The masses (including myself) spend a lot of time discussing the benefits of weight training. As often happens when something goes viral, we can get caught up in an implied narrative that we need to DO THIS AT THE EXCLUSION OF everything else and lose sight of the other valuable fitness modalities that we have available to us.

Now, please make no mistake. There is no substitute for the stimulus we receive from weight training. But females are masters of physical adaptation, and our bodies crave variation to improve fitness. So the more variations we have, the more opportunities we have to supplement our weight training efforts with other modalities, and promote the adaptations required for fitness gains.

Enter body weight training.

Bodyweight training is having a well-deserved moment—and for good reason. For midlife women, it represents an effective, accessible, and sustainable way to build strength, preserve muscle, and support long-term health.

But to fully appreciate its value, we need to define it more broadly than most people do.

What Is Bodyweight Training?

Bodyweight training includes any exercise where your own body mass provides the primary resistance. While many people think of push-ups and squats, the reality is much more comprehensive.

A well-rounded bodyweight training system includes:

• Strength movements: push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges

• Locomotion: walking, running, hiking, stair climbing

• Power-based movements: jumping, hopping, bounding, skipping

• Isometric control: planks, wall sits, hangs

• Multi-planar movement: lateral lunges, crawling, rotational patterns

• Skill and control work: yoga flows, Pilates-based core training, balance work

Together, these movements train strength, power, coordination, mobility, and control—qualities that become increasingly important as we age.

Why Bodyweight Training Matters More After 40

As physiology shifts in midlife, our training priorities evolve. Bodyweight training aligns exceptionally well with what we need most.

It builds real-world strength
Bodyweight training improves your ability to move your own mass through space. Getting up from the floor, climbing stairs, catching yourself during a misstep—these are all expressions of functional strength.

It preserves lean muscle mass
Muscle loss (sarcopenia) begins as early as the fourth decade. Bodyweight exercises—especially when progressed appropriately—can provide sufficient resistance to stimulate and maintain muscle.

It supports bone health
Movements that involve impact—such as running and jumping—create mechanical loading that is particularly effective for maintaining bone density. This becomes critical in the peri- and postmenopausal years.

It enhances joint health and mobility
Bodyweight movements require joints to stabilize through natural ranges of motion while simultaneously producing force. This integrated demand supports both mobility and long-term joint resilience.

It improves neuromuscular coordination
Many bodyweight exercises are skill-based. Whether it’s controlling a pull-up, stabilizing in a plank, or transitioning through a yoga flow, these movements reinforce the connection between the nervous system and muscular system—an essential component of balance and fall prevention.

It emphasizes relative strength
Your ability to move your own body is one of the most meaningful indicators of function and longevity. Push-ups, pull-ups, and controlled squats often tell us more about real-world capability than machine-based strength measures.

A Complete System, Not Just a Few Exercises

One of the most common misconceptions is that bodyweight training is limited or “basic.” In reality, it is a highly adaptable and scalable system.

For example:

• A push-up can range from a wall variation to a deficit or single-arm version

• A squat can progress from a box squat to a single-leg squat

• Jumping can evolve from low-impact step-offs to more dynamic, reactive movements

• A plank can become a highly demanding full-body stability challenge

Even yoga and Pilates—often thought of as separate disciplines—fit naturally into this system by developing control, stability, and movement precision. These elements enhance the effectiveness of more strength- and power-based movements, creating a more complete and resilient athlete.

What Does the Research Show?

The literature consistently supports the benefits of bodyweight and resistance-based training, particularly in women and aging populations:

• Bodyweight resistance exercises can produce significant improvements in strength and muscle hypertrophy, comparable to traditional resistance training when properly progressed

• Resistance training improves muscle mass, metabolic health, and cardiovascular outcomes, all of which are critical for long-term health

• Impact-based and resistance training strategies improve bone mineral density and physical function, especially in postmenopausal women

• Calisthenics-based training enhances neuromuscular function, balance, and coordination, which are key for maintaining independence with age

Importantly, these adaptations remain robust well into midlife and beyond.

The Bottom Line

Bodyweight training is not a simplified version of training—it is a foundational system for strength, movement, and longevity that offers:

• Functional, transferable strength

• Preservation of muscle and bone

• Improved balance and coordination

• Scalability across all fitness levels

• Minimal equipment with maximal return

But if I’m weight training 3-4x per week, how do I fit it all in???

• If you have never lifted weights before, body-weight training can build a great base of functionality to help you hit the ground running when you start training with weights.

• It adds variety to your weight training program. If the bench press is part of your weight training routine, you can add push-up sessions and their many variations to your routine. Having a separate day of plyometrics sprinkled into your sessions or isometrics on a de-load day fits nicely with any weight training routine, as does running, hiking, and other options in the locomotion category.

• It also provides great options if you are de-loading (active recovery days or weeks), traveling, or pressed for time, because many body weight movements can be done with no equipment and minimal space.

• Provides a wide variety of scalable options during injury recovery.

The key is to think beyond isolated exercises and instead embrace the full spectrum:
strength, power, locomotion, stability, and control.

Train your body to move well, not just lift well.

Because ultimately, the goal isn’t just fitness—it’s capability, resilience, and longevity.

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This week, we are featuring the classic, body-weight, CrossFit benchmark workout - “Cindy” and to that, I have added a twist with a locomotion movement of choice (walk with or without a weighted vest, run, bike, or row - or even swim if you are so inclined!)

Warm Up

3 minutes of your locomotion option of choice at an easy pace

then…

AMRAP 5 (As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes). Perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds and repetitions as possible in 20 minutes.

• 10 air squats

• 5 easy push-ups (Use an elevated push-up if strict push-ups are not accessible to you).

• 5 V-ups. See the linked video for modifications

Movement Practice

Select your options for the workout. For the air squats, be sure to identify your pain-free range of motion if you have knee or mobility issues. Set up a box or bench as a target, if needed. Otherwise, if you have no limitations, ensure that your hips break parallel and that you achieve this depth consistently.

Select your push-up option. If you cannot do strict push-ups easily, set up a stable box or bench at an elevation that allows you to do 5-10 unbroken repetitions confidently. ** Try to avoid doing push-ups from your knees, as this disengages the core muscles.

Select your pull-up option. Last week’s post, “Pull-Up Power,” reviewed the mechanics of the pull-up and the many options available for all fitness levels. Select an option where you can do 3-5 repetitions at a time confidently.

TIP! This is a very high-repetition volume workout. Fatigue will set in very quickly, so it is important to select movement options that you can do confidently and easily for several rounds. Take short rests as needed while pacing and as fatigue sets in. It is not unusual to be doing single repetitions at a time toward the end.

Workout

Pace yourself!

5 minutes of your locomotion choice at an RPE of 7-8. Note your total.

Proceed immediately into AMRAP 20 (As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes)

• 5 pull-ups (your selected option)

• 10 push-ups (your selected option)

• 15 Air squats

Immediately following the 20-minute AMRAP, go straight into another 5 minutes of your locomotion choice with the goal of meeting or exceeding your total prior to the AMRAP.

Your score: Total rounds and repetitions, including your locomotion total for both rounds.

MODIFICATION: If you wish to reduce the repetition volume, perform the AMRAP for 10 or 15 minutes instead of 20 minutes.

Cool Down

This workout was a long grind, so it deserves a thorough cool-down that helps return your stress response system back to baseline.

Try this 20-minute Quick Escape to “calm you down and reconnect you and yourself with your space”. Brough to you by Five Parks Yoga

REFERENCES

Kotarsky CJ, Christensen BK, Miller JS, Hackney KJ. Effect of progressive bodyweight squat training on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Int J Exerc Sci. 2018;11(3):965–978.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10439966/

Kikuchi N, Nakazato K. Low-load bench press and push-up induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. J Exerc Sci Fit. 2017;15(1):37-42.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29541130/

Watson SL, Weeks BK, Weis LJ, Harding AT, Horan SA, Beck BR. High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women (LIFTMOR trial). J Bone Miner Res. 2018;33(2):211–220.
https://asbmr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbmr.3284

Nikander R, Sievänen H, Heinonen A, Daly RM, Uusi-Rasi K, Kannus P. Targeted exercise against osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis for optimising bone strength throughout life. BMC Med. 2010;8:47.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20663158/

Borde R, Hortobágyi T, Granacher U. Dose–response relationships of resistance training in healthy old adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2015;45(12):1693–1720.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-015-0385-9

Carter SE, Draijer R, Holder SM, Brown L, Thijssen DHJ, Hopkins ND. Breaking up sedentary time with calisthenics improves neuromuscular function: a randomized crossover study. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022;54(7):1155–1162.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9653850/

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TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

This just dropped…..

Check out this awesome podcast where the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager interviews Dr. Casey Francis, my personal Performance Physical Therapist from Pompano Beach, FL, about how this discipline of physical therapy can help women of all ages and athletic levels, but especially those in mid-life. Later in the show, I make a quick appearance to talk about my injury rehab and experience working with Dr. Casey.

Why are pull-ups so hard?

Because they expose the gap between being strong and being able to use that strength.

A pull-up isn’t just an upper-body exercise—it’s a full-system demand. You’re lifting your entire bodyweight while coordinating your grip, shoulders, and core in a precise sequence. There’s no external load to scale down, no machine to guide you. It’s just you, your strength-to-weight ratio, and your ability to control it.

For many women—especially over 40—the challenge isn’t a lack of effort or even general fitness. It’s that pull-ups require something highly specific: relative strength, grip capacity, and scapular control working together. You can be strong in rows, consistent in your training, and still feel completely stuck when you hang from a bar.

That’s what makes pull-ups so frustrating—and so valuable.

Because when you train for a pull-up, you’re not just building muscle. You’re developing the kind of integrated strength that carries over into everything: posture, shoulder health, and long-term functional independence.

And it often starts with something surprisingly simple… your grip.

Grip strength is more than a limiting factor in pull-ups—it’s a powerful biomarker. Large cohort studies have shown that lower grip strength is associated with increased risk of functional decline, frailty, and even all-cause mortality. In other words, your grip isn’t just about your hands—it reflects global neuromuscular health.

Pull-ups uniquely integrate grip strength with upper body pulling mechanics, making them one of the most efficient ways to train both simultaneously.

From the literature, developing pulling strength and grip capacity contributes to:

• Improved shoulder stability and reduced injury risk

• Greater bone density through mechanical loading

• Preservation of lean mass (critical in preventing sarcopenia)

• Enhanced metabolic health

• Maintenance of functional independence

The Path to Your First Pull-Up

Think of this as building a system—not just a single movement.

1. Find your baseline

Before you begin, it’s important to see where your baseline is for the full movement.

First, test your grip. From a stable, pull-up bar set-up, try a dead hang. If you are unable to hang with your full body weight, that’s ok! Proceed to the next step below.

Second, as soon as you are able, set up as many resistance bands as you need from a stable pull-up bar set-up or set up a pull-up assist machine at a high level of assistance.

Review the VIDEO with close attention to movement mechanics. Try your first pull-up.

If a pull-up bar set up is not accessible, a second option is the seated pull-up using a lower bar with a squat rack or bench press set up. The same movement mechanics for the hanging pull-up can be applied to the seated barbell pull-up.

The benefit of the seated pull-up is that you can assist the pull-up with your lower body as much or as little as you need. Once you have developed the ability to do a seated pull-up, you can move to band-assisted pull-ups from a pull-up bar.

2. Develop The Movement

• Foundational Strength: Movements such as Lat pulldowns (progressively heavier), Seated or single-arm rows, or barbell rows, performed over the full range of motion with controlled tempo.

• Grip Strength: The dead hang is the most effective way to build grip strength for this movement. Ideally, hang from a high bar. Start with 5-10 seconds and work up to 45-60 seconds. Do this for 2-3 sets with 1 minute of rest in between 2-3x per week.

• Eccentric Training (Negative Repetitions): Jump or assist yourself to the top of the movement with the chin over the bar. Hold for 1-2 seconds, then lower your body with less assistance over 3-5 seconds. Perform 3-5 repetitions for 2-3 sets twice per week.

  Eccentric training is well-supported for improving strength and tendon resilience

• Develop Scapular Control

  The scapular muscles are a group of muscles that stabilize and control the shoulder blades against the rib cage, creating the foundation for a strong and efficient pull-up. Scapular pull-ups (initiate from the shoulders, not the arms). Perform these with arms completely extended. Perform 5-10 repetitions for 2-3 sets 1-2 times per week.

  Cue: “pull your shoulder blades into your back pockets”

Building Pull-Up Capacity

Once you can execute a pull-up -whether assisted or unassisted - with solid mechanics, it’s time to build capacity!

The two accessory segments below help to build capacity (volume) of pull-ups and pull-up stamina - the number of pull-ups in a set unit of time. Each of these accessories takes <10 minutes to do and can be added on at the beginning or end of most training days.

Accessory 1: EMOM (every minute on the minute) x 8 minutes, perform X pull-ups. Set a timer. At the start of the first minute, perform your chosen number of repetitions. Rest until minute 2 starts. Perform the same number of repetitions. Rest until minute 3 starts, and so on, until you have completed 8 minutes.

Select a set number of repetitions between 5 and 10 that you can confidently perform within a 1-minute interval with plenty of rest from the time you finish the repetitions until the next minute begins. Be conservative! You will be doing 8 sets of these. A suggestion would be 5 repetitions to start.

Accessory 2: EMOM (Every minute on the minute). Start a timer. At 0:00, perform 1 pull-up. Rest for the remaining minute. At 1:00, perform 2 pull-ups. Rest for the remaining minute. Continue adding 1 repetition each minute until you cannot complete the number of repetitions in the 1-minute interval.

This is a very different stimulus from Accessory 1. If you are able to complete 10 minutes, then next time start with 2 repetitions and add 2 with each minute. Alternatively, if your pull-ups are assisted, use less assistance (ex - a thinner band).

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This week’s workout is a pull-up mini-workout that you can add on to other training or do on its own 2-3 times in a week.

Warm Up

• 10 arm circles forward, 10 arm circles backward

• 10 swing both arms crossing in front of the body

• 10 vertical arm swings (one arm up and one arm down, alternating)

• 5 shoulder rolls backward, 5 shoulder rolls backward.

• 10 scap push-ups (From knees or toes)

• Hold Child’s Pose for 5 breaths with arms extended over head

• Thread the needle stretch - 5 seconds each side, repeat twice

Movement Practice

• Set up your pull-up station using the guidelines in this post.

• Test your dead hang. Record how many seconds you can hold on until you need to let go.

• Perform 10 scap pull-ups. If you need to break this up into 2 sets of 5 repetitions, that is ok too!

