscle and strength, but there'smore to it than just muscle
growth.
Heavy lifting also prevents.
Injuries.
And as we get older, falls andtrips become a real concern.
Our balance and coordination isone of the first things to go
out the window, and that doesn'tstart in our sixties and
seventies.
(11:56):
It starts in our late twentiesand thirties.
Think about if you were to standup right now and just stand on
one foot, just see how you feel.
Do you feel a little offbalance?
Do you feel more in control?
And do it out of shoes?
Try and do it barefoot.
Balance and coordination ishuge, and strength training is
going to help.
Maintain that.
So the stronger your musclesare, the better your balance and
(12:18):
stability will Lifting alsohelps you catch yourself when
you trip, when you strengthtrain and if you trip, you are
going to be able to catchyourself because your muscle is
going to be what's called actionready.
You're going to be primed to beable to react, to prevent
yourself falling to the floor.
This is really important becauselike I said, we lose balance.
(12:41):
As we age, you will probablyexperience some falling, and we
want to prevent seriousinjuries.
Lifting keeps you safe.
Let's talk about power.
So we talked about hypertrophy,lifting, heavy, stimulating,
that muscle mass.
We want to maintain that, butpower is also a combination of
strength and the ability togenerate.
Force.
So this is the ability to reactfast, okay?
(13:04):
Think about picking up yourkids, you know, jumping during a
workout, avoiding an accident.
You're tripping quick.
Catch yourself.
This is the power.
This is what we want.
That reactivity of inertiaimpact on your body so that you
don't fall, that you can sustaina hit.
I have two large dogs.
They come running at me.
They don't know.
They think they're probably fivepound dogs and they hit me.
(13:26):
I can withstand the hit of my.
75 pound dog.
It doesn't take me over.
Not keen on that, but you knowwhat?
He is my lab dog.
So power is so crucial formaintaining athleticism as we
age.
Athleticism gets associated withbeing on a team and playing a
sport.
Yes, that is one aspect of it,but we need athleticism in our
(13:49):
everyday life.
Think about the amount of timesyou, if you have younger kids,
you're picking up kids.
If you are, you know.
Groceries, picking up a heavygrocery bag, placing it onto the
counter.
Think about if you are someonewho cares for horses, you have
horses, or you are doinggardening.
(14:11):
I know again, going back to mydogs, we buy 40 pound dog 40
pound bags of dog food.
Lifting that up into the car,lifting it into the car, you
know, there is athleticism inlife does not mean you need to
be training for a sport of anykind.
Alright, let's dig a little bitdi deeper into the science
(14:33):
behind hypertrophy.
So when we talk abouthypertrophy, we're really
referring to that process ofmuscle growth for.
Muscle tissue to grow.
It must be subjected to astressor that isn't, it isn't
accustomed to.
It causes those fibers toexperience microscopic damage or
micro tears, and once thesefibers repair, they rebuild
(14:54):
stronger and thicker.
This is the result of musclegrowth.
How do we do this?
It's progressive overload.
You might have heard me speakabout this.
On the podcast before, butprogressive overload is the
cornerstone to that hypertrophy.
In simple terms, progressiveoverload means we gradually
increase the stress placed onyour muscles during training to
(15:16):
continue making gains over time.
This isn't just about likeadding more weight, it could
also mean increasing number ofsets.
Reps or intensity of yourexercise.
So I don't want you to think,okay, if I start with five
pounds, at some point I'm goingto be at 500 pounds.
No, there's many different waysto manipulate and the
progressive overload over time.
(15:37):
So it's sets, reps, intensity ofthe exercises your body adapts
to those challenges.
So if we continue to do the samething at the same intensity.
Your progress will plateau.
So oftentimes I hear fromclients when they start working
with me, I have been doing thisand it's no longer working.
So we take a deep dive into thethings that they've been doing.
(15:59):
All great things, but we needthat progressive overload, and
that's where some of the sciencyaspect goes into in creating
that strategic plan so that youcan maintain and build muscle.
Dr.
Vonda Wright is an amazingexpert and an amazing doctor in
the field of study with midlifeand aging.
She is an orthopedic doctor andfollower on social media.
(16:23):
She's amazing.
She emphasizes living hefty inthe four to six range is very
optimal for hypertrophy.
So at this intensity, you aretargeting the fast twitch muscle
fibers.
These are the fibers that areresponsible for explosive
strength and muscle growth.
So when you lift heavy weightsin the four to six reps, you're
placing a maximum stress onthese fibers, which stimulate
(16:45):
the release of various growthfactors like.
IGF one, insulin like growthfactor one and testosterone.
These hormones are critical formuscle repair and growth.
Okay, so let's.
Dive in a little bit deeper.
Like I said, we're gonna get alittle sciency.
I wanna provide that background,and if you have questions on all
(17:07):
of this message, the podcast, Iam here to help you.
So, how muscles fibers respondto training.
So to truly understand thishypertrophy, we need to look at.
The different types of musclefibers and what they do with
muscle growth.
So type one is your slow twitch.
These fibers are primarilyresponsible for endurance
activities like long distancerunning cycling, and they tend
(17:30):
to be more res resistant tofatigue.
But.
They just don't grow as much inresponse to heavy lifting.
Now, type two A, which is fasttwitch oxidative.
These fibers are hybrid ofendurance and power, so they can
handle moderate loads for longperiods and really contribute to
muscle growth, but they aren'tthe primary focus for maximal
(17:51):
hypertrophy.
So type two B, fast twitch,which are glycolytic these
fibers.
Are the real muscle builders,they can handle the highest
loads and respond dramaticallyto hypertrophy training.
So when you're lifting in thatfour to six range, you're
primarily targeting these fasttwitch fibers and they have the
(18:11):
greatest potential for growth.
So when you're engaging inhypertrophy specific training,
you recruit more of these typetwo B fibers, and this is where
you see the most muscle growth.
The process begins with.
