Are you in perimenopause or post menopause and struggling to build muscle? Are you doing weights but not seeing any benefits? This is an issue that I hear from lots of women who are trying to improve their menopausal health. They know they need to prevent low muscle mass (sarcopenia) to set themselves up for a positive future but they’re frustrated as they aren’t seeing the results they want from their efforts.
All credit to you if you’re on this journey, it’s a vital time to be more active than ever and maintaining and building muscle is crucial for good health, especially beyond the menopause. If you’re new to strength training it can feel particularly confusing. If you’ve been doing this a while, then it can be frustrating but you might just need a few tweaks to your routine to match the changes that are happening in your body.
It is definitely harder for women to gain muscle mass when they become perimenopausal and move through into post menopause. Aside from the changing and falling hormone levels during menopause, here are 6 reasons why you might not be building that much needed muscle:
1. Not lifting heavy enough. How heavy are your weights? Using your body weight and light weights are the ideal place to start if you’ve never strength trained before. However, to grow muscle you really need to progress on to heavier weights. A heavy weight for a small number of reps will give you more muscle growth than a light weight for lots of reps. Don’t be afraid of going heavier, you aren’t going to ‘bulk up’. You want a weight which feels difficult on the eighth time you lift it and almost impossible to lift on the twelfth.
2. Not lifting frequently enough. Once a week is better than nothing but to really see gains you need to try to aim for three times a week. I know this can be hard to fit in and might mean you need to drop down on your other activities to make space for it but you will be rewarded and it really is crucial to work on your strength right now. And, how long are your strength sessions? Ten minutes three times a week will make a difference but you will see much more impact with thirty minute sessions. Be patient, results take time, give yourself 8 weeks to really notice a difference.
3. Not resting enough. Another reason for slow progress might in fact be that you’re overdoing things. It’s when we rest that our body strengthens itself, not during the actual activity. Stressing the muscle causes micro damage to the muscle fibres, when you rest is when the repair and subsequent reinforcement happens, that’s what makes you stronger. Aside from strength training, what else are you doing? All your activity adds up so while you might not think you’re lifting too frequently, it could be that this in addition to your other exercise is just a bit too much.
4. Lifting with poor technique. You might not be working the muscles you think you’re working if you lift with poor technique. You’re more likely to get injured too. Being careful to isolate the muscle you are working and keeping everything else still is important. You want to avoid using swing and momentum to do the work rather than the muscle itself (unless it’s a specific kettle bell or dumbbell swing). This usually means slowing movements right down, taking your time and giving your muscle more time under tension. Working out in front of a mirror can help you observe your technique. If possible, have a session with a fitness professional to put you on the right path.
5. Under fuelling. If you feel you’ve got it all nailed but still aren’t seeing results, have a look at your nutrition. To repair and strengthen, your body needs the basic building blocks which a healthy, balanced diet can give you. You need to be consuming enough calories to sustain your activity and for muscle growth in particular, enough protein is crucial. Try to eat a protein rich food at every meal to spread it through the day rather than eating it all in one meal or smoothie. I’m going to share some tips on this next week.
6. Only lifting. If you’re trying to gain muscle mass to help with your changing body composition around the menopause and becoming frustrated that you don’t notice any difference, then have a look at the rest of your day. Even if you’re lifting three or four times a week, it’s still important to reduce the time you spend sitting and to be active regularly through the day. Reduce your sedentary time, walk as much as you can and try to get 150 minutes a week of exercise that makes you feel out of breath.
Remember too that if you have a high body fat percentage your muscle gain might not be as immediately visible as someone with a lower amount of body fat. Be patient, it will come. Be confident too that the fact you’re exercising regularly means you will be getting healthier. Lots of the health benefits of exercise are not related to weight loss, they’re independent of what the scales are saying. If you’re doing the work you will be benefitting.
I hope these tips help you. If you don’t do any strength work but would like to start, then I have a FREE ‘Tips for Getting Started with Strength Work’ guide to give you some basic advice. Don’t be afraid of strength work. Download the guide here and get started today.
Feature image: Gesina from Pixabay