Rest 2-5 minutes before beginning the workout.

Workout

Select a pull-up option that allows you to do 5 repetitions confidently in 15-20 seconds.

EMOM 8 (Every minute on the minute for 8 minutes)

Set a timer and perform 5 pull-ups. Rest for the remainder of the minute. Repeat when the next minute turns.

Training Notes:

• The goal is to do all sets unbroken. If you are unable to do this, repeat this workout next week and try to make progress until you can do all sets unbroken.

• If you can do all sets unbroken, you have 3 options for your next session:

  • If doing assisted pull-ups, reduce the assistance

  • Add repetitions. Try 6 or 7 repetitions per minute at your next session.

  • Perform Accessory 2 above and test your stamina!

• Create a document or notebook log for your workouts. Make progress each week by adding repetitions, reducing assistance, or trying Accessory #2.

• Take 5 minutes to integrate the other elements described in the Develop The Movement section above into your other training days 2-3 times per week.

Cool Down

There’s nothing like a great shoulder stretch on a shoulder-heavy day! Jump-start your recovery with a little shoulder love from Five Parks Yoga

20-minute Neck and Shoulder Tension Release

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References

Dickie JA, Faulkner J, Barnes MJ, Lark SD.
Electromyographic analysis of muscle activation during pull-ups with different techniques. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. 2017;32:30–36.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1050641116302978

Snarr RL, Esco MR.
Electromyographical comparison of a traditional, suspension, and towel pull-up. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2017;59:5–13.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5548150/

Lehman GJ, Buchan DD, Lundy A, Myers N, Nalborczyk A.
Variations in muscle activation levels during traditional lat exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2004;18(4):703–707.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC449729/

Kibler WB, Sciascia A, Uhl TL, Tambay N, Cunningham T.
Electromyographic analysis of specific exercises for scapular control in early phases of shoulder rehabilitation. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2008;36(9):1789–1798.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18469224/

This just dropped…..

Check out this awesome podcast where the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager interviews Dr. Casey Francis, my personal Performance Physical Therapist from Pompano Beach, FL, about how this discipline of physical therapy can help women of all ages and athletic levels, but especially those in mid-life. Later in the show, I make a quick appearance to talk about my injury rehab and experience working with Dr. Casey.

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

Strength training is an effective pathway toward longevity. Squats, deadlifts, overhead shoulder press, and bench press are the four primary lifts that are foundational for any strength program.

An example of a typical strength session is is 5 sets of 5 repetitions of overhead shoulder presses, with approximately 2-3 minutes of rest in between sets to allow sufficient recovery for the next set. This type of session is one involving a single modality, and is effective for building strength, preserving bone, balance, and core strength.

Let’s consider what happens when we add a second, completely different movement modality - such as 400m run - immediately after each shoulder press set. The shoulders still rest for a similar period of time, but adding the run is a total game-changer.

When we add the run to this lift, the rapid shifts between strength and cardio modalities require a process called Neuroendocrine adaptation — the process by which exercise stimulates the nervous system and hormonal pathways that make us stronger and fitter.

This becomes especially important for midlife women, when the hormonal changes at this stage of life are creating a challenge for maintaining muscle strength, mass, and power and a decline in bone density. The right training stimulus helps the body activate powerful adaptive pathways independant of these changing hormones to help mitigate these losses during this stage of life.

The Body Uses Three Energy Systems

All physical activity draws from three metabolic pathways:

• Phosphocreatine system – fuels explosive efforts lasting ~10 seconds (heavy lifts, jumps, sprints)

• Glycolytic system – fuels hard efforts lasting ~30 seconds to a few minutes

• Oxidative system – fuels lower-intensity activity lasting several minutes or longer

A typical strength session utilizes a single energy system - most often, the phosphocreatine system.

When we add a second modality, such as a 400m run, taking approximately 1 1/2 - 2 minutes to complete, this requires the glycolytic energy system. Switching back and forth from the phosphocreatine to the glycolytic systems for 5 rounds adds en entirely different stimulus to the training session.

Why This Matters

Switching energy systems increases demand across multiple systems at once:

• the nervous system adjusts motor recruitment
• the cardiovascular system increases oxygen delivery
• the metabolic system shifts fuel sources
• the endocrine system releases hormones that support performance and recovery

Because the body must coordinate all of these responses repeatedly, the neuroendocrine stimulus becomes more complex.

Research shows workouts that combining strength and metabolic work often produce larger hormonal and metabolic responses — signals that drive adaptation.

The Takeaway

Both workouts are valuable — but they train different qualities of fitness.

Traditional strength training builds force and structural strength.

Mixed workouts that combine lifting and cardio challenge the body’s ability to transition between energy systems.

For women navigating the hormonal challenges to the musculoskeletal system, incorporating both approaches helps maintain strength, metabolic health, and long-term athletic capacity.

Because the body doesn’t just adapt to the exercises we perform.

It adapts to the challenges we ask it to solve.

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So let’s try it!

Warm Up

TABATA 20 seconds of work / 10 seconds of rest x 8 rounds. Perform each movement in sequence for a total of 4 rounds.

• High-knee run - Perform for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds, then…

• Easy push-up - Perform for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds… and so on for all movements.

• Plank shoulder tap (From knees or toes)

• Air squat

Movement Practice

Review the shoulder press video and review form and mechanics. Select your options for the workout. Using either a barbell or dumbbells, select a heavier shoulder press weight that you can complete for 5 unbroken repetitions where is starts to become challenging at the 3rd or 4th repetition.

For the run, select a distance that you can run at an RPE (rate of perceived exertion) of ~ 7 out of 10 for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. If running is not accessible to you, an 800m stationary bike or 400m row are also options. An eliptical or stair climber would also work at the prescribed intensity for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

Workout

Part 1

5 rounds for time

Perform each movement in sequence until you complete both movements for 5 rounds.

• 5 Shoulder Press

• 400m run

Part 2 - core kicker

TABATA 20 seconds Work / 10 seconds rest - total 8 min. (4 rounds of each exercise)

How to: Work through each movement sequentially. Set a timer or the TABATA option on the SmartWOD app for 20s work/10s rest x 8 min. Perform 20 seconds of sit-ups / 10 seconds of rest, then 20 seconds of hollow rocks / 10 seconds of rest, then 20 seconds of oblique twists / 10 seconds of rest, then a 20-second superman hold / 10 seconds of rest, then back to the sit-ups for a total of 4 rounds of all movements in 8 min.

• AB Mat Sit-ups

  TIP! Roll up a bath or beach towel and place it under your lower back for the ab mat.

• Oblique Twist

• Hollow rock

• Superman Hold

Cool-Down

Both Parts 1 and 2 of this workout target the core muscles in vastly different ways. Take the time to cool down, recharge and jump-start your recovery with this 12- minute core static stretching segment.

Share

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

Building strength during perimenopause and menopause is hard - heck, even just maintaining the muscle mass of our 20s and 30s is challenging. So we need to be smart about our strategies.

Strength training - especially at this age - goes beyond doing the reps. HOW we do those reps is where we can find those strategies that can help us move past the plateaus and even into a new dimension of strength that involves stability, nervous system coordination, and body control.

When we perform movements that involve a concentric (muscles shorten while producing force) and an eccentric phase (muscles lengthen while producing force), the point at which the direction of the movement changes is often the weakest part of the movement.

Let’s consider the squat.

From a standing position, the eccentric phase is the descent as you “sit down” into the squat. At the bottom of this position, the direction changes, and the concentric phase of the movement involves the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles to shorten and contract to elevate you from the bottom back to a standing position. The transition from lowering to rising involves what exercise scientists call the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC).

As one descends into a squat, muscles and tendons store elastic energy. It’s like when you load a slingshot by pulling tension on the elastic band. This increasing force can be released as power output during the concentric phase, “assisting” in that change of direction as you rise up from the bottom of the squat. This tension creates elastic rebound or a “bounce” which provides momentum to assist in the change in direction from descending to rising out of the squat.

Because the muscles can depend on this elastic energy or “bounce” to generate force out of the bottom of the squat, the muscles are often weaker in their ability to generate their own force independent of that elastic recoil from this position of transition at the bottom. This relative weakness can create instability, limiting the muscular force that can be generated from this bottom position.

One of the simplest—and most effective—tools to build strength at this vulnerable point at the bottom of the squat is the Pause Squat.

What is the Pause Squat?

A pause squat is exactly what it sounds like: instead of immediately driving out of the bottom of a squat, you pause for 1–3 seconds at the bottom position before standing up. This brief pause removes momentum from the stretch-shortening cycle. As a result, the lifter must generate force primarily through active muscular contraction rather than elastic recoil. This is the central reason pause squats feel significantly harder—even when the load is lighter.

While this variation is commonly used by powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters, pause squats may actually be even more valuable for aging athletes who want to maintain strength, power, and joint health.

What’s The Benefit?

Builds concentric strength - When a controlled pause is added at the bottom of the squat, the muscles must sustain high tension in the most mechanically disadvantaged portion of the squat. This can help build lower-body power for strength sports and field-based athletics.

Training in these deep joint angles is particularly valuable for maintaining strength across the full range of motion of the hips and knees—an important factor for maintaining functional movement capacity with aging, so that you don’t need 3 grandchildren to help you out of your chair when you are in your 80s.

Enhance Neuromuscular Strength Adaptations - A controlled pause between the eccentric and concentric phases increases the neuromuscular demand of the lift.

Muscular work requires not just contracting muscle fibers, but also coordinated signalling from the nerves that “wire” these muscles to perform.

Targeting the nervous system enhances the effectiveness of the strength adaptations for gaining strength in this position.

Reinforce Technical Consistency - Pause squats also provide a unique benefit for movement quality. When athletes pause at the bottom of a squat, they must maintain:

• Core bracing

• Balanced foot pressure

• Stable knee tracking

• Proper hip positioning

Research on resistance-training assessment techniques demonstrates that imposing a pause reduces variability in squat performance and improves the reliability of strength measurements.

In other words, the pause forces athletes to reproduce the same bottom position each repetition, reinforcing consistent movement mechanics, which also helps to prevent injury.

Provide a Strong Stimulus With Slightly Lighter Loads

Another practical advantage of pause squats is that they create a demanding strength stimulus without requiring maximal loads.

Since the movement removes the stretch reflex and elastic energy contribution, athletes often train with lighter weights while still achieving high muscular demand.

For athletes focused on long-term training sustainability, this can mean:

• Lower cumulative joint stress

• Reduced spinal loading

• Improved recovery between sessions

An Important Note about “The Bottom”

Because squatting is a movement that involves mobility at the hip, knee, and ankle joints, many are limited in how deep into the squat they can go.

Here is where it becomes important to carefully review squat mechanics and types of squats that feel good for you, and find your pain-free range of motion. For a detailed tutorial about squat mechanics and finding your pain-free range of motion, check out this Athletic Aging post from the archives": The Key to Stronger Squats.

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Welcome to Leg Day!

Today’s workout dials in on the Pause Squat using “tempo” to control the descent into the bottom of the squat, then holding the pause at the bottom for 3 seconds, then rising.

Warm up

Set your timer to 5 min or the SmartWOD app to TABATA 20/10 x 5 min. Start with the jumping air squats for 20 seconds then 10 seconds rest, then 20 seconds of mountain climbers, 10 seconds of rest and then back to the jumping air squats, alternating movements until you have completed each movement for a total of 5 rounds.

TABATA 20 second work/10 seconds rest x 10 rounds (total of 5 min)

• Jumping air squats

• Mountain climbers: (Alternative: Bicycle Crunch)

Movement Practice

This is just as much of a core stabilizer workout as it is a leg strength and mobility workout. This workout is ideally done with a straight bar, however can also be done with dumbbells or kettlebells.

Movement Options:

• Barbell: Back squat or Front squat.

• Dumbbells: Use two dumbbells or kettlebells as a front squat, or you can use a single dumbbell or kettlebell as a goblet squat.

• No weight: If squats are a challenge, then the air squat is a fantastic option where you will receive every bit of the same benefit as using weight.

Pick a set of moderate to heavy dumbbells (or barbell) that you can do all reps unbroken. Descend for a count of 3, hold for a count of 3 at the bottom, then rise for a count of 1.

Workout

Part 1

Every 3 minutes x 5 rounds - 4 unbroken repetitions of your choice of Tempo Squat with a 3-second pause at the bottom.

Set a clock for EMOM (every 3 minutes x 5 sets) or set a clock and on minutes 0:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00, and 12:00, start the 4 repetitions. Rest for the remainder of time until the next interval starts.

4-4-4-4-4

Part 2

HAMSTRING ACCESSORY

3 Rounds

• 10 Weighted Good Mornings

• 20 banded hamstring curls

*If you do not have a resistance band, ankle weights or securing a light dumbbell between your feet will also work. If no equipment, try 20 bodyweight glute bridges.

Cool Down

Your legs received a lot of attention today so lets show them some love and jump-start their recovery with this 20-minute “Love Your Legs” yoga segment from Five Parks Yoga. #dontskiptheyoga

Share

References

Cormie P, McGuigan MR, Newton RU.
Developing maximal neuromuscular power: Part 1—biological basis of maximal power production. Sports Medicine. 2011;41(1):17–38.
https://doi.org/10.2165/11537690-000000000-00000

Cormie P, McGuigan MR, Newton RU.
Developing maximal neuromuscular power: Part 2—training considerations for improving maximal power production. Sports Medicine. 2011;41(2):125–146.
https://doi.org/10.2165/11538500-000000000-00000

Fukutani A, Kurihara T.
Evidence for muscle cell-based mechanisms of the stretch-shortening cycle. Frontiers in Physiology. 2021;12:648708.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.648708

Martínez-Cava A, Hernández-Belmonte A, Courel-Ibáñez J, et al.
Effect of pause versus rebound techniques on neuromuscular and functional performance after prolonged velocity-based training. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2021;16(7):927–933.
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2020-0627

McBride JM, Blow D, Kirby TJ, et al.
A comparison of kinetic and electromyographic variables during the squat and box squat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2010;24(12):3193–3199.
https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e2e79a

Pallarés JG, Sánchez-Medina L, Pérez CE, et al.
Imposing a pause between the eccentric and concentric phases increases reliability of isoinertial strength assessments. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2014;32(12):1165–1175.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2014.889844

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

In case you missed it……

The Menopause Muscle Continuum….

Does the menopause transition directly impact muscle health and physiology?

This has been the subject of some very intense discussion recently. Join me and the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager for Hit Play Not Pause Episode 253 where we take a deep dive into the science behind this debate.

Weightlifting is an important training element for optimal health and longevity. But what’s better? Barbells or dumbbells?