Mechanical tension from liftingheavy weights and muscle damage
caused by muscle tears, whichleads to metabolic stress.
The pump or that burning feelingyou get during high intensity
(18:33):
workouts.
All this triggers the body torepair muscle fibers stronger
and larger.
But we're gonna dive in a littlebit deeper.
I really wanna give you thisfull picture of not just why it
is so important, but how we canbe strategic and how you can see
the changes you want in midlifeand beyond.
We're gonna go into now the.
Bone density, estrogen decline,and just kind of try and tie it
(18:57):
a little bit more together.
Bone density, this is a big one.
Estrogen levels, as we alreadystated, they decline with age.
We want to make sure we're notlosing that.
Bone densities, estrogen, aswe've already concluded, is
essential for bone turnover andthis process of breaking down
old bone tissue and forming new,so one that.
Estrogen drops the process, canfeel it, not feel, it becomes
(19:20):
unbalanced leading to loss ofbone.
This is why women aftermenopause are at a higher risk
of osteoporosis, and that is thecondition where bones become
more brittle and fragile andmaking.
You are more prone to fractures,so this is where heavy lifting
comes in.
Strength training, particularlyweight bearing exercises,
stimulate bone formation, so themechanical stress is placed on
(19:41):
the bones when lifting heavyweights and encourages bone
building cells calledosteoblasts to become more
active.
These osteoblasts lay down newbone tissue and help increase
bone density to counteract theeffects of estrogen decline.
You know, this is another hugereason why we need to lift heavy
(20:02):
and have that progressiveoverload is because it is
something within your controlthat you can take back
regardless of how your hormones,they are fluctuating.
So studies show that likeregular strength training,
especially heavy loads, bonemineral density.
BMD.
This can help maintain or evenimprove that bone strength,
reducing the risk ofosteoporosis related fractures
(20:24):
later in life.
So this is so huge.
So let's go into that mechanicalstress on bones, just like
muscles.
Bones adapt to the stress placedon them, the more stress you
place on bones is stronger theybecome by lifting heavy weight,
you're not only increasingmuscle mass, but you're.
Also ensuring bones becomedenser and stronger.
Now, the hormonal benefitsstrength training boosts the
(20:45):
release of growth hormones andtestosterone, which play a role
in bone health.
These hormones stimulate theproduction of bone forming cells
and increase.
Bone remodeling, which maintainsbone density, weight-bearing
impact.
So weight-bearing activity likewalking, running, lifting,
(21:06):
forces your bones to supportyour body weight, and it
encourages bone strength.
Lifting weights is one of themost effective for
weight-bearing activitiesbecause the.
They have high forces involved.
How do you put together astrategic strength training
plan?
We want a multifaceted approachthat tackles both muscle muscle
(21:26):
preservation and bone densitywhere you are focusing on
hypertrophy for muscle growth aswell as.
Power and maintaining thatathleticism.
So to optimize that hypertrophy,we wanna focus on compound
movements like squats,deadlifts, bench press, and
rows.
So these exercises are workingmultiple groups at once, so
(21:47):
they're going to provide agreater training.
When I write plans, I focus oncompound movements.
I do not specialize with focusedbody part.
Plans.
So it's not like back and chest,one day legs, one day core, one
day.
No.
We are focused on the wholebody.
Because of what compoundmovements do, they provide a
(22:11):
greater training effect.
So we're gonna lift heavy withproper form.
Heavy is related to you.
It does not mean a number thatis universal heavy is unique to
you, and I want that.
To resonate with you there, Iwant you to kind of take that
away.
So we're gonna stick four to sixrep range to stimulate that
muscle growth to engage as fasttwitch fibers.
(22:34):
Using challenging weights butallowing you to maintain good
form.
Good form.
I am a stickler with warmbecause it allows the muscles to
engage the way they're supposedto.
Also prevents injuries.
I can't tell you how many timesI have had clients come in
scared to do exercises becausethey have gotten injured before,
(22:55):
and I work with them.
I meet them where they're at.
So that they feel morecomfortable and competent in
their body so that they can movetheir body with great form, with
heavy loads on it.
Progressive overload.
Okay.
We wanna keep challenging thosemuscles, so gradually increasing
the weight.
Number of reps or sets overtime, which pushes the muscles
(23:17):
to grow and adapt.
This is my favorite, favoriteone and often overlooked is rest
days and recovery.
So as we mentioned, it can takelonger for you to recover as
estrogen declines.
So we wanna honor that.
Even if you were in yourtwenties, we wanna honor that.
It does not mean in yourtwenties because estrogen is.
You know, flowing amazing andyour hormones are all quote
(23:39):
unquote balanced.
Everything feels good that youdon't need rest is you still
need them then, and you stillneed recovery then, but it is
essential for muscle repair andgrowth.
Your muscles need time torecover from the stress of
lifting heavy, and your bonesneed time to rebuild after the
stress of weight-bearingactivities.
Here's one that also gets.
(24:01):
Thrown out of balance is thebalance of strength training
with cardio.
We need both.
We need both of these things,but it does not have to be a
cumbersome plan that takeshours.
So lifting heavy is so essentialfor bone health, but we need our
hearts to be healthy too, andthat's where cardio goes into.
So moderate cardio into yourweekly routine is going to help
(24:22):
that heart health.
We're gonna take a quick, quickpause before we keep going on
with this, and I wanna take amoment to share.
Something that could help youget started with your journey
today.
If you are ready to take yourstrength training to the next
level, check out my KatFitStrength program where I offer
tailored strength training proprograms for women like you.
Whether you're navigatingperimenopause, managing
motherhood, or just looking tobuild muscles safely and
(24:44):
effectively with custom plansdesigned to meet your body where
it's at.
KatFit strength can help youfeel strong, injury, free and
empowered.
You can find all the details atKatFit or just message a
podcast.
I will get back to you.
Let's keep diving into how do westructure a plan.
