The exact routine this trainer follows to build muscle and stay fit after 50

Patricia Greaves, CPT, is a class of 2022 WH Strength in Diversity trainer and the founder of StrongHer Personal Training, a virtual and in-person coaching service.

I’ve always loved the feeling of being strong, and was instantly hooked on lifting when I first tried it. One summer in high school, my older cousin took me to a gym where we did a strength training circuit class using all these different weight machines. When I wasn’t studying in college, I was working out. I felt at home in the gym, weight training with the guys.

When I got married and started having kids at 30, I kept up with my workout routine. It wasn’t as regimented as in my pre-mum life, but I still went to the gym two or three times a week.

After my last pregnancy, I began experiencing intense anxiety, which I later learned was a symptom of early perimenopause. Even though I was still in my 30s, I suffered from terrible hot flashes, panic attacks, and heart palpitations – symptoms I didn’t realise could be linked to perimenopause. On two occasions, I called an ambulance, fearing I was having a heart attack due to the chest pain.

Around the same time, my father became very ill, and I was managing his care. The gym became my refuge – a place where I could ground myself and manage the stress in my life. Getting back into the gym with more consistency started as a way to lose baby weight, but ended up positively impacting many aspects of my life.

A few years into my consistent gym routine, a local trainer encouraged me to compete in a bodybuilding competition. I agreed to register for the competition and train together, and entered my first competition in 2010, placing third against women half my age. Since then, I’ve competed seven more times and earned my pro card in 2018. (FYI: A bodybuilding pro card is a certification that allows athletes to compete in pro-level competitions for money and sponsorships.) I competed as a pro for the first time in 2019, with the support of my family. My husband helped with my cardio and posing routines, while my three daughters cheered me on, telling me how great I looked. It’s empowering to think of myself as the nerdy girl with the coke-bottle glasses I once was, and then see myself on stage in a tiny bikini, proudly flexing my muscles. I plan to compete again in three years, when I turn 60.

After earning my pro card, I knew I wanted to take things further by helping women over 40 realise that building muscle is empowering and nothing to shy away from. While I loved bodybuilding, I felt I had accomplished what I set out to do by earning my pro card, so I decided to become a personal trainer. I completed my certification course and began taking on clients in my spare time. By 2018, I formed my own business, operating mostly online and running fitness camps during the summer. My mantra for my clients is, ‘We can do hard things.’ In addition to my fitness work, I’ve been a teacher for over 27 years, and strive to empower my middle schoolers through promoting self-confidence, healthy habits, and leadership.