How to Build Muscle During Perimenopause (Or Beyond): 3 Things to Prioritize

Muscle building will never happen if you already think it’s not possible for you.

And if you’re going through perimenopause or you’re lower in estrogen, I want you to understand this:

You may be underestimating what’s possible for you.

Because if your A1C is high, muscle can be one of your most important natural tools for lowering it sustainably.

On one side of the filter is your bloodstream with more glucose circulating in it.

On the other side is a cleaner bloodstream with less glucose left behind.

The more you use that filter, the more opportunities you create for glucose to leave your bloodstream and enter your muscle.

That means less glucose left circulating in your blood, which is exactly what you need to lower your A1C.

So how do you build more of that filter during perimenopause (or beyond)?

There are a few things I would absolutely make sure I was doing if I wanted to find out just how far my body could go.

Building muscle comes down to giving your body a reason to build, then giving it the material to build with.

Let me show you what I mean.

1. Stop making random decisions.

Track your weights and increase the weight as you master it.

But how do you know when it’s actually time to increase the weight?

For example, if you notice you can consistently leg press 150 pounds for sets of 12, it may be time to move up to 155 or 160 pounds.

Maybe you can only do 8 or 9 reps at the new weight. That’s okay. Now build your way back up to 12. Then increase the weight again.

Muscle grows in response to repeated muscle tension. More weight can create more tension. Challenge your muscles to tolerate more of it, slowly and over time.

That’s progression.

What you did last week tells you what to try this week. You don’t have to guess.

2. If you’re a beginner, start slow and be okay with where you are at.

If you’re a beginner and the gym is intimidating, don’t make building muscle your first goal.

Make getting used to showing up your first goal.

Week 1: Pick two days and walk for 30 minutes.

Week 2: Make it three days of 30-minute walks.

Week 3: Keep those three walks, but do them at the gym on the treadmill.

You don't even have to touch a weight yet.

And remember, nobody in that gym started out as an expert.

They’re not looking at you judging your ability to do a Bulgarian split squat.

At one point, they were where you are. They’re just further along in the journey. And there is probably someone else in that gym who is way further along than they are too.

At this stage, you're progressing something different. You're building the skill of consistently showing up and being active.

Get used to putting on your gym clothes. Get used to leaving the house. Get used to walking through the gym doors. Get used to being in that environment until it doesn't feel like such a big event anymore.

You don’t have to lift the world to begin. You just have to lift you and take one step at a time.

Once showing up is something you’re used to doing consistently, then start progressing toward building muscle.

3. Prioritize protein. Give your body something to build with.

Your chicken breast doesn’t magically turn into muscle.

It gets digested, broken down, and provides amino acids that become like the bricks your body can use to build and reinforce muscle.

So how much protein?

There are equations we can use to make this more specific to you, but if you just need somewhere practical to start, I often like to start around 100–120 grams of protein per day and then adjust based on the person and what’s necessary.

But what does that actually look like in food?

To give you an idea, roughly:

A palm-sized serving of chicken breast: ~30–35g

A palm-sized serving of salmon: ~25–30g

A palm-sized serving of lean ground beef: ~25–30g

A protein shake: ~20–30g, depending on the product

A serving of beans: ~10–15g, depending on the type and portion

These aren't numbers you have to hit perfectly. They're estimates to help you start recognizing where your protein is coming from and whether you're getting enough across the day.

Training creates the reason to rebuild.

But how can it build without material to build with?

Protein gives your body that material.

Work with your body. Listen to it. Take care of it like you would take care of a child.

Think about it like tending to a garden. Plants need water, nutrients, and the right environment to grow. Your body needs nourishment to grow too.

Protein is part of that equation.

Eat protein before your carbs if your A1C is high.

Eat protein after a tough training session.

Eat protein when you’re recovering from an injury.

And eat protein consistently throughout your normal day.

You’re asking your body to build something. Make sure you’re giving it something to build with.

HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER:

Muscle growth is an adaptation to repeated need for strength. And it needs material to grow.

But if you are just starting, know that everyone started small before they became skilled.

Lower estrogen doesn’t change that. It just changes how intentional you need to be.

Think about the difference between shaping clay and shaping stone.

Both can be shaped, but one requires more deliberate effort.

So I wouldn't respond to lower estrogen by assuming muscle building is no longer possible.

I would respond by becoming more precise with my training, nutrition, and recovery.

The material changed. The possibility of shaping it didn’t.