Hopefully you're still stickingwith me and not feeling
(25:05):
overwhelmed, so I'm gonna take aseven day workout cycle.
Your cycle does not have to beseven days.
You can look at it and extend itto a 12 day cycle.
We're gonna focus on seven days.
So this seven day workout cycle,and again, this is just a mere
outline and suggestion, this isnot something that I want you to
take and just start doing.
It is just a broad basedoverview so you can
(25:27):
conceptualize how it all canwork together.
So this cycle is to build muscleendurance and strength.
The key to success in anystrength training program is
progressive overload.
I can't say that enough.
Again, you're graduallyincreasing the intensity of your
workouts.
So let's look at day one.
Day one.
Day one, a Monday can look likeheavy strength training day.
(25:48):
So this is focused on compoundmovements like squats,
deadlifts, overhead press, andaiming four to six reps with
heavy weights targeted forhypertrophy.
So potentially three to foursets with four to six reps.
Day two, active recovery.
What active recovery means is.
Something like cardio, so doinglike a low intensity cardio like
walking, cycling, or swimmingfor 30 to 45 minutes.
(26:11):
This is going to allow themuscles to get that good blood
flow in there and aid in musclerecovery.
That is also coupled with somemobility and stretching, maybe
some self myofascial release,like foam rolling using the
stick, and that is going toallow your body to feel good and
get that mobilization.
(26:32):
Into that body.
If you're feeling a little stifffrom a heavy strength training
day or from the stressors oflife, Cardi is so great.
I wanna stress that you can dowalking, cycling, swimming,
spinning, or even on this day,pairing it with like a yoga
class if you enjoy yoga.
Day three, we wanna look athypertrophy.
So we're looking at moderatereps.
(26:54):
So again, it's not always aboutheavy lifting.
But that is the cornerstonehere, as well as progressive
strength.
Day three is hypertrophymoderate we reps, so we're
working in the eight to 12 reprange for muscle definition.
So this is that muscle endurancefiber here, and we're focusing
on specific muscle grips now.
(27:15):
As I mentioned earlier, it'snot, okay.
Well this is where we only focuson leg day, and then the next
week is chest and back.
No, no, no, no.
It's still total body, but we'rereally working on those focused
movements, so it might belunges, dumbbell rows, leg
press.
The ones where it's not allabout those compound movements,
(27:36):
but we are having some of thosecompound movements in there and
we're focusing on what I callaccessory lifts, backing up that
support of that body.
So this is where that stability.
Control in that body.
Think about like falling how youhave to catch yourself.
Heavy strength is reallycreating that big, strong body.
Day four, we're gonna focus onmobility and stretching, so
(28:00):
we're focused on dynamicstretching, foam rolling really
to reduce that muscle tightness.
It's about 20 to 30 minuteshere.
Now with this day on day four,you can also incorporate some
great walking cycling, but we'renot focused on getting on any
sort of cardio equipment orgetting outside and hammering
(28:21):
hard.
Again, that goes with day two.
We can.
Look at ways, and I do have someof my clients doing some
interval training with theircardio, but it is focused on
what works best and how theyrecover.
That doesn't mean we avoid it,but it really, that's where it
becomes individualized.
So when I say cardio, I don'twant you to think full all out
(28:42):
hard as possible.
We can stay in that steady statezone too.
I'll do a whole podcast oncardio.
Here's another area where we canincorporate, get out in nature
and find that good stressrelease there, but getting that
mobility and stretching inthere.
Day five, do all powerexplosiveness, so it could be
box jumps, medicine ball throws,kettlebell swings to build that
(29:06):
explosive strength with this.
It's not that I'm starting myclients out doing big, deep box
jumps.
There are many different ways toget that power and explosiveness
without thinking I'm jumpingdown from a big box.
I am, you know, throwing weightaround.
It's meeting yourself whereyou're at, and we build that
power explosive so that the bodycan handle a load.
(29:26):
If you were to have to sprintafter your toddler or if you
trip, you can catch yourself.
So day six is this full bodystrength.
We're gonna be focusing onhigher reps.
Eight to 12 reps per exerciseand about two to three sets,
eight to 12 reps.
The weight is going to be amoderate weight.
You're gonna still feel it heavyin your hand, but it's not gonna
(29:48):
be all out super heavy all thetime, day seven, rest and
recovery.
Take a full day, relax, recover.
You know, maybe you need to dosome mobility.
Maybe it's just a nice easy walkin nature with the family.
But really that is.
Kind of how a whole seven dayframework will look like.
So to recap, day one, heavystrength training.
(30:10):
Day two, active recovery withcardio.
Day three, hypertro thinkingmoderate reps eight to 12 range.
Day four mobility.
Maybe another cardio specificworkout.
Day five.
Really working on that powerexplosive.
Day six.
Full body.
Again, going back to that likehypertrophy, moderate reps, and
day seven, fully off.
(30:31):
All that being said, this isjust a seven day framework.
It does not mean that I have allmy clients doing all of this.
This is just an ideal situation.
Some of my clients strengthtrained.
Two times per week because thatis the season of life they're
in.
And then they have cardiomovement outside of that.
So it has to work for you.
(30:51):
And the last thing I want you tofeel is I can't do seven days
like this, no worries.
A heavy strength training day inand get a moderate strength
training day in.
And that is going to beincredible and focus on getting
that movement in everyday life.
So do not feel that this is theabsolute only way you're going
(31:12):
to see.
Success because this is just.
One example, and there are manydifferent ways you can cater it
to yourself.
Let's recap this'cause I threw alot at you.
Lifting heavy progressivestrength training is where it's
at for women and midlife.
Not only does it help youpreserve muscle mass, but it
also allows you to buildstrength, power, helping you
(31:33):
prevent injuries and keeping youfeel.
Your best any age in any decadeyou are.
If you're navigating thosechanges of perimenopause or
managing the demands of familylife, lifting heavy and focusing
on muscle growth is really gonnagive you that energy and that
resilience you need for yourlife.
