"Muscle is worth its weight in gold:" Life Time Experts Share Their Top Strength Training Tips for Women

Trainers and instructors cite long-term and wide-ranging benefits for women

Key Highlights:

• Strength training is gaining in popularity among women, reflecting a continued focus on building strength and supporting healthy aging.
• Life Time experts say strength training delivers far more than physical results, supporting bone and muscle health, hormone balance, confidence, resilience, mobility and long-term independence.
• With more than 1,900 female personal trainers, in-person and online workout programs, Life Time offers resources to help women build strength at every stage of life.

CHANHASSEN, Minn., July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Interest in strength training continues to surge as people of all ages seek ways to improve their healthspan, not just their lifespan. Women in particular are embracing strength training in large numbers. According to Life Time (NYSE:LTH) experts and results from the Company's  annual survey, it's the top exercise women want to add to their routine in 2026, and Lincoln International's 2025 Fitness Market Update finds that women are participating in weightlifting and strength-based classes at record rates. The benefits are many: balanced hormones, improved bone and muscle mass, and more.

Whether women are looking for expertise to help build a workout routine or find and maintain the motivation to keep going, five female Life Time experts offer their top tips:

• Building strength is a platform for life: "If there's one shift I wish more women would make, it's this: stop chasing 'small' and start chasing strong," said Hayley Akradi, Certified Personal Trainer, Brand Lead for UltraFit and Creator of the Body Blueprint program. "When you focus on getting stronger: lifting with intention, progressively adding weight, and fueling your body, everything else starts to take care of itself. Your body changes, your metabolism works for you, and you build a confidence that cardio alone just doesn't give you. As a mom, this has been everything for me. It's also one of the biggest things I lean on as I think about aging well and staying capable long-term."
• Don't be afraid: "One piece of advice I always share with women is don't be afraid to strength train," shares Lillian Davis, Studio Lead and Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time Deerfield Township in Mason, Ohio. "Building muscle won't make you bulky and a lot of the time the desired body women want is made by strength training!  I encourage women to focus less on perfection and more on consistency.  Getting in a workout doesn't need to consume your whole day, showing up a few times a week can make a huge impact on both your physical and mental health over time!"
• Stay consistent: "Women need to strength train at least three times per week practicing progressive overload," said Nellie Barnett, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, N.Y.. "It's very easy to get caught up in the same routine using the same weights but by challenging yourself and embracing the moments of discomfort you'll see substantial progress in how you look and feel. With consistency, strength training is the ultimate life hack shaping how you move and your resilience by combating the decline in muscle mass that happens with age, improving bone density and creating a deeper sense of connection to your body."
• Lift heavy: "Strength training is one of the most powerful tools women can incorporate into their routine, especially as we age," said Paula Londono, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time Dumbo in Brooklyn. "Focus on lifting heavy, at an effort level of eight or nine on a scale of one to ten. Also, focus on proper form, gradually increase resistance, and view strength training as a main component in your health."
• Focus on the lifelong benefits: "Muscle is worth its weight in gold. You can't buy it, you have to work for it, and if you're not actively building and maintaining it, you're losing it," said Danica Osborn, Elite Level Instructor at Life Time Warrenville in Chicago, Ill. "Muscle boosts our metabolism and helps with weight management, improves our mobility, reduces our risk of injury and heart disease, helps us stay independent, and live longer. Here's to strong women!"

As more women step up to the weight racks, one thing is clear: strength training isn't just a trend, it's a transformation. From building confidence and resilience to supporting long-term health, the path forward is rooted in showing up, lifting with purpose, and embracing what the body is capable of. With expert guidance from Life Time's female trainers, women everywhere are empowered to stop chasing smaller—and start living stronger.

To support women in every stage, Life Time offers a variety of resources. The Company employs more than 1,900 female personal trainers, creates workout programs designed for women available in the complimentary Life Time app, and can generate workout programs and share expert advice with L•AI•C™, its  AI-powered health companion.

Life Time is dedicated to supporting everyone's fitness journey, whether they're working out in one of its 190+ athletic country clubs or enjoying an on-demand workout or program in its complimentary app. For more information on the benefits of strength training, check out this article from Experience Life.

For more information about Life Time, visit www.lifetime.life, follow on social media at Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is strength training important?
Strength training has a variety of benefits, including preventing muscle mass loss, balancing hormones and helping burn fat while gaining muscle, and helping preserve mental resilience as people age.

Where can women go to learn more or start their strength training journey today?
To learn more or get started on an on-demand program, users can download the complimentary Life Time app and try its curated programs, or a workout generated by L•AI•C™, Life Time's AI-powered health companion. For those looking for in-person support, consider working with a personal trainer or attending one of Life Time's strength-focused group classes, including GTX, LIFT and more.

How does recovery fit into a strength training routine?
Recovery is essential to avoid injury, strain, and build long-term resilience. Life Time offers a variety of recovery amenities, including saunas, contrast therapy, compressive, percussion, and water massage tools, and Dynamic Stretch assisted stretching.

About Life Time
Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its 195 athletic country clubs across the U.S. and Canada, the complimentary and comprehensive Life Time app featuring its L•AI•C™ AI-powered health companion, and more than 30 iconic athletic events. Serving people ages 90 days to 90+ years, the Life Time ecosystem uniquely delivers healthy living, healthy aging, and healthy entertainment experiences, a range of unique healthy way of life programs, highly trusted LTH nutritional supplements and more. Recognized as a Great Place to Work®, the company is committed to upholding an exceptional culture for its more than 50,000 team members.

SOURCE Life Time, Inc.