The truth is, both have their place in any weight training program. We have seen so many times in this newsletter how changing just one small thing about a movement can completely change the stimulus of the workout.

This week, we are going to illustrate how performing a front squat with dumbbells vs a barbell changes the impact of a training session. But first, let’s discuss how the different mechanics of these weight options train the body differently as it relates to the front squat.

Barbell vs Dumbbell Front Squats

What the Research Suggests About the Training Stimulus

For athletes and active adults, the front squat is one of the most effective lower-body strength exercises. But the implement used—barbell vs dumbbells (often as a goblet or double-dumbbell front squat)—changes the mechanical demands and training stimulus. While direct head-to-head trials are scarce, several peer-reviewed biomechanical and electromyography (EMG) studies help explain how these variations differ.

Load Potential and Strength Adaptation

The primary difference between barbell and dumbbell front squats is load capacity.

A barbell allows significantly greater external loading because the weight is distributed across the shoulders rather than limited by grip strength or arm fatigue. Higher loads produce greater neuromuscular stimulus and strength adaptation in the by increasing activation of the hip and thigh musculature compared with lower loads.

Training implication

Barbell front squats are generally favored when the goal is:

• maximal strength

• progressive overload

• hypertrophy of the quads and glutes

Muscle Activation Patterns

EMG studies consistently show that squats strongly activate the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and spinal stabilizers regardless of barbell or dumbbell variation. As compared to back squats, front squats shift emphasis toward the quadriceps and trunk stabilizers due to a more upright torso.

When a load is held in front of the body (as with dumbbells or goblet squats), several changes occur:

Increased grip and upper-body contribution

Unlike a barbell resting on the shoulders, dumbbells require sustained grip and arm involvement.

These factors mean that dumbbell front squats distribute work across more muscle groups, though often with less absolute lower-body loading.

Stability and Motor Control

One consistent finding in squat biomechanics research is that free-weight movements require greater stabilizer activation than guided movements.

Dumbbell front squats amplify this effect because:

• The load is divided into two independent implements (ie. 2 dumbbells)

• The center of mass is less stable

• Arm fatigue can influence posture

This leads to greater demands on the trunk, shoulders, and stabilizing musculature.

For many lifters, this creates a training effect closer to a whole-body coordination exercise rather than a purely maximal strength movement.

Practical Training Differences

The Big Takeaway

Both variations are valuable—but they deliver different types of stimulus.

Barbell front squat

• maximizes lower-body strength and hypertrophy through heavier loading.

Dumbbell front squat

• increases stability, posture control, and whole-body coordination.

For many athletes over 40, the two variations work best together:

• Barbell front squat → primary strength lift

• Dumbbell front squat → accessory movement reinforcing posture, mobility, and core stability.

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Now, on to today’s workout! This session is a modification of a Mahem-inspired workout that I did at CrossFit Pompano Beach (that left me curled up in my own sweat on the floor after the barbell version) this past week.

The featured movement is the front squat paired with bar (or dumbbell) -facing burpees. The burpees add the element of fatigue, which further challenges the muscular mechanics of the front squat. If you have access to a barbell and are proficient with barbell front squats, this is the way to go today. Later in the week, try this workout again, but with dumbbells, and experience the difference!

The bar-facing burpee is an important nuance to this workout, adding a more labored flow to these repetitions as compared to standard burpees or lateral burpees over the bar, where you can stay low and get a good rhythm going. Not today!

Warm Up

AMRAP 8 (As many rounds as possible for 8 minutes)

• 5 up downs

• 5 high-knee run (or march) in place (Right + Left = 1 repetition)

• 10 Air Squat

• 10 mountain climbers (Right + Left = 1 repetition)

• 5 inchworms to easy push-up

Movement Practice

Take 5-10 minutes to select your weights and movement options for the workout. Select a weight for the front squat that allows you to do the rounds of 15 and 12 in no more than 2 sets.

Movement options:

• Front squat options: If shoulder mobility prohibits holding two dumbbells or a barbell at your shoulders, choose a single (heavier) kettlebell or dumbbell to hold at your chest goblet-style. If all you have are light weights, increase the repetitions by 5 each round.

• Bar facing burpee options: If jumping is an issue, you may step over the bar. You could also do an up down followed by a step over the bar if a full burpee is not accessible to you.

Workout

HOW TO: Perform 15 front squats, then 15 bar-facing burpees, then do 12 front squats and 12 bar-facing burpees, and so on until you complete the repetition scheme.

For time:

15 - 12 - 9 - 6 - 3

• Front squat (Barbell or dumbbell)

• BAR-FACING (or dumbbell-facing) Burpees ( HOW TO: See VIDEO. Place the bar or dumbbell on the floor horizontally in front of you.

NOTE: This workout is meant to be a higher intensity, done in less than 12 minutes.

Barbell version weight suggestions:

• Advanced: male/female 135#/95#

• Intermediate: male/female 95#/65#

Cool Down

Although this was a short workout, it was an intense one that taxed your musculoskeletal AND nervous systems. So let’s show your body some love and jump-start your recovery!

15-minute Quad Release Yoga

…. and if you missed last week’s accessory workout and need a little more today, try a few sets of the Turkish Get-Up!

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REFERENCES

Yavuz HU et al. Kinematic and electromyographic activity changes during maximal loaded squats. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2017.

Schwanbeck S et al. A comparison of free-weight squat to Smith machine squat using electromyography. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2009.

Straub RK et al. A biomechanical review of the squat exercise. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 2024.

Martínez-Cava A et al. Effect of external load on muscle activation during the squat. European Journal of Sport Science. 2023.

Wei W et al. Effects of progressive body-weight versus barbell squat training. Scientific Reports. 2023.

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

In case you missed it……

The Menopause Muscle Continuum….

Does the menopause transition directly impact muscle health and physiology?

This has been the subject of some very intense discussion recently. Join me and the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager for Hit Play Not Pause Episode 253 where we take a deep dive into the science behind this debate.

Sometimes the most productive part of our training lies outside the main training session.

Accessory work, which may target strength, skill practice, or mobility, is performed before and or after the main training session. This is typically lower-intensity work focusing on technique and skill-building. When thoughtfully programmed in the context of the workout of the day or for the week or month ahead, accessory work can be what moves the needle toward advancing your physical abilities and longevity.

If there’s one movement I wish more active women over 40 would incorporate into their training, it’s the Turkish Get-Up (TGU).

Not because it’s flashy. Not because it’s heavy. But because it quietly builds the kind of strength that keeps you athletic for life.

What is the Turkish Get-Up?

The Turkish Get-Up is a multi-planar, full-body movement that takes you from lying on the floor to standing—while holding a weight overhead—and then back down again.

In the research literature, it’s described as a 7-stage movement pattern that begins in a supine position, progresses to standing, and then reverses back to the floor .

What makes it unique is that it’s not just a strength exercise—it’s a movement sequence that integrates:

• A press

• A roll

• A sit-up

• A bridge

• A lunge

• And a stand

All in one controlled repetition.

How to Perform the Turkish Get-Up

While the full movement has nuance, the general flow looks like this:

1. Start lying on your back with one knee bent and a weight pressed overhead.

2. Roll up onto your elbow, then your hand.

3. Lift your hips and sweep your leg underneath into a half-kneeling position.

4. Stand up while keeping the weight stable overhead.

5. Reverse every step back down to the floor.

For a demonstration and instruction, check out the VIDEO below:

The key is slow, deliberate movement, maintaining control and alignment throughout.

This is not a “conditioning” exercise—it’s a precision-based strength skill.

IMPORTANT! If you have never attempted this movement before, start by holding something light, such as a shoe or a can of soup. It’s important to become confident in the movement pattern before adding weight.

Why Should We Do This?

During the hormonal and musculoskeletal changes of mid-life, our focus now must include additional priorities:

• Joint integrity

• Stability

• Movement quality

The Turkish Get-Up checks every one of those boxes:

Builds True Functional Strength

Unlike isolated exercises, the TGU trains the body as a connected system. Research on kettlebell training shows that movements like the TGU improve functional strength, neuromuscular coordination, and full kinetic chain activation .

This translates directly to:

• Better lifting mechanics

• More resilient movement patterns

• Stronger carryover to real life and sport

Enhances Core Stability

• The TGU is essentially a moving plank under load.

• Your core is working the entire time—not to create movement, but to resist it. This “anti-rotation” demand builds a more functional, spine-protective core than traditional ab exercises.

Improves Shoulder Health and Longevity

The Turkish Get-Up trains the shoulder in a unique way:

• Isometric stability (holding weight overhead)

• Through multiple planes of motion

• While the body moves underneath it

Studies show the TGU significantly challenges shoulder musculature and emphasizes coordinated activation across movement phases, which can help

• Reduce injury risk

• Improve overhead strength

• Maintain long-term joint health

Develops Balance, Coordination, and Body Awareness

The TGU is not just physical—it’s neurological. You have to think, sequence, and control each phase. That builds:

• Proprioception (body awareness)

• Intermuscular coordination

• Movement confidence

Research highlights improvements in balance, flexibility, and coordinated strength with Turkish Get-Up training.

As we move through mid-life, this becomes critical—not just for performance, but for fall prevention and long-term independence.

Restores Mobility While Building Strength

Most mobility work is passive.
Most strength work is rigid.

The Turkish Get-Up does both—simultaneously.

It improves mobility in:

• Hips

• Thoracic spine

• Shoulders

While reinforcing strength and control through those ranges.

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Today’s workout targets muscle stamina - the ability of muscles to move lighter weight over longer periods of time. These are higher-volume movements that engage different muscle groups, introducing cardiovascular endurance fatigue to increase difficulty. We conclude with some accessory work - The Turkish Get-Up

Scoring: Record your APPROXIMATE reps per 1 min round during your 1 minute of rest – not during the working rounds! … and if you don’t want to count and just stay in a mental zone, then no scorekeeping is necessary!

Warm Up

TABATA 20 sec of work/10 sec of rest. Perform each movement in sequence for a total of 6min, 4 rounds of each set of 3 movements.

• Air Squat

• Push up

• Burpees

Movement Practice

Take 5-10 minutes to run through all the movements in sequence for 5-7 reps to find your options for the workout. Select an option that you can sustain for the entire minute. You will use pacing to control speed and level of fatigue. The goal is to move smoothly from one movement to the next, efficiently accumulating repetitions, as each minute turns.

The strategy for approaching this workout is to utilize pacing the speed of repetitions to accumulate as many repetitions as possible. The challenge for this workout is to be working for the ENTIRE minute of each interval. There is a 1:00 rest interval after the 4 x 1-minute movement intervals. The series is a total of 20 minutes.

Workout

4 Rounds

• 1:00 Dumbbell or Barbell Thruster

• 1:00 Ab mat sit-up

• 1:00 Walking or in place alternating lunge

• 1:00 Burpees

• 1:00 rest

Score = total number of reps:

Accessory Work - Practice the Turkish Get-Up. Review the video carefully for technique and proper mechanics.

2 rounds

• 3 repetitions of the Turkish Get-Up on each side

Rest 1:00 between rounds

Cool Down

Team, you all worked hard today, so lets show your body some love and jump-start your recovery with thi 12-minute lower back and hip release sequence.

Share

References

Liebenson C, Shaughness G. The Turkish get-up. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2011;15(1):125–127.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21147428/

St-Onge E, et al. A descriptive analysis of shoulder muscle activities during the Turkish get-up exercise. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2019.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30691756/

Shaw T, et al. Clinical application of the Turkish Get-Up to an acute phase rehabilitation program: A case report. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2020;24(1):84–88.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31563381/

Ayash A, Jones MT, Hettler J. Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up: Training tool for injury prevention and performance enhancement. Int J Athl Ther Train. 2012;17(4):8–13.
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijatt/17/4/article-p8.xml

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

In case you missed it……

The Menopause Muscle Continuum….

Does the menopause transition directly impact muscle health and physiology?

This has been the subject of some very intense discussion recently. Join me and the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager for Hit Play Not Pause Episode 253 where we take a deep dive into the science behind this debate.

You have probably gathered that I love simplicity. IMHO, some of the most effective fitness and longevity hacks lie in the simplest things!

In the Athletic Aging Weekly Workout series, we have explored different movement types, different weight and repetition schemes, and isometric and dynamic movements.

Today, we are going to manipulate something else that is exquisitely simple, and that is, time!

How the Time Domain Changes the Stimulus

In functional training, we often see the same workout structured in different time formats. Two of the most common are:

• AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) within a fixed time

• EMOM (Every Minute(s) on the Minute), where work begins at the top of each minute

At first glance, these workouts may look identical. The same exercises, the same loads, and even the same total potential volume might be programmed. But research suggests that the structure of time and rest alone can meaningfully change the physiological stimulus of a workout.

The Physiology of the Clock

Exercise scientists often distinguish between external load and internal load.

• External load: the measurable work performed (reps, sets, weight, distance).

• Internal load: how the body responds (heart rate, lactate, oxygen consumption, perceived exertion).

When we change the time domain of a workout, we often keep the external load the same, but we change the internal load.

A recent study examining high-intensity functional training compared two workouts that used the same movements and similar total volume but were structured differently: one performed for time and the other as an EMOM session.

The results were striking. The “for time” structure produced:

• Higher heart rate

• Greater oxygen consumption

• Higher blood lactate

• Higher ratings of perceived exertion

In contrast, the EMOM version produced a lower metabolic and cardiovascular strain, likely because the built-in rest intervals prevented fatigue from accumulating as quickly.

The clock changed the physiological demand of the workout even though the exercises were the same.

Different formats can be used strategically

AMRAP-style workouts

• Improve work capacity

• Build metabolic conditioning

• Challenge pacing and mental resilience

EMOM-style workouts

• Maintain technique under fatigue

• Manage joint stress and recovery

• Allow higher-quality repetitions

Changing these formats across training weeks can create variety in stimulus without constantly increasing load or volume.

So, sometimes the smartest programming change isn’t heavier weights or different movements—it’s simply changing the clock.

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This week, we have 2 workouts to try! Same movements, same repetitions, same weights and options. But what changes over these two workouts is the time domain. Try these two workouts on separate days and see if you feel the difference!

Workout 1

Warm Up

AMRAP 7 (As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes). Perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds of all 4 movements as you can do in 7 minutes.

10 up-downs

10 air squats

10 ab mat or traditional sit ups

10 easy push-ups

Movement Practice

Movement options

• Row substitution: 10 burpees, 12 calorie air bike, 250m on the treadmill, 75 single under jumprope.

