🔒 Inner Circle Member Exclusive
This workout lives inside my Inner Circle, with ad-free workouts plus members-only sessions like this one. Join here to unlock it: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofomcxxyhNuZ6qeHzInm3Q/join
A Short Workout That Actually Delivers
This 20-minute strength and SIT workout for women over 40 is one of my Inner Circle exclusives, and it’s a proper favourite. 🔥
Most 20-minute workouts feel rushed. You get through the moves, tick the box, and wonder if it actually did anything. This one is different.
It’s built as a ladder. Each round the work interval gets shorter, but the exercises progress and get harder. So you’re not just racing the clock. You’re building on every move, every round, until that final sprint burst when you realise you gave absolutely everything in just 20 minutes.
Three rounds. Three SIT bursts. One very satisfying finish.
What You’ll Gain
- ✔️ A full-body strength and conditioning hit in just 20 minutes
- ✔️ Heart-rate spikes from the sprint bursts, without endless cardio
- ✔️ Progression built into every round, so you level up as you go
- ✔️ A time-efficient session for the busiest days
- ✔️ That energised, accomplished feeling, not wrecked
Workout Overview
| ⏱ Duration | 20 minutes including warm-up and cool-down |
| 🔥 Calories | Around 145 |
| 🔒 Access | Inner Circle members only |
| 🏋️ Equipment | Dumbbells (10kg/22 lbs + 7kg/15.5 lbs), a mat |
| 💪 Focus | Full-body strength plus sprint conditioning |
| 🎯 Format | 3 descending rounds, each capped with a SIT burst |
Why This Format Works for Women Over 40
The ladder keeps you progressing. As the intervals shorten, the moves level up. Sumo Deadlift becomes a Sumo Deadlift High Pull becomes a Walking Sumo Deadlift High Pull. Your body has to keep adapting instead of settling into autopilot, which is exactly what drives change.
Strength plus SIT is the sweet spot. SIT stands for Sprint Interval Training: short, all-out bursts with generous recovery, here a 1:2 work-to-rest ratio (20 seconds on, 40 seconds off). This strength and SIT workout pairs the two, giving you the cardio and conditioning benefits without grinding yourself into the ground. It’s effective, it’s efficient, and it’s genuinely one of my favourite ways to train.
Short but complete, which matters in perimenopause. When time and energy are tight, a focused 20 minutes that works every system beats a long, depleting slog. You get the strength, you get the conditioning, and you finish energised rather than flattened. Consistency over intensity. Energised, not exhausted. Always.
The Full Workout
Warm Up · 3 Minutes
1️⃣ Good Morning to Squat
2️⃣ Inchworm
3️⃣ Reverse Lunge & Reach
4️⃣ Jog on the spot
Round 1 · 3 Sets · 50 secs work / 20 secs rest · 10kg/22 lbs
1️⃣ Sumo Deadlift
2️⃣ SA Row (L) side
3️⃣ SA Row (R) side
4️⃣ Reverse Lunge
🔥 SIT Burst: Running Man x 3 rounds · 20 secs work / 40 secs rest
Round 2 · 3 Sets · 40 secs work / 15 secs rest · 7kg/15.5 lbs
1️⃣ Sumo Deadlift High Pull
2️⃣ Alt Row & Hold
3️⃣ Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive
🔥 SIT Burst: Lateral Squat Hop x 3 rounds · 20 secs work / 40 secs rest
Round 3 · 3 Sets · 30 secs work / 15 secs rest · 7kg/15.5 lbs
1️⃣ Walking Sumo Deadlift High Pull
2️⃣ Man Maker
3️⃣ OH Reverse Lunge
🔥 SIT Burst: Squat Hop Burpee x 3 rounds · 20 secs work / 40 secs rest
Cool Down · 90 Seconds
1️⃣ Low Lunge Hip Flexor Hold
2️⃣ Chest & Shoulder Stretch
3️⃣ Seated Forward Fold
Workout Complete 🔥
I burned approximately 145 calories.
