As an adult I never liked exercise. Like most people, my weight slowly increased throughout college and beyond. When I turned 25, I realized that if nothing changed, I would be the fittest I had ever been, and I didn’t want to live the rest of my life that way.
So I did what many people thought was the right way to lose weight at the time: plenty of cardio and a low-calorie diet without giving much thought to nutrients. I was constantly walking on the elliptical or incline on the treadmill. And when I lost 50 pounds, I definitely didn’t enjoy it. I realize now that this probably wasn’t the healthiest way to get in shape, although it did provide me with a basic level of fitness that I previously lacked.
For several years after that I participated in various group fitness classes around New York City. Then, a friend I met at Barry Bootcamp introduced me to my current gym, Tone House. There I discovered how much I enjoyed strength training—and I realized I wanted to get stronger.
It wasn’t until my 40s that I finally started a consistent strength training routine.
Tone House’s programming blends athletic conditioning and weightlifting. When I first tried it, I had never touched a barbell before. As someone who isn’t very coordinated, the new movements – with the heavier weights – felt a little scary to attempt on my own. But with a coach helping with form and other people spotting, it felt much less intimidating, and I actually found it really fun.
Athletic conditioning days include many different exercises, including power movements like box jumps and sprints as well as classic cardio machines like rowers and assault bikes. I enjoy the intensity and camaraderie that comes from doing hard work with my teammates. Strength days include a lot of traditional strength training lifts, like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and accessory moves like bicep curls and shoulder presses.
While I used to love the days that focused on squats and deadlifts, I now look forward to upper body days when the main lift is the bench press. The program progresses throughout the month, starting with higher reps and lower weights and moving toward a one-rep max. I keep track of my weight each class, and it’s amazing to see the numbers keep going up as I get stronger and feel better. I remember when we used to do 12-16 reps a set on the bench press, starting out with only a 45-pound bar, but now I can do 95 pounds for the same amount of volume. As a woman, it’s really beneficial to pull out larger plates and combine them with each progressive set to lift the upper body.
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After years of building muscle, I set a new goal: lose body fat without losing strength.
Last year, I wanted to lose body fat while working to maintain the muscle I built through lifting heavy weights. Tone House hosts an annual three-month body remodel challenge called T90, focusing on nutrition and consistent training, and I used it as motivation and accountability to reach my goals. Through the challenge, I lost 7.5% body fat while maintaining the muscle I’ve gained over the years by focusing on hitting protein and calorie goals and adding more walking to my regular training schedule.
I made sure to eat enough protein and take in enough carbs to build muscle so that I had the energy to perform during my workouts, and have even noticed improvements in my running speed. For me, that meant chicken and yogurt for protein, and potatoes and sweet potatoes for fuel and to keep me full. I also invested in it Ninja Creamy The ice cream machine, and making recipes with protein powder and ultra-filtered milk made it easy to meet my protein goals while satisfying my sweet tooth.
All that work culminated in a second-place finish (and a medal) in the 40+ women’s group at Tone House’s annual athletic competition, Turf Wars. The competition works through 10 events that require speed, stamina and strength. Since then I’ve continued to focus on building muscle and have gotten new PRs on my deadlift (two reps at 240 pounds!), improved my squat form, and lifted heavier weights on my bench press. And it’s nice to know that this kind of training is helping me as I age.
Myers in the Turf Wars competition.
Now at 40, I am stronger than ever. These three factors helped me get there.
Consistency and progressive programming were essential.
These principles were important to me in both building muscle and getting better at specific exercises. I spent most of my thirties bouncing between workouts at different gyms around New York City, which was great for the variety, but I didn’t feel like I was seeing results in any of them. Tone House structures its strength classes on a monthly cycle, focusing on lighter repetitions for endurance in the early part of the month and moving towards a heavier single repetitions at the end of the month, and then starting again with a new month.
There is enough variety in the program that I don’t get bored but enough repetition that I can see myself gaining more weight each month. Doing similarly structured workouts each week means I can add weight to the bar, lift heavier dumbbells, and really see muscle growth and improvements in form.
I decided to celebrate and embrace my body.
I’ve spent most of my life worrying about “broad shoulders” (which is a silly thing to worry about!), but inspired by athletes like Ilona Maher and Kelsey Plum, I decided to lean into it and work on building my shoulders so they become more muscular. There are more representations of strong women with different body types now than when I was a teenager or in my 20s, when there seemed to be a thin boundary of what women’s bodies should look like.
The deltoids are such a small muscle, and for me, lifting upper body just one day a week wasn’t enough to see growth. I added two additional brief shoulder exercises to my routine, and saw both physical results and I was able to lift heavier weights. All that work has paid off: My delts are now really visible, and I’m doing shoulder exercises with bigger weights, often lifting the same or larger dumbbells as the men in my classes.
It’s inspiring to see the visible results of my efforts. Building muscle takes a lot of time, and I found it rewarding to see the definition and growth that took weeks and months of work.
I found a community that inspired me.
This is different for everyone, and it may vary at different stages of your life, which is totally okay. Right now, I am community driven and have a set schedule and time I know I have to be present for both myself and others. I’m bad at having the self-discipline to exercise myself and programming my exercises, but knowing that I have a place to go where I’ll meet friends and a thoughtful, smart schedule keeps me coming back for weeks, months, and years.
Perry is a New York City-born writer; She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbia University and is also a graduate of culinary school from the plant-based Natural Gourmet Institute, now the Natural Gourmet Center at the Institute of Culinary Education. His work has appeared in the New York Post, Men’s Journal, Rolling Stone, Oprah Daily, Insider.com, Architectural Digest, Southern Living, and others. She’s probably seen the Dave Matthews Band in your hometown, and she’ll never turn down a Bloody Mary. Learn more here VeganWhenSober.com.
