Navigating the 40s brings about numerous transformations, especially for women. One significant shift is the natural decline in muscle mass, bone density, and flexibility. However, strength training is a powerful tool to counteract these changes, ensuring women remain energetic, confident, and agile in their daily endeavors. This article explores 11 core strength training exercises tailor-made for women over 40. Regardless of your fitness background, these exercises adapt seamlessly to your capabilities.
Why Strength Training is a Game-Changer for Women Over 40
Once women enter their 40s, they encounter sarcopenia – a fancy term for muscle loss. From our 30s, we tend to lose about 3% to 5% of muscle mass every ten years, and this rate picks up speed past 40. Coupled with the hormonal roller coaster of menopause, this can lead to a drop in metabolic rate, setting the stage for potential weight gain. Enter strength training exercises. It’s our secret weapon, ready to maintain or enhance muscle mass while giving metabolism that much-needed boost.
Strengthening the Bones
Alongside muscle mass, bone density becomes a significant concern for women over 40. Thinning bones pave the way for potential fractures. However, strength exercises, mainly squats, lunges, and deadlifts, can be the shield against this threat. These weight-bearing exercises have proven their mettle in increasing bone density, especially as women transition through perimenopausal and postmenopausal phases when osteoporosis risks amplify.
The 11 Essential Moves
1. Squats

You can start by standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Toes should be pointed slightly outward. Engage your core and, keeping your chest lifted, push your hips backward as you bend your knees. Lower yourself as if you’re about to sit in a chair. Ensure your knees don’t pass your toes and are aligned with them. Push through your heels and return to the starting position.
Benefits: Squats are a powerhouse for building strength in the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. They also enhance hip mobility and stability.
Beginner Tip: Consider using a chair as guidance. Lower yourself until your glutes lightly touch the chair, then rise.
2. Lunges

From a standing position, step forward with one foot. Bend both knees, lowering your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your back knee hovers above it. Keep your upper body straight. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
Benefits: Lunges are stellar for the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. They also promote better balance and coordination.
Beginner Tip: Stabilize yourself by holding onto a surface or using a wall for balance.
3. Romanian Deadlift

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of you with palms facing your body. Keep a slight bend in your knees. Hinge at the hips, lowering the weights towards the ground while keeping them close to your legs. Squeeze your glutes and lift your torso back to the starting position.
Benefits: Superb exercises for the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, the Romanian deadlift emphasizes strength in the posterior chain.
Beginner Tip: Choose light weights initially to perfect the hip-hinge movement and maintain a neutral spine.
4. Glute Bridge with Weights, Barbell, or Band

Lie flat on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place a weight, barbell, or resistance band across your hips if using resistance. Pushing through your heels, elevate your hips towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes at the top. Slowly lower your hips back down.
Benefits: This strength exercise activates the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles, promoting hip mobility and potentially easing lower back discomfort. When done consistently, this exercise can also relieve lower back pain, a common complaint as we age. By strengthening the glutes, you reduce the strain on your lower back.
Beginner Tip: Initiate without resistance to understanding the movement, ensuring you drive through the heels, not the toes.
5. Sumo Squat

Adopt a stance wider than shoulder-width; toes slightly pointed out. Lower into a squat, ensuring your knees align with your toes. Engage your core and push through your heels to stand.
Benefits: A variation of the standard squat, the sumo version emphasizes the inner thighs and glutes, offering a deeper range of motion.
Beginner Tip: Find a comfortable depth and gradually increase as your flexibility improves.
6. Chest Press
Lie on a bench or floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand. The feet should be flat on the ground. Extend your arms at shoulder level, then press the weights up until your arms are straight above your chest. Control the descent back to the starting position.

