Legendary football manager Emma Hayes has been busy with a personal transformation recently. The 49-year-old took to Instagram yesterday to reveal she had lost 30lbs, built stronger ‘muscles and bones’, and ‘lost 6 inches off the waist’ – all within six months.
‘Starting this journey at the beginning of the year, I did not know where I would land six months in,’ she wrote. ‘Nor did I know if I could do it. 30lbs lighter, muscles and bones are stronger. 6 inches off the waist. Brain fog is diminishing, I’m feeling fitter and younger. And my 50s will be my best decade yet. I post this to inspire. Next goal: Christmas. It takes time to change things. I never said it was easy and most of the time I don’t want to do it. Today I am absolutely celebrating small wins. Lastly, no judgements as I know it’s tough.’
She credited Formed London, a private coaching studio in Southgate, London, which offers strength training programmes designed to achieve ‘fat loss for busy professionals’.
In a separate post, Emma explained how the effects of perimenopause had influenced her fat loss experience. While studies show strength training can be hugely beneficial for weight loss since it builds muscle and boosts your resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories you burn at rest – one study showed weight training boosted it by an average of ~96 kcal/day), fluctuating hormone levels in this life phase can make it harder. Weight training is therefore even more important. Emma said: ‘As our oestrogen levels decline, our bodies go through some big changes that can feel a bit daunting. Trust me, I feel it daily.’ She went on to share four big learnings:
- ‘With decreased oestrogen, our metabolism can slow down. It’s like our body is saying, “Let’s take it easy!” But we can give it a little boost.’
- ‘Think of your body kindly. Say good things to yourself, you are your thoughts so keep focusing on the positive ones.’
- ‘Strength training isn’t just for bodybuilders! Lifting weights helps maintain muscle mass and supports metabolism. Plus, it’s a great way to release those feel-good endorphins.’
- ‘I don’t have all the answers, and I’m still figuring things out too! But every day is a step closer to my best self. Let’s celebrate the progress, one squat at a time!’
Below, try Emma’s full-body workout, as shared by Emma and Formed London.
A quick caveat: sustainable weight loss isn’t driven by exercise or nutrition alone. Movement helps preserve muscle, support metabolic health and improve how your body uses energy, but what you eat still matters. The most effective approach combines smart training with nourishing, realistic nutrition habits you can maintain long term.
Emma Hayes’ full-body strength training workout
How to do it: Perform each exercise for 10-12 reps, rest for 60-90 secs, and repeat for two-three rounds before moving on to the next move. Choose a weight that makes the final few reps feel challenging without compromising your technique.
1.Step-ups 
- Step one foot onto a bench or box, drive through your heel to stand, then lower with control. Repeat for total prescribed reps, then switch sides.
2. Toe touches
- Lie on your back with both legs extended towards the ceiling. Reach both hands towards your toes, lifting your shoulders off the floor, then lower slowly. Continue for prescribed reps.
3. Dumbbell bent-over row
- Hinge at the hips with a flat back, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Pull the weights towards your ribs, squeeze your shoulder blades together, then lower. Repeat for prescribed reps.
4. Single-leg hip thrust
- Rest your upper back on a bench with one foot planted and the other lifted. Drive through your heel to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line, then lower. Repeat for prescribed reps, then switch legs.
5. Cable chest press 
- Stand facing away from the cable machine with handles just above chest height. Press both handles straight forward until your arms are extended, then return with control. Repeat for prescribed reps.
6. Seated cable face pulls
- Sit facing the cable machine holding a rope attachment in each hand, with the cable set higher than your head, so that you pull down as well as towards your face. Pull the rope towards your face, keeping elbows high and squeezing your shoulder blades together, then return slowly. Repeat for prescribed reps.
7. Cable tricep pushdown
- Stand facing the cable machine holding a rope attachment. Keeping your elbows tucked into your sides, press the attachment down until your arms are straight, then slowly return. Repeat for prescribed reps.
8. Dumbbell bicep curl
- Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing forward. Curl the weights towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body, then lower with control. Repeat for prescribed reps.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.