Muscle, Strength and Menopause

Sara Frenza

Welcome to Muscle, Strength and Menopause with Sara Frenza, the podcast for women over 40 who refuse to accept that "nothing works anymore." I'm Sara Frenza, a certified nutrition coach, hormone and menopause coaching specialist, and creator of the Hourglass Body Method. After losing 50+ pounds in my 40s and helping 100’s of women transform their bodies, I'm here to share the science-backed strategies that actually work when your hormones are shifting. Each week, we break down the complex science of metabolic health, hormones, and muscle building and then turn it into simple, actionable steps you can implement immediately. We'll bust the myths keeping you stuck (more cardio and fewer carbs aren't the answer), share real transformation stories from women 40-65, and give you practical tools for building muscle, losing stubborn fat, and feeling powerful in your own skin. Because muscle isn't just about looking good in your jeans (though you will). It's about better body composition, stronger bones, improved mood, fewer hot flashes, higher metabolism, and the confidence to live life fully at 40, 50, 60, and beyond. This isn't about bouncing back to who you used to be. It's about rising into the strongest, most confident version of yourself yet. Topics covered in the podcast include: Menopause, Perimenopause, Post-Menopause, Hormone balance, Strength training for women over 40, Muscle building in midlife, Fat loss after 40, Metabolic health, Nutrition for hormonal health, Belly fat reduction, Weight management, Energy optimization, Sustainable lifestyle habits, Body composition, Midlife fitness, and Aging powerfully. Subscribe now, and let's turn this chapter into your most powerful one.

  1. Oct 15

    #49: The 3 phases of your menopause transition and what you need to know about each phase

    Ever been told your labs are normal while you lie awake at 3 a.m. wondering what is happening to your body? In this episode, Sara breaks down the three phases of the menopause transition, perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, and explains what is really changing in your hormones during each one, why the advice that worked at 35 often stops working at 45, and what you can actually do about it. In this episode: Why the menopause transition is essentially reverse puberty, and why menopause is technically a single dayWhy progesterone, not estrogen, is usually the first hormone to decline in perimenopause, and how that explains the anxiety, irritability and 3 a.m. wake-upsWhat estrogen dominance really means, and how stress, gut health and alcohol widen the gapWhy your hormones need about three months to reflect the changes you makeWhat happens at menopause, why the symptoms show up everywhere, and why belly fat changes at this stageThe relief and the responsibility of post-menopause: muscle, bones, protein and strength trainingThe three body systems that shape your symptoms in every phaseJoin my Workshop on how to reset your gut in 21 days and get to the real cause of Bloating, constipation, gut issues and IBS. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/september-workshop-registration 📅 October 20th at 12 pm EST and October 22nd at 7 pm EST . Can't make it live? For $14 You will get the full recording plus the complete 21-day protocol. More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Consultation Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #49: The 3 phases of your menopause transition and what you need to know about each phase
  2. Oct 14

    #48: Balance Your Hormones by Healing Your Gut: The 5 Things No One Told You

    In this episode of Muscle, Strength and Menopause, host Sara Frenza breaks down the profound connection between gut health and hormone clearance. Drawing from real client cases inside the Elevated Vitality Experience, Sara explains how sluggish liver clearance, elevated gut enzymes, low stomach acid, and leaky gut drive estrogen dominance and insulin resistance. She shares why your daily probiotic isn't solving the issue and how proper testing eliminates the expensive guessing game. Today, you'll learn why your gut and urine are the only two exits for used estrogen and how phase 1, phase 2 (methylation), and phase 3 clearance work. You'll discover the gut enzyme beta-glucuronidase, which unwraps neutralized estrogen and recycles it right back into your bloodstream to drive heavy periods, PMS, and belly fat. Sara breaks down why hormone balance starts in the stomach, how low stomach acid causes reflux, and why the 80s/90s low-fat craze wrecked bile flow. Finally, she exposes the link between leaky gut (LPS endotoxemia), insulin resistance, five-alpha reductase activity, and midlife chin hairs, alongside the exact sequence needed to heal your gut for good. Join my Workshop on how to reset your gut in 21 days and get to the real cause of Bloating, constipation, gut issues and IBS. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/september-workshop-registration 📅 October 20th at 12 pm EST and October 22nd at 7 pm EST . Can't make it live? For $14 You will get the full recording plus the complete 21-day protocol. More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Consultation Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #48: Balance Your Hormones by Healing Your Gut: The 5 Things No One Told You
  3. Oct 5

    #47: If I were diagnosed with IBS here are the 5 things I would start (and stop doing) immediately

