Menopause & Lifting Heavy-Max 8 Reps

[Ivy]

Has anyone else been seeing information that once you hit menopause you should only be hitting 8 reps at max for hypertrophy? There’s a Dr. Stacy Sims who seems very knowledgeable and is menopausal. She says that because of how our bodies have changed that rep range is the most beneficial. Has anyone else found staying in that rep range to be most helpful for them?

 

[Kellyro77]

I've not seen anything about that. I suppose so long as you're lifting to failure (or close to it) within that range, and practicing progressive loading, it would be beneficial.

I've come to learn over the years that a lot of these studies don't necessarily fit an entire demographic, meaning while the 8 rep max regimen might work for some women in menopause, it may not be enough, or may be too much, for others.

You have to experiment and see if it works for you and your unique genetics.

For me (I'm peri-menopausal), Cathe's 8-10 rep sets in her STS 2 series seemed to be a great range for me (so long as I was going as heavy as I could). Might not have been helpful for others, though.

 

[Ivy]

I've not seen anything about that. I suppose so long as you're lifting to failure (or close to it) within that range, and practicing progressive loading, it would be beneficial.

I've come to learn over the years that a lot of these studies don't necessarily fit an entire demographic, meaning while the 8 rep max regimen might work for some women in menopause, it may not be enough, or may be too much, for others.

You have to experiment and see if it works for you and your unique genetics.

For me (I'm peri-menopausal), Cathe's 8-10 rep sets in her STS 2 series seemed to be a great range for me (so long as I was going as heavy as I could). Might not have been helpful for others, though.

I agree one size does not fit all.

 

[Irolnnyl]

And then you have Dr Vonda Wright saying four reps is the ideal range for our demographic

Personally, I choose rep range based on the exercise. If it’s deadlifts, I’ll be sticking to 5-7 reps. If I’m doing Bulgarian split squats or bicep curls, it might be 10-12. I never approach a workout thinking I’ll be doing the same number of reps for all my sets

Maybe it’s the pollen in the air, but HIIT has been a complete bust for me lately. I’m on moderate intensity for the foreseeable future

 

[Ivy]

Another food for thought .... Cathe, whom I'd consider an elite athlete, is producing and promoting kinder, gentler workouts for older Cathletes- the 2 LMR series which are functional fitness focused. This is counter to what Stacy Sims recommends, but again her research is geared to elite athletes.

The question that arises, can we do both? Yeah, I think we can. We can intermix heavy lifting & HIIT cardio with programs like LMR and longer, steady state cardio ... it all depends on you and your goals.

Thanks. I have not read her book. I’ve seen her on several different podcasts via YouTube. She did not say in those podcasts that her recommendations were for athletes just perimenopausal or menopausal women. She did mention that she loves going for long bike rides along with adding the HIIT. She said her long bike rides were soul food because it’s calming and relaxing for her. I do think that we are all different and have to find what works for us at that particular time in our lives.

 

[FitSaxe]

Menopause or perimenopause, Heavy weight and Hiit is what is recommended as far as workout regimen is concerned. Let's not forget nutrition and hormone balancing regimen is crucial physically and mentally.

"What worked" before is not necessarily going to prove to be working. It takes a lot to build and keep muscle mass. Long steady pace is counter productive. Both workout regimen and nutrition requirement have to evolve.

All the best everyone

 

[Lannette]

Thanks. I have not read her book. I’ve seen her on several different podcasts via YouTube. She did not say in those podcasts that her recommendations were for athletes just perimenopausal or menopausal women. She did mention that she loves going for long bike rides along with adding the HIIT. She said her long bike rides were soul food because it’s calming and relaxing for her. I do think that we are all different and have to find what works for us at that particular time in our lives.

I’ve been post menopausal for 20 years and what “works” has changed over those years. Although I’m small I do have a high muscle/low body fat ratio, especially for my age.

