October 22, 2024, 1:58 pm | Read time: 10 minutes

Rebecca Barthel has been working as a personal trainer for almost 20 years. As a result, she has already worked with many different people and therefore knows about the difficulties of training for women over 40. In an interview with FITBOOK fitness editor Janine Riedle, she explains what to look out for.

“Some people have more trouble losing weight

FITBOOK: Rebecca Barthel, what advice do you have for women when it comes to exercising? Is there anything that women should pay particular attention to?
Rebecca Barthel: “Definitely! Since becoming a full-time personal trainer in 2006, I’ve had the opportunity to train a diverse array of clients, ranging from the young to the elderly and across various body types. I’ve also gleaned considerable insights from my clients, as there’s no substitute for the depth of learning that comes from professional experience. This has led me to understand that each person has unique challenges to overcome. I mean, for example, that there are people who have problems losing weight because of their metabolism. Therefore, my advice to everyone, particularly women, is to engage in strength training, as it’s vitally important for the female body and can help decelerate the aging process.”

Why do you address women, in particular, when it comes to strength training?
“A common misconception among many women is that strength training will make them overly muscular, but this is not the case. It’s the best way to slow down the aging process, tone your figure, be strong, and feel good about yourself. Strength training has so many benefits, both physically and mentally. That’s why I advise every woman to try it. You don’t have to build mountains of muscle, but strength training has incredible benefits for the body and mind.”

Women’s muscle mass decreases after 40

How does training affect hormonal balance?
“You can inadvertently ‘break down’ your muscle mass by not engaging in any physical activity or by solely focusing on endurance sports. The number of muscles is the same for everyone, but muscle mass can decrease. Starting at age 40, there’s a decline in muscle mass, bone density, and the body’s collagen levels. This natural process cannot be stopped. From a certain age, usually between 40 and 60, women also experience hormonal fluctuations that lead to weight gain, fatigue, poor recovery, mood swings, and other symptoms. Post-40, many women experience weight gain due to hormonal imbalances despite maintaining their usual eating habits. Unfortunately, many respond incorrectly by eating less and doing a lot of cardio training instead of building muscle.”

Why is this a mistake?
“Muscle mass is crucial when it comes to boosting your metabolism. Without sufficient muscle mass, it’s harder to maintain your weight, and your physical condition deteriorates. That’s why it’s so important to do strength training at this stage of life.”

“The goal shouldn’t just be weight loss

How do you deal with customers who come to you with such problems? What advice do you, Rebecca Barthel, give women for their training?
“First, you have to clarify what the goal is. Most customers want to lose weight. Often, it’s just a few kilos, but sometimes it’s 15 to 20 kilos. It’s important that women understand that it’s not just about weighing less. Many starve themselves and lose muscle mass in the process, which is counterproductive – it is often referred to as a ‘skinny fat’ body shape. However, muscles are our most important metabolic organ and ensure that we burn more calories. So the more muscle mass you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate and the more calories you burn, even at rest.”

So what is important?
“The goal shouldn’t just be to lose weight but to build muscle mass, improve the joint structure, strengthen the musculoskeletal system, and maintain mental health. All of this leads to a better quality of life, even in old age. Strength training is crucial, but many people have the wrong idea about it. It’s not about light training with a 1-kilo rubber dumbbell or bodyweight training but about training regularly and with the right load. To do this, it is important to adapt the whole thing to your individual fitness level because you have to build up your strength first. I make sure that my clients learn the right technique and understand that building strength and muscle requires continuity. It’s about doing basic exercises and doing them regularly. Twice a week might be enough to get started, but in the long run, you need to do more to really see progress.”

“Nutrition and strength training are essential during menopause

Rebecca Barthel, when a woman goes through menopause, what should she pay particular attention to when training?
“It’s important to understand that muscle loss naturally increases during menopause, connective tissue loses elasticity, and bones become more porous. One of the reasons for this is that the body produces less collagen, which leads to a loss of water storage in the tissue. During this phase, it is crucial to pay attention to more than just your diet – protein alone is not enough to build muscle. Strength training is essential to strengthen muscles and bone density. Women should focus on regular strength training during menopause to counteract these natural processes. This not only slows down muscle loss but also compensates for the psychological stress that many women feel during this phase of their lives.”

