{"id":373662,"date":"2026-04-03T22:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T22:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/373662\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T22:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T22:09:11","slug":"at-54-im-building-more-muscle-than-ever-before-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/373662\/","title":{"rendered":"‘At 54, I\u2019m Building More Muscle Than Ever Before. Here’s How.’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated5 min read<\/p>\n

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my usual routine came to a halt. Aside from the occasional walk with my family, I became pretty sedentary, and it didn\u2019t take long before nightly charcuterie boards and a glass or two of wine were the norm. At first, it didn\u2019t seem like much, but over time, I stopped taking care of myself the way I used to.<\/p>\n

Those habits stuck with me for the next few years, but by 2022, when I was 51, I knew something needed to change. I\u2019d been active up until the pandemic, and I missed what it felt like to feel strong. I had gained weight, lost a lot of muscle, and just felt lost overall. I wasn\u2019t sure where to begin.<\/p>\n

As I was scrolling Instagram one day, I came across a post of a woman who had gone through an incredible strength transformation. She shared how she had gone through The Wonder Women Official<\/a> program\u2014a virtual training program focused on mindset, macro-based nutrition, and resistance training\u2014and seeing what she achieved was so inspiring. It made me want to take that same step, so I decided to apply to the program myself. A few months later, I was accepted and ready to do whatever it took to get stronger.<\/p>\n

I had never tracked macros or followed a structured weight training plan, so there was certainly a learning curve, but I stayed committed to the process. I followed a high-protein diet and went to the gym seven days a week. I was strength training five times a week and did cardio every day\u2014paying close attention to proper form and gradually increasing the weight over time whenever I could. I worked with my coach virtually, but we had regular check-ins to review form, track progress, and set new goals, which helped keep me accountable and motivated.<\/p>\n

Overhauling my lifestyle wasn\u2019t easy at first, but after a few weeks of adjusting and fine-tuning my routine, things started to click and I felt great. Each week, I noticed myself getting stronger, more capable, and more in-tune with my body. I was building visible muscle, my clothes were fitting looser, and I genuinely enjoyed having a consistent routine. After years of feeling lost, I appreciated the structure and discipline this new lifestyle gave me.<\/p>\n

I continued training with the Wonder Women Official team for the next year, until I found out some scary news that would halt all the progress I\u2019d made.<\/p>\n

My doctors had been monitoring a small cancerous mass in my brain for some time. In early 2023, it started growing again, requiring surgery. I was, surprisingly, not nervous going into the procedure\u2014I was strong, powerful, and in the best shape of my life, which gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to recover. And it really paid off.<\/p>\n

While doctors originally expected I\u2019d be in the hospital for five days, I was up and walking shortly after surgery and able to go home after two. Naturally, I had some discomfort, but I believe the strength and endurance I built from consistent resistance training played a significant role in my recovery process.<\/p>\n

\"AKelly Gandhi Gahr<\/p>\n

Kelly after surgery.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t go to the gym for two months after surgery, but with the support of my doctor and coach, I stayed focused on getting back my strength. The first few weeks were hard since I had very little energy and spent most of my time in bed, but by week six, I felt ready to start moving more. With the guidance of my same Wonder Women coach, I began walking about 2,000 steps a day, gradually rebuilding my stamina and endurance from there.<\/p>\n

Once I was cleared to return to the gym, I kept things simple. My doctor said as long as I felt good, it was safe to exercise, so I started with three days a week, focusing on bodyweight exercises and light dumbbells. My coach also checked in daily to make sure I felt okay and wasn\u2019t overdoing it. Slowing down wasn\u2019t easy, but I constantly reminded myself that progress takes patience. Within a few weeks, I was lifting a 95-pound barbell again. By eight months post-surgery, I had worked my way back to lifting the same weights I was before.<\/p>\n

Two and a half years after surgery, I train five days a week to build muscle.<\/p>\n

Today, at 54, I still train virtually with The Wonder Women program five days a week: three days focused on upper body and two on lower body. The number of exercises varies, but I usually do three sets of 10 to 15 reps per exercise, depending on the weight. I also do 30 to 45 minutes of cardio on my Peloton a few times a week.<\/p>\n

