Women Over 40: Where Should You Start with Strength Training? Whether you're new to weights or returning after a break, discover a starting approach that fits your experience, available time and confidence in the gym. Start Diagnostic Quiz Get Your Personalised Results & Plan Of Action Below Enter your details below to receive your fully personalised results: First Name * Email Address * * Your full, customised results and plan of action will be sent via email. If you use Outlook/Hotmail, check Junk, then mark as “Not junk” to ensure delivery. Continue Question 1 of 10 At this stage of my life, what would I most like strength training to help me work towards? I want to feel stronger when I lift or carry things in everyday life. I want to build a regular strength routine I can keep. I want to feel more confident using weights or gym equipment. I want to return to training with an approach that fits where I am now. I want to feel more capable doing activities I enjoy. I have a different reason these answers don't describe. Why we’re asking this: This establishes the outcome that matters most to you. Next Question 2 of 10 Which small win would tell me I'd found a useful starting point? I finish a first or returning session knowing what each exercise was for. I learn how to set up and use a few exercises confidently. I keep a manageable training appointment in an ordinary busy week. I choose a starting effort that suits where I am now. I know what to repeat at my next session instead of finding a new workout. I would recognise progress in a different way. Why we’re asking this: This identifies a practical sign of progress you would value. Back Next Question 3 of 10 If strength training fitted my life, what would a good ordinary week feel like to me? I arrive knowing what I intend to do without searching for a workout first. I use the gym comfortably and can ask for help when I need it. I finish manageable sessions and still have time for my other commitments. I train in a setting I enjoy, whether that's a gym, home or somewhere else. I can handle a changed week without abandoning training altogether. I have a different picture of what a good week would feel like. Why we’re asking this: This shows how your preferred routine would fit everyday life. Back Next Question 4 of 10 Which description best fits my current strength-training experience? I'm new to strength training and haven't tried a session yet. I've trained before and am preparing to return after a break. I'm already training regularly with an approach I can follow. I've tried a few sessions, but I often choose exercises without knowing how they fit together. I keep starting sessions or programmes, then stopping because I don't know how to continue. My experience doesn't fit these descriptions, or I'm not sure how to describe it. Why we’re asking this: This records your starting experience and any difficulty following a plan. Back Next Question 5 of 10 Looking at my current week, how does strength training fit the time I have available? I already have regular training times that fit my commitments. I haven't started yet, but I can identify a realistic time to try a first session. I occasionally miss planned training but usually find another opportunity. I often plan longer sessions or more sessions than I can actually fit in. I regularly go weeks without planned training because my plan needs more time than I have. My availability changes, and I'm not yet sure where training could fit. Why we’re asking this: This records how your intended training fits your actual commitments. Back Next Question 6 of 10 When I think about using a gym, which description best fits my current confidence? I can choose suitable equipment and ask for help if I need it. I'm new to the gym, and I expect I'll need someone to show me around. I sometimes feel unsure, but I can get started after checking what to do. I often avoid equipment or change my plan because I'm not sure how to use it. I regularly put off going altogether because I'm worried I won't know what to do. I prefer training at home or in another setting, so gym confidence isn't my main concern. Why we’re asking this: This records your experience of the gym without treating unfamiliarity as failure. Back Next Question 7 of 10 Which frustration, if any, best describes how I feel about starting or continuing strength training? I regularly feel overwhelmed by workouts that give me different advice. I regularly feel unsure about setting up equipment or doing an exercise. I regularly feel frustrated that my plan asks for more training time than I have. I regularly feel frustrated that returning puts me under pressure to train as I did before. I get frustrated occasionally, but I usually find a way to carry on. I don't find starting or continuing particularly frustrating. Why we’re asking this: This identifies any recurring frustration you recognise. Back Next Question 8 of 10 What effect, if any, does my current approach to strength training have on my everyday life? I keep spending available training time searching for a workout instead of doing a session. I often leave exercises I'd like to learn out of my plans because I'm not sure how to do them. I regularly miss sessions because the plan doesn't fit my week. I keep stopping again after trying to do more than I can manage. I notice the odd inconvenience but little effect on the rest of my day. I don't notice these effects in my everyday life. Why we’re asking this: This records any everyday consequence without assuming there is one. Back Next Question 9 of 10 Looking at my recent experience, which concern about the next few months feels most relevant to me? I keep postponing a first step while searching for the perfect workout, and I'm concerned I'll keep doing that. I keep avoiding gym areas because I'm unsure how to use them, and I'm concerned I'll still not know what to do in a few months. I keep choosing plans that don't fit my week, and I'm concerned I'll keep missing training. I keep trying to return at my old level and stopping again, and I'm concerned this will become a regular cycle. I'm not sure whether these concerns fit my situation. I don't have a concern about continuing with my current approach. Why we’re asking this: This identifies any concern about a pattern you already recognise. Back Next Question 10 of 10 Looking ahead, which change would make the biggest difference to my experience of strength training? I have a simple starting plan matched to my current experience. I know how to use exercises comfortably and what to ask for help with. I have a repeatable routine that fits the time I actually have. I return after a break with a manageable plan and a way to build gradually. I can train in a place and at a pace I feel comfortable with. I have a different change in mind that these answers don't describe. Why we’re asking this: This identifies the future you would most like to work towards. Back See results Other Health & Fitness Quizzes Men Over 40: Where Is Your Strength Training Getting Stuck? Weight Loss for Men Over 40: Does Your Plan Fit Your Life? Weight Loss for Women Over 40: What’s Getting in Your Way?