And as I mentioned, mid show, ifyou really are ready to do this
(31:54):
and you're like, I just needsomeone to give me a plan, I'm
your person.
I can help you with this.
We can chat.
So.
I'd love to hop on a call withyou.
Reach out to me on Instagram atKatFit Strength or visit the
site at KatFit.
Thanks for tuning in and don'tforget to subscribe.
If you're really enjoying theshow, please share it with
someone or leave a review.
(32:15):
Thank you for tuning in to Milesfrom Review.
Powered by KatFit Strength.
If this podcast inspires you,don't keep it for yourself.
Hit follow or subscribe to Stayupdated on the new episodes, and
leave us a review to help morewomen and moms discover this
space.
Your feedback fuels this podcastand I'd love to hear what's
(32:36):
working for you or what topicsyou want to dive into Next.
You can connect with me onInstagram at KatFit Strength or
share this episode with a friendwho is ready to embrace her
strength.
Remember, fitness isn't aboutperfection.
It's about showing up foryourself and finding strength in
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
You've heard it before.
We lose muscle as we age, buthere's the real question.
Why does it happen?
And more importantly, how can westop it?
In today's episode, we're goingto do a deep dive into why
lifting heavy weights even after35, could be the key to
maintaining muscle combatingage, and boosting your overall
(00:21):
health.
Stick around and learn thescience of estrogen and why
strength training matters in howyou can take control of your
body.
As you age, welcome to MilesFromHerView, the podcast powered
by KatFit strength, where busywomen like you find practical
solutions to fuel your fitnessjourney with authenticity and
resilience.
(00:41):
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties.
With nearly two decades ofexperience, I'm here to help you
cut through the noise of fads,hacks, and quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
motherhood, all while buildingstrength and resilience and
(01:02):
reconnecting with you from aplace of self-compassion and
worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
Welcome back to Miles fromReview.
I'm Kat, and this topic, I havetalked about it before.
(01:24):
If you're a long time listener,you've heard me say heavy
lifting strength training.
Things are so important for uswomen as we progress through our
thirties, forties, fifties,sixties, seventies, whatever
decade you're in.
Strength training is important.
We're also gonna talk about howto balance those weeks.
But I think what is really,really deep.
(01:45):
Is the understanding of how ourhormones change.
And it's not all about doom andgloom.
There is a lot of positive andways we can control how we go
through that midlife period aswe are in that perimenopause.
To menopause timeframe, thattimeframe in your thirties,
you're raising a family,managing a career, and
(02:06):
navigating those early stages ofperimenopause.
You may not know you're directlyin perimenopause.
You may feel changes starting tohappen, and sadly.
You can talk to your doctorabout it, but sometimes there
just isn't more knowledge onthat.
Your Dr.
May be dismissive.
You yourself may be stillbuilding your family 30.
You know, between that 35 to 45range where our hormones are
(02:28):
starting to fluctuate andstarting to prepare us for that,
menopausal years does not mean.
That anything is wrong withthat.
It's just the way life is.
Or maybe you had your kids whenyou were in your late twenties
or early thirties, and nowyou're starting to feel those
flexes.
Could it be perimenopause tillmenopause?
Maybe it's not.
(02:48):
So really what you can do to setyourself up for success and not
feel like you've triedeverything and failed.
So we're gonna be breaking down,like I said, those hormonal
changes that come with midlifeand explain.
Why muscle mass naturallydecreases after 30, and why it
is so crucial to take control ofyour strength now, you'll also
learn how to structure thoseworkouts to build muscle power
(03:10):
and strength and navigate yourway to better health despite
these changes.
But we're gonna go into whatmidlife really is and when
perimenopause starts to affectus.
With that, it's different foreach person.
Does not mean there isn'tanswers for you.
I wanna be very clear on that.
One of the biggest things that Iwould say with perimenopause and
(03:32):
menopause is look to the womenin your family.
See when they went throughmenopause.
That can kind of give you atimeframe as to when you might
be entering or feeling some ofthose perimenopause flexes.
On average, it's about likeeight to 10 years before you go
through menopause.
Each person is different, so youneed to make sure that you
(03:52):
document it for yourself.
Also have those conversations ifyou can with sisters, mothers,
aunts, et cetera.
All the women in your directbloodline family, that can
really help shed some light onthe age frame of when you might
be going through it.
Symptoms are different for eachperson.
Sometimes how your mom wentthrough perimenopause to
(04:15):
menopause also may give you someindication.
However, there are somedifferences there.
But going back to what doesmidlife even mean?
We hear midlife, you know, am Imiddle aged?
Am I in my midlife?
What does that really mean?
But it's oftentimes considered,you know, right around the start
of your 40, so a little bit over35, that is when we start to
(04:35):
notice some changes Midlife.
Isn't just a number.
It's kind of a shift inpriorities, energies, and the
way our body responds to life.
If you're raising a family orjuggling multiple roles, you're
navigating changes physically,mentally, and emotionally.
The stress of trying to do itall can really take a toll.
Trust me, I am right there withyou guys.
(04:56):
I mean, juggling it all and thestress of it can really be
exhausting, but midlife is alsoa time to lean into our own
strength because.
Physically things are changing.
You might notice it's harder tobuild or maintain muscle, or you
might feel like you justnaturally were strong or a
(05:17):
little bit harder and you'refeeling quote unquote softer.
You might find that you could godo a hard workout or do
something really hard for aweekend, but now it's taking
longer to recover.
Or maybe you're seeing.
More fat accumulate around yourabdomen.
These changes aren't justinevitable.
They're largely due to hormonalfluctuations and especially from
(05:40):
estrogen.
We're gonna take a little stepback and we're gonna talk about
estrogen because it's going toplay a huge role in everything
we're discussing today.
So it's going to get, get alittle sciency, but I think it's
really important because from mystandpoint, I.