How exactly does strength training help with the symptoms of the menopause?
“Strength training has positive effects on the psyche. Many women suffer from mood swings, sleep disorders, and irritability during menopause. Sport acts as an outlet and improves general well-being. Just three hours of strength training a week is enough to notice positive changes: connective tissue becomes firmer, posture improves, and the body begins to define itself. It’s never too late! I’ve had clients of 50 years who I promised would get into the shape of their lives – and they’ve always done it with the right combination. Strength training alone is not enough. It is also important to eat healthily because the right combination of exercise and nutrition is crucial. Even small improvements of 20 to 30 percent more exercise and a better quality diet make a big difference. This can significantly alleviate the symptoms of the menopause.”

How to prepare for menopause with exercise

Can you prepare for menopause in advance?
“Yes, definitely. If you’ve always been active and done strength training, you’ll start menopause on a better footing. Bone density is better, the muscles are more pronounced, and the metabolism runs more efficiently. Collagen production can also be supported by certain nutrients. It’s never too late to start, but those who take action early on will have significantly fewer problems during menopause. It’s like a well-maintained car – if you do regular maintenance, you will have fewer problems than someone who neglects it. Prevention is the key here. Prevention means that strength training is particularly crucial for women over 40, as muscle loss and the associated physical changes progress more quickly. However, many women have misconceptions about how they should train.”

So, what should you pay attention to when training?
“There are different forms of training – strength endurance, speed strength, bodyweight training – but when it comes to targeted muscle building, we talk about hypertrophy. This increases the muscle cross-section and requires specific training stimuli: the right number of repetitions, sets, and the right weight. Seeking advice from a trainer to create a tailored plan that aligns with your personal circumstances is crucial.”

Is there anything else you advise your customers to do to achieve success in training?
“Regularity is the key – only consistent training brings long-term success. It’s not about investing endless amounts of time but about working efficiently and continuously. By concentrating on the basics—exercise and nutrition—women can save significantly on costly creams and products. This has a much more lasting effect and helps the body to stay healthy and firm. Strength training can help enormously, both physically and mentally, especially during menopause. It tightens the connective tissue, builds muscles, and improves posture. Even beyond 40, you can achieve a defined physique—it’s not about age, but rather the correct approach.”

Training the problem area arms during menopause

What about building muscle during menopause, especially if you want to tackle problem areas such as your arms? What should women pay attention to when training in this body area?
“If you want toned arms, it’s not just about targeted arm training, but about intensive full-body training. The arms, especially the triceps, are often trained indirectly through other exercises, such as chest or back training. Exercises such as bench presses or pull-ups not only train the main muscles but also the triceps and biceps. Women often complain about sagging skin in the triceps area, and this can, of course, be targeted with exercises. But it always depends on how intensively and regularly you train and, above all, how you eat. You can define your arms, but fat loss always takes place in the whole body, not just in individual areas.”

And what is fat loss linked to?
“When you run, you can’t just lose weight on your legs, just as you can’t just lose weight on your arms. It depends on your genetic predispositions as to where your body loses fat first, but if you focus on your arms, for example, and do regular strength training, you will see progress. The body changes as a whole with the right combination of training and diet. In the end, it’s important to look at the whole package: Full body workout, healthy diet, and continuity. This allows you to tone your body during menopause and also work specifically on your arms.”

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Training the abdominal problem zone during menopause

What is the best way to get a flat, defined stomach, even at an advanced age?
“The secret to a flat, toned stomach lies not only in abdominal exercises but primarily in reducing overall body fat. Everyone has abdominal muscles, but they only become visible when the fat percentage is low enough – in women, usually from around 14 percent body fat. Women naturally have more body fat than men, which is biologically determined, as our bodies have a certain amount of fat reserves for pregnancies. This means that if you want a flat stomach, you have to pay attention to your diet first and foremost. The saying ‘Abs are made in the kitchen’ applies perfectly here. There is little point in exercising intensively five times a week if you consume more calories than you burn or eat the wrong nutrients. Abdominal fat is reduced primarily through a clean diet, and this is also reflected in the abdominal area.”

So, can abdominal training alone have the opposite effect?
“Abdominal training alone does not flatten the stomach. On the contrary, intensive abdominal muscle training with a lot of weight can cause the abdominal muscles to become larger and stronger, which makes the stomach look wider rather than flatter. The abdomen is involved in almost all exercises, especially complex full-body exercises such as deadlifts or squats. These strengthen the core and improve overall posture, which involves the abdomen anyway. Therefore, the optimal path to a defined abdomen is a comprehensive workout regimen centered on muscle building (hypertrophy) and high-calorie burn, paired with a balanced, nutritious diet. This is the only way to reduce body fat, which ultimately exposes the abdominal muscles.”