How to work out and tone up without a gym can feel like an impossible question once you’re over 40. Many of our clients are women who are already stretched thin, juggling work, family, ageing parents, relationships and everyone else’s needs before their own.
If that sounds familiar, just know you’re not alone. You’re busy, capable and doing your best. The gym can feel like one more demand on an already overflowing plate.
We’re here to tell you, you absolutely can get fitter, stronger and leaner without ever stepping foot in a gym.
And for women in menopause, training at home is often the better option.
This article will walk you through exactly how to work out and tone up without a gym in a way that supports your hormones, protects your joints, fits into real life and actually changes how your body looks and feels with a menopause aware approach that works.
Why the gym stops working for many women over 40
For most of your adult life, exercise probably felt simpler. You could eat “quite well”, throw in a few workouts, maybe some cardio or classes, and your body responded. Then somewhere in your 40s or 50s, this just stopped working.
Hormonal changes, particularly declining oestrogen, affect how your body builds muscle, stores fat and recovers from stress. High-intensity workouts, long cardio sessions and daily classes that once felt energising can now leave you exhausted, sore and inflamed.
It’s inevitable something will have to give.
Add to that the practical reality. Getting to a gym means travel time, changing, waiting for equipment, fitting sessions around family life and work commitments. When energy is already low, it’s often the first thing to go.
Learning how to work out and tone up without a gym removes friction. It allows you to train in a way that supports your body instead of fighting it, while fitting around real life rather than competing with it.
“I was facing a number of challenges when I joined Trinity – increased weight, eating an unhealthy diet, I was doing very little exercise, my relationships were strained, and I had no real focus, purpose or routine. Through the Trinity program I have lost 2 stone within 4 months to get to my target weight (9 stone). The program introduced me to a ‘3 workout (WO) per week’ routine. I have never failed to do a WO whilst on the program despite travelling, events, holidays, life! Trinity has developed my confidence, given me a can-do attitude, given me a sense of self-worth, and a clearer focus about what I want for my life.”
– Sarah Needham (51), Trinity Client
How to workout and tone up without a gym from home
Many people believe that weight loss can only be achieved by a high intensity workout in the gym, but that’s just not true.
It’s completely achievable to lose weight from the comfort of your own home, without a room full of equipment and without dedicating hours of your day.
So let’s get into what you actually need to lose weight at home and how much time you really have to dedicate to it.
Equipment you actually need (and why most people get this wrong)
Bodyweight exercises sound appealing, but for most women they’re not enough, especially for the lower body. Your legs and glutes are strong muscles. They need resistance to change.
At the same time, upper body muscles are smaller and fatigue more quickly, so very heavy weights aren’t appropriate there.
This is why we recommend having three kettlebells or dumbbells at different weights.
Most women start with something like:
- A lighter weight for upper body movements
- A medium weight for mixed exercises
- A heavier weight for lower body movements
A common mistake is using weights that are far too light. For example, 3kg dumbbells simply won’t challenge your lower body enough to stimulate change.
Many of our clients begin with approximately 4kg, 8kg and 12kg kettlebells. The lighter weights are used for upper body exercises, while the heavier weights are reserved for squats, deadlifts and lunges.
This setup allows your body to adapt and tone up efficiently without stepping foot in a gym.
You only need enough space for a yoga mat and room to stretch your arms out to the sides. That’s it.
Most women train in their living rooms, but we also have clients working out in kitchens, bedrooms, garden rooms and garages. If you can lie down comfortably and move freely, you have enough space to get strong and toned.
“Before Trinity I had zero level of fitness and prided myself on the lack of exercise. My mantra was ‘exercise is bad for you’. I’m now loving exercise (I avoided it at all costs before). I am now 9st 12lbs (4 stone/26kg/56lbs down!) and I’m using the 16kg more during training, and recently I have upped the intensity of workouts to get better results. On a recent holiday I climbed up 150 steps in Castello Scaligero di Sirmione and wasn’t out of breath when I got to the top, an achievement as simply walking got me out of breath before. Trinity has made me accountable and having my own personal expert to answer any questions and suggest ways that would help has turned my life around.”
– Helene Morgan (56), Trinity Client
How to structure your workouts for the best results
When you’re training during menopause, the goal isn’t to exhaust yourself. It’s to give your body the right stimulus, then allow it to recover and change.
How many workouts per week
Contrary to popular belief, more isn’t better when it comes to strength training. Your body needs rest just as much as it needs to move.
3 strength training workouts per week is enough for most women.
It takes roughly 48 hours to recover from a strength training session. Training three times per week allows you to push hard, recover well, and stay consistent.
The days in between (rest days) allow your muscles and nervous system to recover which is just as important for your body as the exercise.
