Robert Brace and Dr. Elizabeth Poynor are on a mission to help women in midlife understand what strength training can make possible across the menopause spectrum—and to create a more informed, effective, and empowering path to long-term health. Enrollment is open now for their formal 12-week, medically supervised research study for women in midlife. Learn how you can connect with Robert and Dr. Poynor, access their work, and apply to join the study. Less than a year after leaving the hospital at 97 pounds—unable to walk upstairs and having lost nearly all her muscle—Dr. Poynor completed her first clean pull-up at 64 and deadlifted 175 pounds. But this is not simply a fitness transformation. Dr. Poynor is a former cancer surgeon who became the patient herself. In this deeply personal conversation, she and Robert explore what illness taught her about muscle, resilience, aging, longevity, and the expectations placed on women’s bodies in midlife. They also examine why strength training may be one of the most powerful non-pharmacological interventions available to women during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond—and why women need more than the vague instruction to “exercise more.” Strength training can support muscle mass, bone health, metabolic health, physical independence, confidence, mental well-being, and long-term resilience. Yet many women are never taught what to do, how to progress safely, or how to train for meaningful results. Robert and Dr. Poynor are working to bridge the divide between medicine and fitness by combining clinical insight, lived experience, expert coaching, and measurable outcomes. In this episode, they discuss: Dr. Poynor’s cancer diagnosis, treatment, and life-threatening complicationsWhat it felt like to lose nearly all her strength and independenceHow she rebuilt her body after leaving the hospital at 97 poundsCompleting her first pull-up at 64Deadlifting more than her body weightWhy muscle is essential for women in midlifeWhy chair-based exercise can be a starting point—but should not always be the final pointHow strength training changed the way she practices medicineWhy women need evidence-informed exercise prescriptions, not generic adviceWhat becomes possible when the medical and fitness worlds work together Her message to women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond is clear: Your strongest, healthiest, and most embodied years do not have to be behind you. Watch the full episode, then follow the link above to connect with Robert Brace and Dr. Elizabeth Poynor and apply to become part of their mission to help women across the menopause spectrum understand—and experience—the transformative potential of strength training. Chapters: 0:00 From 97 Pounds to Stronger Than Ever1:50 Meet Dr. Elizabeth Poynor4:18 From Cancer Surgeon to Patient6:38 Cancer, BRCA and Preventive Surgery12:20 The Complication That Changed Everything16:06 Rebuilding After Losing All Her Muscle18:44 From 97 Pounds to a 175-Pound Deadlift23:46 How Strength Training Changed Her Medicine28:13 Strength Training and Mental Health31:56 Why Women Shouldn’t Fear Getting “Bulky”38:24 Turning Recovery Into a Research Mission42:37 Bridging Medicine and Fitness44:11 Menopause, Muscle Loss and Anabolic Resistance47:57 The Future of Midlife Women’s Health50:54 Getting Strong at Any Age54:22 What’s Next: The Research Series Connect with Robert Brace: WebsiteInstagramFacebookLinkedIn
