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I want to share information on weight lifting workouts for women over 40.

Weight lifting for women over 40: what I changed after a herniated disc

Originally published 2024. Updated October 2026. Jump to my 2026 update.

Women over 40 aren’t lifting weights nearly enough. Many aren’t lifting at all.

I wasn’t either, not the right way. In 2024 I herniated a disc, threw out my old workout routine, and started over with a simple plan: lift weights and walk. That’s it.

This is everything I changed, why I changed it, and what strength training has done for my body and my gut.

The reason is mostly because women over 40 aren’t doing them enough (or at all). And also because I changed what my own look like, and thought you might benefit from the information.

2026 update: what my weight lifting looks like at 43

Today I’m no longer working with Ben because I don’t need it. I did it for 2 years, and that was enough to get me fully on my own two feet.

My workouts still look very similar to everything outlined in this article.

I lift 3-4 days a week, for 30-45 minutes. And I walk almost every single day, as much as possible.

Here’s what’s changed in the past 6 months:

1. I continue to lift heavier. I aim now for 8 reps, and if I can do that weight at 10-12 reps, I increase the weight and go back to 8 reps.
2. I don’t use the Trainerize app any longer. Instead I use the Strong app, and I pay $4.99/month for it. That is invaluable, though.
3. I have all my workouts from the app stored in an AI platform. When I’m ready for minor workout changes, about 8-12 weeks, I use AI to help create the new workout. It’s super slick!
4. No back injuries. And if/when I feel something off, I either take a few days off, go to the chiropractor, or simply remove any exercises causing strain.
5. Since 2024, I have gotten far stronger. I never weigh myself, but I’m still fitting into clothes from wayyyyyy back when. And there is far more definition in my legs and upper body.
6. My hormones have even drastically improved!
7. I still do not subscribe to any specific diet. Nothing is off-limits. There is no excluding entire categories of food.
8. The one area I still need to get better with is stretching and mobility. I’m fairly flexible, but need to focus more on stretching and mobility. And this is super important, especially as we age.

There has been nothing earth-shattering about what I have done. I’ve made the plan, and stuck to it. And if there is one thing I know for sure, it’s this: training with weights, in a sane way, will change your life.

I’m never stopping.

My weight lifting story: the Instagram post that started this

In 2024 I posted an Instagram reel with this caption:

On February 28, 2024 I was working out in a similar fashion to what I had been doing for about 1.5 years when I fell over. I could hardly breathe. I was in so much pain. A couple days later I had an MRI; I had herniated a disc in my back. My chiropractor and doctors said I healed faster than almost anyone they have seen. [Makes sense with all the things I did and healing protocols I had in place.]

After that….

🪄The MRI sent off signals for a huge bump that needed to be checked for cancer.
🪄I had the lump removed; no cancer found.
🪄Instead of going back to my old ways of working out, I simply started lifting and walking. And ONLY those two things. I hired a trainer who writes all of my workouts. I lift 3-5 days per week; walk almost daily.
🪄And I massively increased my protein consumption, along with fat and fiber.

Somewhere in all of this CONSISTENCY, my body has gotten so much stronger. AND my mind is getting so much more clear. One change inside the gym has led to MORE **outside** of the gym.

I’m on the brink of something I’ve never been on the brink of before.

And at 41 years young, I’m here for it. ✌🏻

Someone commented, “What were you doing before? :)”

Dozens more asked the same thing in my DMs.

So here it is, all in one place.

My workouts before 40: running, injuries and a sick gut

I didn’t care about working out until my early 20s.

Once I did, running was my thing. My mindset? More was better. Longer, harder runs meant better results.

Then I got injured. My body started breaking down. I had problems upon problems physically, even though I still loved it mentally. My weight loss stalled. And even when it didn’t, my body never changed shape. I just became a skinnier version of my former self.

Meanwhile, I was sick all the time.

Bloated, tired, achy. And I alternated between being severely constipated and not being able to stop going to the bathroom.

Eventually, I almost stopped running altogether.

In 2019, I wrote What I Really Think About Workouts and Gut Healing. If you’ve never read it, start there.

By then I had already healed my gut. In that post I wrote:

My workouts are minimal in quantity and the only days I am “all out” are few and far between. If I choose to have a hard workout day, I typically rest one or two days, doing nothing, barely even walking.

Progress, for sure.