These days, my goal is to keep building muscle, so progressive overload remains a priority, even if it\u2019s an incremental amount. I\u2019m also working toward a new 200-pound bench press goal. Before surgery, I was benching 135 pounds, and now I\u2019m up to 163 pounds.<\/p>\n

3 Products I Can\u2019t Train Without\"EVERYMATE<\/a>EVERYMATE Fractional Weight Plates<\/p>\n

Now 10% Off<\/p>\n

These incremental weight plates are perfect for progressively overloading barbells when the next jump in weight feels too heavy.<\/p>\n

\"Versa<\/a><\/p>\n

I love my lifting straps because they add extra grip support to prevent slipping when I\u2019m holding heavy weight.<\/p>\n

\"Airpods<\/a>Airpods 4 with Noise Cancellation<\/p>\n

Good music is a must for my workouts, so I always have my AirPods with me.<\/p>\n

These three factors are key to my strength transformation success.I surround myself with support.<\/p>\n

To be honest, I don\u2019t think I would be where I am today without the incredible support of my coach and community.<\/p>\n

Even while recovering from brain surgery, when I could barely walk for more than five minutes, my coach stayed right there with me\u2014checking-in, celebrating every small win, and pushing me just enough to safely keep moving forward. Having a teammate who truly believed in my ability and worked with me to rebuild my strength was invaluable, and her encouragement made all the difference.<\/p>\n

Plus, the whole Wonder Woman Official community is such a tight knit group\u2014the support is unbelievable. And of course, my family have always been my biggest fans, and have supported me every step of the way. I never felt alone in any portion of my journey\u2014I always had a whole community rooting for me. I couldn\u2019t have done it without any of them.<\/p>\n

I remain grateful.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always believed in the power of mindset, but it\u2019s gratitude that really keeps me grounded. I\u2019m so thankful for my health, my body, and the amazing people who have supported me every step of the way. Life has definitely thrown me some curve balls, but I\u2019ve learned that being grateful doesn\u2019t mean ignoring challenges or pretending that everything is perfect. It\u2019s about recognizing and celebrating resilience, determination, grit, and strength, even in the face of setbacks.<\/p>\n

There have been days, or even weeks, when life gets in the way and progress feels slow. In these moments, I remind myself that moving my body is a privilege. I understand it\u2019s easier said than done, but I truly believe that gratitude can turn even the smallest wins into something big. It reminds me that every challenging moment is part of a journey I\u2019m lucky to be on.<\/p>\n

I understand that fitness is a journey, not a destination.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest lessons I\u2019ve learned through everything is that fitness isn\u2019t linear. Some weeks, walking just 2,000 steps felt like a victory, while other weeks, picking up a barbell seemed impossible. But through every up and down, I reminded myself that progress doesn\u2019t happen in a straight line because every small step forward matters.<\/p>\n

Returning to the gym and gradually rebuilding strength after brain surgery wasn\u2019t about hitting PRs or pushing to extremes. It was about proving to myself that I could recover, adapt, and keep moving forward. After all, getting stronger isn\u2019t a destination; it\u2019s the process of improving little by little, day by day.<\/p>\n

Find the Perfect Women’s Health Training Program for You\"Chevron\"Chevron\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Andi Breitowich is a freelance writer who covers health, fitness, relationships, beauty, and smart living. She is a graduate of Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in\u00a0Women’s Health,\u00a0POPSUGAR,\u00a0Food & Wine,\u00a0What To Expect,\u00a0Cosmopolitan,\u00a0Men’s Health, and elsewhere.\u00a0As a\u00a0former collegiate pole vaulter, she loves all things fitness and has yet to meet a group workout class she doesn’t like.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"5 min read When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my usual routine came to a halt. Aside from the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":373663,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[143373,147683,2139,179290,637,589,1345,163,179289,85,46,1975,168226,179288],"class_list":{"0":"post-373662","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-collection-fitness-transformations","9":"tag-collection-wh-exclusives","10":"tag-content-type-feature","11":"tag-contentid-552a4f42-08c3-4b9a-b0d6-a3a72fb353dc","12":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-hasproduct-true","15":"tag-health","16":"tag-im-building-more-muscle-than-ever","17":"tag-il","18":"tag-israel","19":"tag-locale-us","20":"tag-read_time-7","21":"tag-shorttitle-at-54"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=373662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/373663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=373662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=373662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=373662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}