‘Beginner to 5kg’ Programme

‘Beginner to 5kg’ is a 6-week women-specific and evidence-based progressive strength training and health education programme for women over 35 years.

Strength training is really important for women in midlife and beyond, but many have expressed numerous barriers to strength training participation. From our research and vast experience of working with midlife and older women, we created ‘Beginner to 5kg’ – a novel, flexible, time-efficient, educational and mixed-ability strength training and health education programme. This programme incorporates technique-focused demonstrations of strength exercises, with progressions and adaptations for varying ability levels, and practical evidence-based health education on strength training, health, nutrition, and recovery.

EduFIT in partnership with Laois Sports Partnership and funded by Sport Ireland, conducted a research study to determine the efficacy of the ‘Beginner to 5kg’ programme. Our results show that ‘Beginner to 5kg’ significantly improves upper- and lower-body muscular strength and endurance, wellbeing, physical self-efficacy and physical activity participation in midlife and older women. Additionally, in participants who self-reported as perimenopausal and post-menopausal, there was a significant reduction in menopausal symptoms following ‘Beginner to 5kg’. Our paper is currently in review, and we will link it here once it has been published.

These improvements have been found in subsequent ‘Beginner to 5kg’ online programmes delivered in county Laois in 2024 and 2025, in partnership with Laois Sports Partnership. Please read the facilitator and participant testimonials below.

What is involved in the ‘Beginner to 5kg’ programme for participants?

Participants have access to:

  • Pre- and post-testing: This can be conducted live online with an instructor in exercise classes in week 1 and week 6, or at-home in their own time using the ‘Beginner to 5kg’ at-home testing manual.
  • 1 * 20-minute live online (and recorded) health masterclass per week providing simple and practical evidence-based information on the physiological benefits of strength training, specific training principles, and special considerations for nutrition and recovery to support health and performance adaptations.
  • 2 * 40-minute live online evidence-based strength training classes per week. These strength training classes are suitable for mixed abilities, including women of all fitness abilities and those living with one or more clinical conditions. The first two weeks of the programme are focused on performing body weight exercises with correct technique and then progression is incorporated by performing strength exercises with light household items (e.g. water bottles and tinned cans) and resistance bands. The use of equipment is optional.
  • An on-demand library of pre-recorded strength training videos to perform if they would like to complete additional training or use as a substitute for a live online strength training class.
  • Weekly take-home resources including the key points of the health masterclasses.

Participants will have lifetime access to the on-demand library so they can continue to use the strength training videos and watch the health masterclasses after the programme ends.

Please watch our video below which shows how our ‘Beginner to 5kg’ programme can be facilitated.

What are the benefits of the ‘Beginner to 5kg’ programme?

We have scientific evidence (our publication is currently in review!) to support the benefits of the ‘Beginner to 5kg’ programme which include:

  • Increased upper-body muscular strength and endurance
  • Increased lower-body muscular strength and endurance
  • Increased wellbeing
  • Increased physical self-efficacy
  • Increased physical activity participation
  • Decreased menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal and post-menopausal women

How is the ‘Beginner to 5kg’ programme delivered?

The ‘Beginner to 5kg’ programme is currently delivered by the EduFIT team. This programme can be delivered online or through a hybrid format combining online and in-person delivery.

Please contact Dr Diane Cooper via email info@edufit.ie if you are interested in this programme.

Testimonials