Episode

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How Hard Should Women 40+ Lift? RPE, Reps in Reserve and Strength Training

Stacy Sims

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TL;DR

The four things you'd lose by not watching

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TL;DR

The four things you'd lose by not watching

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Protocols

Concrete recipes — what, when, how much, and why

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Perimenopause strength training with 2-3 reps in reserve (RIR)

WhatOn heavy compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, etc.), perform sets stopping with 2-3 good-form repetitions still in the tank (RPE ~8), rather than training to failure or high-rep fatigue.

WhenDuring perimenopause and postmenopause, in each strength session focusing on major movements.

DoseUse a weight where you can perform about 5-8 reps but stop at 2-3 RIR; the key is leaving reps, not a fixed rep count.

For whomPerimenopausal and postmenopausal women (generally 40+).

WhyInvokes central nervous system adaptation for strength and power, compensating for the loss of estrogen's anabolic effect.

CaveatsRequires proper form and experience with compound lifts; not recommended for complete beginners without coaching.

Sims frames estrogen as the key anabolic hormone for women, analogous to testosterone. In perimenopause, that internal support fades, so women must rely on an external stimulus to maintain strength. Lifting heavy with a few reps in reserve ensures the CNS is recruited without the danger of maximal lifts. If women instead lift to fatigue and accumulate high reps, they primarily get muscle tearing and hypertrophy, which builds some lean mass but fails to deliver the strength and power gains necessary for daily function, bone health, and metabolic rate. She argues this protocol effectively replaces the lost hormonal advantage, making heavy, low-RIR training non-negotiable for aging women.

Mechanism

Estrogen normally enhances neuromuscular efficiency and muscle protein synthesis. Its decline reduces the body's innate ability to generate power. Heavy resistance training with low repetitions (via high motor unit recruitment and CNS drive) mimics the strength-promoting effects estrogen once provided. High-rep fatigue work primarily stimulates metabolic stress and muscle damage (hypertrophy pathways), which yields less functional strength.

We can get women to get into that strength and powerbased type training rather than going let's lift to fatigue because then it might be 20 reps. And that 20 reps doesn't invoke a big central nervous system response, which is what we want.

Also said

“Estrogen is the woman's testosterone, the key driver for strength and power.”— Defines the biological rationale for the protocol.

“We need to find that external response that's going to cause the same kind of strength and power adaptation that estrogen used to support.”— Clarifies the goal of the external training stimulus.

What's new

Personal practice updates, fresh positions, predictions

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perimenopause-heavy-lifting-approach

Stacy Sims advocates that women 40+ must shift from moderate-rep fatigue training to heavy loads with 2-3 reps in reserve (RIR) to maximize strength and power adaptations, countering the loss of estrogen.

Why this matters: Challenges the common ‘light weights high reps’ myth often promoted for women, emphasizing CNS-based strength instead of isolated hypertrophy.

Background

Traditional periodization works for reproductive-age women, but perimenopause alters the hormonal landscape, requiring a different stimulus.

Sims argues that estrogen acts as a woman's version of testosterone, driving strength and power. When it declines in perimenopause, women lose that internal anabolic support, so they must create it externally through training. Unlike younger women who can rely on versatile periodization, older women need to target strength and power specifically. Using RIR of 2-3 (RPE ~8) allows them to lift heavy enough to recruit the central nervous system without risking max-effort injuries. In contrast, if they train to fatigue and end up doing 20 reps, they trigger hypertrophy and muscle tearing but fail to get the CNS-driven strength adaptation. That strength and power is what matters most for functional ability, metabolic health, and bone density as they age. Sims contends this shift is not optional but essential for preserving physical capacity through menopause.

When we start to get to perimenopause and we're losing all the flux of estrogen and estrogen is the woman's testosterone, the key driver for strength and power, we have to look at lifting heavy.

Also said

“We need to find that external response that's going to cause the same kind of strength and power adaptation that estrogen used to support.”— Explains why external training stimulus must replace lost hormonal support.

“That 20 reps doesn't invoke a big central nervous system response, which is what we want. It's more of that hypertrophy and muscle tearing.”— Clarifies the difference in adaptation between high-rep fatigue and heavy low-rep work.

rpe-rir-over-percentage-programming

Stacy Sims endorses RPE and RIR as a superior day-to-day training quantification method over fixed percentage-based loads, especially for perimenopausal women whose 1RM fluctuates.