Turning 40: heavy lower-body lifting, kettlebells and sled work

I turned 40 in 2022 and switched to:

• Heavier weights, focused almost entirely on my lower body
• A LOT of kettlebell work
• A LOT of heavy sled pushes and pulls

It was intense, in the gym and at the track.

Honestly? I don’t regret it. I built a community of friends who loved the same workouts. They kept me motivated, and I loved every minute.

But at some point my body felt like it was breaking down instead of building up. The plan stopped working for me.

My gut still felt great. 2 other big things happened at the start of 2024:

1. Testing showed I had severe adrenal dysfunction (read all about that HERE).
2. Right after I turned 41, I herniated a disc (February 28, 2024).

That first year of my 40s gave me the highest highs and the lowest lows of any workout program I’ve done.

How I herniated a disc (and what recovery looked like)

People ask, so here’s exactly what happened.

That day my lower back felt tight and weak. Not hurt. Just tight and weak.

But I wanted to work out (yes, I have an addictive personality).

So I went to the gym, warmed up briefly, and started kettlebell swings. I wasn’t even swinging heavy, just 2 x 25-pound kettlebells. About 7 sets in, I went to pick them up for the next set and fell over.

Just fell right over.

I knew right then something was really wrong.

The only trainer in the gym was Ben. He gave me ice and told me to rest with it. I could barely move or breathe, but I was so embarrassed that 30 minutes later I willed my way to my car and drove home.

That day and the next were the worst. I cried a lot. I threw up the first night from the pain.

So when I say “rest,” that’s what I mean.

My doctors expected a much longer recovery. I spent almost 4 weeks doing virtually nothing except seeing my chiropractor a few times a week and doing my healing stretches.

I also watched a lot of Brendan Backstrom’s videos from Low Back Ability.

And I realized something had to change. My body had spoken.

May 2024: my new strength training program

I was missing full-body workouts. Training every muscle group, so my whole body got stronger and stayed in balance.

I wanted straight strength training again, not workouts that were just hard and exhausting.

The problem? I didn’t want to spend time writing my own workouts.

A girl who worked for us had hired Ben (yes, the same Ben) to write hers. She said they were effective and time efficient.

BINGO.

I reached out. Ben asked about my goals. I told him, “Strength, not weight loss.” And he built my program

What my weight lifting routine looks like

I started slow, with full-body workouts

• 3 workouts a week, all full body
• Upper body lifts added in (until then, I rarely trained my upper body)
• 30-40 minutes per workout
• Walking 30-45 minutes most days (I didn’t always hit it, but I aimed for it)

Zero HIIT

For me, this was critical. I’m sure Ben programs HIIT for people with other goals. Not mine, and I was grateful.

Lots of equipment, never basic

Resistance bands, dumbbells, barbells, machines and bodyweight exercises. No two workouts are exactly the same, so I’m never bored. I’m genuinely excited for every single one.

An app that makes it simple

Ben loads my programs into the Trainerize app. I’m not an app person. I could never stick with MyFitnessPal, and I prefer paper. But this one works for me:

• Ben loads my week of workouts, and I follow and log them daily
• If I don’t like an exercise, I swap in another from the library
• It saves every previous rep and weight, so I don’t have to remember anything
• It tells me when I hit a new personal best
• I can message Ben right in the app

Why women over 40 should lift weights

Click HERE to save this article on weight lifting workouts for women over 40 for later.

The female body isn’t a smaller version of a man’s body. And muscular strength isn’t just for men.

If you’re in your 20s or 30s reading this, it matters for you too. You’ll be glad you started early.

5 benefits of strength training for women over 40

1. More lean muscle. Muscle helps your metabolism and makes weight management easier.
2. Fewer injuries. Stronger muscles and joints protect you from the injuries that often come with aging.
3. Stronger bones. On average, women lose up to 10% of their bone density in the first 5 years after menopause, according to the Victorian government’s Better Health Channel.¹ Resistance training with weights, machines, push-ups and squats supports bone health.
4. Hormone balance. Strength training helps regulate stress hormones and supports growth hormone, which matters more as we age.²
5. Mental health and quality of life. I feel this one every single day.

Strength training and gut health

My whole life’s work is the gut, so of course we’re talking about this.

For me personally, lifting weights plus walking is the best exercise combination for your gut.

