Ask Elle

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...

Should I start now, or wait until after the holidays (or my trip)?

Sometimes waiting is the right call. If your season is truly full, pick a start date you can protect. If the holidays or a trip are the only thing in the way, starting first tends to work better th...

What equipment do I need to strength train at home, and can I do the workouts at my gym instead?

Less than you think. Our at-home workouts use a set of dumbbells, a Swiss ball and some fabric bands, plus your own bodyweight. No bench, no machines, no home gym required. And yes, you can do the ...

I have a vacation coming up. How do I not undo all my progress while I travel?

Keep four things going while you're away: protein at most meals, some movement every day, sleep and water. Tell your coach before you leave so she can adjust your plan, then enjoy the trip. In our ...

Why isn't Forty Forward cheap, and what do I actually get?

Because what you're paying for is people. A dedicated coach who builds your plan around your life and adjusts it every week. Chris, who reads your application and talks with you himself. Workouts a...

Should I take creatine in perimenopause?

Creatine can be a helpful, optional add-on for women who are already strength training and eating enough protein. It's one of the supplements we get asked about most. It never replaces your trainin...

I'm on Ozempic or Zepbound. How do I keep my muscle and not end up with "Ozempic face"?

Give your body a reason to keep its muscle, and enough food to keep it with. That means protein first at every meal, even when nothing sounds good, strength training that gets a little harder over ...

How many days a week should a woman over 40 strength train, and how long should workouts be?

Here's how we think about it: start with two or three strength workouts a week, about 50 minutes each. Strength comes first. Once you're at three, add one or two conditioning workouts, and walk as ...

How much time does this actually take? I'm already stretched thin and I travel.

About 4 to 5 hours a week, all in. That covers five follow-along workouts at home of about 50 minutes each (one of them optional), a bit of food prep and one weekly check-in with your coach. No gym...

Everyone says I look thin but I feel soft. What is "skinny fat" and how do I fix it?

"Skinny fat" is the everyday name for having a normal or small body size with low muscle and higher body fat. You look thin in clothes and feel soft out of them. In our experience, the fix is build...

Does working out at night wreck my sleep and fat loss?

It can, for some women. In our experience, a hard workout late at night tends to make it harder to wind down, and sleep matters a lot for fat loss. So we nudge women toward earlier workouts when li...

Is stress and cortisol why I can't lose belly fat?

Stress can play a part, but it rarely acts alone. In our experience, when stress, short sleep and under-eating pile up, fat loss gets a lot harder, especially around the middle. What helps is calme...