• Dumbbell Thruster substitution: 10 goblet squats (holding a weight), 10 squat jumps, 20 air squats

• V-Up substitution: Review the VIDEO for modifications of the V-up. Can also substitute the Ab Mat sit-up or traditional sit-ups.

Select weights/options that you can do the movements unbroken, EXCEPT for the V-ups. These are intended to be difficult with the need to break up the 24 repetitions.

Each round should take around 4-5 minutes to do, with 2-3 minutes of rest before the 7-minute interval finishes. Select your options accordingly.

Workout

E7MOM x 3 - EVERY 7 minutes x 3 sets. Set a clock for 7 minutes x 3 rounds. When the clock starts, perform each movement in sequence. Record your finish time. Rest for the remainder of the 7-minute interval. Repeat when the next interval clock starts.

12 Calorie Row

10 Dumbbell thrusters

24 V-ups (ok to break up into smaller sets with brief rest in between)

10 dumbbell thrusters

12 Calorie Row

SCORE: Total time working (Log your finish time for each of the 3 rounds). The lower the number, the better the score!

…. for a different day, do the same warm-up and keep the same movement options that you did for the 7:00 interval workout. Now try it as an AMRAP!

AMRAP 15 (As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes)

12 Calorie Row

10 Dumbbell thrusters

24 V-ups (ok to break up into smaller sets with brief rest in between)

10 dumbbell thrusters

12 Calorie Row

SCORE: Total number of rounds and reps. ** See how it compares to you E7MOM workout!

Cool Down

Team… regardless of which workout you did, your body needs some post-workout love to help jump-start your recovery. Check out this 20-minute full-body, deep stretch and nervous system reset from Five Parks! #dontskiptheyoga

Full-Body 20-minute Deep Stretch Yoga from Five Parks

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References

Smith JS, et al. The physiological responses to volume-matched high-intensity functional exercise protocols with varied time domains. Front Physiol. 2025.
Maté-Muñoz JL, Lougedo JH, Barba M, et al. Cardiometabolic and Muscular Fatigue Responses to Different CrossFit® Workouts. J Sports Sci Med. 2018;17(4):668-679.
Buchheit M, Laursen PB. High-intensity interval training, solutions to the programming puzzle: Part I: cardiopulmonary emphasis. Sports Med. 2013;43(5):313-338.
Buchheit M, Laursen PB. High-intensity interval training, solutions to the programming puzzle. Part II: anaerobic energy, neuromuscular load and practical applications. Sports Med. 2013;43(10):927-954.
Feito Y, Heinrich KM, Butcher SJ, Poston WSC. High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT): Definition and Research Implications for Improved Fitness. Sports. 2018;6(3):76.

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

This Just Dropped……

Hard Conversations in the Menopause Transition: Hormones, Testing, GLP-1s and what’s “Ideal” Now

This week we welcome back our resident reproductive endocrinologist and menopause specialist, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, for another candid conversation. We pull back the curtain on Carla’s own menopause experience—how she navigates her symptoms, what she’s learned, and what she practices herself. We also dig into the hard conversations so many of us are having as we navigate this ever-evolving space, and how years of working closely with active midlife women have shaped her thinking on hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, testosterone, hormone testing, and what actually moves the needle for athletic women in the transition.

Grip strength has received a lot of attention in recent years because it is a reliable marker of overall muscle strength. I posted on this back in 2022: Grip Strength as a Marker of Vitality in Mid-Life Women. Poor grip strength is associated with low bone mineral density (BMD), depression, anxiety, sleep quality, fractures, diabetes, falls, and malnutrition.

More recently, however, grip strength has also been shown to be associated with overall longevity and resilience.

What is Grip Strength and Why is it Important?

Grip strength is the maximum force generated by the muscles of the hand and forearm when gripping or squeezing an object. In research and clinical settings, grip strength is most commonly measured using a hand dynamometer, which quantifies the force produced during a maximal squeeze.

Over the past several years, grip strength has increasingly been referred to in the geriatric and sports-medicine literature as a potential “vital sign” of aging. This reflects the growing body of evidence linking hand grip strength not only to muscle health, but also to overall longevity and resilience.

Large cohort studies across multiple populations have demonstrated that lower grip strength is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, disability, hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. One particularly influential analysis from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study showed that grip strength was a stronger predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality than systolic blood pressure (Leong et al., The Lancet, 2015). Subsequent studies have continued to confirm this association in both men and women across multiple age groups.

More recent research has expanded on these findings by showing that grip strength may also reflect overall biological aging, not just muscle health, capturing the integrated function of multiple systems, including:

• Skeletal muscle

• Nervous system signaling

• Metabolic health

• Cardiovascular health

• Bone density

• Physical activity patterns

For this reason, several geriatric societies now recommend routine grip strength testing as part of functional assessments in adults over 50.

How is Grip Strength Measured?

Grip strength is measured by a hand-held device called a dynamometer. This instrument is used in the research setting, by physical therapists and other clinicians. But these devices are also available for home use. The CAMRY Dynamometer is a highly reliable device that is sold on Amazon for about $30.

What Should Grip Strength Be?

Researchers studying aging and functional capacity often relate grip strength to the ability to perform common daily tasks that allow people to live independently. This table is often used in the Longevity and Gerontology space and is supported by the current literature.

Grip Strength and Functional Independence

References

Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Bahat G, Bauer J, et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing. 2019;48(1):16–31. doi:10.1093/ageing/afy169.

Simard J, Chalifoux M, Fortin M. Could questions on activities of daily living estimate grip strength of older adults living independently in the community? Journal of Aging Research. 2012;2012:427028. doi:10.1155/2012/427028.

Morera A, et al. Handgrip strength and work limitations: a prospective cohort study of adults aged 50 years and older. Maturitas. 2023.

Vaishya R, et al. Hand grip strength as a proposed vital sign of health. Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma. 2024.

Tomkinson GR, et al. International normative reference values for handgrip strength in adults. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024.

Mathiowetz V, Kashman N, Volland G, Weber K, Dowe M, Rogers S. Grip and pinch strength: normative data for adults. Journal of Hand Surgery. 1985;10(5):109–112.

How Do I Build Grip Strength?

The goal for us as active and athletic women is not simply to stay above the frailty thresholds. Instead, the goal is to maintain a strength reserve well above the level required for daily tasks.

This reserve matters because strength declines naturally with age, and especially during menopause. Building and maintaining higher levels of strength in midlife helps preserve functional independence decades later.

Here are some examples of activities that help build this reserve:

• Farmer’s carries

• Deadlifts

• Pull-ups or assisted pull-ups

• Rows

• Kettlebell swings

These movements challenge grip strength while also building whole-body strength and resilience.

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… and on that note, let’s get to this week’s workout!

This week’s training is another modification of a Mahem-inspired workout that I did at CrossFit Pompano Beach. It’s a “grippy” one! I could barely hold on to my jumprope by the end! This workout taps into the synergism we get when we combine movements together to build this very important grip strength!!! Enjoy!

Warm Up

Movement Practice

Take 10 minutes to select your options for the workout. Watch the linked videos to review proper mechanics. Select a moderately heavy kettlebell weight where you can do all 10 swings unbroken. For the farmer carry, choose a weight that you can carry continuously, stopping only once or twice for a brief rest. If you can do the entire 100 meters without rest, the weight is too light!

Movement options:

• If no jump rope, do a simulated jump rope holding 2 objects (ex-, thick magic marker)

• If no ab mat, roll up a towel and put behind your back and perform the ab mat sit up or do standard sit ups with bent-knees and anchored feet.

• If no kettlebell, do a double dumbbell swing

Workout

AMRAP 20 (As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes). Perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

• 70 single-under jump rope (or 35 double-under jump rope)

• 25 ab mat sit-ups (or standard bent-knee sit-ups)

• 12 air squats

• 10 Kettlebell swings (unbroken) (Beginner: swing to eye-level; Advanced: swing to overhead)

• 100 meter farmer carry (2x kettlebells or dumbbells. Suggested weight: 20 pounds)

SCORE: Number of rounds and repetitions performed in 20 minutes.

Cool Down

This was a very intense workout, so it deserves a thorough cool-down to help your parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”) return your stress response system to baseline.

Here is an “11-minute Yoga Quickie” for your hands, wrists, and forearms, and a 20-minute total body yoga deep stretch to help jump-start your recovery!

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TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

This Just Dropped……

Hard Conversations in the Menopause Transition: Hormones, Testing, GLP-1s and what’s “Ideal” Now

This week we welcome back our resident reproductive endocrinologist and menopause specialist, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, for another candid conversation. We pull back the curtain on Carla’s own menopause experience—how she navigates her symptoms, what she’s learned, and what she practices herself. We also dig into the hard conversations so many of us are having as we navigate this ever-evolving space, and how years of working closely with active midlife women have shaped her thinking on hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, testosterone, hormone testing, and what actually moves the needle for athletic women in the transition.

Some of the greatest “gems” in physical fitness are the simplest things. Jumping rope is a functional movement we have been doing since we were children, and a wealth of research has demonstrated the benefits of jumping rope for musculoskeletal health:

• Provides a bone-loading stimulus that is favorable for bone mineral density

• Improved cardiovascular fitness in time-efficient doses

But there is another level of musculoskeletal benefit that gets less attention, and that is the “Stretch-shortening cycle” a.k.a. your built-in “spring”.

When you land from a jump:

1. Muscles and tendons lengthen slightly (eccentric phase)

2. Elastic energy is briefly stored

3. You immediately rebound upward (concentric phase)

This rapid “load → release” sequence improves neuromuscular coordination and lower-limb stiffness — qualities linked to athleticism and functional performance across the lifespan (Markovic & Mikulic, 2010; Ramirez-Campillo et al., 2023).

Why this matters after 40

• Tendon stiffness and power decline faster than maximal strength

• Light plyometric work helps maintain elastic efficiency

• Short ground contact times stimulate bone and connective tissue

Jump rope trains this spring system in a controlled, repeatable way. A jump rope is an inexpensive piece of equipment that fits easily in your gym bag (or your purse) and can be performed with minimal space.

But what if I can’t jump rope?

Jumping - even the smallest distance off the ground - has benefits. If you don’t have a rope (or the coordination), a simulated jumprope (and other rope-free modifications) are beneficial (see below).

How to Jump Rope

Mechanics

• Hold hands slightly in front of the hips.

• Jump a few inches off the ground, keeping torso upright and body straight.

• Spin wrists so that the rope passes under the feet once with every jump.

For women over 40, this “small bounce” strategy:

• Reduces joint stress

• Maintains tendon reactivity

• Preserves impact stimulus for bone without excessive load

Mechanical Progression for Beginners

If someone hasn’t jumped in years:

Step 1: March in place while turning rope
Step 2: Low pogo hops without rope
Step 3: 10–20 second rope intervals

This allows connective tissue adaptation before higher volumes.

Muscle Groups Primarily Involved

Jump rope emphasizes:

• Calves (gastrocnemius & soleus)

• Achilles tendon

• Quadriceps

• Glutes (stabilization)

• Core musculature (anti-extension stability)

• Intrinsic foot muscles

Because the movement is repetitive and elastic, it also enhances:

• Proprioception

• Ankle stiffness

• Intermuscular coordination

These qualities are strongly associated with power maintenance and fall resilience in aging populations.

Rope-Free modification options:

• Simulated jump rope

• Lateral jump over a line on the floor

Why Mechanics Matter for Bone and Connective Tissue

Bone responds to:

• Strain magnitude

• Strain rate

• Novel loading patterns

Jump rope provides repeated low-amplitude loading at relatively high strain rates — a stimulus shown in impact-exercise literature to support bone health when appropriately dosed.

However, tissue adaptation takes time. Tendons adapt more slowly than cardiovascular fitness — which is why conservative progression is key in midlife athletes.

Purchasing a Jump Rope

Having a favorable experience with jumping rope requires the right equipment.

• Step 1 - Select your rope based on your skill level and training goals

• Step 2 - Be sure to size your rope appropriately! This is KEY to productive rope-training. The links below all have guides to sizing your rope.

For beginners:

Training ropes

Budget-friendly beginner ropes

More experienced athletes may prefer a speed rope for higher-volume jump rope training and double-under practice. RPM speed ropes are my personal favorite and is what I use for my workouts

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Today’s workout is a modification of a Mahem-inspired workout I did at CrossFit Pompano Beach. It is a simple couplet that involves jumping rope and the dumbbell push-press. In addition to the benefits of jumping rope, the push press targets core and upper-body strength, and hip extension. When the push-press is performed under the fatigue of the jump rope segment, this further builds strength and resilience. Enjoy!

Warm Up

AMRAP 8 (As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes0

• 10 jumping jacks (Low impact option: March in place)

• 10 Air squats

• 10 Mountain Climbers (right + left = 1 repetition)

• 5 Easy push-ups

• 10 Good Mornings

Movement Practice

Take 5-10 minutes to select your weights and practice your options for the workout.

Dumbbell Push Press: Review the linked video for proper form and mechanics. Select a weight where you can do 7-10 repetitions confidently and unbroken.

Jump Rope

Alternatives:

• No rope? Do a simulated jump rope

• Too many reps? Reduce the jump rope repetitions by 1/3 to 1/2.

Workout

How To: Perform 21 dumbbell push presses, then 100 single unders (it is ok to break up larger sets into 2-3 smaller sets with a few breaths of rest in between). Then perform 18 push presses and 90 single unders, then 15 push-presses and 80 single unders, and so on, until you have completed the repetition scheme.

For Time

• Dumbbell Push Press

  21 - 18 - 15 - 12 - 9 - 6

• Single Under Jump Rope

  100 - 90 - 80 - 70 - 60 - 50

  Advanced option: Double Unders: 50 - 45 - 40 - 35 - 30 - 25

Cool Down

We can never overstate the need for an effective cool-down to jump-start your recovery - especially after an intense session like this one. Show your legs and shoulders some love with these two, 10-minute stretch sequences. #dontskiptheyoga

10-minute Yoga for Calves and Shins

10-minute Shoulder Stretch

Share

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

This Just Dropped……

Hard Conversations in the Menopause Transition: Hormones, Testing, GLP-1s and what’s “Ideal” Now

This week we welcome back our resident reproductive endocrinologist and menopause specialist, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, for another candid conversation. We pull back the curtain on Carla’s own menopause experience—how she navigates her symptoms, what she’s learned, and what she practices herself. We also dig into the hard conversations so many of us are having as we navigate this ever-evolving space, and how years of working closely with active midlife women have shaped her thinking on hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, testosterone, hormone testing, and what actually moves the needle for athletic women in the transition.

We spend a lot of time (and for good reason) talking about strength training. This week, I want to review something equally important for health, longevity, and performance: high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

What Is HIIT?

HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise that alternates:

• Short bursts of near-maximal effort

• With periods of low-intensity recovery or rest

A typical HIIT session may involve working at:

• ≥80–90% of maximum heart rate

• or ≥85% of VO₂max

for intervals lasting from ~30 seconds to several minutes, repeated multiple times.

Unlike steady-state endurance exercise, HIIT produces repeated metabolic stress that stimulates muscular and cardiovascular adaptations in a relatively short amount of time.

How HIIT Works: The Physiology

1. Improved Mitochondrial Function

Mitochondria are the “batteries” that power all of the cells in our body. During exercise, mitochondrial function is critical for effectively meeting the physical challenge.

HIIT activates cellular signaling pathways that stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis — essentially increasing both the number and function of mitochondria in muscle cells.

This improves:

• Aerobic energy production

• Fat oxidation

• Metabolic flexibility

(Burgomaster et al., 2008; Gibala et al., 2012)

2. Increased Skeletal Muscle Glucose Uptake

HIIT improves insulin sensitivity through:

• Increased GLUT-4 transporter expression (Estrogen INDEPENDANT pathway)

• Enhanced glycogen (storage form of glucose) storage capacity

• Improved muscle capillary density

3. Reduction in Visceral Adipose Tissue

Visceral fat — the deep abdominal fat that tends to increase during perimenopause — is strongly associated with:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Chronic inflammation

• Metabolic syndrome

HIIT increases:

• Catecholamine release

• Growth hormone response

• Lipolytic enzyme activity

leading to increased mobilization of fatty acids from visceral adipose tissue.

4. Improved Cardiovascular Efficiency

HIIT improves:

• Stroke volume (The amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat)

• Endothelial (lining of the blood vessels) function

• VO₂max

often more effectively than moderate-intensity continuous training.

Implications for Hormone Health

Glucose Control: Randomized controlled trials show that postmenopausal women can significantly improve peripheral insulin sensitivity after ~12 weeks of high-intensity exercise training — to the same extent as premenopausal women.

Body Composition: Randomized trials in postmenopausal women demonstrate that HIIT performed three times per week for 12 weeks produces:

• Significant reductions in total body fat

• Greater reductions in visceral adiposity than moderate continuous training

• Improvements in inflammatory markers

Heart Health: HIIT improves cardiovascular efficiency often more effectively than moderate-intensity continuous training. This is especially important because menopause is associated with accelerated decline in cardiorespiratory fitness and increased cardiovascular risk.

Worried About “Cortisol”? - Don’t. To make gains in your physical fitness, you need to push limits. This requires activation of your “fight or flight” response system (Sympathetic Nervous System) - This is what Mother Nature designed this endocrine system to do for the survival of the Human race. But what’s essential is the cool-down and recovery. To learn more about the truth behind cortisol and why it’s your friend, check out: Stop Demonizing Cortisol from the Athletic Aging archives.

References

Burgomaster, K. A., Howarth, K. R., Phillips, S. M., Rakobowchuk, M., MacDonald, M. J., McGee, S. L., & Gibala, M. J. (2008).
Sprint interval training increases muscle oxidative capacity and endurance performance in humans. The Journal of Physiology, 586(1), 151–160.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17991697/

Gibala, M. J., Little, J. P., Macdonald, M. J., & Hawley, J. A. (2012).
Physiological adaptations to low-volume, high-intensity interval training in health and disease. The Journal of Physiology, 590(5), 1077–1084.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22289907/

Ramos, J. S., Dalleck, L. C., Tjonna, A. E., Beetham, K. S., & Coombes, J. S. (2017).
The impact of high-intensity interval training versus moderate-intensity continuous training on vascular function: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28953212/

Nunes, P. R. P., Martins, F. M., Souza, A. P., et al. (2019).
Effect of high-intensity interval training on body composition and inflammatory markers in obese postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial. Menopause, 26(3), 256–264.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30277921/

Weston, K. S., Wisloff, U., & Coombes, J. S. (2014).
High-intensity interval training in patients with lifestyle-induced cardiometabolic disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(16), 1227–1234.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24144531/

Dupuit, M., Maillard, F., Pereira, B., et al. (2020).
Effect of high-intensity interval training on body composition in women before and after menopause: A meta-analysis. Experimental Physiology, 105(9), 1470–1490.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32613697/

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This week’s workout is a modification of a Mahem-inspired sequence that I did, myself, at CrossFit Pompano Beach. It is a classic HIIT workout with 1:15 - 1:30 of near maximal effort work with 1:00 of rest in between, for 7 rounds. I did this workout earlier this week

But here’s the twist: The movements that achieve this stimulus also build bone (plyometrics), muscle power (box jump), and nervous system coordination (double unders) - this is not just sprint intervals on a bike or other singular movement. While monostructural (single movement) HIIT is effective, coordinating different movements that target strength and plyometrics adds another level of stimulus.

The box height and weights noted in the workout section are designed for the intermediate to advanced athlete. As always, there are movement options for all fitness levels, so pick what works best for you.

Warm Up

AMRAP 7 minutes (As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes)

• 5 Up downs

• 10 Mountain climbers (right + left = 1 repetition)

• 10 Air squats

• 20 single under jump rope (or movement substitution)

• 10 good mornings (no weight) -** You should feel your hamstrings engaging.

Movement Practice

Movement Substitutions

• Box jumps - Substitute jumping air squats or dumbbell thrusters (moderately weight where the 7 repetitions can be done unbroken)

• Kettlebell swings - Substitute single or double dumbbell swing. Swing to eye level (Russian swing) instead of overhead (American swing).

• Double unders - Substitute 45 single unders or 5 burpees

** The working rounds are SPRINTS. These are near maximal effort at an RPE 8-9. When selecting your options, ensure that the time it takes to do 1 round of the workout is no longer than 1:20.

Take 5-10 minutes to select your movement options. Select options where the goal is to complete all sets unbroken for all 7 rounds. (Except for some occasional trip-ups on the jump rope).

Workout

7 Rounds

• 7 box jumps (20-24 inches)

• 14 kettlebell swings (25-35 lbs, American swing)

• 21 or 28 double unders

Rest 1:00 between sets

SCORE: Total time (including rest) to complete all 7 rounds.

Cool Down

Because HIIT workouts require multiple rounds of near-maximal effort, your musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems will be firing on all cylinders. I cannot overstate how ESSENTIAL an effective cool-down is for recovery, stress management, and staying safe from injury. Enjoy this 25 minute restorative yoga stretch session from Five Parks

25-minute Stretch and Release Restorative Yoga by Five Parks

Share

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

This Just Dropped……

Hard Conversations in the Menopause Transition: Hormones, Testing, GLP-1s and what’s “Ideal” Now

This week we welcome back our resident reproductive endocrinologist and menopause specialist, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, for another candid conversation. We pull back the curtain on Carla’s own menopause experience—how she navigates her symptoms, what she’s learned, and what she practices herself. We also dig into the hard conversations so many of us are having as we navigate this ever-evolving space, and how years of working closely with active midlife women have shaped her thinking on hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, testosterone, hormone testing, and what actually moves the needle for athletic women in the transition.

Weight training has never been more important than during midlife. There is a wealth of research and evidence of the benefits for bone, muscle, and metabolic health during a time of our lives when the effects of hormonal changes impact so many aspects of our health.

The LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial, published in 2017 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research by a group from Queensland, Australia, is a high-quality study in menopausal women in their 60s that demonstrates the benefits of heavier, basic lifts such as deadlifts, squats, overhead presses, and high-impact jumps. Study subjects showed improvements in bone mineral density, physical functioning, and a favorable impact on posture and fracture risk.

For many, however, barriers exist to implementing this type of training into one’s regular exercise routine. Access to equipment and instruction on proper form requires cost, time, and resources. Many women of this generation today have never even picked up a barbell, so there is also an intimidation factor.

What can be helpful is a segway to gain confidence with moving weight. Something that is accessible, easy to use at home, and scalable for every fitness level - even for competitive athletes who are proficient with heavy lifts, who want to add variety and coordinated performance benefits to their resistance training.

Enter the kettlebell.

What Is a Kettlebell?

A kettlebell is a cast-iron or steel weight shaped like a cannonball with a single handle. Unlike a dumbbell, the center of mass sits below and behind the handle. This “offset load” changes how the body must stabilize and control the weight.

Because of this design, kettlebells:

• Challenge grip and forearm strength

• Increase demand on the core and stabilizing muscles

• Allow for smooth, ballistic (dynamic, explosive) movements

• Flow naturally between exercises

The shape enables movements like swings, cleans, snatches, and Turkish get-ups—patterns that blend strength and athleticism rather than isolating single muscles.

Evidence-Based Benefits of Kettlebell Training

• Strength and Explosive Power: Kettlebell swing training has been shown to significantly improve maximal strength and lower-body explosive performance. (Lake & Lauder, 2012). Because power declines earlier and more rapidly than maximal strength with age, incorporating ballistic hip-dominant movements like swings may be especially valuable for women over 40 who want to preserve athleticism.

Importantly, these improvements can occur without maximal barbell loading, offering a joint-friendly way to train force production.

• Cardiovascular Fitness: Kettlebells can simultaneously challenge the muscular and cardiovascular systems. Short-interval ballistic training can elevate heart rate quickly, providing a time-efficient conditioning stimulus without repetitive impact stress.

• Musculoskeletal Health and Pain Reduction: A randomized controlled trial examining kettlebell training in working adults demonstrated improvements in strength alongside reductions in neck, shoulder, and low back pain (Jay et al., 2011). When properly coached, kettlebell movements emphasize hip-driven mechanics and trunk stability, which may contribute to improved movement efficiency and resilience.

• Functional Capacity and Healthy Aging: In older adults (ages 59–79), progressive hardstyle kettlebell training improved grip strength and multiple functional performance measures, with high adherence and monitored safety (Meigh et al., 2022). Grip strength in particular is strongly associated with overall health and longevity, making loaded carries and dynamic kettlebell work especially relevant for long-term vitality.

For the Advanced Athlete

For the advanced athlete, kettlebells offer more than general fitness—they provide a powerful tool for refining force production, work capacity, and movement efficiency.

Ballistic lifts like heavy swings and snatches train rapid hip extension and rate of force development, qualities that underpin sprinting, cutting, and jumping performance. Because kettlebells allow for unilateral and offset loading (e.g., single-arm swings, rack carries, bottoms-up presses), they expose and correct asymmetries while increasing anti-rotational core demand.

Advanced athletes can also manipulate density (more work in less time), complex sequencing (clean → squat → press), and double-kettlebell variations to create high neuromuscular demand without the joint stress of maximal barbell loading. This makes kettlebells an excellent adjunct during in-season training, deload phases, or when preserving power with lower orthopedic cost is a priority.

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OK! So let’s get into it. This week’s workout features (you guessed it) the kettlebell! We will use the kettlebell in 2 ways. First, with the kettlebell swing, and second, with the goblet walking lunge - and in between sets, your cardio movement of choice.

Here are some options for all fitness levels:

If running is not accessible to you, rowing (same distance as prescribed) and stationary bike (double the prescribed distance) may be substituted.

If no equipment, substitute 40 up-downs for the 800m run and 20 up-downs for the 400m run.

If this volume of repetitions is not accessible to you or you are a beginner, cut all repetitions and distances in half.

If you do not have a kettlebell, substitute a dumbbell.

Warm Up

Run, bike, or row for 5 minutes. Each minute: :50 easy and :10 hard/fast. If you choose the up-down option, perform 20 easy-paced repetitions

Movement Practice

Select your movement options for the workout and practice 30 seconds of each movement in the sequence of the workout below at a low-intensity pace. Select a kettlebell or dumbbell that you can confidently perform 15 repetitions unbroken. Use that same kettlebell/dumbbell for the walking lunges. Alternatively, you can omit the weight for the lunges.

Movement Demo Videos:

• Up-Down

• Kettlebell Swing (Beginner/Intermediate: Swing to eye level. Advanced: Swing to the overhead position)

• Dumbbell Swing

• Walking Lunge - Perform the walking lunge holding the dumbbell/kettlebell to your chest like a “goblet”. An alternative is to omit the additional weight and perform the lunge with body weight only. No space? Instead of the walking lunge, you can stand in one place and step forward, alternating sides, with an alternating lunge.

Workout

Perform each movement in sequence until you have completed all 5 segments. Move at a steady pace breaking up sets as needed to maintain movement efficiency without tapping out too early!

For Time

• 800-meter run

• 60 kettlebell swings

• 400-meter run

• 60 kettlebell walking lunges

• 800-meter run

Cool Down

The high volume of swings in this workout puts your hamstrings and posterior chain to work! Show your hard-working body some love with this 15-Min Deep Stretch & Release for Hips & Hamstrings.

Recovery during this stage of life is critically important! So PLEASE #dontskiptheyoga

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References

Falatic, J. A., et al. (2015). Effects of kettlebell training on aerobic capacity. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(7), 1943–1947.

Jay, K., et al. (2011). Kettlebell training for musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health: A randomized controlled trial. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 37(3), 196–203.

Lake, J. P., & Lauder, M. A. (2012). Kettlebell swing training improves maximal and explosive strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2228–2233.

McGill, S. M., & Marshall, L. W. (2012). Kettlebell swing, snatch, and carry biomechanics. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(1), 16–27.

Meigh, N. J., et al. (2022). Effects of hardstyle kettlebell training in older adults. BMC Geriatrics, 22, 286.

This Just Dropped……

Hard Conversations in the Menopause Transition: Hormones, Testing, GLP-1s and what’s “Ideal” Now

This week we welcome back our resident reproductive endocrinologist and menopause specialist, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, for another candid conversation. We pull back the curtain on Carla’s own menopause experience—how she navigates her symptoms, what she’s learned, and what she practices herself. We also dig into the hard conversations so many of us are having as we navigate this ever-evolving space, and how years of working closely with active midlife women have shaped her thinking on hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, testosterone, hormone testing, and what actually moves the needle for athletic women in the transition.

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

The shoulder is often described as the most complex joint in the human body, but that framing misses the bigger picture. The shoulder is not just a joint—it is part of an integrated system designed to transfer force from the ground and core through the torso and into the arms. In that sense, the shoulder truly is the gateway to upper-body performance.

Importantly, the shoulder itself is not built for stability. It is built for mobility, relying on stability generated elsewhere in the body. When that system is functioning well, the shoulder joint moves freely and efficiently. When it is not, the joint often becomes the place where pain, irritation, or loss of performance shows up.

