# 4-week strength training plan for menopause · Menopause Lift > Source: https://menopauselift.com/articles/your-first-month-of-strength-training-a-4-week-plan Strength training ## Your first month of strength training: a 4-week plan Choose where you are starting from and how many days you can give it, and the planner sets out four weeks of home strength sessions, from five slow repetitions to a full routine. By Claire Hollis, 1 November 2026 A first month of strength training for women in perimenopause or menopause can be two or three short sessions a week at home, using the exercises in the [NHS home strength routine](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises/) and adding a few repetitions or a set each week. The NHS asks adults to work every major muscle group on at least two days a week ([NHS physical activity guidelines](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/)). The planner below turns that into a week-by-week table you can print. ### Build your 4-week plan Where are you starting from? From a chairYou have not exercised for a long time, or standing moves feel shaky. BodyweightYou can stand up from a chair without your hands and walk briskly. Light weightsYou own light dumbbells and the standing moves already feel easy. How many days a week can you train? 2 daysThe NHS minimum for strength work. 3 daysWith a rest day between sessions. Show my 4-week plan #### Example: bodyweight, 2 days a week Train on Tuesday and Friday, 8 sessions in the month. Each session takes about 15 to 20 minutes. On two or three other days, take a brisk walk. __Sets and repetitions for each exercise, week by week__ | Exercise | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------- | --------------------------- | | Sit-to-stand | 5 | 5 | 2 × 5 | 2 × 8 | | Mini-squats, holding the chair | 5 | 5 | 2 × 5 | 2 × 8 | | Calf raises | 5, holding the chair | 5, holding the chair | 2 × 5 | 2 × 8, no support | | Sideways leg lift | 5 on each leg | 5 on each leg | 2 × 5 on each leg | 2 × 8 on each leg | | Leg extension | 5 on each leg, short hold | 5 on each leg, 5 s hold | 2 × 5 on each leg, 5 s hold | 2 × 8 on each leg, 5 s hold | | Wall press-ups | 3 × 5 | 3 × 6 to 8 | 3 × 8 | 3 × 10 | | Biceps curls, water bottles | 3 × 5 with each arm | 3 × 5 with each arm | 3 × 6 with each arm | 3 × 8 with each arm | “2 × 5” means two sets of five repetitions, with a short rest between sets. A single number is one set. Print or save as PDF ### How the plan is put together Every exercise comes from two NHS routines written for people who have not done much for a while: the [strength exercises](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises/) (sit-to-stand, mini-squats, calf raises, sideways leg lift, leg extension, wall press-ups and biceps curls) and, for the chair level, hip marching from the [sitting exercises](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/sitting-exercises/). Those pages give the starting numbers, such as 5 repetitions of each leg move and 3 sets of 5 to 10 wall press-ups, and ask you to do the routine at least twice a week and build up slowly. The NHS does not say how fast to build up, so the week-by-week numbers are our own editorial step-up. Each week raises one or two things by a small amount, and no exercise jumps more than one set or three repetitions at a time. Treat the table as an estimate and change it as your body responds. It was written from general guidance and knows nothing about your joints or your health. Effort matters as much as the count. The NHS says strength work should continue until you need a short rest before you repeat the move. If the last few repetitions of a set feel easy, you are ready for the next week's numbers. ### Choosing your starting level **From a chair** starts seated: hip marching, curls with water bottles and sit-to-stand with your hands guiding you. Standing calf raises and pushing against the wall are in from week one because both keep a hand on something solid, and mini-squats join in week three. **Bodyweight** is the NHS standing routine at its starting numbers, with a chair to hold and two filled water bottles for the curls. By week four the leg moves are at two sets of eight and the wall press-ups at the NHS top figure of three sets of ten. Our [home workout for women over 50](/articles/home-workout-for-women-over-50) sets out the same moves as one session, with the NHS balance routine added and ways to make it harder once the plan ends. **Light weights** opens where the bodyweight plan ends and swaps the bottles for dumbbells. If you have been lifting for months already, this plan will feel light, and a longer programme or a class suits you better. If you cannot decide which of two levels fits, take the easier one. My take on days: I'd pick two over three for a first month, even if three looks tempting on paper: two sessions you keep every week do more than three you skip half the time, and you can add the third day in month two. Moving up a level after week two is easy, while starting too high is the usual way a first month ends in week one. ### A worked example Say you are 52, you walk most days, you have never lifted anything heavier than the shopping, and you can spare Tuesday and Friday mornings. Choosing bodyweight and two days gives you the table shown above when the page loads. Week one is seven moves at their gentlest: a single set of each leg move, then three short sets for the arms and chest. In week three the leg moves double to two sets. By week four calf raises come off the chair, and the press-ups reach three sets of ten. That is eight sessions in the month, each about a quarter of an hour. ### When to repeat a week Repeat a week rather than moving on if you could not finish the sets with good form, if you were still sore two days later, or if you missed a session. Going a little slower costs you nothing, and the NHS routine is built around slow, controlled movement, noting for sit-to-stand that the slower the repetitions, the better. Soreness the next day is normal after a new exercise. Sharp pain during a move, or joint pain that gets worse from one session to the next, is a reason to stop that exercise and mention it at your next appointment. ### Why a plan like this matters during menopause The NHS lists weakening bones, muscle aches and joint pain among the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and notes that weight gain around the stomach is common in these years ([NHS menopause symptoms](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause-and-perimenopause/symptoms/)). The US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases recommends resistance training alongside weight-bearing and balance exercise for bone health, because working muscles also put stress on bones ([NIAMS, Exercise for your bone health](https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/exercise-your-bone-health)). Our guide on [how to start strength training during menopause](/articles/strength-training-menopause-how-to-start) explains the reasons in more depth, and this planner is the practical step after it. On the days between strength sessions, a brisk walk counts toward the 150 minutes of moderate activity a week the NHS recommends, and NIAMS lists brisk walking among the weight-bearing exercises that help bone health. ### Check with a doctor first if The NHS advises speaking to a GP before starting if you have not exercised for some time or have a medical condition. The sitting exercises page adds that if you are not sure the moves suit you, a GP or another health professional involved in your care can tell you. NIAMS asks anyone with low bone density or osteoporosis to talk to a healthcare provider before beginning, so they can help choose exercises that are safe for them. After the four weeks, keep the two or three days and keep adding a little. For more on what happens to muscle and bone in these years, see our [guides on muscle, bone and balance](/topics/muscle-and-bone). --- [ ](/) Strength training, muscle, bone and weight in perimenopause and menopause for women aged 35 to 65 and beyond, based on NHS, NIH and other official guidance. [Write to the editors](/contact) ### Read * [Latest articles](/articles) * [Strength training](/topics/strength-training) * [Weight and body changes](/topics/menopause-weight) * [Muscle, bone and balance](/topics/muscle-and-bone) * [Food and protein](/topics/food-and-protein) * [All topics](/topics) ### About us * [About](/about) * [Authors](/authors) * [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy) * [How we make money](/how-we-make-money) ### Legal * [Terms](/terms) * [Privacy](/privacy) * [Contact](/contact) © 2026 Menopause Lift. Every health fact links to the official page or study it comes from. This site informs and does not replace your doctor. [How we make money](/how-we-make-money).