{"id":142027,"date":"2025-10-24T04:54:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T04:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/142027\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T04:54:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T04:54:20","slug":"the-science-backed-training-formula-every-woman-needs-for-strength-and-longevity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/142027\/","title":{"rendered":"The science-backed training formula every woman needs for strength and longevity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Holding a PhD in exercise, metabolism and female physiology, Dr Alyssa Olenick<\/a> studies women exclusively. As a lifelong athlete, she’s also completed over 17 ultramarathons and a 100 mile-run, and is a powerlifting competitor who can crank out 10 reps of a 60kg bench press. Safe to say, you can count on her to deliver science-backed, well-researched knowledge. <\/p>\n

On a recent episode of the Stronger With Time<\/a> podcast, she outlines how to design a fitness<\/a> programme that works. \u2018Hybrid is health,\u2019 the researcher explains. \u2018Most good training programmes should include some component of resistance training and cardio, whether or not you have training goals.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Her ‘triad of training’ includes: cardiovascular training, distributing between moderate and high intensity; resistance work; and ‘some sort of power, jumping<\/a>, plyometrics<\/a> or explosive training’. It should not feel ‘impossible, overwhelming, or defeating’, but realistic. Dr Olenick recommends an effort level in the region of ‘I can do this, but it should challenge me.’<\/p>\n

What to Read NextKeep up the cardio \u2013 3 ways to make it stick <\/p>\n

While \u2018lifting, muscle and power are so fundamentally important,\u2019 Dr Olenick says that, after the emphasis on running<\/a>, cardio and endurance in the early 2000s, the fitness industry, especially female-specific spaces, took a \u2018hyper swing\u2019 towards a more strength-based approach.<\/p>\n

\u2018But it\u2019s totally neglecting this fundamental and important component of our health and longevity \u2013 your aerobic fitness status.\u2019 There is robust data that shows associations between VO2 max<\/a> and general aerobic capacity on reducing mortality risk and its improvements on metabolic health, mitochondrial density<\/a> (which improves how efficiently your body produces energy), and insulin sensitivity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So which one would she recommend over the other? \u2018Neither.\u2019 She favours doing enough resistance training to build muscle<\/a> and strength and doing as much general cardio as you can \u2013 endurance work does not have to mean training for a marathon. <\/p>\n

1. Start where you’re at and ease in<\/strong><\/p>\n

So much messaging for women around doing sprint or HIIT<\/a> training suggests a rigid framework where you go a certain number of times a week. But that results in some women doing \u2018three days of HIIT after doing no cardio at all and \u201cjust exploding\u201d\u2019. Instead, \u2018you need to titrate and ease yourself in,\u2019 Dr Olenick says. <\/p>\n

Especially if you don\u2019t have a background in cardiovascular training \u2013 \u2018Maybe you’ve only been walking<\/a>, doing low-intensity activity or resistance training without cardio\u2019 \u2013 you should start with easy-to-moderate-intensity activity where it’s comfortable, and build your tolerance. <\/p>\n

What counts as cardio<\/a>? Cycling, rowing<\/a>, running, hiking, brisk walking, dancing<\/a> and swimming<\/a> are just some examples. Reach at least 50-60% of your max heart rate, aiming for around 10 minutes at a time. However, even 2-5 minutes can still offer benefits when accumulated across the day. <\/p>\n

2. Just do something<\/p>\n

‘I don’t think people realise that the less you do, the less the [intensity] matters,’ she continues. ‘If you’re below or just at the exercise guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-to-hard activity per week, getting [anything] in matters the most.<\/p>\n

\u2018Intensity only starts to matter when you do more, because you’re less able to handle doing all of it at high intensity. People think there has to be this perfect split of easy versus hard, but essentially, the more you do, more of it’s going to have to be easy.’<\/p>\n

3. For specific goals, do polarised or pyramidal training<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Polarised training involves distributing your time across easy [approx. 80%] and hard [approx. 20%] intensities, whereas pyramidal means you’re spending your time across low, moderate and hard-intensity exercise,’ Dr Olenick explains. Either way, you\u2019re not just doing everything in the same gear or mode.<\/p>\n