Benefits: Targeting the pectoral muscles, the chest press also recruits the shoulders and triceps. This compound move aids in building a robust upper body and refining push movements in everyday tasks.
Beginner Tip: Start with manageable weights and prioritize form. If using a bench, please have a spotter or Smith machine for heavier lifts.
7. Bicep Curls

Stand upright, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing forward. Curl the weights towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows pinned to your sides. Slowly extend your arms back down.
Benefits: Ideal for toning and strengthening the biceps. Also beneficial for enhancing grip strength and forearm endurance.
Beginner Tip: Ensure you aren’t using momentum to lift the weights; the movement should be controlled and deliberate.
8. Lateral and Front Raises

For lateral raises, stand holding dumbbells by your side. Keeping your arms straight, lift the weights to shoulder height, then gently lower them. For front raises, begin with the dumbbells in front of you and lift them to shoulder height.
Benefits: These raises target the deltoid muscles, enhancing shoulder strength and adding definition.
Beginner Tip: Use light weights initially. It’s essential to maintain control, especially when lowering the dumbbells.
9. Arnold Press
Press the weights by holding dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing your body. As you elevate them, rotate your wrists so that your palms face forward at the top of the move. Reverse the motion as you lower the dumbbells.

Benefits: An all-in-one shoulder worker, the Arnold Press activates the front, side, and rear deltoids for comprehensive shoulder strengthening. Named after the legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, this exercise provides a dynamic range of motion. The rotation activates more muscle fibers in your shoulders than a standard press, ensuring comprehensive strengthening.
Beginner Tip: Begin with lighter weights. The focus should be on mastering the rotating motion, ensuring fluidity.
10. Push-Ups

Begin in a plank position. Lower your body towards the floor, then push through the palms to return.
Benefits: Works the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Engages the core.
Beginner Tip: Start with knee push-ups or wall push-ups.
11. Plank