Exercises Worth Calling Out
Sumo Deadlift High Pull. A hinge and a pull rolled into one. It builds the whole posterior chain and gets your heart rate climbing at the same time. The progression from a straight sumo deadlift in Round 1 is what makes the ladder tick.
Man Maker. The big one in Round 3. Full body, properly demanding, and the perfect example of the moves getting harder as the clock gets shorter.
The SIT bursts. Running Man, Lateral Squat Hop and Squat Hop Burpee. The whole point is to go all out for the 20 seconds, then genuinely take the 40 seconds of rest. Effort then recovery. That’s what makes sprint intervals work.
Trainer Tips
- ✔️ Go heaviest in Round 1, then drop your weight as the intervals shorten and the moves get harder
- ✔️ Treat every SIT burst like a real sprint. All out for 20 seconds, then actually rest
- ✔️ Brace your core on every deadlift and high pull
- ✔️ Step instead of hop if you want a lower-impact version of the bursts
- ✔️ It’s short, so bring the effort, but never at the cost of your form
Who This Workout Is Perfect For
This strength and SIT workout is for my Inner Circle members who want a quick, complete, slightly spicy session that fits into a busy day. You’ll want to be comfortable with deadlifts, rows and lunges, and happy with a little impact in the sprint bursts.
If jumping isn’t for you today, step the bursts out instead of hopping. You’ll still get the heart-rate spike without the impact. Everything here scales to where you are.
Save This Workout
Want to take this strength and SIT workout with you? I’ve made a fully interactive workout card with every round, all the timing and space to log the weights you use, so you can watch yourself getting stronger week by week.
👉 Strength and SIT Workout Card | Interactive PDF
Not an Inner Circle member yet? This is exactly the kind of extra session you unlock inside. Join here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofomcxxyhNuZ6qeHzInm3Q/join
What to Try Next
👉 Barbell Lower Body Workout for Women Over 40
👉 30-Minute Full Body Strength and SIT Hybrid Workout
👉 5 Strength HIIT Workouts to Build Muscle & Burn Fat, Fast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SIT training?
SIT stands for Sprint Interval Training: short, all-out bursts of effort with longer recovery periods. In this workout that’s 20 seconds of work to 40 seconds of rest, a 1:2 ratio. It’s a time-efficient way to get real conditioning benefits.
Is this strength and SIT workout suitable for perimenopause?
Yes. Short, effective sessions that combine strength with a little conditioning are ideal through perimenopause. You build and protect muscle, get the cardio benefits, and finish energised rather than depleted. Scale the sprint bursts to suit your energy on the day.
What weight dumbbells should I use?
I used 10kg/22 lbs for Round 1 and 7kg/15.5 lbs for Rounds 2 and 3, dropping the weight as the moves get more complex. Those are a guide, so choose loads that challenge you while letting you keep good form.
How do I access this workout?
It’s an Inner Circle member exclusive. You can join my Inner Circle here for ad-free workouts and members-only sessions like this one: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofomcxxyhNuZ6qeHzInm3Q/join
Can I make the SIT bursts low impact?
Absolutely. Step instead of hop. For example, a low-impact Running Man or a lateral step instead of the squat hop. You’ll still raise your heart rate without the jumping.
How many calories does this workout burn?
Around 145 calories in 20 minutes for this strength and SIT workout, though this varies with your effort, your weights and your body. The strength work also keeps your metabolism working after you finish.
How often should I do this workout?
Once or twice a week works well as part of a balanced week with some longer strength sessions and proper rest days. Short and sharp is brilliant, but it doesn’t need to be every day.
Give this strength and SIT workout a go and come and tell me how you found it 😉 Drop a comment on the members’ video and let me know which round got you the most: Round 1 heavy and slow, or Round 3 fast and spicy.
Remember: consistency over intensity. Strong and energised, not exhausted. Always. 🔥
Penny