As you become more experienced, you may move up to four sessions per week, often splitting workouts into pushing and pulling movements so different muscle groups can recover while others work.
Consistency with fewer, better workouts will always beat doing too much and burning out.
Sets and reps
Understanding how to workout and tone up without a gym also means understanding how to use your weights properly. A repetition (rep) is one complete movement. A set is a group of repetitions followed by rest.
Research shows that anywhere from 5 to 30 reps can build muscle. However, during menopause, lower reps with heavier weight (around 5–10 reps), are often more effective because they compensate for reduced oestrogen.
Strength training works best when workouts are simple and intentional.
- Aim for 3–5 sets per exercise
- Perform 5–15 slow, controlled reps
Across a full workout, aiming for roughly 24 working sets is a solid target. This gives enough stimulus to create change without overwhelming your nervous system.
This approach helps your body maintain and build muscle at a time when declining oestrogen makes that harder.
Choosing the right weight for each exercise
The number of reps you’re doing determines how heavy the weight should be.
For example, if you’re doing 5 sets of 5 squats, you might use a heavier weight whereas if you’re doing 4 sets of 10 squats, you’d use a lighter weight.
What matters most is how it feels.
How hard each set should feel
We use two simple measures:
- RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion): Aim for about 7–8 out of 10
- RIR (Reps in Reserve): You should feel like you could do 2–3 more reps at the end of a set
If you finish a set and feel like you could easily keep going, the weight is too light. If you’re completely failing, it’s too heavy. The sweet spot is challenge without breakdown.
Rest between sets
Rest is part of the workout and it’s important to include sufficient rest time between exercises. Try to aim for 30–45 seconds for smaller movements (like arms) and 45–90 seconds for bigger exercises (like legs or full-body moves).
Longer rests can be useful, but most women don’t want workouts that drag on for hours. Enough rest allows you to lift properly again.
What a typical strength workout at home might look like
This is an example of a single session designed to help you work out and tone up without a gym, while supporting your body through menopause. The focus is slow, controlled strength training rather than rushing or burning yourself out.
A session like this would take around 30–40 minutes.
Rest for 45–90 seconds between bigger movements and 30–45 seconds for smaller ones. You should finish the workout feeling worked, not wiped out.
What to do on your rest days
Rest days don’t mean not moving, they’re about allowing your body to recover while keeping stress low. This is where a lot of progress actually happens.
On non-strength days, gentle movement works best. Some things you should consider doing are:
Walking
Aim for 5,000+ steps daily. It helps to keeps joints moving and it helps regulate cortisol and supports fat loss without stressing the body. Getting outside also boosts mood and sleep quality.
Swimming or gentle cardio
Can feel great mentally and is easy on the joints. Think of this as a bonus for wellbeing rather than something that will change body shape.
Yoga or Pilates (gentler styles)
Helps improve mobility, posture and core strength, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting. Avoid overly intense classes that spike stress.
These activities should support your strength training, not replace it. If time or energy is limited, prioritise your strength sessions first.
“I began TRINITY feeling deeply sceptical. After years of failed attempts to lose weight I feared getting my hopes up again. I expected disappointment, yet I started anyway. I had never lifted weights before. I had always relied on cardio, so strength training felt foreign. TRINITY did not just change my body and weight. It restored my confidence, my identity and my zest for life, I walk taller and radiate inside out. My cholesterol has fallen from 6.4 to 3.8, my liver function is normal, I am no longer pre-diabetic & my blood pressure normal. I wake with energy, have no aches or pains & feel fitter & stronger than I did in my 20’s.”
– Donna Oakley-Davies (51), Trinity Client
How Trinity helps women feel strong, confident and at home in their bodies again
At Trinity, we’ve helped over 7,000 women transform their health, with a 97% success rate. That’s not because we chase trends or promise quick fixes. It’s because we focus on long-term change.
Our coaching is different because it’s built around how the menopausal body actually works. We don’t rely on extreme dieting, injections or unsustainable routines. This is a complete re-education and lifestyle shift that lasts.
Our coaches support women through personalised strength training, nutrition guidance, recovery strategies and mindset work, all tailored to hormonal needs. Clients train from home, fit workouts around real life, and finally see results that stick.
Women regularly drop 1–2 dress sizes in 12 weeks, feel stronger than they have in years, and rediscover confidence they thought was gone for good.
If you’re ready to learn how to workout and tone up without a gym, regain energy, and feel like yourself again, Trinity gives you the structure, support and expertise to make it happen, without burning out or starting over every January.
The next step could be downloading our free guide, joining a free training, or exploring the Fit Over 40 programme. What matters most is this: you don’t need to push harder. You need a smarter plan that finally works with your body, not against it.
