penny barnshaw garage fitness girl

Month: October 2026

Woman over 40 with a barbell across her shoulders in a home gym, with the words 25 minutes barbell strength and SIT with dumbbell options

25-Minute Barbell Strength and SIT Workout for Women Over 40 (Dumbbell Alternatives Included)

This 25-minute barbell strength and SIT workout packs full-body strength, sprint intervals and a finisher into one fast session for women over 40. 🔥 Short, Spicy and Surprisingly Challenging Do not let the 25 minutes fool you. This one starts off feeling very manageable… and then quietly builds into one seriously spicy little sweat session. …

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Woman over 40 smiling while doing a single arm dumbbell row on a bench in a home gym, with the words 30 min upper body pull day

30 Minute Upper Body Pull Day Workout for Women Over 40 (Dumbbells Only)

This pull day workout packs a LOT into 30 minutes, targeting your back, biceps and core with nothing more than a few dumbbells and a mat. 🔥 A Spicy Little Pull Day for Your Back and Biceps This one is a short but seriously spicy upper body pull day, and you will definitely feel the …

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Woman over 40 in a teal workout set holding dumbbells in a home gym, with the words 30 minutes no repeat sweat session for over 40s

30 Min No Repeat Sweat Session for Over 40’s

The Workout That Gets Me Training on My Flattest Days I talk a lot about fluctuating energy in perimenopause because, honestly, it has completely changed the way I approach my own training. Some days I feel strong and ready to lift. Other days, even the thought of repeating exercises for multiple sets feels like a …

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Are no repeat workouts effective for building strength after 40

Are No Repeat Workouts Effective for Building Strength?

Are no repeat workouts effective? It’s a question I get a lot. If you’ve trained with me for any length of time, you probably already know this: you lot LOVE a no-repeat workout. And honestly? So do I. There is something deeply satisfying about finishing an exercise and knowing: “Excellent. Never seeing you again.” 😂 …

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30 minute push day workout for women over 40 with dumbbells

30 Min Push Day Workout | Chest, Shoulders + Triceps Burn

Short on time but still want a proper upper body strength session? This 30-minute push day workout gives your chest, shoulders and triceps focused, challenging work using nothing more than dumbbells and a mat. 🔥 An At Home Push Day for Your Chest, Shoulders and Triceps This is a proper upper body push day built …

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Low impact workout for women over 40

Low Impact Doesn’t Mean Easy: How to Train Hard Without Jumping After 40

If you’re looking for a low impact workout women over 40 can actually feel challenged by, this one is for you. Somewhere along the way, low impact became another way of saying easy. I completely disagree. Low impact tells you what is happening at the joints. It doesn’t tell you how hard you’re working. And …

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Penny doing a 60 minute muscle building workout at home in her garage

60 Min Full Body Dumbbell Workout to Build Muscle at Home

This 60 minute muscle building workout for women over 40 is proof that you can train every major muscle group properly at home with nothing more than dumbbells. Six focused tri-sets, 1½ reps, dedicated core work and a spicy max-out finisher deliver a serious full-body strength session without a machine in sight. You Really Don’t …

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Strength training vs cardio after 40

Strength Training vs Cardio After 40: Do You Actually Need Both?

Strength training vs cardio after 40 is one of the questions I get asked most, so let’s talk about it. One of the biggest changes I’ve made to my own training in my 40s is this: I’ve stopped expecting every workout to do everything. For years, especially in the home workout world, we’ve been sold …

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