Be true to yourself and the needs of your body. Listening to the so called experts is fine but giving your body what it needs is what works. Listen to your body and pick and choose from the proverbial wisdom of the moment to create your own program.

 

[Ivy]

Menopause or perimenopause, Heavy weight and Hiit is what is recommended as far as workout regimen is concerned. Let's not forget nutrition and hormone balancing regimen is crucial physically and mentally.

"What worked" before is not necessarily going to prove to be working. It takes a lot to build and keep muscle mass. Long steady pace is counter productive. Both workout regimen and nutrition requirement have to evolve.

All the best everyone

I agree wholeheartedly that as I’ve gotten older it is harder to build and keep muscle. Nutrition and hormonal balance is also a huge component, I think at times we forget the hormonal balance equation.

 

[Lannette]

I agree wholeheartedly that as I’ve gotten older it is harder to build and keep muscle. Nutrition and hormonal balance is also a huge component, I think at times we forget the hormonal balance equation.

This has not been true for me. Nutrition is very important but not overtraining and getting enough sleep is equally important. I build and maintain muscle as easily as I did in my 30s. Maybe I’m just lucky?

Adding that I measure my body comp regularly and adjust diet and training when necessary. Do you ladies do body comp readings?

 

[Kellyro77]

I don't count calories, weigh, or measure myself, etc., as I get too fixated on numbers. I have distorted thinking when it comes to body image, and I start to weigh my worth as a human being by such things. It's not emotionally healthy for me. My best tell if I'm slipping somehow is how my clothing fits.

The only time those things get measured is at doctor's visits. I keep up with annual visits and allow the doctor to do any fretting on my behalf. If something is concerningly off, I'll listen to their counsel and make adjustments if required.

I just follow general guidance around staying active and eating healthy and so far, for the last 20+ years that I've been paying attention to those things, I've been rewarded with stellar checkups each time. As I've been aging, I've been doing the necessary added tests, ie: mammograms, etc. When I get to the appropriate age, I know I'll be keen on bone density tests, etc., as well.

 

[FitSaxe]

Adding that I measure my body comp regularly and adjust diet and training when necessary. Do you ladies do body comp readings?

I used to look into the readings. Caliper method which is not accurate.

Nowadays I am leaner than before and I do not really need to know the exact percentage.

How do I know ? Some of my muscles are visible and people tell me.

 

[Ivy]

Look at you! Good going. I have a layer of fat around the waist, it’s not huge but you don’t need it to be when it’s around your waist. I think I need to switch things up and try lower reps for a while.

 

[Ivy]

This has not been true for me. Nutrition is very important but not overtraining and getting enough sleep is equally important. I build and maintain muscle as easily as I did in my 30s. Maybe I’m just lucky?

Adding that I measure my body comp regularly and adjust diet and training when necessary. Do you ladies do body comp readings?

Lack of sleep is a problem for me and I do know how important it is.

 

[Lannette]

Thanks for answering my question. I was sure I’d be ghosted. I know at least one person has me on ignore.

You all seem so serious about your weight training that I’d assume you have some way to accurately measure your success. That’s not a negative observation. I appreciate the care you obviously put into your workouts. I read your posts to better understand your approach.

I do know calipers aren’t accurate. I use a high end Tanita segmental body composition scale. We got it when I was medically fasting to shrink two benign tumors and because DH has a tendency to have really low body fat so he monitors it. I don’t use it more often than monthly because it’s easier to see changes long term. It’s been super helpful to DH.

Cathe mentioned this way of tracking body composition in one of her articles she used to send out, though not Tanita specifically.

I don’t give a hoot about my weight other than how it relates to my muscle. I eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m satisfied. I eat more high quality protein because of my age and individual needs. I eat more fat because of my genetics.

Ivy, I’m sorry if my comment sounded smug. It wasn’t meant to. I also have problems sleeping. Not always but periodically. Try as I might I haven’t been able to figure it out. I’m a 24/7 caregiver but that’s not always what triggers it.

