I used to live on takeaways, now I’m a 51-year-old bodybuilder

Alongside her renewed approach to fitness, she has also overhauled her diet – focusing on what nutrients she needs for fuel and eating over 3,000 calories a day to maintain her healthy body weight. 

“Before, it was wine, chocolate, buns and I didn’t pay any attention to what I was eating,” she says. “If I didn’t eat fruit or vegetables for a few days, it wouldn’t have crossed my mind. 

“There wouldn’t have been an awful lot of protein – breakfast and lunch would have been mainly made up of carbs. Now, it’s a really conscious decision to make sure that everything I’ve eaten is really balanced.”

While most women aren’t looking to compete in bodybuilding competitions, weight training has many benefits, especially for those in midlife. Here’s what you can learn from a bodybuilder’s lifestyle if you want to get fitter and stronger. 

Pick a routine – and stick to it

“I never exercise for more than an hour and 20 minutes at the very most,” she says. “If you’re there any longer, it’s likely because you are doing too much, resting for too long between sets and generally wasting time – and let’s be real, nobody wants to be in the gym any longer than they have to be.”

Sarah works remotely as a manager at a broadband company, so she makes her way home to log on for 9.30am. Evenings are for family time with her husband and their daughter. 

“What I am strict with is sleep,” she says. “It’s very rare that you’ll find me downstairs in the living room after 10pm. I want to be in bed by 9pm. I listen to my audiobook for 15 minutes and then I’m off.”

“On my rest days, I really am resting – it’s feet up on the sofa, catching up on whatever I want to watch on Netflix or spending more time with my family.”

Don’t be afraid of the weights rack, but take it easy

Most women find heading to the weights rack intimidating, and many are worried that strength training will make them bulkier than they want.

“Unless you are actively trying to get big, you don’t need to worry about being more bulky than you would like,” Sarah says. “You really have to be trying to gain serious muscle – training hard consistently and eating enough to support the growth.”

As for fears of being laughed at, Sarah has some reassurance. “Everyone in the gym is too focused on themselves and their bodies to bother themselves with what you’re up to.”

Sarah’s workouts are designed to make sure that she can exercise five days a week without running into injury, so she focuses on a different muscle group each day. For the average woman who is looking to start strength training, however, she advises that you forget leg and arm days and opt for a full-body workout instead.