Discover why there’s no one-size-fits-all menopause training plan — and how evidence-based, individualised exercise can make the biggest difference.
Is there really a single "best" training plan for menopause? Or is the honest answer that there is no one-size-fits-all — and that our job as health and fitness professionals is to build an individualised, goal-orientated plan for every woman in front of us?
That question sits at the heart of our Menopause MOT® training, which puts the best available evidence directly into your hands so you can programme with confidence.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has recently published its Position Stand, An Overview of Reviews for Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function,Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance.
ACSM guidance is the gold standard in exercise science — and this update strongly reinforces the evidence-based approach we teach across Menopause Movement®:
It's genuinely reassuring to see the Menopause Movement® vision reinforced by the leading, most rigorously evidenced body in our field.
The most significant improvements in muscle function, size and overall health come fromsimply transitioning from no exercise to any exercise. Individual variables can be fine-tuned later, but the primary goal for most adults isregular, consistent participation in resistance training.
Many styles of lifting work — but you can optimise results by matching load and volume to the specific outcome:
The new guidelines explicitly move away from one-size-fits-all prescriptions. Programmes should be built around personal goals, enjoyment and safety —because a plan that's too demanding to sustain loses its effectiveness, no matter how "optimal" it looks on paper. Long-term adherence is the real measure of success.
Training to momentary muscle failure, choosing machines over free weights, and complex periodisation did not consistently improve outcomes for the average healthy adult. These tools have their place, but they are not prerequisites for results.
You don't need a traditional gym setting to see results. The evidence shows that resistance bands, bodyweight exercises and home-based routines produce meaningful gains in strength, hypertrophy and physical function — a genuinely useful message for clients who train at home or have limited access to equipment.
The latest ACSM evidence confirms what we've built Menopause Movement® on:menopause exercise prescription isn't about finding one perfect plan — it's about applying the evidence with skill, individualisation and enjoyment. Our MenopauseMOT® training gives health and fitness professionals the confidence and evidence base to do exactly that.
Explore Menopause MOT® training: HERE
Christien Bird
Chartered Women's Health Physiotherapist and Founding Partner of The Menopause Movement
(August 2026)