‘Once you get past two to three hours a week of cardio, think about spreading it out between these intensities and efforts. Have one or two specifically hard days per week, doing, say, sprint interval training<\/a>, Hyrox<\/a> prep, a metcon, or a CrossFit<\/a> class.’<\/p>\n

Then for the rest of the week, stay in Zone 2 to make sure you have enough time to recover and get the most out of your hard sessions and strength training. <\/p>\n

Strength train regularly with this simple plan<\/p>\n

A good resistance training programme is the same for both men and women, says Dr Olenick. \u2018Work downward from one to two bigger, heavier lifts that hit more muscles to one to three isolation movements on smaller muscles. You really only need a few exercises for a quality a training session, plus maybe some core work<\/a>, doing between 2-3 or 4-5 sets.’ <\/p>\n

\"squat<\/p>\n

Hirurg\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

1. Start with a generalised warm-up<\/p>\n

‘I like the phrase “Get in, get warm and get moving.”‘<\/p>\n

2. Move onto exercises that target strength and hypertrophy<\/p>\n

‘Whether you\u2019re lifting dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or machines, go heavy,’ Dr Olenick insists. ‘We want to work at 7-9\/10 effort. If you’re a beginner, start with a 6-7 or 8 range or ease into that. Feel like you’re working with 1-3 reps in reserve.<\/p>\n

‘Most women think they’re working at a 7-9\/10 effort and get frustrated, thinking that lifting isn’t working for them. Actually they’re just under-loading. Truly take yourself to truly 70-80%.’<\/p>\n

She also recommends giving yourself a reference point for failure, like a bicep curl<\/a> \u2013 see how many reps you actually do before you fail. The reps should start to slow down as you tire. <\/p>\n

Also, do less. \u2018A lot of women will opt for 10 exercises and do 4 x 10 of everything or do a bunch of stuff on apps and classes, but you can do less but work out harder [and with greater intensity], or perform higher quality reps, to get more bang for buck.’ <\/p>\n

a) Choose 1-2 main compound exercises<\/p>\n

‘Whether on a barbell or machine, opt for multi-joint, multi-muscle<\/a> movements: your squats, deadlifts<\/a>, Romanian deadlifts<\/a>, hinging patterns, pressing from the chest or overhead, rowing or pulling into your body \u2013 things that are using a lot of muscle. Do those first.’ If you’re going to do anything at all, just do those for , she says, especially if you can load heavy enough or intense enough<\/p>\n

b) Then do 1-3 accessory movements<\/p>\n

‘That includes single-leg work, like a step-up or a lunge or single-leg RDL or single-leg hip thrust. Or if you’re doing double-leg work, maybe you’re isolating your delts with lateral raises or rear flys.’ <\/p>\n

c) Perform anywhere from 1-30 reps <\/p>\n

Any number is this range works as long as you can maintain form quality. \u2018Five to 15 reps is a great range to oscillate between during your training programme across the year,’ says Dr Olenick. Or, find ways to make it harder like slowing down the tempo.<\/p>\n

3. Work major muscle groups at least once or twice a week<\/p>\n

‘Full-body workouts two to three days a week are great for most people who aren’t training for anything specific,’ Dr Olenick continues. The major muscle groups include your chest, back, shoulders, arms, core, and legs. You can further divide these into lats, traps. quads, hamstrings, calves, biceps and triceps. However, ‘feel free to follow a bodybuilding split or add in an extra lower-body glute, hips and spine day if you want.’<\/p>\n

Don’t neglect power-based movements <\/p>\n

‘If you feel comfortable or capable, add in plyometrics or power-based<\/a> movements before your heavy compounds, though they’re not as important as the lifting,’ Dr Olenick adds. These include box jumps, burpees<\/a>, tuck jumps, jump squats, or med-ball throws, all ofwhich can improve bone density and help to maintain muscle. <\/p>\n

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