Best Strength Exercises for Perimenopause and Menopause

The common question: what should I lift in perimenopause?

“What sort of exercises should someone who is in that perimenopause or menopause stage be doing, kind of like in the heavy weights area?”

That question matters because many women hit midlife and feel a mismatch between effort and results. Workouts that used to feel energizing can suddenly feel draining, and aches can show up in places that never complained before.

The perspective highlighted in this conversation is clear and specific: build your training around compound strength movements, and do not treat them as a side dish to cardio.

It is also refreshingly honest about reality. Some of these lifts can make you sore. They can feel “painful but good,” especially when you stand up the next day and wonder what happened.

Did you know? Resistance training is widely recommended to support bone and muscle as we age, and it is often highlighted as a strategy to help reduce fracture risk by improving bone mineral density and strength. See guidance summarized by the National Institute on AgingTrusted Source.

Why compound lifts are the foundation in this approach

This framing emphasizes compound movements because they train multiple joints and muscle groups at once, and they demand coordination.

Think: squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, and Bulgarian split squats. Add upper-body “push pull” work like bent-over rows, bench press, or overhead press.

The “total body” effect (and why it feels different than cardio)

A heavy deadlift is not only a hamstring or back exercise. It is a total body movement, including grip, trunk stiffness, and the small stabilizers that keep you from folding.

The key insight here is that heavy compound lifting is also a mental challenge. You have to commit to the effort, brace, and execute. In that sense, you are engaging your central nervous system as well as the muscles doing the visible work.

And the after-feel is part of the argument. After a heavy compound session, you may feel fatigued, but not “wasted,” which is how many people describe the post-cardio crash.

What the research shows: Strength training is associated with improvements in strength and physical function in midlife and older adults, and it is frequently recommended as part of healthy aging. The World Health Organization physical activity guidelinesTrusted Source include muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days per week.

Push pull balance, not random upper-body days

The push pull idea is simple: if you press, you also pull.

The overlooked priority: train the posterior chain to support joints

A standout point in this video is biomechanics. Many women are, by structure and habit, more quad dominant.

That can matter for comfort and alignment.

This approach strongly encourages focusing on the posterior chain, mainly glutes and hamstrings, because it may help align the body, improve posture, and take load off the knees and hips when alignment improves.

What “posterior chain” focus looks like in the gym

You do not need exotic exercises. You need intention.

A short note about soreness: delayed onset muscle soreness can happen when you add new stress, new range, or heavier loads. It is a signal of novelty, not necessarily a sign of a good or bad workout.

Important: If you have osteoporosis, significant joint pain, pelvic floor symptoms, or a history of spine or hip injury, it is smart to discuss exercise selection and loading with a clinician or a qualified physical therapist before pushing intensity.

Core, bracing, and breathing: the “bamboo straw” idea

Many people chase abs with ab exercises.

This perspective flips that. For women, the big lifts can be the ab training, because the core’s job is often to resist movement and stabilize.

Why sit-ups are “the top of the box”

The discussion uses a memorable metaphor: think of your trunk like a box. Sit-ups are the top. But the base and sides matter just as much.

Compound movements train the whole box because you must stabilize through the deep abdominal wall and back muscles to transfer force from the ground through the torso.

The “bamboo straw” cue captures the goal: be stiff enough to transmit force, rather than collapsing like a bendy straw. Poor bracing is framed as one pathway to injury, because you cannot control position under load.

Pro Tip: During heavy lifts, try a “360-degree brace,” expand the ribcage and abdomen gently in all directions, then maintain that pressure as you move. If you are unsure how to do this, a session with a qualified coach can be valuable.

Breathing patterns and downshifting the nervous system

Bracing is not the same as holding your breath forever. The idea here is that learning to brace and control breathing can improve breathing habits overall.

The conversation also highlights a broader benefit: breath control can support parasympathetic activation, the “rest and digest” side of the nervous system. That matters because midlife stress and sleep disruption are common, and training that includes intentional breathing can feel more regulating.

Research on breathing practices is still evolving, but slow breathing is commonly associated with relaxation responses in many people. For an overview of how physical activity supports health, including stress and sleep, see the CDC benefits of physical activityTrusted Source.

Pull-ups, push-ups, and accessories that build real-world strength

Pull-ups are treated here as more than a “gym trick.” They are a functionality marker.

If you can pull your body weight up and lower slowly, you are training strength, control, and proprioception (your sense of body position). You are also challenging the core in a different way because you are “offloaded from the feet,” and hanging from the upper body.

Why pull-ups can be harder for women

The speaker offers a practical explanation that many women find validating:

One detail that makes this perspective feel real is the timeline. The expert mentions it took 11 years to do one pull-up.

That is not failure. That is a long-game skill.

Q: If I cannot do a pull-up yet, is it still worth training?

A: Yes, because the training itself can build upper-body strength, grip, and core control that carry over to daily tasks. Band-assisted pull-ups, slow negatives (controlled lowering), and rowing variations can all help you practice the pattern while you build capacity.

Dr. Stacy Sims, PhD (as featured in the video)

»MORE: If you want a simple tracking sheet, create a “pull-up ladder” log: band color used, reps, and slow-lowering seconds. Progress is often clearer on paper than in your head.

How to put it together: a practical weekly template

This is not about doing every exercise in one session.

It is about choosing a few compound lifts, training them consistently, and using accessories like pull-ups and push-ups to build function.

A simple 3-day strength structure (example)

Below is one way to apply the video’s logic. Consider adjusting based on your experience, recovery, and any medical considerations.

How hard should “heavy” feel?

Heavy is relative. For many people, “heavy” means you need focus, you cannot casually chat through the set, and you feel like you did real work, but your form stays controlled.

If you are new to lifting, the safest first step is often to learn technique with lighter loads and progress gradually. If you are experienced, it may mean returning to true strength work rather than only moderate-weight, high-rep fatigue.

A practical marker: you should usually stop a set with a little left in the tank, especially when learning, rather than grinding maximal attempts.

Q: Do I need to do sit-ups to get visible abs in menopause?

A: Not necessarily. This approach argues that compound lifts train the core through stabilization, which can build functional trunk strength. Visible definition also depends on many factors like genetics, overall muscle mass, sleep, stress, and nutrition, so it is rarely just about adding more ab exercises.

Dr. Stacy Sims, PhD (as featured in the video)

Key Takeaways