See it talked about a lot and alot of people blame their
hormones, and hormones do play arole.
(06:00):
However, estrogen is not oftengone into a deep dive.
It's just like, oh, estrogen isthe main player.
It's, it's the thing that iscausing the issue.
And that's that perimenopause isthat transitional period before
menopause.
So it typically starts in yourforties, and it can happen
earlier.
It's when your body graduallystarts.
Starts to produce less estrogenand your ovaries slow down in
(06:25):
releasing eggs.
So this shift has a big impacton that muscle mass metabolism
and fat distribution.
And here's why.
Estrogen does more than justregulate the menstrual psych.
It's essential for musclepreservation, that fat
metabolism and bone health.
And as estrogen levels dropduring perimenopause, muscle
(06:46):
mass tends to decrease morequickly while fat, particularly
around the abdomen starts tobuild up more easily.
So let's, let's really breakthis down, okay.
Because if we understand kind ofthe science, we can provide a
little bit more understanding onwhat's going on with ourselves
and give back control toyourself.
(07:06):
So there are three main types ofestrogen.
Estro, which is E one, steroidalE two, and Estriol E three.
And I may be butchering thepronunciations on E two and E
three, but roll with it here.
E one Estro is the primary formof estrogen during menopause.
So ESTRO becomes the dominantform of estrogen as we enter
(07:30):
menopause.
It's a weaker estrogen comparedto the other two.
So, and how it impacts musclesis when Estro plays a role in
maintaining that some hormonalbalance it does, doesn't have
the muscle preserving power ofrado.
Okay.
And I'm, again, that's E two andthat is.
The key factor why we losemuscle as we age.
(07:54):
Now, E two estro Dole, andagain, please if I'm butchering
these, but forgive me and reachout to me, I will learn how to
pronounce'em.
The dominant form of estrogenhere is E two, and those are in
the reproductive years.
So that is the strongest andmost effective form when it
comes to muscle preservation andmetabolic health and how it
impacts muscles is it plays acrucial role in muscle protein
(08:17):
synthesis.
So.
That's the process of buildingmuscle without sufficient esra,
estradiol mu muscle breakdownaccelerates and rebuilding slows
down.
So this can make it reallyharder to maintain and build
that muscle, especially whenyou're strength training E three
ESTRO that is produced duringpregnancy.
It typically isn't discussedoutside of pregnancy.
(08:38):
It can still have a mild effecton the body's estrogen levels
during perimenopause.
So that's.
Kind of like the, I don't wannasay the lesser, but it's
predominantly during thatpregnancy time period.
So ESTRO has a weaker effect onmuscle mass metabolism as
estradiol.
However, the presence alongsideof low estradiol can also
contribute to the decline inmuscle mass and muscle function.
(09:01):
All, all is estrogen levelsstart to decline, particularly E
two, that esher oil, yourmuscles become more prone to
breakdown and rebuilding.
Slows.
This means you need to be morestrategic with your strength
training to maintain and buildmuscle mass.
Okay?
So that nowhere in there it saysit's impossible.
(09:23):
It's just being very strategicwith maintaining the muscle mass
and to build your muscles.
All right, let's dive in to.
Why lifting heavy matters?
You've heard me talk about it somuch on this podcast, and if
there's one thing I can hope youtake away is understanding some
(09:44):
of the strategicness of why weneed to lift heavy and how it is
possible even in a busyschedule.
The simple answer of why itmatters so much in midlife is
it's all about preserving yourmuscle, building bone density,
and improving functionalstrength, not just so you look
stronger.
But it's about feeling strongaesthetics.
(10:06):
I'm all for it, but we also haveto understand it's about feeling
strong.
Think about individuals,particularly women, maybe in
your own family or others thatyou might know who are older.
You see them as very strong, andthen at some point they look
frail.
Whether or not they're stillindependent, they just start to
look frail again, I can think ofindividuals who.
(10:31):
I have known throughout my lifewhere they are very strong
individuals and then at somepoint they start to look very
frail and limit their selves.
This is something that strengthtraining can give back and we
wanna feel stronger.
So if we're focused on aestheticgoals solely, it can jeopardize.
Feeling strong, being moreindependent and mobile as we get
(10:51):
older.
So when you lift heavy weights,what you are doing is you're
stimulating hypertro hypertrophyincreases the muscle size.
I wanna be very clear on this.
You will not bulk up if you wantto bulk up and look like a
bodybuilder.
That is a different way ofworking out.
So that is not what I'm talkingabout here.
If that is for you, fantastic,but that's not what we're gonna
(11:15):
cover today.
So the strategies today aremaintaining current muscle mass,
building more muscle mass inwhich you will not bulk up.
You will build stripe.
So lifting in the four to sixrep range with heavy, heavy
weights is optimal for buildingmuscle Research shows that this
type of resistance training is.
(11:35):
Really a very effective way tocombat age related decline in
muscle and strength, but there'smore to it than just muscle
growth.
Heavy lifting also prevents.
Injuries.
And as we get older, falls andtrips become a real concern.
Our balance and coordination isone of the first things to go
out the window, and that doesn'tstart in our sixties and
seventies.
(11:56):
It starts in our late twentiesand thirties.
Think about if you were to standup right now and just stand on
one foot, just see how you feel.
Do you feel a little offbalance?
Do you feel more in control?
And do it out of shoes?
Try and do it barefoot.
Balance and coordination ishuge, and strength training is
going to help.
Maintain that.
So the stronger your musclesare, the better your balance and
(12:18):
stability will Lifting alsohelps you catch yourself when
you trip, when you strengthtrain and if you trip, you are
going to be able to catchyourself because your muscle is
going to be what's called actionready.
You're going to be primed to beable to react, to prevent
yourself falling to the floor.
This is really important becauselike I said, we lose balance.
(12:41):
As we age, you will probablyexperience some falling, and we
want to prevent seriousinjuries.
Lifting keeps you safe.
Let's talk about power.
