Do I have to quit my fitness classes or my trainer to do strength training?
No, you don't have to quit. A lot of the women we coach keep a class they look forward to, or their trainer. What we ask is that a planned strength program becomes the base of your week. Your coach then helps you fit the class around it, so your body gets one clear direction and enough recovery.
Your class might be your favourite hour of the week.
Your people are there.
We're not here to take that away.
Why is it so hard to give up a class?
Because it's rarely just a workout.
When women tell me about their classes, I hear the same few things:
- It's my social life. Saturday morning with the same group, coffee after. Some of those friendships go back years.
- It's where I feel comfortable. The gym floor feels like a maze. In a class, someone tells you what to do.
- It's my trainer. You've built a relationship. She knows your body and your history.
- It's my routine. Same time, same place, no decisions.
And then, quietly, some women admit the other part.
Every class is different. There's no real plan to it.
Do classes change your body composition after 40?
Classes get you moving, sweating and seeing your people. All of that is good for you.
Here's the thing.
What a lot of classes don't do is build from week to week. Different moves, different weights, a different instructor's favourites every time.
Chris calls that the "vomit of exercise." He explains it like this: when every workout is different, your body gets so many mixed messages that it has no idea where you want it to go.
In our experience, what changes body composition is a plan that builds:
- The same key movements. Repeated often enough that you get good at them.
- A little more over time. A bit heavier or a bit harder over the weeks. That's progressive overload.
- Tracked. You write down your weights and reps, so you know what to beat next time.
- Fuelled and recovered. Enough food and real rest between hard sessions.
If you're already doing five or six classes a week and nothing is changing, start with why working out 4 to 5 times a week isn't changing anything.
How do my classes fit with the program?
Here's how a week works in our 8-week Metabolic Reset.
Five follow-along workouts, about 50 minutes each: 3 strength and 2 conditioning. One of the conditioning workouts is optional.
That optional spot is where a lot of women fit the thing they don't want to give up.
Here's how we usually build it with you:
- Strength days stay put. Chris calls resistance training "the foundation and heartbeat" of everything we do. Those three workouts are the base.
- Your class can take the optional spot. A class, a tennis game or a long walk with a friend can go there.
- Your coach helps you pick the days. So your week has room to recover, and a hard class doesn't stack on top of a hard strength day.
- Pilates is welcome. I will never tell you to stop doing Pilates.
- Your energy is the guide. Dragging all week? Sore for days? Tell your coach, and she'll adjust the plan with you.
That last one matters.
A lot of the women we talk to are already training most days. Adding our workouts on top of every class you do now is usually too much. Here's more on how many days a week to strength train, and what to do if you're over-doing it.
What about my personal trainer?
Some of the women we coach keep their trainer.
If that's you, tell Chris about your trainer on your call, and tell your coach from day one.
Then your coach works with you on how those sessions fit into your week, so you're not running two different plans that pull your body in two different directions.
One plan. Everything else built around it.
What if classes are the only place I feel comfortable training?
Hey ladies, listen up. This one is more common than you'd think.
A lot of women do classes because the gym floor feels intimidating. Too many machines, no idea where to start, and the feeling that everyone's watching.
Our workouts take that problem away.
You press play and follow along. I'm on camera doing every workout, and Chris coaches my form in real time, with easier and harder options for every move.
At home, nobody's watching. And if you'd rather be at your gym, you can take the workouts with you. Here's what equipment you need, and how to do the workouts at your gym.
Why put strength first at all?
Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.
In our experience, building muscle is what keeps body composition changing after 40. That's why strength sits at the centre of the plan, and everything else fits around it.
We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks.
Some of them kept a class they enjoy. Some kept their walking group. Some found out they didn't miss the class as much as they thought.
Whichever one you are, the plan bends to fit your life.
Ashley's story
Ashley was 44, a runner with a demanding career and three kids. She was running and eating well, and nothing was working anymore. In her video with me, she shares what changed.
Ready to build a week that works?
Keep your people.
Give your body a plan.
Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.
If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.
He reads every application himself. On the call, tell him about your classes and your trainer, and he'll tell you straight whether the program is the right fit and how your week could look. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.
Your Saturday class can stay.
Let's build the rest of the week around it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give up my fitness classes to strength train?
No. A lot of the women we coach keep a class they look forward to. Strength training becomes the base of your week, and your coach helps you fit the class around it.
Can I keep my personal trainer while doing Forty Forward?
Some of the women we coach do. Tell Chris on your call and your coach from day one, so the sessions fit into one plan.
Can I still do Pilates?
Yes. Pilates is welcome, and your coach can help you place it in your week.
Why aren't my fitness classes helping me lose weight after 40?
In our experience, a lot of classes change from session to session, so your body never gets one clear direction. A planned strength program that builds week to week, with enough food and recovery, is what tends to change body composition.
Is it too much to do classes and strength training?
It can be. If you add our workouts on top of every class you do now, it's usually too much, so your coach helps you decide what stays and where it goes.