Maintain a straight line from head to heels, engaging the core. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute.
Benefits: Strengthens the entire core region. Enhances stability and posture. Beyond core strength, the plank also helps improve posture. Many women notice posture changes as they age, and maintaining a strong core is one way to combat the forward slump.
Beginner Tip: Begin with shorter durations and gradually increase.
Structuring Your Routine
Understanding how often and in what way you should perform these exercises is as important as the workouts themselves. Here’s a breakdown of two effective approaches to integrate these 11 strength training moves into your week:
Full Body Approach (2-3 times a week)
This method encompasses all 11 exercises in one session, giving your entire body a robust workout. Dedicate about 45 minutes to an hour for each session. Depending on the weights you’re comfortable with:
- For lighter weights, aim for 10-15 reps for each exercise.
- If you’re using heavier weights for a more challenging workout, 4-8 reps should be your target.
Resting for at least one minute between each exercise is crucial to allow your muscles to recover. You’d want to cycle through each of the 11 moves 2-3 times in a session for optimal results.
Split Approach (4 times a week)
Divide your workout sessions into upper-body and lower-body exercises. This method allows more focus on specific muscle groups during each session and could be especially beneficial if you want to hone in on specific areas. Your workout sessions will be more condensed, taking around 30 minutes.
- Upper Body Days: Concentrate on exercises like Shoulder Press, Bicep Curls, Lateral and Front Raises, and Arnold Press.
- Lower Body Days: Focus on Squats, Lunges, Romanian Deadlift, Glute Bridge, and Sumo Squat.
Similar to the full-body approach, depending on the weights:
- Lighter weights: Aim for 10-15 reps.
- Heavier weights: Go for 4-8 reps.
Ensure a rest period of at least a minute between exercises and repeat each move 2-3 times.
Please remember to incorporate the Push-Ups and Plank exercises as they are holistic moves that engage multiple muscle groups. Consistency is the key whether you opt for the full body or the split approach. Regularity in your strength training, coupled with listening to your body’s cues, will pave the way for a healthier, stronger you.
Tailoring Your Strength Exercises
Everyone is unique, and while these exercises are generally effective for women over 40, it’s essential to tailor workouts to personal needs. Here are a few considerations:
- Existing Injuries: If you have existing injuries, especially in joints like knees or shoulders, modify exercises. For example, a shallow squat or using resistance bands instead of weights can reduce strain while still providing benefits.
- Flexibility: Some may find that their flexibility isn’t what it used to be. Including dynamic stretches before workouts and static stretches post-workout can help improve this over time.
- Intensity: As a beginner, it’s vital to start slow and gradually increase intensity. It’s better to do exercises correctly with lighter weights than to risk injury with heavier ones.
Physical and Mental Results
Embarking on a fitness journey is as much a mental endeavor as a physical one. The beauty of a comprehensive workout routine is that the benefits go beyond what you observe in the mirror. One of the most important aspects to remember is consistency. Whether it’s the workout, diet, or daily walks, regularity fuels results. Occasional slip-ups are natural, but getting back on track and pushing forward matters.
So, when can you anticipate seeing and feeling the fruits of your dedication? Let’s break it down.
Physical
When paired with a nutritious diet and consistent walking, the strength training exercises highlighted in this guide can produce visible results in as little as 2 to 3 weeks. You might notice increased muscle definition, especially if you’re new to strength training. However, more pronounced changes, like a reduction in body fat percentage and significant muscle toning, often become evident around 6- to 8 weeks. These timelines can vary based on individual genetics, metabolism, and adherence to the routine.
Mental
The mental transformation often begins sooner than the physical. Within the first week of consistent training, many report feeling a surge in energy, better mood, and improved sleep quality. These changes can be attributed to the endorphin release of exercise – nature’s mood enhancer. As the weeks progress, other mental benefits come to the fore. These include:
- Enhanced Self-Esteem: As you conquer each workout, the sense of accomplishment fosters increased confidence. It’s not just about muscle gain but gaining control over your health.
- Reduced Stress: Physical activity acts as a natural stress reliever. Over time, you’ll find yourself better equipped to handle daily stressors.
- Improved Cognitive Function: Regular exercise, especially with walking and a balanced diet, can sharpen memory and cognitive function.
Crafting a Holistic Fitness Approach
While our focus here is on strength training, it’s essential to remember that a well-rounded fitness approach combines cardiovascular and flexibility exercises. Activities such as brisk walking, swimming, or dancing cater to cardiovascular health, while yoga and Pilates foster flexibility and balance.
Transitioning into a holistic fitness regimen is more than just embracing strength training; it’s about orchestrating a balanced symphony of exercises that cater to every facet of our well-being. Strength training remains a cornerstone, especially for women over 40, but integrating cardiovascular and flexibility workouts can amplify its benefits. Cardio exercises, such as brisk walking, cycling, or even dancing, fire up the heart rate, optimizing cardiovascular health and assisting in effective calorie burn.

On the other hand, flexibility-centric routines like yoga or Pilates enhance our range of motion and instill a sense of calm and mindfulness. By interweaving these exercise modalities seamlessly, women over 40 can craft a fitness strategy that addresses muscle strength, heart health, flexibility, and mental well-being, laying a robust foundation for a vibrant and dynamic life ahead.
Final Words
The journey of fitness, especially for women over 40, is multifaceted. Beyond the aesthetic appeal, it’s about feeling empowered, resilient, and confident in one’s skin. These strength exercises lay a solid foundation, but always listen to your body, make necessary adjustments, and, most importantly, cherish the path to a healthier, stronger you.
As we navigate the various chapters of our lives, it’s vital to remember that our fitness journey reflects our resilience and adaptability. Our bodies might change each decade, but our ability to embrace new routines and redefine our strength remains constant. For women over 40, incorporating these exercises isn’t just about physical prowess; it’s a declaration of self-love, an affirmation of self-worth, and a testament to the enduring spirit that shines brightly within. It’s always possible to begin, redefine, or aspire for more. As we evolve with time, so should our approach to fitness, ensuring it resonates with our current needs and future aspirations.