So we talked about hypertrophy,lifting, heavy, stimulating,
that muscle mass.
We want to maintain that, butpower is also a combination of
strength and the ability togenerate.
Force.
So this is the ability to reactfast, okay?
(13:04):
Think about picking up yourkids, you know, jumping during a
workout, avoiding an accident.
You're tripping quick.
Catch yourself.
This is the power.
This is what we want.
That reactivity of inertiaimpact on your body so that you
don't fall, that you can sustaina hit.
I have two large dogs.
They come running at me.
They don't know.
They think they're probably fivepound dogs and they hit me.
(13:26):
I can withstand the hit of my.
75 pound dog.
It doesn't take me over.
Not keen on that, but you knowwhat?
He is my lab dog.
So power is so crucial formaintaining athleticism as we
age.
Athleticism gets associated withbeing on a team and playing a
sport.
Yes, that is one aspect of it,but we need athleticism in our
(13:49):
everyday life.
Think about the amount of timesyou, if you have younger kids,
you're picking up kids.
If you are, you know.
Groceries, picking up a heavygrocery bag, placing it onto the
counter.
Think about if you are someonewho cares for horses, you have
horses, or you are doinggardening.
(14:11):
I know again, going back to mydogs, we buy 40 pound dog 40
pound bags of dog food.
Lifting that up into the car,lifting it into the car, you
know, there is athleticism inlife does not mean you need to
be training for a sport of anykind.
Alright, let's dig a little bitdi deeper into the science
(14:33):
behind hypertrophy.
So when we talk abouthypertrophy, we're really
referring to that process ofmuscle growth for.
Muscle tissue to grow.
It must be subjected to astressor that isn't, it isn't
accustomed to.
It causes those fibers toexperience microscopic damage or
micro tears, and once thesefibers repair, they rebuild
(14:54):
stronger and thicker.
This is the result of musclegrowth.
How do we do this?
It's progressive overload.
You might have heard me speakabout this.
On the podcast before, butprogressive overload is the
cornerstone to that hypertrophy.
In simple terms, progressiveoverload means we gradually
increase the stress placed onyour muscles during training to
(15:16):
continue making gains over time.
This isn't just about likeadding more weight, it could
also mean increasing number ofsets.
Reps or intensity of yourexercise.
So I don't want you to think,okay, if I start with five
pounds, at some point I'm goingto be at 500 pounds.
No, there's many different waysto manipulate and the
progressive overload over time.
(15:37):
So it's sets, reps, intensity ofthe exercises your body adapts
to those challenges.
So if we continue to do the samething at the same intensity.
Your progress will plateau.
So oftentimes I hear fromclients when they start working
with me, I have been doing thisand it's no longer working.
So we take a deep dive into thethings that they've been doing.
(15:59):
All great things, but we needthat progressive overload, and
that's where some of the sciencyaspect goes into in creating
that strategic plan so that youcan maintain and build muscle.
Dr.
Vonda Wright is an amazingexpert and an amazing doctor in
the field of study with midlifeand aging.
She is an orthopedic doctor andfollower on social media.
(16:23):
She's amazing.
She emphasizes living hefty inthe four to six range is very
optimal for hypertrophy.
So at this intensity, you aretargeting the fast twitch muscle
fibers.
These are the fibers that areresponsible for explosive
strength and muscle growth.
So when you lift heavy weightsin the four to six reps, you're
placing a maximum stress onthese fibers, which stimulate
(16:45):
the release of various growthfactors like.
IGF one, insulin like growthfactor one and testosterone.
These hormones are critical formuscle repair and growth.
Okay, so let's.
Dive in a little bit deeper.
Like I said, we're gonna get alittle sciency.
I wanna provide that background,and if you have questions on all
(17:07):
of this message, the podcast, Iam here to help you.
So, how muscles fibers respondto training.
So to truly understand thishypertrophy, we need to look at.
The different types of musclefibers and what they do with
muscle growth.
So type one is your slow twitch.
These fibers are primarilyresponsible for endurance
activities like long distancerunning cycling, and they tend
(17:30):
to be more res resistant tofatigue.
But.
They just don't grow as much inresponse to heavy lifting.
Now, type two A, which is fasttwitch oxidative.
These fibers are hybrid ofendurance and power, so they can
handle moderate loads for longperiods and really contribute to
muscle growth, but they aren'tthe primary focus for maximal
(17:51):
hypertrophy.
So type two B, fast twitch,which are glycolytic these
fibers.
Are the real muscle builders,they can handle the highest
loads and respond dramaticallyto hypertrophy training.
So when you're lifting in thatfour to six range, you're
primarily targeting these fasttwitch fibers and they have the
(18:11):
greatest potential for growth.
So when you're engaging inhypertrophy specific training,
you recruit more of these typetwo B fibers, and this is where
you see the most muscle growth.
The process begins with.
Mechanical tension from liftingheavy weights and muscle damage
caused by muscle tears, whichleads to metabolic stress.
The pump or that burning feelingyou get during high intensity
(18:33):
workouts.
All this triggers the body torepair muscle fibers stronger
and larger.
But we're gonna dive in a littlebit deeper.
I really wanna give you thisfull picture of not just why it
is so important, but how we canbe strategic and how you can see
the changes you want in midlifeand beyond.
We're gonna go into now the.
Bone density, estrogen decline,and just kind of try and tie it
(18:57):
a little bit more together.
Bone density, this is a big one.
Estrogen levels, as we alreadystated, they decline with age.
We want to make sure we're notlosing that.
Bone densities, estrogen, aswe've already concluded, is
essential for bone turnover andthis process of breaking down
old bone tissue and forming new,so one that.
Estrogen drops the process, canfeel it, not feel, it becomes
(19:20):
unbalanced leading to loss ofbone.
This is why women aftermenopause are at a higher risk
of osteoporosis, and that is thecondition where bones become
more brittle and fragile andmaking.