Too much exercise, and constant long sessions of high-intensity training, almost always works against gut healing. And against fat loss, for that matter.

Extreme exercise can cause dysbiosis, an imbalance of the gut microbiome. Overexercising can do more harm than good.³

Resistance training looks different. A 2024 review in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, The relationship between the gut microbiome and resistance training, noted that resistance training may reduce inflammation through its effect on zonulin and mucin, 2 markers tied to the gut lining.

I could spend all day pulling research. I don’t need to.

I’ve done every type of workout out there. I’ve been diagnosed with SIBO, colitis, IBS and leaky gut. My trial and error can be for your benefit.

Nutrition for women who lift weights after 40

I can’t write about lifting without talking about food.

And no, that doesn’t mean following a specific diet plan.

I healed my gut so I could be free from bloating, weight gain and misery. The bonus was metabolic flexibility.

What is metabolic flexibility?

Metabolic flexibility is your body’s ability to switch between burning carbs and burning fat, based on what’s available. When your metabolism works well, that switch is easy.

It matters for weight management, physical performance, and lowering your risk of metabolic disease.

I have a whole post on metabolic health, metabolism 101, and how to test your own HERE.

I tested mine with Lumen.

How I eat

Fat, carbs, protein and fiber don’t throw me off. I can eat all of them and maintain my weight (or lose).

But remember, that’s because:

1. I FIRST healed my gut
2. 90% of my diet is whole, unprocessed food, including carbs, protein, fat and fiber

If you want me to teach you how, join the 21-Day Quick Gut Detox.

It’s the fastest way to reduce bloat and weight without the overwhelm. 21 days. Lifetime access. No skimping on meals. The tools you need for your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond.

My weight lifting tips for women over 40

When I turned 40, I thought I’d wish I was 20 again.

Nope. Not even a little bit. Not for my health, my gut, or the bloating and weight I used to fight.

Plenty of 40-somethings online talk about strength training, protein and optimal health. Very few talk about gut health as the foundation for all of it.

Here’s what I know for sure about working out in your 30s (what I WISH I had done), 40s, 50s and beyond:

1. Form first. Proper form matters more than heavy weight.
2. Lift, walk, repeat. Weight training, walking and consistency get you there.
3. Do the bench press. It won’t make you bulky. We are not small men.
4. Hire help if you need it. Most of us aren’t personal trainers. If you need help, find it.
5. Respect old injuries. Anything you don’t address will come back to haunt you.
6. Rest more. Take a rest day whenever you need one.
7. Train your whole body. Not just legs, or upper body, or core. Full-body strength changes your physique and your life.

p.s. I don’t share many photos of myself. But here ya go 🙂

FAQ

If you liked this article on weight lifting workouts for women over 40, you might also enjoy:

1. Best Supplements for Women Over 40 (a guide for women in general)
2. Am I Sick [How to Heal the Gut with No Previous Knowledge]
3. Ozempic Side Effects Hair Loss, GI Motility

Questions?! Leave them in the comments!

Xox,

SKH

1. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/menopause-and-osteoporosis ↩︎
2. https://ocrendurancefactory.com/benefits-of-strength-training-for-women-over-40/#:~:text=October%2029%2C%202023,risk%2C%20and%20improving%20mental%20health. ↩︎
3. https://www.viome.com/blog/no-guts-no-glory-9-ways-gut-microbiome-impacts-athletic-performance?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A21475815327%3A165722425395%3A706322499767&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=&nb_ti=aud-2203931858065:dsa-19959388920&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_si=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=&campaignid=21475815327&adgroupid=165722425395&keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmOm3BhC8ARIsAOSbapWevYfNx7Z-N2_BCZWnHBmQsBtWcqC7x69xCQfB7mxrHw_gTq1tGPMaAiNCEALw_wcB&irclickid=T2ayQc3KjxyZWmdWF0VaIUf2UkrwLsUIe1Wdx00&utm_medium=impact&utm_source=affiliates&utm_campaign=2055059&nb_platform=impact&nb_adid=995564&nb_cid=13051&nb_pid=2055059&nb_aname=Online%20Tracking%20Link&nb_atype=ONLINE_TRACKING_LINK&nb_asize=nb_asize=&nb_product_sku=&nb_mtype=mediapartner&nb_partner_shared_id=&irgwc=1&afsrc=1 ↩︎