How the Shoulder System Works

True shoulder strength does not originate at the shoulder. It depends on coordinated contributions from several regions working together:

• Thoracic spine mobility allows the upper back to extend and rotate, creating space for the arm to move overhead without compression.

• Rib cage positioning influences how the shoulder blade sits and moves on the torso, affecting force transfer and breathing mechanics.

• Scapular control provides a dynamic base for the arm, allowing load to be distributed rather than concentrated at the joint.

• Core force production generates power that is transmitted outward to the upper extremities.

When these components are aligned, the shoulder joint can do what it does best—move. When one or more of these pieces degrade, the shoulder is often forced to absorb stress it was never designed to handle alone.

This is why shoulder symptoms so often appear without a clear injury. The joint hasn’t failed—the system supporting it has quietly lost capacity.

Why Pain Shows Up at the Shoulder

Research in sports medicine consistently shows that shoulder pain is frequently associated with changes in movement coordination, strength distribution, and load tolerance—not just tissue damage. Loss of thoracic mobility, diminished trunk strength, or altered scapular mechanics can all shift stress toward the shoulder joint.

Over time, the shoulder becomes the “weak link” not because it is weak, but because it is being asked to stabilize and generate force without adequate support. This explains why imaging findings often poorly correlate with symptoms, and why rest alone rarely resolves persistent shoulder issues.

A more useful question than “What’s wrong with my shoulder?” is often:
“What part of the system is no longer doing its share of the work?”

Why this is Important for Mid-life Women

At mid-life, the hormonal changes of the menopause transition and the effects of aging, can lead to decreased muscle mass, strength, and power - and yes, this includes the muscles of the shoulder and its supporting structures. This hormonal transition also drives changes in the character of the tendons and ligaments (they become stiffer and lax), which can result in a degree of destabilization of the shoulder joint. Keeping your shoulder system healthy can mitigate the effects of these changes, keeping your upper body strong, vital, and at peak performance into the later decades of life.

Tips for Optimizing Your Shoulder System

Performance Physical Therapy: This can be a game-changer! They can do an assessment of your specific limitations and prescribe exercises targeting what parts of your “shoulder system” need help. What is a Performance PT? Learn more HERE.

Crossover Symmetry - This is a structured, resistance-band-based training method designed to rehabilitate and enhance shoulder performance by focusing on the scapular stabilizers and rotator cuff muscles.

Train within a “Pain-free range of motion” - When starting physical therapy or any shoulder mobility program, working within a pain-free range of motion is critical. As you start moving the shoulder system and supporting structures more efficiently, your range of motion will continue to improve!

Nutrition and Recovery - Providing the nutritional building blocks and recovery environment is essential for re-building your shoulder system. Adequate carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, sleep, and tissue care (sauna, cold plunge, body work/massage) create the fertile environment needed for these interventions to take root.

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This week’s workout targets the shoulder system in many different ways. We have kettlebell swings for a strong core, dumbbell thrusters for overhead stability, push-ups for upper body strength, and dumbbell rows for posterior strength and scapular activation. As a closer, jump-start your recovery with a neck and shoulder-focused yoga sequence. Enjoy!

Warm-Up

AMRAP 5 (as many rounds as possible in 5 minutes)

• 5 burpees

• 10 air squats

• 5 easy push-up option

Movement Practice

Take 5-10 minutes to practice all four movements to find your weights/options where you can perform 10 repetitions of all movements unbroken and move with confidence.

For the push-ups, choose either the strict or elevated push-up option. For optimal core engagement, avoid doing push-ups from your knees.

As fatigue sets in, break up the larger sets into smaller ones with only a few breaths of rest before starting again. By the last few rounds you may be doing reps one or two at a time - that’s ok! This is supposed to get really hard toward the end.

Workout

Perform 15 kettlebell swings, then 15 dumbbell thrusters, then 15 push-ups, then 15 bent-over rows, then perform 12 kettlebell swings, 12 thrusters, and so on until you have performed all 4 movements through the entire repetitions scheme.

For Time:

15 - 12 - 9 - 6 - 3

• Kettlebell Swings (modification: Swing to eye level instead of overhead. If no kettlebell, try 12 mountain climbers -R+L = 1 repetition)

• Dumbbell thrusters

• Strict push-up or Elevated Push-up

• Bent over dumbbell or barbell rows

Cool-Down

Help your upper body recover with this 10 min neck and shoulder-focused yoga sequence from Five Parks

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This Just Dropped……

Hard Conversations in the Menopause Transition: Hormones, Testing, GLP-1s and what’s “Ideal” Now

This week we welcome back our resident reproductive endocrinologist and menopause specialist, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, for another candid conversation. We pull back the curtain on Carla’s own menopause experience—how she navigates her symptoms, what she’s learned, and what she practices herself. We also dig into the hard conversations so many of us are having as we navigate this ever-evolving space, and how years of working closely with active midlife women have shaped her thinking on hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, testosterone, hormone testing, and what actually moves the needle for athletic women in the transition.

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

As a hormone and menopause specialist, concerns about cognitive health, dementia risk, and the role of hormone therapy (HT) in this equation are front and center in many conversations with my Clients. In mid-life, we are at that age where we are watching our parents age, and many are deteriorating from dementia. The fear that this is also our fate is real, and for some, overwhelming.

For about a decade now, the debate has raged on about whether hormone therapy can prevent cognitive decline. The current consensus of the American and British Menopause Societies (2022 Consensus Statements) is that women with premature menopause (menopause before age 40) appreciate cognitive benefit from HT. Benefits are equivocal for the symptomatic population within 10 years of natural menopause onset, < age 60, and for the older population, HT for cognitive health skews toward potential detriment when HT is initiated over the age of 60 in the general population.

What is often overlooked is the evidence for the benefits of exercise for cognitive health and dementia prevention and even in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Regular movement helps your muscles, metabolism, joints, and mood. What many don’t realize is that exercise is one of the most powerful evidence-based strategies we currently have to support brain health, slow age-related cognitive decline, and possibly reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Here’s what we know:

How Exercise Benefits the Brain

1. It Changes the Brain’s Structure

Physical activity increases the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. It also increases gray and white matter in cognitive regions, helping preserve brain volume with age.

2. It Improves Brain Chemistry

Exercise stimulates the release of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) — a growth factor that supports neuron survival, learning, memory, and brain plasticity. Higher levels of BDNF are linked to better cognitive function and lower risk of neurodegeneration.

3. It Reduces Inflammation

Exercise has anti-inflammatory effects that extend into the central nervous system. Lower inflammation is associated with improved cognitive performance in older adults.

4. It Improves Mood and Stress Resilience

Even a single bout of exercise can enhance executive functions (like planning and attention), reduce stress, and boost mood — all of which support cognitive functioning.

Dementia Risk Reduction

A 2023 meta-analysis found that regular exercise may reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by significant amounts, with higher activity levels associated with lower risk.

Longitudinal research also suggests that higher cardiorespiratory fitness is linked with reduced dementia risk later in life.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

MCI — a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia — represents a key window for early intervention. Studies show that exercise, especially when combined with cognitive strategies, improves global cognition and slows decline in people with MCI.

What to Do: Practical Training Recommendations

Here’s how to structure your fitness program for brain health:

✔️ Aerobic Training

Mix forms and intensities:

• Low-intensity endurance: brisk walking, cycling, swimming

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT): short bursts of vigorous effort followed by recovery

Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity — the same guidelines that benefit heart health also support brain health.

✔️ Strength & Resistance Training

Though less studied than aerobics, emerging evidence supports including strength work:

• Heavy resistance (low reps)

• Hypertrophy training (moderate weight, higher reps)

Resistance training may enhance memory, learning, and aspects of executive function important for daily independence.

✔️ Mixed & Functional Training

Combining aerobic and resistance movement in a session engages your nervous system, supports neuroendocrine adaptation, and increases overall fitness.

✔️ Consider Multidomain Programs

Exercise paired with cognitive training may yield greater improvements in cognition for individuals with MCI than exercise alone.

So, my friends, our best, science-backed intervention for empowering our brain health is right in front of us! So with that, let’s get into this week’s workout!

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Today’s workout is 25 minutes, with something to do every minute on the minute. The first minute is 15 burpees, the second minute is 25 kettlebell swings, the 3rd and 4th minutes are maximum calories on the assault bike or the rower and the 5th minute is REST!

This workout has an endurance focus with intensity intervals as well as a strength component with the kettlebell swings. We also have “just move” options if you prefer to keep the intensity low to moderate. Either way, your brain is benefiting!

Warm Up

3-minute easy bike, row, or jog

TABATA - 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Perform each movement in sequence until you have completed all 3 movements 4 times (Total 6 minutes)

• Up Downs

• Air squats

• Easy push-ups

Movement Practice

Take up to 10 minutes to select your kettlebell weight and movement options for the workout. This is a lighter to moderate-weight kettlebell where it may be realistic to do 25 repetitions unbroken for the first few rounds but where you may need to break it up into 2 quick sets in the later rounds.

Workout

EMOM 25 (Every minute on the minute for 25 minutes

• Minute 1: 15 burpees (see the linked videos for variations for all skill levels)

  (Option: scale the burpees to a number that you can just barely do in 50 seconds and strive to hold onto this number for all 5 rounds).

  “Just Move” Option: 50 seconds of burpees (or variation) or up-downs at a comfortable pace)

• Minute 2: 25 kettlebell swings (eye level)

  (Option: double or single dumbbell swing).

  “Just Move” Option: 50 seconds of weighted hip bridges at a comfortable pace.

• Minutes 3 and 4: Maximum calorie/meter bike, run, or row (or max jumping jacks or jump rope reps if no cardio equipment)

  “Just Move” Option: 1 min and 50 second brisk walk or alternating lunges at a comfortable pace

• Minute 5 - REST

Go back to the burpees for your next round until you have completed 5 rounds.

Your Score: Maximum calories/meters accumulated through the 5 rounds.

TIP! If you are doing this workout “as written”, pace yourself! 25 minutes is a long time, even with a minute of rest each round. Consider working at a little slower pace each minute and performing the repetitions in 45-50 seconds rather than coming out with your hair on fire and doing the repetitions at higher intensity for less time. This will get difficult FAST!

Cool Down

Cooking down is CRITICAL today! If you did this as written, your stress-response system is firing on all cylinders, and now you need to re-establish equilibrium and return the system to baseline. Try this 20-minute gentle yoga stretch sequence. If you can do this outside, soaking in all that nature has to offer, that is ideal.

Also consider some foam rolling, a cold plunge, sauna, breathwork, or short (or long) meditation. Lastly, but certainly not least, EAT AND HYDRATE! A critical part of recovery is replenishing your glycogen stores and water loss and rebuilding muscles with high-quality protein.

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REFERENCES

Alizadeh Pahlavani H. Exercise therapy to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Aging Neurosci. 2023.

Wu J, Huang C. Resistance exercise improves cognitive function in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry. 2025.

Brown BM, et al. Physical activity and cognitive decline: meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Mayo Clin Proc. (Classic review on exercise reducing dementia risk).

Montero-Odasso M, et al. Effects of exercise and cognitive training on MCI cognition: the SYNERGIC Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023.

Sáez de Asteasu ML, Izquierdo M. The role of exercise in mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Nutritional Aging Rev. (Mini-review on exercise as a therapeutic strategy).

Physical Exercise & BDNF modulation: Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cognitive function. Experimental & Clinical Evidence Review.

A Candid Conversation about Hormone Therapy - hosted by Selene Yeager

The messages we see and hear about hormone therapy are often head spinning, as headlines seemingly say one thing and guidelines say another. Medical experts themselves spend days arguing on Instagram. And women are left wondering how to make the best decisions for their health and well being. We feel it, too. So this week, host Selene Yeager opens up about her own journey through menopause and hormone therapy and has a sit down, candid conversation with the podcast’s resident hormone specialist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo to get to the root of the confusion and discuss what women should consider as they’re sorting through all the information coming their way.

TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

Plyometric training is exercise that teaches your muscles to produce force quickly by using a quick “load and explode” action. Some examples include jump rope, box jumps, running, and racquet sports, to name a few.

When we think about plyometric training, we often first think about bone health. It’s well documented that plyometric activities can help stimulate bone in a way that helps mitigate bone loss.

However, plyometric training has other benefits besides promoting bone health. A more understated benefit is in building muscle power. Power is defined as Force x Distance/time, or “fast force production”, which is tightly linked to stair climbing, getting up from the floor, and fall risk. Plyometrics uniquely target the stretch-shortening cycle (rapid “load → explode”), training neuromuscular speed and producing brief, high bone-loading impacts that typical steady cardio often doesn’t deliver.

During midlife, changes in estrogen exposure to our muscles due to declining ovarian estrogen production, shifting estrogen receptors within muscle cells, and the general effects of aging all result in a decline in muscle power, along with muscle strength and overall mass. For a deeper dive, check out Muscle Hypertrophy, Strength, and Power: The Keys for Thriving in Midlife.

Longevity is a complicated equation, but the musculoskeletal system is front and center. Here’s how plyometrics fits in:

• Bone Health: Modest but meaningful improvements (hip/spine and bone quality)

• Muscle Power & Function: “Faster strength” that transfers to real-life stair climbing and getting up from the floor or from a chair.

• Balance / Fall-risk: Plyometric exercises build static/dynamic balance with the potential to redice fall risk in older populations by training rapid force production and reactive control.

• Safety & Feasibility: Programming matters. High-impact jumping isn’t appropriate for everyone—with caution required in those with osteoporosis, recent fractures, significant joint pathology, or medical complexity. Fortunately, plyometric movements are highly scalable from pogo hops and easy jump rope to box jumps and hurdle hops, depending on one’s abilities and limitations.

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Warm-Up

AMRAP 7 (As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes). Perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds as you can in 7 minutes.

• 10 Air squats

• 10 alternating lunges (in place) – body weight

• 20 single-under jump rope or simulated jump rope.

Movement Practice

Test out 15-20 sec of each movement sequentially for 2 rounds. Use this time to select your options/rep numbers for the workout. Select a lighter thruster weight where you can do 15-20 reps in 30-45 seconds. Plan to work between 30-45 sec each minute and rest for the remaining 15-30 sec. Your score at the end is the number of reps you accomplish. So pick rep numbers/movement options and do your best to stick to them!

Workout

EMOM 30 (Every minute on the minute for 30 minutes)

HOW TO: Perform 30-50 single-under jump rope (30-45 seconds), rest for the remainder of the minute. Then perform 30-45 seconds of dumbbell thrusters, rest 15-30 seconds, then perform 30-45 seconds of box jumps, rest 15-30 seconds, then start again with the jump rope. Continue moving through all three movements in sequence, every minute on the minute for a total of 30 minutes. Pace yourself! This is a long grind!