You are more prone to fractures,so this is where heavy lifting
comes in.
Strength training, particularlyweight bearing exercises,
stimulate bone formation, so themechanical stress is placed on
(19:41):
the bones when lifting heavyweights and encourages bone
building cells calledosteoblasts to become more
active.
These osteoblasts lay down newbone tissue and help increase
bone density to counteract theeffects of estrogen decline.
You know, this is another hugereason why we need to lift heavy
(20:02):
and have that progressiveoverload is because it is
something within your controlthat you can take back
regardless of how your hormones,they are fluctuating.
So studies show that likeregular strength training,
especially heavy loads, bonemineral density.
BMD.
This can help maintain or evenimprove that bone strength,
reducing the risk ofosteoporosis related fractures
(20:24):
later in life.
So this is so huge.
So let's go into that mechanicalstress on bones, just like
muscles.
Bones adapt to the stress placedon them, the more stress you
place on bones is stronger theybecome by lifting heavy weight,
you're not only increasingmuscle mass, but you're.
Also ensuring bones becomedenser and stronger.
Now, the hormonal benefitsstrength training boosts the
(20:45):
release of growth hormones andtestosterone, which play a role
in bone health.
These hormones stimulate theproduction of bone forming cells
and increase.
Bone remodeling, which maintainsbone density, weight-bearing
impact.
So weight-bearing activity likewalking, running, lifting,
(21:06):
forces your bones to supportyour body weight, and it
encourages bone strength.
Lifting weights is one of themost effective for
weight-bearing activitiesbecause the.
They have high forces involved.
How do you put together astrategic strength training
plan?
We want a multifaceted approachthat tackles both muscle muscle
(21:26):
preservation and bone densitywhere you are focusing on
hypertrophy for muscle growth aswell as.
Power and maintaining thatathleticism.
So to optimize that hypertrophy,we wanna focus on compound
movements like squats,deadlifts, bench press, and
rows.
So these exercises are workingmultiple groups at once, so
(21:47):
they're going to provide agreater training.
When I write plans, I focus oncompound movements.
I do not specialize with focusedbody part.
Plans.
So it's not like back and chest,one day legs, one day core, one
day.
No.
We are focused on the wholebody.
Because of what compoundmovements do, they provide a
(22:11):
greater training effect.
So we're gonna lift heavy withproper form.
Heavy is related to you.
It does not mean a number thatis universal heavy is unique to
you, and I want that.
To resonate with you there, Iwant you to kind of take that
away.
So we're gonna stick four to sixrep range to stimulate that
muscle growth to engage as fasttwitch fibers.
(22:34):
Using challenging weights butallowing you to maintain good
form.
Good form.
I am a stickler with warmbecause it allows the muscles to
engage the way they're supposedto.
Also prevents injuries.
I can't tell you how many timesI have had clients come in
scared to do exercises becausethey have gotten injured before,
(22:55):
and I work with them.
I meet them where they're at.
So that they feel morecomfortable and competent in
their body so that they can movetheir body with great form, with
heavy loads on it.
Progressive overload.
Okay.
We wanna keep challenging thosemuscles, so gradually increasing
the weight.
Number of reps or sets overtime, which pushes the muscles
(23:17):
to grow and adapt.
This is my favorite, favoriteone and often overlooked is rest
days and recovery.
So as we mentioned, it can takelonger for you to recover as
estrogen declines.
So we wanna honor that.
Even if you were in yourtwenties, we wanna honor that.
It does not mean in yourtwenties because estrogen is.
You know, flowing amazing andyour hormones are all quote
(23:39):
unquote balanced.
Everything feels good that youdon't need rest is you still
need them then, and you stillneed recovery then, but it is
essential for muscle repair andgrowth.
Your muscles need time torecover from the stress of
lifting heavy, and your bonesneed time to rebuild after the
stress of weight-bearingactivities.
Here's one that also gets.
(24:01):
Thrown out of balance is thebalance of strength training
with cardio.
We need both.
We need both of these things,but it does not have to be a
cumbersome plan that takeshours.
So lifting heavy is so essentialfor bone health, but we need our
hearts to be healthy too, andthat's where cardio goes into.
So moderate cardio into yourweekly routine is going to help
(24:22):
that heart health.
We're gonna take a quick, quickpause before we keep going on
with this, and I wanna take amoment to share.
Something that could help youget started with your journey
today.
If you are ready to take yourstrength training to the next
level, check out my KatFitStrength program where I offer
tailored strength training proprograms for women like you.
Whether you're navigatingperimenopause, managing
motherhood, or just looking tobuild muscles safely and
(24:44):
effectively with custom plansdesigned to meet your body where
it's at.
KatFit strength can help youfeel strong, injury, free and
empowered.
You can find all the details atKatFit or just message a
podcast.
I will get back to you.
Let's keep diving into how do westructure a plan.
Hopefully you're still stickingwith me and not feeling
(25:05):
overwhelmed, so I'm gonna take aseven day workout cycle.
Your cycle does not have to beseven days.
You can look at it and extend itto a 12 day cycle.
We're gonna focus on seven days.
So this seven day workout cycle,and again, this is just a mere
outline and suggestion, this isnot something that I want you to
take and just start doing.
It is just a broad basedoverview so you can
(25:27):
conceptualize how it all canwork together.
So this cycle is to build muscleendurance and strength.
The key to success in anystrength training program is
progressive overload.
I can't say that enough.
Again, you're graduallyincreasing the intensity of your
workouts.
So let's look at day one.
Day one.
Day one, a Monday can look likeheavy strength training day.
(25:48):
So this is focused on compoundmovements like squats,
deadlifts, overhead press, andaiming four to six reps with
heavy weights targeted forhypertrophy.
So potentially three to foursets with four to six reps.
Day two, active recovery.
What active recovery means is.
Something like cardio, so doinglike a low intensity cardio like
walking, cycling, or swimmingfor 30 to 45 minutes.
