For years, women have been given a lot of advice about exercise.

Don't lift too heavy. You'll get bulky.

Do more cardio if you want to lose weight.

Once menopause hits, your hormones change everything.

And now? Apparently, we're supposed to schedule our workouts around our menstrual cycles, monitor our cortisol, and buy another supplement to fix whatever is supposedly wrong with us.

It's exhausting. And a lot of it isn't supported by good science.

In August 2026, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) published two major updated position statements on training female athletes. These papers examine the research on women's health, strength, injury risk, hormones, and training adaptations throughout life.

The last NSCA position statement specifically focused on female athletes was published in 1989. I feel like I need to repeat the year again....1989!!!

We've learned quite a bit since then.

While the new research primarily examines female athletes, many of its findings offer valuable lessons for everyday women who want to build strength, stay active, and keep doing the things they love as they age.

And some of those lessons might surprise you.

1. Women Don't Need an Entirely Different Way to Build Muscle

Let's get one thing straight. Women can build muscle, get stronger, and make meaningful improvements in fitness throughout their lives.

That includes women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

The new NSCA research reinforces that the fundamental principles of strength training apply to women and men.

Muscles respond to resistance. When they're challenged appropriately, given enough recovery, and supported by adequate nutrition, they adapt.

It's called progressive overload, and it's one of the most important principles in strength training.

Here's what that looks like:

You start by performing a goblet squat with a 15-pound dumbbell. Over several weeks, your technique improves, you build confidence, and that weight starts feeling easier.

Eventually, you move to 20 pounds. Then 25.

Your muscles are adapting because you're giving them a reason to.

That doesn't mean women and men are physiologically identical. Hormones, body composition, reproductive health, and other factors can influence training and recovery.

But those differences don't automatically mean women need an entirely separate strength training system.

What you can do: Strength train at least twice a week, working all major muscle groups. Focus on movements like squats, hinges, rows, presses, and carries. Gradually increase the challenge as you get stronger.

The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening activity at least two days per week for adults.

Sources: NSCA Position Statement, Part II (2026); CDC Physical Activity Guidelines.

2. Menopause Changes Your Body. It Doesn't Mean You're Done Building Strength.

If you're approaching menopause or already navigating it, you've probably seen the headlines that have no evidence to support it.

MYTH: Your metabolism is broken. Your hormones are working against you. You need to stop lifting heavy. High-intensity exercise is ruining your cortisol.

It's enough to make you think your body suddenly stopped functioning in your 40's.

That's not how it works.

Menopause brings real physiological changes. Declining estrogen levels contribute to accelerated bone loss around the menopausal transition. Changes in muscle mass, body composition, sleep, and other health factors may also occur during midlife.

But menopause doesn't eliminate your ability to build muscle or improve your strength.

Resistance training remains an important tool for preserving and improving muscle strength, physical function, and lean mass.

Consider two women who are both 55.

One has been consistently strength training for 15 years. The other hasn't lifted weights since college.

They might be experiencing similar hormonal changes, but their starting points, physical abilities, and training needs will be different.

The second woman doesn't need a special menopause workout. She needs an appropriate program that meets her where she is and progresses as she gets stronger.

What you can do: Make strength training a regular part of your routine. If menopause symptoms are interfering with sleep, energy, or recovery, account for those symptoms when planning your workouts rather than abandoning strength training.

And if you've never lifted weights before, it's not too late to start.

Source: NSCA Position Statement, Part I (2026).

3. Your Bones Need More Than a Daily Walk

Walking is fantastic. We encourage it all the time at Studio ME.

But walking and strength training aren't interchangeable.

Your bones are living tissue. Like muscles, they respond to the demands placed on them.

The NSCA research highlights the importance of resistance training and appropriately prescribed impact activities for supporting bone health throughout life.

This becomes particularly important as women age because declining estrogen can accelerate bone loss during the menopausal transition.

And here's something worth understanding: bone health isn't something you should start thinking about only after you've been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Building and maintaining bone strength is a lifelong process.

Walking supports cardiovascular health, mobility, and general well-being. But it typically doesn't challenge your bones in the same way as sufficiently demanding resistance training or higher-impact exercise.

That doesn't mean everyone needs to start jumping or lifting their body weight tomorrow.

Your training needs to match your current abilities, medical history, and any existing bone-health concerns.

What you can do: Include progressive strength training in your week. If appropriate for your health and fitness level, add activities that safely challenge your bones in different ways. If you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis or have a history of fractures, work with a qualified professional to determine which exercises and loading strategies are appropriate.

Source: NSCA Position Statement, Part I (2026).

4. You Probably Don't Need to Plan Every Workout Around Your Menstrual Cycle

There's a growing industry built around the idea that women should change their workouts based on which phase of their menstrual cycle they're in.

Lift heavy during one phase. Back off during another. Avoid certain types of exercise when specific hormones are elevated.

It sounds scientific.

But the evidence isn't strong enough to support one universal cycle-based training schedule for all women.

Hormones fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, and those fluctuations can affect symptoms and aspects of physiology.

However, research examining menstrual cycle phases and exercise performance has produced inconsistent results. Women's individual experiences also vary considerably.

Some women deal with significant cramps, fatigue, migraines, or other symptoms that make training difficult.

Others feel perfectly fine.

Both experiences matter.

If you're exhausted and dealing with severe symptoms, adjusting your workout may be appropriate.

But if you're feeling strong and ready to train, you don't need to skip your deadlifts because an app tells you it's the wrong week.

What you can do: Pay attention to your symptoms and performance over time. Adjust training when needed, but don't assume you must follow a completely different workout program every few weeks.

If menstrual changes are persistent, significant, or concerning, bring them up with your healthcare professional.

Sources: NSCA Position Statements, Parts I and II (2026).

5. You Can't Keep Asking Your Body to Do More While Giving It Less Fuel

This one deserves more attention.

Women have spent decades being told to eat less and move more.

Then we're surprised when we're tired, struggling to recover, or not getting stronger.

Your body needs energy to function. That includes recovering from exercise, maintaining healthy bones, supporting normal physiological processes, and building muscle.

When someone consistently consumes too little energy relative to their training demands, it can create a condition called low energy availability.

In some circumstances, prolonged or severe low energy availability can contribute to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), a syndrome associated with impaired health and performance.

Possible concerns include menstrual disruption, bone health problems, fatigue, and impaired recovery.

And it isn't limited to elite athletes or people intentionally restricting food.

For example, imagine someone who starts strength training three days a week, adds several cardio sessions, and simultaneously cuts calories because she wants to lose weight.

She's asking her body to handle more physical work while providing fewer resources.

Depending on the size and duration of that energy deficit, her health and recovery may suffer.

This doesn't mean you can't lose body fat while strength training. It means how you approach weight loss matters, particularly when you're also trying to improve strength and maintain muscle.

What you can do: Eat enough to support your training and daily needs. Pay attention to persistent fatigue, declining performance, poor recovery, and other changes in your health. A registered dietitian can help you align your nutrition with your goals without relying on extreme restrictions.

Sources: NSCA Position Statement, Part I (2026); International Olympic Committee REDs Consensus Statement (2023).

6. Your Training Should Fit Your Body, Not Someone Else's Template

One of the most useful messages from the new research is that women shouldn't be treated as one identical group.

A 40-year-old woman returning to strength training after years away has different needs from a 60-year-old who's been lifting consistently for a decade.

And both have different needs from someone recovering from surgery or managing ongoing pain.

That doesn't mean we need to throw out the fundamentals.

It means we need to apply them intelligently.

At Studio ME, this is why we focus on personalized strength training.

We're not interested in making every client perform the exact same workout at the exact same weight.

We want to know what you're capable of today, what you want to be able to do tomorrow, and what we need to work on to help you get there.

Maybe your goal is to deadlift 200 pounds.

Maybe it's to carry your suitcase through the airport without worrying about your back.

Maybe it's getting back on the tennis court, hiking with friends, or feeling confident getting up from the floor.

All of those goals are worth training for.

What you can do: Choose a program that accounts for your goals, experience, limitations, and progress. A good program should challenge you without treating discomfort, age, or a medical diagnosis as a reason to stop moving altogether.

So What Should Women Over 40 Actually Do?

If you're wondering where to start, you don't need to overhaul your entire life.

Start with the basics.

Strength train at least twice per week. Include exercises that challenge your major muscle groups, and gradually progress as your abilities improve.

Keep doing cardiovascular exercise. Walking, cycling, rowing, swimming, and other activities support your health. Strength and cardio complement each other.

Eat to support your goals. Avoid extreme calorie restriction, especially when you're increasing your training demands.

Pay attention to recovery. Sleep, stress, symptoms, and overall workload can affect how you feel and perform.

Be consistent. A sustainable plan that you can follow for years is more valuable than a complicated program you abandon after three weeks.

You don't need to do everything perfectly. You need a plan that makes sense for your body and your life.

The Takeaway: Women Need Better Coaching, Not More Fitness Rules

I think one of the biggest problems in the fitness industry is that we keep making exercise more complicated than it needs to be.

Every few months, there's another rule about what women should or shouldn't do.

A new workout for your hormones. A new restriction because you're over 40. Another reason to be afraid of lifting heavy.

Meanwhile, the fundamentals continue to matter.

Strength training works. Progressive overload works. Adequate nutrition matters. Recovery matters.

And understanding the individual matters.

The new NSCA position statements provide an important update to how researchers and coaches understand female athletes. They also remind us that there are still questions science hasn't fully answered.

That's okay. We don't need to pretend otherwise.

What we shouldn't do is turn every biological difference into another limitation on what women can accomplish.

At Studio ME, we believe strength isn't about chasing a certain number on the scale or looking a particular way.

It's about what your body allows you to do.

And the goal isn't just to feel stronger today. It's to build the strength, confidence, and physical capacity to keep doing what matters to you for years to come.

Ready to get stronger?

Whether you're new to strength training, returning after time away, or trying to figure out how to adjust your workouts as your body changes, we're here to help.

At Studio ME Fitness in Northeast Minneapolis, we build personalized training programs around your goals, abilities, and lifestyle.

** References

Dabbs, N. C., et al. (2026). National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Strength and Conditioning of Female Athletes. Part I: Lifespan, Injury, and Health Considerations. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 40(8), 875–894. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000005544

Dabbs, N. C., et al. (2026). National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Strength and Conditioning of Female Athletes. Part II: Training Adaptations and Program Design. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 40(8), 895–908. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000005493

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult Activity: An Overview. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html

Mountjoy, M., et al. (2023). 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57, 1073–1097. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994

This article provides general education and isn't a substitute for individualized medical advice. Training may need to be modified for pregnancy, postpartum recovery, injury, osteoporosis, or other health conditions.