Minute 1 – 30-50 single-under jump rope or simulated jump rope reps. (Advanced option: 35 double-under jump rope)

• Option: 30 jumping jacks or high-knee run in place (R+L = 1 rep)

Minute 2 – 15-20 dumbbell thrusters

• Option: Grounded air squat

Minute 3 – 8-12 Box jumps

• Option: weighted box step-ups (Alternative: Body weight box step-up)

See you on the other side!

Cool Down

Show your body some love and jump-start your recovery with this 20-minute gentle yoga stretch sequence from Five Parks.

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BUILD YOUR CARE TEAM FOR 2026!

New Year Special!

$100 off Health and Wellness Concierge Membership (Code 2026100)

$50 off Concierge Upgrade for current Clients who are not in the Concierge program (Code 202650).

*** Present your code to Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant, when you request your appointment. Valid for the month of January.

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

Women go on hormone therapy to manage peri/menopause symptoms and feel better. But sometimes to their surprise, they feel worse. Or some symptoms go away while others pop up. That’s because of the hormones! We have hormone receptors all over our body and whenever we switch up the signals they’re receiving, whether through the menopause transition itself or through the hormones we use, they’re going to respond to those changes, and sometimes not in the way we want. Most side effects are manageable with time or by dialing in delivery methods and/or doses. It’s just important to know what to expect. We talk all about it this week with our resident menopause specialist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo.

Hey Team! This week, our workout features two simple, functional movements that when put together, create some serious fitness magic!!! This is a modification of a workout I did myself last week at CrossFit Pompano Beach, inspired by Mahem CrossFit Programming. There is minimal equipment required - just a set of dumbbells or a barbell and some space to run. For my friends up North, a treadmill or stationary bike inside works just as well.

This workout has 2 parts. The first is a basic, lower-body, heavy strength segment with a front squat. You can use a barbell or dumbbells. Part 2 is the sprint segment with an “every-minute-on-the-minute” time domain to run and accumulate 150 air squats. This spicy little nugget should take you <12 minutes.

We have reviewed squats in depth previously. Check out “Why Squat?” and “Front Squat vs Back Squat - Which is Better?” from the Athletic Aging archives for a deeper dive into this foundational movement.

Then there is the run - another foundational functional movement. We explored how to “Improve Running Efficiency with Hip Extension Training” in another post from the archives.

Today is all about the magic that happens when you put these two movements together in a workout.

Enjoy!

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Warm Up

Five-minute light jog or bike

TABATA - 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest x 3 rounds of all three movements (Total of 9 rounds)

Perform each movement in sequence for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds before moving to the next movement. Perform all three movements sequentially for 3 rounds.

• Air Squats

• Alternating lunges

• Up downs

Movement Practice

Test your cardio option:

If you can run 100m in ~30 seconds or less, at 7 out of 10 intensity before the workout begins, this is the right distance for you. If 100m takes longer than this for you, scale back the distance to what you can achieve as above in 30 seconds.

Alternatives

• Stationary bike - Again, pick a distance that you can achieve in under 30 seconds at 7/10 intensity before the workout begins.

• Burpees - 8-12 burpees (Using the “30 second rule” above).

TIP! Once you select your distance or number of burpees, stick with it for the full duration of the workout! You will slow down with fatigue, which will challenge the number of air squats you can do within the 1-minute interval, prolonging the time it takes to complete the 150 squats - this is where the fitness magic pushes your limits and makes you stronger!

Find your front squat weight:

Using 2 dumbbells or a barbell, review the video and test out the front squat. Select a weight that is moderately heavy, where you can do all 4 repetitions unbroken, but becomes challenging after the first 1 or 2 repetitions. Use the same weight for all 5 sets.

Workout

PART 1

• Every 2:30 perform 4 dumbbell front squats x 5 sets

Rest for 5 minutes between Parts 1 and 2

PART 2

The goal of this workout is to accumulate 150 air squats in the shortest time possible within the following parameters:

EMOM (Every minute on the minute):

• 100m run

• Air squats in the remaining time until the next minute begins

Perform these two movements in sequence every minute on the minute until you complete 150 air squats.

Score: Time it takes to complete 150 air squats

Cool Down

Here’s an opportunity to jump-start your recovery and cool down with this 20-minute hip and hamstring-focused yoga segment. This is the type of workout that not only challenges your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, it also challenges your nervous system. This combination requires some extra TLC in your cool-down to help bring your stress response system back to baseline and prepare you for your next training session.

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BUILD YOUR CARE TEAM FOR 2026!

New Year Special!

$100 off Health and Wellness Concierge Membership (Code 2026100)

$50 off Concierge Upgrade for current Clients who are not in the Concierge program (Code 202650).

*** Present your code to Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant, when you request your appointment. Valid for the month of January.

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

Women go on hormone therapy to manage peri/menopause symptoms and feel better. But sometimes to their surprise, they feel worse. Or some symptoms go away while others pop up. That’s because of the hormones! We have hormone receptors all over our body and whenever we switch up the signals they’re receiving, whether through the menopause transition itself or through the hormones we use, they’re going to respond to those changes, and sometimes not in the way we want. Most side effects are manageable with time or by dialing in delivery methods and/or doses. It’s just important to know what to expect. We talk all about it this week with our resident menopause specialist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo.

Why Unilateral Strength Matters as We Age

As active women in our 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, our training goals often evolve. We still want to feel strong and athletic—but we also care deeply about joint health, balance, bone density, and confidence in daily movement.

That’s where unilateral exercises—movements that load one side of the body at a time—become incredibly powerful.

Two of my favorite examples are:

• Box step-ups with alternating load

• Farmer carries with a single dumbbell, switching sides

These exercises may look simple, but they train exactly what helps us move well and stay independent for decades to come.

Box Step-Ups: More Than a “Leg Exercise”

Box step-ups closely mimic everyday life—climbing stairs, stepping onto a curb, hiking uphill, or getting in and out of a car. But when done intentionally, they become a full-body strength and stability exercise.

Why They’re So Valuable During Mid-Life

• Build single-leg strength → crucial for balance and fall prevention

• Strengthen hips and glutes → key for knee and back health

• Improve coordination and control → not just power, but precision

Adding an Offset Load Changes Everything

Holding a dumbbell on one side of the body (and switching sides during your set) challenges your core and hips in a way bilateral movements can’t.

Your body must:

• Resist side-bending

• Stabilize the pelvis

• Coordinate foot placement and posture

This trains anti-rotation strength—the ability to stay strong and upright even when life pulls you slightly off balance.

Real-life payoff: carrying groceries up stairs, stepping onto uneven ground, or recovering quickly if you misstep.

The Farmer’s Carry

We recently reviewed the benefits of weighted carries in the Athletic Aging archives: “A Simple and Effective Longevity Hack”. When performed with a single dumbbell, they become a masterclass in total-body stability.

What Single-Side Carries Train

• Grip strength (strongly linked to longevity)

• Core and spinal stability

• Hip alignment and gait quality

• Postural endurance

Carrying weight on one side forces your body to stay tall and controlled while resisting the urge to lean. Switching sides mid-walk or between rounds ensures both sides of the body get equal work.

Why Switching Sides Matters

Alternating sides during step-ups or carries isn’t just about balance—it’s about symmetry and resilience.

Most of us have:

• A stronger side

• A side we trust more

• A side that compensates

Switching sides:

• Reduces overuse patterns

• Highlights hidden imbalances

• Builds confidence in your “less dominant” side

Over time, this creates smoother movement and less wear and tear on joints.

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Today’s workout is a modification of a workout I did at CrossFit Pompano Beach last week. This is a full-body strength workout that will raise your heart rate and highlight the unilateral movements, the single dumbbell box step-up, and the single dumbbell farmer carry. Enjoy! -Dr. Carla

Warm-Up

AMRAP 7 (As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes). Performe each movement in sequence and perform as many rounds of the three movements as you can in 7 minutes.

• 10 Air Squats

• 10 Jumping Jacks

• 5 V Ups or modification

• 30-second high plank hold (on knees or toes)

Movement Practice

• Review the video and select your weight for the Dumbbell Thruster. This is a moderate to heavy weight where you can complete all 5 repetitions unbroken and feels challenging. If overhead mobility is not accessible, perform a dumbbell front squat.

• Review the video for the V-Ups and modifications and select an option where you can complete the 8 repetitions unbroken.

• For the dumbbell box step-ups, select a STABLE box, step, or stack of large plates that is 12-20 inches in height and practice 5-10 repetitions, testing how you plan to hold the dumbbell. Use one of the dumbbells that you used for the thruster. You can hold the dumbbell by your side, on one shoulder, or with two hands holding the dumbbell on the top of your upper back. Be sure to even out the side you hold the dumbbell and the right and left foot that steps up and down on the box.

• Review and practice the goblet lunge. Use the same dumbbell that you used for the box step-up, hold it at chest level with both hands, and step forward into a lunge, touching the back knee to the floor, ensuring that your torso is upright and the front knee does not extend beyond the front toe.

• The Farmer Carry - Map out a 50-meter stretch of area and walk up and back carrying a single dumbbell. Suggest switching arms at the halfway mark. Use a single dumbbell or kettlebell. You may use the one that you have been using for the other movements, or you can challenge yourself and go a little heavier.

Workout

AMRAP 20 (As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes). Perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds of the 5 movements as you can in 20 minutes.

• 5 Dumbbell Thrusters

• 8 V-Ups

• 12 single dumbbell step-ups

• 16 goblet lunges

• 100m single dumbbell farmer carry

SCORE: Number of completed rounds and additional repetitions

Cool Down

Jump-start your recovery with this 20-minute recovery yoga class from Five Parks. Workouts like today tax not only your musculoskeletal system but also your nervous system, with the unilateral nature of the step-ups and the farmer’s carry. #dontskiptheyoga.

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BUILD YOUR CARE TEAM FOR 2026!

New Year Special!

$100 off Health and Wellness Concierge Membership (Code 2026100)

$50 off Concierge Upgrade for current Clients who are not in the Concierge program (Code 202650).

*** Present your code to Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant, when you request your appointment. Valid for the month of January.

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

Women go on hormone therapy to manage peri/menopause symptoms and feel better. But sometimes to their surprise, they feel worse. Or some symptoms go away while others pop up. That’s because of the hormones! We have hormone receptors all over our body and whenever we switch up the signals they’re receiving, whether through the menopause transition itself or through the hormones we use, they’re going to respond to those changes, and sometimes not in the way we want. Most side effects are manageable with time or by dialing in delivery methods and/or doses. It’s just important to know what to expect. We talk all about it this week with our resident menopause specialist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo.

Hey My Friends! Happy New Year once again! We are kicking off 2026 with a new movement - the L-sit! I’m not going to lie - this is a difficult movement that is not accessible for a lot of athletes. However! There are lots of great modifications that will give you the same benefits and move you closer to mastering this skill.

What Is the L-Sit Hold?

The L-sit hold is an isometric core exercise where you support your body on your hands while extending your legs straight out in front of you, forming an “L” shape. It’s commonly performed on the floor, using parallettes, boxes, dip bars, or even a stable, hexagonal-shaped set of dumbbells.

Although it looks simple, the L-sit is a full-body strength movement that challenges the core, hip flexors, shoulders, triceps, and even grip strength—all without impact.

For the mid-life athlete, the L-sit is especially valuable because it builds joint-friendly strength, control, and active mobility that carries over to everyday movement and sport.

Benefits of Adding the L-Sit to Your Workout

The L-sit isn’t just a “core exercise”—it’s a movement skill with wide-ranging benefits, especially for athletic aging populations.

1. Builds Deep Core Strength

The L-sit targets the deep stabilizers of the core, including the transverse abdominis, helping improve posture, spinal stability, and overall movement efficiency.

2. Strengthens Hip Flexors Actively

Unlike passive stretching, the L-sit strengthens the hip flexors in a controlled, active range, which is key for walking, running, and getting up from the floor as we age.

3. Improves Shoulder Stability

Supporting your body weight through straight arms trains shoulder depression and stability—important for protecting the shoulders during lifting, pushing, and daily tasks.

4. Joint-Friendly and Low Impact

Because the L-sit is isometric and bodyweight-based, it builds strength without pounding the joints, making it ideal for longevity-focused training.

5. Enhances Body Awareness and Control

Holding tension throughout the body improves coordination, balance, and neuromuscular control—often overlooked but critical for injury prevention and confidence in movement.

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Today’s workout is a modification of CrossFit WOD 251220. We have 5 rounds for time of a triplet that includes a full-body, power movement in the dumbbell thruster that will raise your heart rate and target full-body strength and power followed by 2 isometric holds. We have explored the benefits of isometric holds in an earlier Athletic Aging post: Take A Seat with the Wall Sit and the High Plank Hold. Today, we will be working on the L-sit and the Pike Hold.

Warm Up

TABATA - 20 seconds of work / 10 seconds of rest x 8 rounds. Perform each movement in sequence until you have completed 2 rounds of all 4 movements.

• Air Squat - perform for 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds; then….

• High Plank hold - perform for 20 seconds, then 10 seconds of rest… and so on.

• Easy push-up

• Hollow hold

Movement Practice

Review the linked video for the dumbbell thruster and select a weight that you can do all 10 repetitions unbroken. If you have a barbell, you can substitute a barbell thruster.

Select your option for the L-sit. Below are options and alternatives from easiest to most difficult. Try them out and select an option that you can hold for the full 20 seconds.

• (Easiest option) L-Sit in chair

• (Alternative movement) V-Sit hold

• (Alternative movement) Bench Dip top hold (add one straight leg lift, or one bent knee - switch at the 10-second mark)

• (Intermediate and Advanced) L-Sit and modifications

Practice the Pike Hold. If you are proficient with handstands (with or without wall support), for an advanced-level substitute. If you are somewhere between the Pike hold and the handstand, you can use a box for your Pike Hold. If you have shoulder limitations, you can substitute a high plank or low plank hold with legs straight or for an easier option, with knees on the ground.

Workout

5 rounds for time

• 10 thrusters

• 20-second L-sit hold (or above option/modifications)

• 30-second Pike hold (or above option/modifications)

SCORE - The amount of time it takes to perform all 3 movements in sequence for 5 rounds.

Cool Down

Show your shoulders some love and jump-start your recovery with this 15-minute shoulder-focused yoga stretch session. #dontskiptheyoga

TIP! I have struggled with intermittent shoulder pain and limitations for many years. There are 2 resources that I have found to be game-changers for rehabbing my shoulders to be better than ever!

Crossover Symmetry System

The Ready State shoulder pain and mobility exercises and the Shoulder Protocol available for purchase.