(26:11):
This is going to allow themuscles to get that good blood
flow in there and aid in musclerecovery.
That is also coupled with somemobility and stretching, maybe
some self myofascial release,like foam rolling using the
stick, and that is going toallow your body to feel good and
get that mobilization.
(26:32):
Into that body.
If you're feeling a little stifffrom a heavy strength training
day or from the stressors oflife, Cardi is so great.
I wanna stress that you can dowalking, cycling, swimming,
spinning, or even on this day,pairing it with like a yoga
class if you enjoy yoga.
Day three, we wanna look athypertrophy.
So we're looking at moderatereps.
(26:54):
So again, it's not always aboutheavy lifting.
But that is the cornerstonehere, as well as progressive
strength.
Day three is hypertrophymoderate we reps, so we're
working in the eight to 12 reprange for muscle definition.
So this is that muscle endurancefiber here, and we're focusing
on specific muscle grips now.
(27:15):
As I mentioned earlier, it'snot, okay.
Well this is where we only focuson leg day, and then the next
week is chest and back.
No, no, no, no.
It's still total body, but we'rereally working on those focused
movements, so it might belunges, dumbbell rows, leg
press.
The ones where it's not allabout those compound movements,
(27:36):
but we are having some of thosecompound movements in there and
we're focusing on what I callaccessory lifts, backing up that
support of that body.
So this is where that stability.
Control in that body.
Think about like falling how youhave to catch yourself.
Heavy strength is reallycreating that big, strong body.
Day four, we're gonna focus onmobility and stretching, so
(28:00):
we're focused on dynamicstretching, foam rolling really
to reduce that muscle tightness.
It's about 20 to 30 minuteshere.
Now with this day on day four,you can also incorporate some
great walking cycling, but we'renot focused on getting on any
sort of cardio equipment orgetting outside and hammering
(28:21):
hard.
Again, that goes with day two.
We can.
Look at ways, and I do have someof my clients doing some
interval training with theircardio, but it is focused on
what works best and how theyrecover.
That doesn't mean we avoid it,but it really, that's where it
becomes individualized.
So when I say cardio, I don'twant you to think full all out
(28:42):
hard as possible.
We can stay in that steady statezone too.
I'll do a whole podcast oncardio.
Here's another area where we canincorporate, get out in nature
and find that good stressrelease there, but getting that
mobility and stretching inthere.
Day five, do all powerexplosiveness, so it could be
box jumps, medicine ball throws,kettlebell swings to build that
(29:06):
explosive strength with this.
It's not that I'm starting myclients out doing big, deep box
jumps.
There are many different ways toget that power and explosiveness
without thinking I'm jumpingdown from a big box.
I am, you know, throwing weightaround.
It's meeting yourself whereyou're at, and we build that
power explosive so that the bodycan handle a load.
(29:26):
If you were to have to sprintafter your toddler or if you
trip, you can catch yourself.
So day six is this full bodystrength.
We're gonna be focusing onhigher reps.
Eight to 12 reps per exerciseand about two to three sets,
eight to 12 reps.
The weight is going to be amoderate weight.
You're gonna still feel it heavyin your hand, but it's not gonna
(29:48):
be all out super heavy all thetime, day seven, rest and
recovery.
Take a full day, relax, recover.
You know, maybe you need to dosome mobility.
Maybe it's just a nice easy walkin nature with the family.
But really that is.
Kind of how a whole seven dayframework will look like.
So to recap, day one, heavystrength training.
(30:10):
Day two, active recovery withcardio.
Day three, hypertro thinkingmoderate reps eight to 12 range.
Day four mobility.
Maybe another cardio specificworkout.
Day five.
Really working on that powerexplosive.
Day six.
Full body.
Again, going back to that likehypertrophy, moderate reps, and
day seven, fully off.
(30:31):
All that being said, this isjust a seven day framework.
It does not mean that I have allmy clients doing all of this.
This is just an ideal situation.
Some of my clients strengthtrained.
Two times per week because thatis the season of life they're
in.
And then they have cardiomovement outside of that.
So it has to work for you.
(30:51):
And the last thing I want you tofeel is I can't do seven days
like this, no worries.
A heavy strength training day inand get a moderate strength
training day in.
And that is going to beincredible and focus on getting
that movement in everyday life.
So do not feel that this is theabsolute only way you're going
(31:12):
to see.
Success because this is just.
One example, and there are manydifferent ways you can cater it
to yourself.
Let's recap this'cause I threw alot at you.
Lifting heavy progressivestrength training is where it's
at for women and midlife.
Not only does it help youpreserve muscle mass, but it
also allows you to buildstrength, power, helping you
(31:33):
prevent injuries and keeping youfeel.
Your best any age in any decadeyou are.
If you're navigating thosechanges of perimenopause or
managing the demands of familylife, lifting heavy and focusing
on muscle growth is really gonnagive you that energy and that
resilience you need for yourlife.
And as I mentioned, mid show, ifyou really are ready to do this
(31:54):
and you're like, I just needsomeone to give me a plan, I'm
your person.
I can help you with this.
We can chat.
So.
I'd love to hop on a call withyou.
Reach out to me on Instagram atKatFit Strength or visit the
site at KatFit.
Thanks for tuning in and don'tforget to subscribe.
If you're really enjoying theshow, please share it with
someone or leave a review.
(32:15):
Thank you for tuning in to Milesfrom Review.
Powered by KatFit Strength.
If this podcast inspires you,don't keep it for yourself.
Hit follow or subscribe to Stayupdated on the new episodes, and
leave us a review to help morewomen and moms discover this
space.
Your feedback fuels this podcastand I'd love to hear what's
(32:36):
working for you or what topicsyou want to dive into Next.
You can connect with me onInstagram at KatFit Strength or
share this episode with a friendwho is ready to embrace her
strength.
Remember, fitness isn't aboutperfection.
It's about showing up foryourself and finding strength in
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
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