    In this personal episode of Muscle, Strength and Menopause, host Sara Frenza shares why gut health hits so close to home. After watching her own mother suffer for years with an unaddressed IBS label—trapped at home until functional testing uncovered severe bacterial overgrowth and leaky gut—Sara breaks down the exact steps she would take if she were diagnosed with IBS tomorrow. She explains why cutting out foods endlessly isn't the answer and how correcting root imbalances in the proper sequence can completely resolve chronic digestive distress. Why you must run a functional stool test (like the GI-MAP) before trying another restrictive diet, as bloating can stem from four completely different issues that look identical from the outside is something you'll learn from this episode. Also, you'll discover why IBS is just a symptom description and how root issues like SIBO, Candida, low stomach acid, or gut dysbiosis can be effectively targeted with botanical anti-microbials and evidence-based protocols. Sara details how to adopt an anti-inflammatory baseline plate using protein, colorful vegetables, and healthy fats to pull the "fire" out of your gut. Finally, she reveals why chronic fight-or-flight stress and high cortisol physically wear down your gut lining, and shares practical daily digestion hacks—including proper chewing, meal spacing, and natural stomach acid support—to stop food from fermenting in your stomach. Join my Workshop on how to reset your gut in 21 days and get to the real cause of Bloating, constipation, gut issues and IBS. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/september-workshop-registration 📅 October 20th at 12 pm EST and October 22nd at 7 pm EST . Can't make it live? You will get the full recording plus the complete 21-day protocol. More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Consultation Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #47: If I were diagnosed with IBS here are the 5 things I would start (and stop doing) immediately
  4. Sep 14

    #46: 7 labs I run on every women over 40 that most Doctors never order....and what each one is telling you

    In this episode of Muscle, Strength and Menopause, Sara Frenza breaks down the exact lab markers conventional medicine fails to test and why sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone are only one piece of a much larger metabolic puzzle. Sharing her mother’s painful journey with unaddressed gut issues and her own experience being dismissed in perimenopause, Sara reveals how stress, gut health, thyroid function, and inflammation create an interconnected pattern of symptoms. Today you'll learn why standard lab ranges leave sick patients labeled as "fine" and how optimal functional ranges pinpoint the real root cause of weight loss resistance, fatigue, and brain fog. Sara uncovers the step-by-step stress cascade—how elevated cortisol steals progesterone, drives estrogen dominance, slows the thyroid, and thins the gut lining. You will discover the 7 key tests every woman over 40 needs: a 5-part full thyroid panel, HS-CRP (inflammation), Fasting Insulin (metabolic dysfunction), the DUTCH Complete urine test (hormone metabolism and cortisol curves), the GI-MAP stool test (leaky gut, beta-glucuronidase, and estrogen recycling), DHEA-S (adrenal reserve), and SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). Join my Workshop on how to reset your gut in 21 days and get to the real cause of Bloating, constipation, gut issues and IBS. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/september-workshop-registration 📅 September 15th and 17th. Can't make it live? You will get the full recording plus the complete 21-day protocol. More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Consultation Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US (CANADA SITE) Home | PERFECT Sports US (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #46: 7 labs I run on every women over 40 that most Doctors never order....and what each one is telling you
  5. Aug 28

    #45: Things your Doctor should of told you about your thyroid but didn't

    In this episode of Muscle, Strength and Menopause, Sara Frenza breaks down the hidden mechanics of thyroid health that conventional medicine frequently overlooks. As a board-certified functional medicine nutrition practitioner, Sara shares her personal journey into functional wellness after watching her mother's severe gut and metabolic health decline without answers. She dives deep into why standard lab ranges leave women feeling sick at "normal" levels, how sex hormones and dieting crash your thyroid, and why the real key to thyroid conversion lies in your liver and gut. Why 1 in 8 women will deal with thyroid issues and up to 60% of people with a condition remain undiagnosed. You'll uncover how the body converts storage hormone (T4) into active worker hormone (T3), the role of reverse T3 as a metabolic "brake," and why 80% of conversion happens in the liver while 20% occurs in the gut. Sara outlines the complete, full thyroid panel you actually need—including TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies. We explore the four main thyroid conditions (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's, and Graves' disease), how chronic stress and leaky gut trigger autoimmune attacks, and why extreme calorie restriction or GLP-1 diets can force your body to throttle down its metabolism. More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Consultation Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US (CANADA SITE) Home | PERFECT Sports US (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #45: Things your Doctor should of told you about your thyroid but didn't
  6. Aug 24

    #44: Tara Benoit's story of surviving a heart attack at 46

    Despite eating clean, strength training, and appearing to be the picture of health, Tara survived a rare Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) heart attack at age 46 after being repeatedly dismissed by emergency room doctors who attributed her symptoms to anxiety. In this conversation, Tara shares her harrowing experience navigating medical dismissal, the underlying health warning signs—including a decade of severe gut dysfunction and chronic stress—that preceded her event, and how she completely transformed her definition of health and strength. In this episode, you'll learn why SCAD is the leading cause of heart attacks in women under 50 and its strong connection to perimenopause, menopause, and hormonal fluctuations. You'll hear about the dangerous reality of medical gaslighting and why women must act as the CEO of their own health when told "everything is normal". Tara and Sara explore how chronic fight-or-flight stress, over-exercising, and unaddressed gut issues like SIBO impact cellular health and cardiovascular risk. Finally, you will learn how functional testing—such as GI-MAP stool testing and nutrient panels—helps women optimize their bodies for long-term health, cellular recovery, and true longevity. Connect with Tara Benoit https://www.instagram.com/tarabenoitofficial/ https://tarabenoit.com/ More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US (CANADA SITE) Home | PERFECT Sports US (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #44: Tara  Benoit's story of surviving a heart attack at 46
  7. Aug 17

    #43: You started HRT, so why are you more puffy, more exhausted, and gaining weight?