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BUILD YOUR CARE TEAM FOR 2026!

New Year Special!

$100 off Health and Wellness Concierge Membership (Code 2026100)

$50 off Concierge Upgrade for current Clients who are not in the Concierge program (Code 202650).

*** Present your code to Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant, when you request your appointment

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

The Menopause Muscle Continuum….

Does the menopause transition directly impact muscle health and physiology?

This has been the subject of some very intense discussion recently. Join me and the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager for Hit Play Not Pause Episode 253 where we take a deep dive into the science behind this debate.

Hey Team! 
Sorry this is a day late... I'm just back from a crazy road trip from Rhode Island to Florida.   

Head up! If you are looking to level up your hormonal health and performance, check out my Concierge Health and Wellness service! Starting today, and for the month of January, I'm offering $100 off for new Concierge clients (code 2026100) and $50 off a Concierge Upgrade (code 202650) if you are already a Client. Learn more HERE and feel free to message me if you have questions. 

Cheers!
-Dr. Carla

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026!

Now, I know you’re probably reading this after enjoying the New Year’s Eve festivities last night and debating on whether to binge-watch Netflix or get your body moving. Well, you can do both! Today’s workout is a little longer but at a lower intensity designed to get you moving, sweating, and your blood pumping to clear out the effects of the indulgences from last night and from the entirety of the Holiday season.

The movements are simple, and easily scaled for any level or intensity that you desire today. Alternatively, if this workout is just not in the cards today, enjoy this 30-minute Power Yoga segment from Five Parks to prime your body and mind for the New Year ahead! What matters most today is that you moved your body in the way that is right for you!

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This entire workout is based on the 8-round TABATA time domain of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for each of the 8 rounds. The first 4 movements are an 8-round TABATA with 1 minute of rest in between each movement. The Core Stability sequence movements are done sequentially in the 20-second work/10-second rest time domain.

Warm-Up

Perform each movement in sequence: 20 seconds jumping jacks, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds air squat, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds easy push-up, 10 seconds rest, then back to the up-downs until you do the entire sequence of 3 movements three times.

• Jumping Jacks

• Air Squats  

• Push-Ups (Easy option - It’s the warm-up! Elevate your hands on a stable box, step, or bench as needed to create a lighter load option) 

Movement Practice

Choose options for the workout that you can confidently do for 10 unbroken repetitions. This is a higher-volume workout, so the options should be on the easier side. Take 5-10 minutes to practice the movements and find your options.

For the Core Stability segment, watch the videos and take a few minutes to choose your variations for these movements. Planks can be done with knees off the floor or on the floor, and there are several variations for the boat pose in the demo video.

Workout

• Air Squat (8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest)

  1:00 rest

• Push-Ups (8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest) *Elevate your push-up on a stable step, box, or bench as needed. Do your best to avoid push-ups from your knees.

  1:00 rest

• Alternating lunges - walking or in place (8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest)

  1:00 rest

• Single under jump rope or simulated jump rope (8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest)

  1:00 rest

• Core stability sequence - TABATA (20 seconds of work/10 seconds of rest) - perform each movement in sequence until you have completed 3 rounds of all 5 movements (Total time: 7:30)

  • High plank hold (hold 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds)

  • Right side plank hold (hold 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds)

  • Left side plank hold (hold 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds)

  • Boat pose (hold 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds)

  • Superman hold (hold 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds)

Cool Down

Try this 15-minute total body yoga sequence as a nice cool-down!

NOW BOOKING APPOINTMENTS!

New Year Special!

$100 off Health and Wellness Concierge Membership (Code 2026100)

$50 off Concierge Upgrade for current Clients who are not in the Concierge program (Code 202650).

*** Present your code to Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant, when you request your appointment

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule online! Looking for a more Human encounter? Call Mary, my awesome and amazing assistant at 754-262-5674 (M-F 9a-5p ET)

The Menopause Muscle Continuum….

Does the menopause transition directly impact muscle health and physiology?

This has been the subject of some very intense discussion recently. Join me and the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager for Hit Play Not Pause Episode 253 where we take a deep dive into the science behind this debate.

Happy Holidays, my Friends! No matter what you are celebrating this season, today’s workout will not disappoint! It is a minimal-equipment version of the CrossFit classic, Twelve Days of Christmas! All you need for this workout is a pair of dumbbells, a kettlebell, and a stable box or step. If you don’t have access to these things, don’t worry! There are “no-equipment” movement alternatives.

This workout is also versatile so that you can take what you need during an often unpredictable time of the year. You can perform this at low-intensity with the goal of moving well or at high intensity for your best time (You can even use it as a “benchmark” and do it again next year to re-test your fitness!)

Benefits of this workout for mid-life women

• Plyometrics for bone density and balance

• Full-body weight training for muscle strength, metabolic and bone health

• Cardiovascular endurance for heart health

• “Power movements” like the squat jump and box jump for muscle and metabolic health

• Modifiable so that you can take what you need

• Complex movements that stimulate neuroendocrine adaptation so you can take your fitness to the next level

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Warm Up

AMRAP 7 (As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes)

• 5 burpees

• 10 air squats

• 5 easy push-ups (Elevated to a height you can do confidently)

• 10 sit-ups (ab mat/rolled towel behind the lower back or traditional with knees bent/feet anchored)

Movement Practice

Take 10 minutes to review the videos linked to the movements in the Workout section below and choose your options. Select a dumbbell weight with which you can perform 10 thrusters with confidence and use this weight for all the dumbbell movements of the workout. Select a kettlebell weight with which you can perform 10 sumo deadlift high pulls with confidence.

Perform 3-5 repetitions of each of your selected 12 movements before you start the workout so you can experience the flow and movement transitions.

Workout

HOW TO: Perform this workout as you would sing “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. On the first day of Christmas….. 1 Devils’ Press (..and a partridge in a pear tree..). On the second day of Christmas…. 2 dumbbell thrusters, 1 Devil’s Press (and a partridge in a pear tree). On the third day of Christmas…. 3 push presses, 2 thrusters, 1 Devil’s Press (..and a partridge in a pear tree). You get the idea!

FOR TIME (or completion)

If doing this workout for time, set a timer and begin the workout. Your score is your time to complete the repetition scheme. Save your score in your workout log and repeat next year for a re-test!

1 Devil’s press (No equipment: sub a burpee or squat jump for height)

2 Dumbbell thrusters (No equipment: air squat)

3 Dumbbell push presses (No equipment: elevated push-up)

4 Kettlebell sumo deadlift high pull (May use a barbell if available or add weight to a bag or purse with a handle. No equipment: Toe touch and reach)

5 Jumping air squats (Alternative: high-knee run in place (L+R = 1 repetition) or jumping jacks)

6 Kettlebell swings (Russian Swing: Eye-level; American Swing: Overhead, No equipment: Glute Bridges)

7 Dumbbell bent over rows (No equipment: Mountain climbers Right + Left = 1 repetition)

8 V-Ups (alternative: Knees to chest option - see linked V-Up video)

9 Box jumps (alternative: weighted box step-ups holding 2 dumbbells)

10 Lateral jumps over a dumbbell (Alternative: lateral step over a dumbbell or a lateral jump over a line/tape on the floor. Right + Left = 2 repetitions)

11 Burpees (see linked videos for modifications)

12 Overhead walking lunges ( hold a single dumbbell or weighted object overhead)

Cool Down

Before you hit the egg nog, show your body some love and jump-start your recovery with this 15-minute total body yoga flow sequence. #dontskiptheyoga

Share

The Menopause Muscle Continuum….

Does the menopause transition directly impact muscle health and physiology?

This has been the subject of some very intense discussion recently. Join me and the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager for Hit Play Not Pause Episode 253 where we take a deep dive into the science behind this debate.

NOW BOOKING APPOINTMENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website, including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule!

Hey Team! 
This week's post is chock full of great stuff for your health, performance, and longevity! 

* Learn about how a performance physical therapist can get you feeling, moving and performing at your best! 

* The most efficient 20 minutes of strength training you will do this week 

* ..and finally, a new podcast has dropped where Selene Yeager and I take a deep dive into the controversial topic of the role of the menopause transition in muscle health and physiology.
Enjoy! 
-Dr. Carla

If you’re an active or athletic woman over 40, you’ve probably felt it—that nagging ache that never fully goes away, the stiffness that shows up after workouts, or the injury that keeps resurfacing. You may have been told this is “just part of getting older.”

It’s not.

One of the most valuable—and often overlooked—resources for active women in midlife is a performance physical therapist.

I discovered this very recently when I was struggling with a forearm injury from playing tennis. After multiple sessions with a massage therapist with modest improvement, I just couldn’t shake it - and it was affecting my CrossFit workouts. Ideas like “Was this the beginning of the end?” “Will I have this problem forever?” were swirling in my mind, causing me great angst.

Then I found Dr. Casey Francis, a fellow athlete and Performance Physical Therapist at CrossFit Pompano Beach. She evaluated my situation, and we started working together. She gave me exercises to do on my own, we did some dry needling, and in just 2 months, the injury was gone. Yes! GONE! Like it never happened. After that, I reached out to her for some hip and shoulder pain, and again, she evaluated my movement and helped me move better and improve strength in these movements, which carried over into my workouts and everyday life.

Today, I’m as good as new and have an incredibly valuable resource for my performance and longevity arsenal.

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What Is a Performance Physical Therapist?

A performance physical therapist is a licensed PT who specializes in helping active people move well, train hard, and stay in their sport. Unlike traditional physical therapy that often focuses on basic daily function, performance PT is about restoring—and improving—how you move as an athlete.

They don’t just ask if something hurts.
They ask how you train, how you recover, and what you want to keep doing long-term.

Why This Matters More in Mid-life

As we age, recovery changes. Hormonal shifts, prior injuries, and years of repetitive movement all affect how our bodies handle training stress. Many athletic, mid-life women deal with:

• Slower recovery

• Recurrent “niggles” instead of clear injuries

• Loss of mobility or power

• Pain that shows up during otherwise strong training

A performance PT understands these changes and works with your body—not against it.

How Performance PT Helps With Pain and Injury

Instead of chasing symptoms, performance PTs look at the whole system:

• How you move

• How your joints load

• Strength, mobility, and stability patterns

• Training volume and recovery habits

The goal isn’t just pain relief—it’s building resilience so the issue doesn’t keep coming back.

Often, this means you don’t have to stop training entirely. You learn how to modify intelligently while healing.

Performance PT as Maintenance (Not Just Rehab)

You don’t need to be injured to benefit.

Many athletic women use performance physical therapy as preventative care—just like strength training or mobility work. It can help you:

• Stay ahead of injuries

• Improve efficiency and performance

• Navigate heavier training blocks

• Adapt to body changes in midlife

Think of it as maintenance for the body you rely on every day.

How Performance PT Is Different From Traditional PT

Performance PTs typically:

• Spend more time one-on-one

• Use strength training as a core tool

• Understand sport-specific demands

• Expect you to work—but with purpose

The goal isn’t to get you back to “normal.”
It’s to help you stay strong, capable, and confident.

The Bottom Line

Aging and longevity aren’t about slowing down—it’s about training smarter and getting better support.

A performance physical therapist can help active and athletic mid-life women move better, recover faster, and continue doing what they love—without accepting pain as the price of aging.

Resources

Here is a shout-out to two Performance Physical Therapists whom I have come to know:

Dr. Casey Francis - The MVMT MTHD Pompano Beach, Florida

Dr. Haley Harrison - Empower Physical Therapy and Performance, Wakefield, MA

** Inquire about virtual services.

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Now let’s get on with this week’s workout!

As we just learned, Performance Physical Therapy uses strength training as a core tool, and this week’s workout does not disappoint!

I love this one and have posted it multiple times. What’s great about it is that you can mix and match movements, and it is very time-efficient. After warming up, it takes 20 minutes, and in that time we target upper AND lower-body strength. The intensity lives in the every-minute-on-the-minute time domain.

Are you ready for the most efficient, 20 minutes of strength training you’ll do this week?

Let’s do this!

Warm Up

4 Rounds – light load

*1 round = Up-downs, then push-ups, then air squats

• 7 Up downs

• 7 push-ups (from knees or other modification – should be easy)

• 7 air squat

Movement Practice

If you have the available equipment, choose a barbell for one movement and dumbbells for the other. Both options should be on the heavier side with the goal of doing all 5 reps unbroken, but reps 4 and 5 are VERY challenging.

If you do not have a barbell, use dumbbells for both movements and choose one weight that is challenging for both. Do not change weights between movements as there is not enough time. Take 5-10 minutes to practice 3-5 repetitions per movement to find the appropriate weight.

Modification: If you do not have heavy weights available, use lighter weights and do 10 repetitions.

Movements: Practice the dumbbell push-press and the front squat and select your weights according the suggestions above.

Check out this video for the dumbbell push-press. This movement utilizes hip extension to transfer momentum to the dumbbells, assisting the shoulders in driving the weight overhead. This allows you to go a little heavier on the weight and targets shoulder stabilization as well as strength.

Check out this video for the dumbbell front squat. Whether using a barbell or set of dumbbells, this is one of my favorite squat movements because it targets core strengthening in addition to recruiting the quads, glutes, and hamstrings… and it is a little friendlier to the lower back compared to the back squat.

Workout

EMOM 20:00 (every minute on the minute x 20 minutes). Set your SmartWOD app or other timer for EMOM (1:00) x 20 minutes or set a 20-minute timer. On even minutes (0, 2, 4), perform the push press. On odd minutes perform the front squat. Use a barbell or dumbbells for either or both of these movements. THESE SHOULD BE ON THE HEAVIER SIDE! Reps 4 and 5 should be hard but not ugly. All repetitions should be done unbroken.

Minute 1 (and odd minutes) – 5 dumbbell or barbell push presses (rest for the remainder of the minute)

Minute 2 (and even minutes) – 5 heavy barbell or dumbbell front squats

TIP! Avoid the need to change weights each minute due to time constraint. If only one sent of weights is available, find your heaviest push press weight. If this weight feels light for your front squats, then DOUBLE the front squat repetitions!

Cool-Down

Enjoy this 15-minute post-workout stretch that will help your upper and lower body on its way to fast recovery

Share

The Menopause Muscle Continuum….

Does the menopause transition directly impact muscle health and physiology?

This has been the subject of some very intense discussion recently. Join me and the awesome and amazing Selene Yeager for Hit Play Not Pause Episode 253 where we take a deep dive into the science behind this debate.

NOW TAKING NEW CLIENTS!

If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!

It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.

Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!

You will find all my service offerings on my website including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule!