Episode 44Mar 2, 2026· 6:28

The Real Reason You're Not Losing Weight in Your 40s (Hint: It's Not Cardio)

▸ Show notes from the creator

If you're in your 40s and spinning your wheels trying to lose weight, you might be doing too much of the wrong thing and not enough of the right one. In this episode, fitness expert Anne Brady makes a compelling case for why strength training, not cardio, is the foundation your body actually needs after 40. Anne breaks down exactly why muscle mass is the key to a faster metabolism, better energy, balanced hormones, and long-term weight maintenance. Plus, host Ashley Grant gets real about her own experience finally picking up weights, why she resisted it for so long, and how it has transformed her overall fitness. Whether you're brand new to strength training or you've been skipping it in favor of the treadmill, this episode will give you the push you need to start lifting. You'll walk away knowing exactly how often to train, what movements to focus on, and how to build a routine that actually sticks. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional before starting any diet or exercise program. Be sure to follow me online: https://famousashleygrant.com/fitness/ Find Anne Brady, PhD online: https://www.instagram.com/annebradyfitlife/ https://www.uncg.edu/employees/anne-brady/ https://www.instagram.com/uncg/ --------------------------------------- This podcast is supported by affiliate partnerships. Please check out a few of our partners below: – Check out my Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/theashleygrant?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_4EEZX1HN7ZCWEBZ33TK3 – Start a podcast today here: https://rss.com/?via=moremovementplease – Create content from your own voice with Castmagic's Suite of AI Tools: https://get.castmagic.io/dcjy15cirnts – Want to help support our show? Buy a girl a drink perhaps? https://ko-fi.com/famousashleygrant – Need content for your podcast or blog? Check out Tools for Motivation! The links above are affiliate links. This means my podcast will receive a small commission if you order through any of them at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions are one of the ways my podcast makes money so that I can create episodes free of charge. If you do purchase anything from my links, I sincerely would like to thank you for your support!

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About this episode

Episode covers strength training versus cardio for weight loss and fitness in your 40s, featuring a listener voice note from Anne Brady on muscle mass, metabolism, hormones, blood sugar, and functional movement, followed by host Ashley Grant's personal story of resisting weight training for years despite repeated encouragement from her instructor Rhonda and a friend in the fitness space, and her current experience…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You've been doing cardio for months and the scale hasn't moved, and you're starting to wonder if you're doing something fundamentally wrong.

You're in your 40s and your body feels like it's working against you — less energy, harder to lose weight — and you don't fully understand why.

You've always avoided lifting weights because it felt intimidating or unnecessary, and someone in your life keeps telling you to start — but you're still not convinced.

You already have a workout you love — dancing, walking, cycling — and you're not sure how or whether strength training fits into a routine that's already working emotionally for you.

You're not trying to become an athlete — you just want to be able to carry groceries, keep up with your kids, and move through daily life without it feeling hard.

You're somewhere in the middle of a fitness journey — not a beginner, not an expert — and you find it easier to stay motivated when someone is honest about still working toward their own goals.

What you’ll learn

Make strength training the foundation of your routine in your 40s, not an add-on to cardio

Prioritize frequency before intensity when starting out — two full-body sessions per week, consistently

Understand that muscle burns calories even at rest, making weight maintenance more realistic over time

Questions this episode wrestles with

Why am I doing so much cardio but not losing weight in my 40s?

answered

Anne Brady's answer is that cardio isn't the real game changer — building and maintaining muscle is, because muscle is metabolically active and burns calories even when you're not working out, making weight loss easier and long-term maintenance more realistic.

"the answer is more cardio, but the real game changer in your 40s is building and maintaining"

How do you start strength training when it's never appealed to you?

answered

Anne Brady suggests focusing on frequency before intensity — aim for two full-body sessions per week, include movements that work both upper and lower body, and only add intensity once that feels like routine.

"you're new to strength training focus on frequency before intensity aim for two full body sessions per week include movements that work both your upper and lower body And once that feels like routine, then you can add intensity, increasing"

What if I just don't want to lift weights — do I really have to?

open question

Ashley doesn't argue you into it — she shares that she was the person her instructor Rhonda never thought would lift a weight, and that she genuinely didn't understand why it mattered for years, sitting with that resistance honestly rather than resolving it with a tidy conversion story.

"to lift a weight. She never thought that she could get me to lift a weight. And I didn't realize. back then just how important it was to add strength training to my exercises. And a friend of mine"

Does doing just two sessions a week actually make a difference?

answered

Anne Brady's position is yes — two to three times a week, every week, is the target, and the emphasis is on consistency rather than a short intense program: 'Not a quick 12-week program and then you're done.'

"or machines. And the key is consistency. Two to three times a week, every week. Not a quick 12 -week program and then you're done. Just regular, full -body sessions that challenge your muscles in a way that feels doable for you. So why is"

Is it okay to still be working toward a goal you haven't hit yet?

answered

Ashley shares her own unfinished progress with 20-pound dumbbells without framing it as failure — she's excited about where she's headed, not apologetic about where she isn't yet.

"more often. I'm getting closer and closer. I'm using them in some of the exercises that I'm doing, but I'm still not using them quite to the degree that I want to. I'm getting there."

Setting expectations: Despite the title suggesting a deep dive into the science of why weight loss stalls in your 40s, this episode is not an investigation into hormones, metabolism disorders, or diet strategies. It's a short episode where Ashley plays a listener voice note recommending strength training over cardio, followed by her own reflection on finally starting to use weights in her workouts.

Tone & style

Ashley starts from a place of having believed cardio and dieting were enough, gets nudged repeatedly by instructor Rhonda and a friend with health websites, eventually starts using weights, and lands in enthusiastic convert territory — currently working toward consistently using 20-pound dumbbells.

A mix of Ashley's personal experience and a guest voice note presenting fitness claims in an expert register. Neither constitutes medical or professional fitness advice.

toneWarm & personally enthusiastic

focusAshley shares a voice note from Anne Brady arguing strength training beats cardio for weight loss in your 40s, then reflects on her own long resistance to picking up weights and how glad she is that she finally did.

stylesolo_monologue

energymedium

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Textureenthusiastic, self-deprecating, encouraging

Notable quotes

"the answer is more cardio, but the real game changer in your 40s is building and maintaining"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"say to me that she never thought I was going to lift a weight. She never thought that she could get me to lift a weight. And I didn't realize."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"big deal. I was like, well, if I'm trying to lose weight, aren't I supposed to just do more cardio? Shouldn't I just be dieting? Like, isn't that what I really need to lose weight? Yeah,"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"word game changer, but it really was like it really was a game changer for me to add strength"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"All I know is I'm really glad I finally picked"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

3 chapters — tap to expand the full text

Ashley introduces a voice note from Anne Brady, who argues that strength training — not cardio — should be the foundation of fitness in your 40s, explaining how muscle supports metabolism, daily function, and long-term weight management.