The Best Strength Exercises for Menopause: Build Muscle, Boost Metabolism, Stay Strong
Strength training is one of the most powerful things you can do for your body in menopause - why it matters and how to get started helps you to understand how to start strength training. This article is about the part most women actually want answered: which exercises, and how do I do them properly?
Every effective strength routine is really built from seven movement patterns. Learn these, and you can build (or adapt) a routine anywhere - at home, in a gym, with no equipment or a full rack of dumbbells.
The exercises below are built to deliver that: more muscle, stronger bones, and the confidence that comes with feeling capable in your body.
The exercises are only one part of the picture. If you want to understand how strength training can support muscle and bone health during menopause - and how it fits alongside nutrition, recovery and everyday movement - read our guide to strength training and bone health in menopause.
The Best Strength Exercises for Menopausal Women
The 7 movement patterns
Squat Trains your quads, glutes and core, and underpins almost everything you do standing up. Beginner variation: bodyweight chair squat - sit back toward a chair and stand up without quite touching down.
Hinge Trains your hamstrings, glutes and lower back — the pattern behind picking things up safely. Beginner to intermediate: Romanian deadlift with light dumbbells, progressing toward a conventional deadlift.
Push Trains chest, shoulders and triceps. Progression: wall push-up → incline push-up (hands on a bench or counter) → full press (dumbbell or overhead press).
Pull Trains your back and biceps, and balances out all the pushing you do in daily life. Progression: band row → dumbbell row → cable row.
Carry Trains grip, core and overall stability under load - and grip strength is one of the better predictors of healthy ageing. Farmer's carry: pick up a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand and walk, keeping your posture tall.
Step / lunge Trains single-leg strength and balance, which matters more with every decade. Progression: step-ups → split squat → walking lunge.
Core / brace Trains the muscles that stabilise your spine during everything else on this list. Options: dead-bug, plank, or simply bracing hard during a farmer's carry.
You don't need to train all seven every session. A simple split across two sessions a week might be squat + push + core in session one, hinge + pull + carry in session two.
How to choose the right version
Beginner - bodyweight or bands, focusing on learning the movement before adding load. If you're newer to strength training, [How to Start Exercising in Menopause] is worth reading alongside this.
Intermediate - dumbbells, with weight that challenges you by the last couple of reps.
Gym - machines and barbells give you the widest room to keep progressing once bodyweight and dumbbells stop feeling like enough.
Feeling unsure about your form? Compound lifts are incredibly effective, but they can feel intimidating if you're starting solo. In my 12-Week Menopause Programme, I suggest the technique guidance and progressive plans you need to lift with absolute confidence.
How heavy should I lift?
A simple guide: choose a weight where you can complete your reps with good form, but the final two or three feel genuinely hard. If you could easily do another 15 reps, it's too light to do much for you.
How do I progress?
Once a weight feels comfortable for all your reps, add a small amount of load or an extra rep next session - that steady increase is what builds real strength over time. How often to train each week is covered in How Often Should Women Lift Weights During Menopause?.
Common Concerns
“Won’t lifting make me bulky?”
No. Women lack the testosterone levels needed for large muscle growth. You’ll become leaner, stronger and more defined.“Isn’t cardio enough?”
Cardio supports heart health, but on its own it doesn’t preserve muscle or bone in the same way. Strength training + some cardio is the winning combination.
Still Not Sure Which Version Is Right for You?
Exact movements matter less than doing them consistently and with good form. If you want a plan built around your body, your fitness level and your equipment, that's exactly what the 12-Week Menopause Programme gives you structure for.
If you want personalised support
For some women, that understanding is enough to make small but meaningful changes.
For others, it’s the moment they realise they want support in applying it - so that exercise, energy, and results finally feel aligned again.
This is exactly the work I do - helping you build a strength training approach that’s clear, structured, and sustainable for your body in midlife.
→ Start with the free guide Your personalised Perimenopause Blueprint
→ Or explore how I support clients here:
https://www.themenopausehealthcoach.com/menopause-coaching
If and when you feel ready, you can start here:
→ Book a free 30-minute Menopause Clarity Call
Because this isn’t just about doing the “best” exercises.
It’s about knowing how to use them -
in a way that actually works for you.
Further Reading & References
Phillips, S. M. (2014). A brief review of critical processes in exercise-induced muscular hypertrophy. Sports Medicine, 44(S1), 71–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0152-3
Phillips, S. M., & Winett, R. A. (2010). Uncomplicated resistance training and health-related outcomes: Evidence for a public health mandate. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 9(4), 208–213. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e3181e7da73
Smith-Ryan, A. E., Trexler, E. T., Wingfield, H. L., & Blue, M. N. (2016). Effects of high-protein diets on fat-free mass and muscle strength: A systematic review. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13(48). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-016-0153-9
Mass Research Review (Schoenfeld, B., Helms, E., Contreras, B., Krieger, J., Trexler, E., Morton, R., & Phillips, S.) — Monthly evidence-based analysis of resistance training, nutrition, and fat loss. Available at: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/mass/
