41 minHow to Get Lean and Strong at 51 With Lifting and Protein
With Alicia Erickson
Guest on the show
Alicia Erickson
Known as the Midlife Maven, Alicia is a former portrait photographer of 13 years who transformed her body at 51 and now helps women in midlife embrace their strength through strength training and nutrition.
Episodes with Alicia Erickson
41 minWhat Alicia talks about
Ep. 221: How to Get Lean and Strong at 51 With Lifting and Protein
At 51, Alicia Erickson, known online as the Midlife Maven, built the leanest, strongest body of her life. She was not new to fitness. She had done boot camps, running and eight years of CrossFit. But as perimenopause arrived she felt her body stop responding. Once her daughters left home, she went back to basics: regular strength training in the weight room, more protein, macros that matched her goals, daily walking instead of long, intense cardio, and cutting out alcohol and refined sugar.
Alicia explains how she ran a three-to-four-month calorie deficit to lose 10 to 15 pounds, then stayed at maintenance and pushed hard in the gym for a year to recomp. She talks about eating the same meals on repeat to keep things simple, how she got past feeling intimidated at a gritty bodybuilding gym, and why confidence comes from keeping promises to yourself. Nikkiey Stott adds why maintenance is where the magic happens and why a real transformation takes months, if not years.
They also cover making time as a busy mom by setting boundaries, sharing your journey without filters, and Alicia's experience starting bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for hot flashes and poor sleep. Her view is that HRT does not replace the work, and that putting muscle on your body changes everything. Her message to every woman listening: it is not too late, and you are just getting started.
- Go back to the basics Alicia used at 51: regular strength training, more protein, macros set for your goals and daily walking instead of long, intense cardio.
- Alicia ran a calorie deficit for three to four months to lose 10 to 15 pounds, then stayed at maintenance and pushed hard in the gym for a year to recomp.
- As you build muscle, your maintenance calories go up, which means you get to eat more food.
- Eating the same meals on repeat makes nutrition a no-brainer and tracking even easier, especially if you choose foods you love.
- If the gym intimidates you, ask the front desk to show you around, start in a back corner with barbells and dumbbells, and branch out to machines as you get comfortable. A personal trainer can also help.
In Alicia's words
Questions Alicia helps answer
Ask Nikkiey →
Strength Training for Women
How do I get over gym anxiety?
Start by remembering that almost nobody is watching you. Nikkiey says most of the judgment lives in your own head. Then make it easier on yourself: learn the exercises on YouTube before you go, wear a hat as blinders, start small in a quiet corner, and walk into the weight room anyway, even scared.
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Strength Training for Women
Will lifting weights make me bulky?
No. Nikkiey explains that building significant muscle as a woman takes years of intentional, progressive heavy training plus eating in a calorie surplus. It does not happen from lifting three days a week. What you get instead is a leaner, more defined, stronger body that is more metabolically efficient.
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WarriorBabe Transformation Stories
How long does a real body transformation take?
On The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey Stott puts a real transformation at six to 12 months of consistent work, often longer. She cites anywhere from eight months to two years and says the full end result can take years. You'll usually feel changes in the first month and see them in the mirror by about three months.
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Common questions
Will lifting weights make women over 40 bulky?
Alicia says your nutrition determines how bulky you get, and she points to her own lean physique as proof that lifting heavy does not make you bulky. Her advice is to get out of your own way with preconceived notions.
How did Alicia lose fat and build muscle at 51?
She lifted weights regularly, raised her protein, set her macros, walked daily and cut alcohol and refined sugar. She ran a calorie deficit for three to four months to lose 10 to 15 pounds, then stayed at maintenance and trained hard for a year to recomp.
How do I start strength training if the gym intimidates me?
Alicia asked the front desk staff to show her where everything was, then started in the back room with barbells and dumbbells before expanding to cables and machines. She says nobody is really watching you, and you can also hire a personal trainer to get familiar with the gym.
How long does it take to transform your body after 40?
Alicia says it takes months, if not years, to build the body you want, so you have to fall in love with the process. Nikkiey says to expect anywhere from eight months to two years.
Do you need to track macros forever?
Alicia started by tracking but now eats more intuitively because she eats many of the same meals on repeat. She says eating the same meals makes nutrition simple and tracking easier when you do track.
Does hormone replacement therapy replace diet and exercise?
In Alicia's view, no. She started bioidentical HRT for severe hot flashes and poor sleep and tests with a functional medicine doctor about every six months, but she says you still have to do the work and put muscle on your body.