Why this matters: Offers a practical, safer solution that avoids the risks of 1RM testing and adapts to daily readiness.

Background

Standard strength programs often prescribe 70% 1RM for X reps, which requires knowing the 1RM, a risky endeavor for non-athletes.

Sims explains that using RPE/RIR lets women lift more on a given day based on how they feel, without recalculating percentages. Because a woman's 1RM changes with training blocks and hormonal status, fixed percentages are unreliable. RIR allows her to autoregulate, hitting appropriate intensity despite daily fluctuations. This method also reduces the risk of injury from poor form during max-out attempts. By focusing on perceived effort and reps left, women can consistently train in the strength and power zone, which is critical when estrogen no longer supports those adaptations.

We're finding that when you're talking about reps and reserve, then it allows people to lift more on the day.

Also said

“Because your one rep max also changes depending on what kind of training block you're doing.”— Illustrates why dynamic RIR is better than static percentage.

Recommendations

Products, supplements, and tools mentioned in the episode

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RPE/RIR-based training instead of percentage-based loads for women 40+

Practice

Sims advises using RPE and RIR to set daily training loads rather than fixed percentages of 1RM, which can be inaccurate and risky for perimenopausal women.

She points out that 1RM changes with training blocks and hormonal fluctuations, making percentage-based prescriptions unreliable. RIR lets women autoregulate, lifting heavier when they feel strong and backing off when needed. This reduces injury risk from max-out testing and keeps training in the optimal strength zone. The approach aligns with the need to maintain power as estrogen declines.

vs alternatives

Compared to fixed percentage-based programming, RPE/RIR is safer, more adaptable to daily fluctuations, and doesn't require risky maximal testing.

We're finding that when you're talking about reps and reserve, then it allows people to lift more on the day.

Also said

“Because your one rep max also changes depending on what kind of training block you're doing.”— Demonstrates why dynamic methods outperform static precentages.

Find RPE/RIR-based

Prioritize heavy, low-rep strength work over high-rep fatigue for perimenopausal women

Practice

Sims recommends that women in perimenopause focus on strength/power-based training (2-3 RIR) rather than typical hypertrophy-focused high-rep training.

The common advice for women often leans towards lighter weights and higher reps to 'tone,' but Sims argues this fails to stimulate the CNS adaptations needed as estrogen wanes. Heavy, near-max effort with a few reps left trains the neuromuscular system, improving force generation and power output, which directly supports everyday activities and metabolic health. The high-rep approach builds sarcoplasmic hypertrophy but lacks the strength transfer critical for aging.

vs alternatives

Versus high-rep fatigue training, this method better stimulates strength and power adaptations, mimicking estrogen's anabolic role.

That 20 reps doesn't invoke a big central nervous system response, which is what we want. It's more of that hypertrophy and muscle tearing.

Also said

“We can get women to get into that strength and powerbased type training rather than going let's lift to fatigue”— Directly states the recommended shift away from fatigue-based training.

Find Prioritize

Notable quotes

Lines worth pulling out — contrarian, specific, or perfectly phrased

5 items

Estrogen is the woman's testosterone, the key driver for strength and power.

Redefines estrogen's role in a punchy, unforgettable way that anchors the whole argument.

When we start to get to perimenopause and we're losing all the flux of estrogen ... we have to look at lifting heavy.

A direct, unequivocal call to heavy lifting as the solution for hormonal decline.

We need to find that external response that's going to cause the same kind of strength and power adaptation that estrogen used to support.

Clearly articulates the goal of replacing a lost internal hormone with training stimulus.

That 20 reps doesn't invoke a big central nervous system response, which is what we want. It's more of that hypertrophy and muscle tearing.

Memorably differentiates CNS-driven strength from hypertrophy, explaining why rep count matters.

We're finding that when you're talking about reps and reserve, then it allows people to lift more on the day.

Highlights the immediate practical benefit of using RIR for daily load adjustments.

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Topics covered

reps-in-reserverpeperimenopauseestrogen-and-strengthcentral-nervous-system-responsehypertrophy-vs-strengthheavy-lifting-womenone-rep-max-risksperiodizationstrength-training-protocolshormonal-changes-fitnessrpe-scaling

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Educational summary of the cited expert source — not medical advice. Open the source recording linked above and consult a qualified physician before acting on any protocol.