In the latest episode of our new WH podcast Just As Well, co-host and former WH cover star Gemma Atkinson welcomed her very own personal trainer Elliott Upton to chat about all things health and fitness – including the importance of strength training for women of all ages, but particularly as they enter midlife.
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to weight training is getting started, for which Elliott provides plenty of advice in the pod.
However, in the episode, he also reveals one barrier to entry that simply shouldn’t exist – which is based on a lie that, in turn, is holding women back.
‘What’s the biggest piece of misinformation about training that really, really annoys you?’ asks Gemma.
‘That weight training makes women bigger. It drives me mad. It’s still alive even after 30, 40 years. It drives me crazy because it just isn’t true,’ says Elliott.
The primary aim of weight training, especially in mid-life, is to maintain and build muscle mass at a time when you’re much more susceptible to losing it due to the hormonal changes that come with perimenopause and menopause.
Weight training will help protect you against injury, frailty, and hopefully keep you mobile much later down the line. It will keep you strong, not beef you up bodybuilder-style. Unless that’s what you want, of course
To get really big through weight training, says Elliott, ‘you’d have to eat like a horse’. ‘Don’t get me wrong, if you are eating loads and loads and loads of calories, potentially being in a calorie surplus, then weight training progressively over time could make you big,’ he adds. ‘But generally, the sorts of people that are getting bigger – females that are getting bigger quickly,’ he says, ‘it’s not weight training that’s making them big. It’s chemicals.’
Just As Well is the wellness podcast for women who want real science, practical advice and great chat. It’s hosted by Gemma Atkinson and Women’s Health’s editor-in-chief Claire Sanderson, two working mums in their 40s who balance training with busy lifestyles. Listen or watch here.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Nutrition Writer across Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.
She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.
A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.