How to Strength Train in Less Time
Exercising for midlife weight loss shouldn’t be so confusing!
And yet, it is. 😓
We know that exercising in general is crucial for weight loss.
We also know that strength training in particular is the most important style of exercise for combating midlife sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss).
But…
There is so much noise out there about a variety of approaches:
🤷♀️ Should I alternate leg day with upper body and core?
🤷♀️ Do I have to give one full hour to a program to see results?
🤷♀️ How can I fit in 5 days of strength training to my already full life?
Working out feels baffling, time-consuming and hard.
In midlife, with everything else we have going on, we need to be efficient!
Today, let’s zero in on exercises that multitask AND get results—efficiently.
JUST ONE THING
Many traditional strength training exercises focus on just one muscle at a time.
(Think calf raises or biceps curls 💪)
While these are helpful for targeting weak spots or recovering from injury, “spot training” is NOT the most effective if fat loss (or even overall health!) is your goal.
You would need to strength train almost DAILY to hit every muscle the recommended 2-3 times a week to get results.
Instead, when you focus on compound movements that work your lower body, upper body and core at the same time…
You will maximize your time, see faster results AND optimize your body for all the daily movements and activities you’re asking of it.
Your JUST ONE THING to Optimize Fat Loss in Midlife
Do Full-Body, Compound Movements
Why does this approach work best for you in midlife?
✔️ Saves time by working more muscle groups at once
✔️ Increases your metabolism
✔️ Builds real-life strength you can feelThink squat to overhead presses, staggered stance rows, and even push-ups.
These all use multiple muscle groups in one move.
With this method, you can reduce your time spent strength training to just two to three, 20-30 minute sessions per week.Here’s a great full-body, compound exercise that you can try today:
Staggered Stance Hammer Curl to Press
- Hold weight in one hand (Offloading = More core activation 👍)
- Stagger your feet with the opposite leg forward (Staggered stance = More balance training)
- While holding steady, pull the weight up in a “hammer-style” biceps curl, then push overhead. Perform 8-12 reps per side.
Extra Tip: Get even MORE out of this move by sinking deeper into the lunge position and using a heavier weight - a 10-20 pound dumbbell is great for this exercise. Your last reps should feel tough, so challenge yourself.
Did You Know...
- Full-body compound movements demand a lot of oxygen, because they’re working so many more muscle groups at once. It’s strength training and cardio rolled into one!
- Push-ups are a great compound move. Why? Because they’re essentially a “moving plank”, which uses A LOT of core muscles at the same time that your upper body muscles are working.
- You can likely lift more than you think. If you’re not sure what weight to use, remember this: As long as you’re able to maintain good technique, your final 1-2 reps of an exercise should feel hard. Aiming for 6-12 reps is best for muscle growth.
Until next week... Be strong💪
