Transcript: The Real Reason You're Not Losing Weight in Your 40s (Hint: It's Not Cardio)
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Ashley Grant introduces the episode and hands it over to a voice note from Anne Brady.
All I know is I'm really glad I finally picked up a weight. What's up, you guys? Famous Ashley Grant here. Welcome to More Movement, Please, the podcast where I hope to inspire you to move your body more. Today, I have another awesome voice note, and this one comes to us from Anne Brady, and here's what she has to say. If I had to give one fitness tip for someone in their 40s who wants to lose weight and get healthy, it would be this. Make strength training the foundation of your routine. And I know, that might not be what you'd expect. Most people think the answer is more cardio, but the real game changer in your 40s is building and maintaining muscle. Strength training simply means working your muscles against resistance. Things like bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, kettlebells, 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,
Anne Brady argues that strength training — not more cardio — should be the foundation of fitness in your 40s, explaining how muscle mass supports metabolism, weight loss, hormone regulation, and everyday physical capability.
full -body sessions that challenge your muscles in a way that feels doable for you. So why is this important in your 40s? Because your muscles are the engine that support almost everything about your health as you age. Muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle power are what keep you moving well, feeling capable, and staying independent. Muscle is also metabolically active, meaning it uses energy even when you're not working out.
So the more muscle you have, the more calories your body naturally burns throughout the day. This makes weight loss easier and long -term weight maintenance more realistic. And beyond metabolism, muscle is what helps you complete daily activities. Carrying groceries, climbing stairs, getting off the floor, keeping up with your kids or grandkids, and moving without fear or injury. Strength training protects that ability.
regarding weight loss strength training boosts your metabolism it improves how your body handles blood sugar supports better energy and helps regulate the hormones that influence hunger and stress and as you get stronger every other type of movement including cardio becomes easier if 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 the challenge. Things like heavier weights, more reps, or more complex exercises. The goal is to build consistency first. Intensity can come later. If you're in your 40s and you want to lose weight and get healthy, strength training is your best investment. It boosts your metabolism, protects your muscle, supports your joints, and helps you feel strong and capable in your everyday
life. Start simple, stay consistent, and build from there. I don't know about you guys, but I finally started lifting weights, not like crazy lifting, but I am actually using weights in my workouts. And I can't help but get tickled whenever someone tells me, you know, you need to add strength training to your workouts because it reminds me of whenever I first started trying to work out and how my instructor Rhonda would... basically 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.
Ashley shares her own experience resisting weights early on — her instructor Rhonda never thought she'd lift — and how adding strength training alongside Zumba has made her feel stronger and improved her overall endurance.
back then just how important it was to add strength training to my exercises. And a friend of mine who used to own a couple of health websites, she used to say that to me all the time too. She's like, if you're getting serious about fitness, you really need to start lifting weights. And I really didn't understand why it was such a 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, okay. That is something you can do to lose weight.
But if you're trying to improve your overall fitness, then you have to include strength training in your workouts. And I can tell you guys, I am so freaking glad that I started lifting weights and like using weights in my workouts because feeling stronger, it just feels so much better than what I was doing before. I mean, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Zumba is still my absolute favorite thing to do. That is my favorite way to work out. But I'm so glad that I am including strength training because I mean, being able to lift stuff. being able to do things like, oh my goodness, it is such. I hate the word game changer, but it really was like it really was a game changer for me to add strength training to my exercises. I do feel like it's helped give me more endurance. It's helped improve my fitness overall. And if you're not including strength training in your workouts, what are
you even doing with your life? I really hope that this that this episode inspires you that if you are not currently doing some sort of strength training in your exercises that you will start because it. It is everything. And it just feels so good to be able to lift stuff. And I told you guys in previous episodes that my goal now is to seriously start using those 20 pound dumbbells 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.
I can't wait. I'm so excited. I hope that this message was inspiring for you. I hope you enjoyed everything that Ann Brady had to share. And I really enjoyed what she shared. And I would love to hear from y 'all too. If you'd like to share a voice note that can be used in this podcast, I want to hear from you. Go to famousashleygrant.com backslash fitness. And if you're a person who's on a fitness journey, just like me, and you want to share what you're going through, I want to hear from you. Or if you're a fitness pro and you want to share, you know. A tip that I may not have thought of or that I haven't covered yet, I'd love to hear from you too. So head over to famousashleygrant .com backslash fitness.
But that's all I've got for you guys today. Onwards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?
Ashley wraps up, mentions her goal of using 20-pound dumbbells more consistently, and invites listeners and fitness pros to submit voice notes at famousashleygrant.com/fitness.
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