For Women over 50 Aiming to Lose Fat, Build Muscle, and Enhance Longevity
You're going to want to save this. A guide for all women but especially for those over age 50. Shared with a select few, updated, revised and released to all.
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Also, read to the end or jump to the bottom for my contact info if you would like a truly tailored diet and exercise program to help you hit your goals no matter who you are. My certifications are CPT (certified personal trainer), Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Specialist in Strength and Conditioning and Certified Nutrition Coach. Allow me to design an effective program for you that WILL get you to your goals and make fitness and healthy eating EASY so you can finally get on the right path to your goals.
Let’s dive in. For women, especially for those over 50 or approaching…
Strength Training
Super-Slow Lifting: Perform multi-joint exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts, overhead presses) with heavy weights, moving slowly (30-60 seconds per rep). This minimizes injury risk while maximizing muscle recruitment and anti-aging benefits .
Twice-Weekly Full-Body Workouts: Focus on compact, explosive strength rather than sheer muscle mass. Include exercises like goblet squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, and bent-over rows .
Grip Strength and Power Movements: Incorporate farmer’s carries (try one sided/offset for an even better core strength builder as well as being a great full body challenge) and kettlebell swings to improve functional strength and longevity markers such as grip strength.
Simple 4-4-3 Method: Very heavy lifts involving 4 sets of 4 reps done 3 times per week (4x4, 3x/wk). This builds strength and resilience in a short amount of time. Great if you’re busy or don’t have a lot of time. Can be done for lower and upper body exercises and full-body movements (I.e. deadlifts, power cleans, etc.)
Jump/Plyometric Training: Jumping and plyometric work is extremely benefiting for women and older women as this type of training is superb for increasing bone strength and density. Box jumps, broad jumps, press jacks, jump squats are all good exercises to start with.
Cardio
Low-Intensity Steady-State (LISS) or Moderate Intensity (MISS): Walk briskly daily and/or hike for 90+ minutes once or twice a week to build endurance and promote fat oxidation .
Daily Movement: Avoid long sedentary periods by integrating low-level activity throughout the day—standing, stretching, and brisk walking (elevated heart rate above just a casual pace) for at least 10 minutes at a time if possible, but any amount of time is better than being sedentary for too long (more than 30-45 minutes at time).
HIIT
Short, Intense Sessions: Perform 2-3 HIIT workouts weekly, alternating between swimming, cycling, or running. Keep sessions under 30 minutes, with intervals like 20 seconds all-out effort followed by 40 seconds of rest .
Tabata Protocol: Try 4-minute Tabata sets (20 seconds max effort, 10 seconds rest) for a quick metabolic boost. This is a good way to start. Just ensure you are putting in max effort on the movements moving as fast as you can and for lifts/resistance exercises, such as push-ups, you’re lifting or pushing explosively and lower yourself down slowly (think 1 second up, 3 seconds down).
Dietary Recommendations
Protein Intake: Aim for about 0.7-1g of protein per pound of body weight (approximately 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of body weight) daily to support muscle repair and growth. If you are trying to lose a significant amount of weight (more than 20 lbs) aim for 0.7-1g of protein per pound of target body weight or lean body mass (LBM). If setting protein target based on LBM you can get this number from almost any body scanning device available in most gyms. They’re also able to be purchased for home use online such as the InBody scan.
Intermittent Fasting: Consider a fasting protocol (e.g., 12:12, 16:8 or other) to enhance fat loss and metabolic health, but ensure nutrient needs are met. Can be done 2-4 times per week. Doing it everyday for long term can lead to nutrient deficiency issues and cortisol increase depending on activity level, mental state and personal circumstances. Always listen to your body, gauge how you feel daily and be aware of level of activity to determine if you should be restricting calories that day or if you need to focus on increasing quality nutrition intake.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods: Focus on wild-caught fish, leafy greens, high water content fruits and vegetables, berries (dark berries are especially good for akkermansia production––a natural GLP-1 enhancer to help you feel satisfied, improve gut function and promote healthy weight loss), and healthy fats like olive oil to reduce inflammation and support longevity.
Strengthen Bones: Include calcium-rich foods (e.g., sardines, kale) and vitamin D supplementation to maintain bone density. Ensure your supplement is in D3 form as this is the bioactive form to get the full benefits of vitamin D. If following a plant-based diet, some good ways to get vitamin D include:
Sunlight Exposure: This is the most natural way to get vitamin D and the absolute best way. Aim for about 20-30 minutes of direct sunlight on your skin (without sunscreen) a few times a week, depending on your skin tone and where you live. Just be mindful of not overdoing it to avoid skin damage.
Look for a combination of D3/K2 supplementation, and if, possible, a D3/K2/Magnesium combination. The combination with magnesium is hard to find but most don’t realize magnesium is needed as well as K2 for vitamin D to be utilized properly by the body. You can get a D3/K2 combination and then get a separate high quality magnesium (BiOptimizers has a good Magnesium Breakthrough formula with every single form of magnesium the body needs) supplement and that will be sufficient.
Consider Eliminating Seed Oils From Your Diet: This is one of the biggest reasons for sunburn and accelerated skin aging/photo damage. It’s not the sun, it’s what we consume such as processed foods, fried foods and seed oils. It takes about 4-6 months to clear enough seed oils from your body to enjoy and receive a greater benefit from sunlight and enjoy longer exposure beyond the standard recommended 20-30 minutes without the negative effects. It can take up to two years to clear all seed oils from your system and enjoy near limitless sunlight (especially darker skin tones) and worry about sunburn or negative effects.
Mushrooms: Certain mushrooms, like maitake and UV-exposed portobello mushrooms, can provide vitamin D2. While D2 isn’t as potent as D3, it’s still helpful. Look for mushrooms labeled as “UV-exposed” since they’ve been treated to boost their vitamin D content.
Fortified Foods: Many plant-based milks (like almond, soy, or oat milk), orange juice, and cereals are fortified with vitamin D. Check the labels to ensure they contain vitamin D2 or D3.
Vegan Vitamin D3 Supplements: Most vitamin D3 supplements are derived from lanolin (sheep’s wool), but there are vegan-friendly options made from lichen. Brands like Garden of Life and Nordic Naturals offer plant-based D3 supplements. Aim for a daily dose of 2,000-4,000 IU, depending on your needs.
Algae-Based Omega-3s with Vitamin D: Some algae-based omega-3 supplements also include vitamin D3, providing a two-in-one solution for plant-based eaters. Again, combine this with K2 and magnesium (either formulated together or with separate supplements for adequate whole food intake) for best absorption or utilization.
Vitamin D Testing: It’s a good idea to test your vitamin D levels (via a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test) to ensure you’re in the optimal range of 40-80 ng/mL or better. If you’re low, you might need to increase supplementation or sunlight exposure.
Personal Program Design
Email me at healthywitheric@gmail.com to have a tailored program designed for you. Based on YOUR goals, YOUR preferences, YOUR needs, YOUR concerns and YOUR circumstances. Exercise including strength training, cardio, mobility and recovery, macro ratios, meal ideas and easy tracking you don’t even need an app or device to implement (but can if you want to). Done for you.
You’ll also have options for video check-ins if you really want one-on-one in-depth support to help you on your journey and answer any questions and clear out any road blocks on the way. This option can give you accountability, support and keep that fire burning in you especially when times get tough (because they do for all of us). Let me help you. Reach out to me at healthywitheric@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Program Design’ if you’re ready to be supported to your healthiest and fittest and happiest YOU and I’ll walk you through the process.
Blessings.
Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
-Ecclesiastes 4:9-12