From 5 videos

Does strength training increase your metabolism after menopause?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaches · Updated Nov 14, 2026

The short answer

According to The WarriorBabe Show, yes. Building muscle is the number one way to raise your metabolism, because muscle is active tissue that burns more calories even at rest. The episodes speak to women over 40 rather than to menopause specifically. They pair lifting three to four times a week with enough food, protein and sleep.

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Nikkiey on why building muscle is the number one way to speed up your metabolism
Plays from 0:38 · Video: How Cardio, Sleep and Muscle Change Your Metabolism
Nikkiey explains how intense lifting builds mitochondria that metabolize fat
Plays from 4:57 · Video: Why Chasing Weight Loss Can Cause Fat Gain Later
A coach on why lifting three to four times a week burns more calories at rest
Plays from 0:57 · Video: 5 Ways to Speed Up a Slow Metabolism After 40
A coach shares how eight years of strength training raised her BMR
Plays from 3:07 · Video: Not Hungry Anymore? What It Says About Your Metabolism
Why progressive strength training beats excessive cardio for your metabolism
Plays from 5:00 · Video: Does Too Much Cardio Slow Your Metabolism?

The full answer

Nikkiey Stott explains that muscle and the mitochondria inside it are active tissue that needs constant energy to maintain itself. Fat is metabolized in the mitochondria. When you train with real intensity and challenging weights, you create a demand for energy beyond what your body can already produce. Your body responds by building more of them. Her bottom line is that the more muscle you carry, the easier it is to burn body fat and the more you can eat while staying lean.

How you train matters. One WarriorBabe coach describes progressive strength training, which means steadily increasing your weights and reps so your muscles stay challenged. Another recommends lifting at least three to four times a week. The episodes also warn that hours of steady cardio can teach your body to conserve calories. Strength work pushes it to build muscle instead. One coach shares that after eight years of consistent lifting, she has added significant muscle and her BMR has gone up.

The lifting only works if the rest of the plan supports it:

Eat enough. Nikkiey says 1,200-calorie diets backfire, because chasing a smaller number on the scale can cost you muscle and slow your metabolism.
Prioritize protein. One coach suggests aiming for about one gram per pound of body weight.
Sleep seven to nine hours. Nikkiey explains that chronic poor sleep puts your body under stress, and it may shed muscle to conserve energy.
Expect the scale to lag. Muscle is dense, so you can lose inches while your weight holds steady.

These episodes speak to women over 40 in general and don't specifically address the hormonal changes of menopause. If you have questions about how menopause affects your body, work with your doctor alongside your training. The message across the episodes is the same: if your metabolism feels stuck, it's the plan, not you.

From WarriorBabe's coaches (how we write our answers). For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

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