I’ll let you get back to it and will keep my nose out of it going forward.

 

[lisa_la_machina]

I’ll let you get back to it and will keep my nose out of it going forward.

@Lannette I, for one, hope you will keep your "nose" IN the discussion. Lifting heavy with low reps is not the solution for everyone or every situation. I appreciate hearing your voice and the other diverse voices chiming in here as well. We each need to find what works best for our unique bodies. Better to do your own personal best than to do nothing at all. There is more than one way to push the system.

 

[FitSaxe]

Ivy, I’m sorry if my comment sounded smug. It wasn’t meant to. I also have problems sleeping. Not always but periodically. Try as I might I haven’t been able to figure it out. I’m a 24/7 caregiver but that’s not always what triggers it.

I’ll let you get back to it and will keep my nose out of it going forward.

Adding that I measure my body comp regularly and adjust diet and training when necessary. Do you ladies do body comp readings?

Really struggling to make sense out of this "smug"
We are all here entitled to discuss opinions hopefully based on facts and studies.
We are also entitled to help and not read "irritating" posts!

There is no need to take responses personnally

Really struggling as I have just answered to questions!#Nodrama!

 

[Ivy]

Thanks for answering my question. I was sure I’d be ghosted. I know at least one person has me on ignore.

You all seem so serious about your weight training that I’d assume you have some way to accurately measure your success. That’s not a negative observation. I appreciate the care you obviously put into your workouts. I read your posts to better understand your approach.

I do know calipers aren’t accurate. I use a high end Tanita segmental body composition scale. We got it when I was medically fasting to shrink two benign tumors and because DH has a tendency to have really low body fat so he monitors it. I don’t use it more often than monthly because it’s easier to see changes long term. It’s been super helpful to DH.

Cathe mentioned this way of tracking body composition in one of her articles she used to send out, though not Tanita specifically.

I don’t give a hoot about my weight other than how it relates to my muscle. I eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m satisfied. I eat more high quality protein because of my age and individual needs. I eat more fat because of my genetics.

Ivy, I’m sorry if my comment sounded smug. It wasn’t meant to. I also have problems sleeping. Not always but periodically. Try as I might I haven’t been able to figure it out. I’m a 24/7 caregiver but that’s not always what triggers it.

I’ll let you get back to it and will keep my nose out of it going forward.

I appreciate your viewpoint as well. It helps to have a variety of experiences shared.

 

[FitSaxe]

don't count calories, weigh, or measure myself, etc., as I get too fixated on numbers. I have distorted thinking when it comes to body image, and I start to weigh my worth as a human being by such things. It's not emotionally healthy for me. My best tell if I'm slipping somehow is how my clothing fits.

Could not agree more with what you have quoted above. I no longer count my calories.

I am just careful to not indulge myself into excessive sugar consumption.

 

[Lannette]

I’m short on time but I wanted to stop in and apologize. I very much meant what I said about appreciating and learning from your view points. I also realized that I’m a bit envious of you and your abilities to lift heavy.

I’m currently trying to figure out a way that I can gear up to do the original STS. My neck and shoulders are my Achilles heel and they impact my ability to spend significant time with a heavily loaded barbell (35#s is it for now) or even weighted vest on my shoulders. I’m experimenting with using balance and other methods to increase intensity with lighter weights.

Ironically push-ups, the exercise I most feared is going really well.

So once again thank you for sharing and sorry for being less than gracious.

 

[FitSaxe]

I’m short on time but I wanted to stop in and apologize. I very much meant what I said about appreciating and learning from your view points. I also realized that I’m a bit envious of you and your abilities to lift heavy.

Apologies taken. It take a lot of courage to admit that.

If I had to push a button and share the least motivation, ability, strength etc....to help anyone to achieve whatever she desires I would. Life is too hard for us women.

Take care