    In this episode of Muscle, Strength and Menopause, Sara Frenza dives deep into the hidden science of estrogen metabolism and hormone clearance. As a board-certified functional medicine nutrition practitioner on HRT herself, Sara explains why HRT fails to address the root causes of weight loss resistance, fluid retention, and chronic fatigue. She breaks down how sluggish liver pathways, gut dysbiosis, high cortisol, and hidden thyroid dysfunction block hormone performance, turning your treatment into a source of frustration. Why HRT acts as a fire alarm silencer rather than putting out the root metabolic fire causing your symptoms, Today, you'll discover the three phases of estrogen clearance (liver phase 1, phase 2 methylation, and gut phase 3) and how an overgrowth of beta-glucuronidase bacteria or constipation causes your body to recycle estrogen right back into your bloodstream. We explore why muscle loss is the single biggest driver of midlife weight gain, why HRT protects muscle but cannot build it without resistance training and optimal protein, and how high cortisol steals from your progesterone production. Finally, Sara breaks down why 20% of thyroid conversion happens in the gut and why comprehensive functional testing—including DUTCH urine testing, GI-MAP stool testing, and full blood panels—is essential to map out your unique hormone roadmap. More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US (CANADA SITE) Home | PERFECT Sports US (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #43: You started HRT, so why are you more puffy, more exhausted, and gaining weight?
  8. Aug 9

    #42: Healing the Relationship With Food: Liz Kennedy's Journey to Finding Her Strong

    In this episode of Muscle, Strength and Menopause, host Sara Frenza is joined by Coach Liz Kennedy, a certified nutrition coach, personal trainer, and expert coach inside the Hourglass Body Method. Liz spent 33 years as a social worker helping others, but spent two decades trapped in the toxic cycle of extreme restriction, guilt, and body dysmorphia. She shares her transformative journey of finding CrossFit in her 40s, touching a barbell for the first time, and discovering that fueling her body and building muscle was the ultimate key to physical and mental freedom. Today, you will learn on how to break free from the 80s/90s toxic diet culture mindset of shrinking yourself and turn exercise into an empowering act of self-care. You'll discover how lifting heavy weights and building muscle completely transforms your physique, boosts your confidence, and helps eliminate body dysmorphia and food guilt. We break down practical, real-world nutrition strategies—including Liz's expert meal prep systems, bowl-building framework, and prioritizing single-ingredient whole foods—to naturally crush cravings and keep you full. Finally, Liz shares how to navigate mental health shifts during menopause, why focusing on protein is your single biggest nutritional lever, and how to start building your "70-year-old body" today for lifelong independence. Connect with Liz Kennedy: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyliz/ https://www.facebook.com/liz.b.kennedy.3 More information about our Programs and book a FREE virtual Call with our team https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/eve-info FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. Free Hormone & Metabolism Assessment Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Skynbio website: https://skynbio.comsca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com Instagram: Functional Practitioner | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: Home - Sara Frenza

    #42: Healing the Relationship With Food: Liz Kennedy's Journey to Finding Her Strong

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About

Welcome to Muscle, Strength and Menopause with Sara Frenza, the podcast for women over 40 who refuse to accept that "nothing works anymore." I'm Sara Frenza, a certified nutrition coach, hormone and menopause coaching specialist, and creator of the Hourglass Body Method. After losing 50+ pounds in my 40s and helping 100’s of women transform their bodies, I'm here to share the science-backed strategies that actually work when your hormones are shifting. Each week, we break down the complex science of metabolic health, hormones, and muscle building and then turn it into simple, actionable steps you can implement immediately. We'll bust the myths keeping you stuck (more cardio and fewer carbs aren't the answer), share real transformation stories from women 40-65, and give you practical tools for building muscle, losing stubborn fat, and feeling powerful in your own skin. Because muscle isn't just about looking good in your jeans (though you will). It's about better body composition, stronger bones, improved mood, fewer hot flashes, higher metabolism, and the confidence to live life fully at 40, 50, 60, and beyond. This isn't about bouncing back to who you used to be. It's about rising into the strongest, most confident version of yourself yet. Topics covered in the podcast include: Menopause, Perimenopause, Post-Menopause, Hormone balance, Strength training for women over 40, Muscle building in midlife, Fat loss after 40, Metabolic health, Nutrition for hormonal health, Belly fat reduction, Weight management, Energy optimization, Sustainable lifestyle habits, Body composition, Midlife fitness, and Aging powerfully. Subscribe now, and let's turn this chapter into your most powerful one.

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