If you’re a woman over 40 with goals like building a lean, strong, and athletic body — while also boosting your metabolism and burning body fat — one thing is certain:
You need strength training.
And not just any strength training. We're talking about intentional, foundational movements that activate your entire body and help you stay functional, energized, and injury-free as you age.
This post is Part Two of our five-part “Foundational Lifts” series. In Part One, we covered the dumbbell squat — a lower-body staple. Today, we’re diving into the next critical movement in your strength training toolkit: the dumbbell deadlift.
This lift may be misunderstood or even a little intimidating at first, but when executed correctly, the deadlift is a powerful way to develop full-body strength, muscle, movement functionality and building a strong posterior chain — all essential for women in midlife and beyond.
Let’s break it down.
Why the Dumbbell Deadlift Is a Must for Women Over 40
The dumbbell deadlift is not just a back or leg exercise. It’s a total-body strength move.
When performed with proper form, the deadlift targets your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, upper back, core, and even your arms (since you’re holding the weights). There is no muscle group left untouched when you’re doing this movement right.
This kind of full-body engagement makes the deadlift one of the most efficient lifts you can do. It's also highly functional — meaning it trains you for real-life movement patterns like lifting groceries, picking up grandkids, or handling heavy household tasks.
And for women over 40, this lift becomes even more important. Here's why:
- Because the deadlift is a full body movement using many different muscle groups, it helps preserve and build muscle mass, which otherwise would decline with age.
- Because the deadlift is a full body exercise, it's great at supporting bone density, particularly important for preventing osteoporosis. You wouldn't get the same effect from tens and tens of biceps curls, for example — we need these bigger movements
- Deadlifts improve posture and balance, helping you stay agile and confident.
- Again, because the deadlift uses so many muscles in your body, it's the best at raising your resting metabolic rate, which can help with fat loss and overall energy levels. Again, you don't get the same effect from tons of smaller movements (which does not make them useless — they do have their function in different contexts).
If you're not already incorporating deadlifts into your weekly workouts, you're leaving a lot of benefits on the table. So, don't do it!
Two Key Variations: Conventional and Romanian Deadlifts
There are many ways to perform deadlifts, but for our purposes, we’re focusing on the two most effective and beginner-friendly variations using dumbbells:
- The Conventional Dumbbell Deadlift
- The Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Let’s walk through how to perform each one with proper form and purpose.
Variation 1: The Conventional Dumbbell Deadlift
This is the classic deadlift movement — the one most people picture when thinking about lifting a heavy object from the floor. It emphasizes a combination of hip and knee bending and is great for building full-body strength.
Setup and Positioning
- Start with feet hip-width apart, standing tall with dumbbells resting at your sides.
- Keep your chest lifted and your posture tall.
- Pull your shoulder blades back as if you’re pinching them together slightly. This creates a strong, braced upper back and open chest and prevents rounding through the midsection.
The Movement
- Begin the movement by pushing your hips back and simultaneously bending your knees.
- Lower the weights toward the floor while maintaining that braced posture.
- Go as low as your mobility allows — ideally until the dumbbells reach mid-shin or slightly lower — then drive through your heels to stand up tall, returning to the start.
Key Cue: Chest Up, Hips Back
The deadlift is a hinge movement, not a squat. While you do bend your knees, the emphasis is on pushing the hips back — not dropping down vertically. This focus helps load the glutes and hamstrings instead of relying too much on the quads. When you watch the video above, you see how the difference between the dumbbell squat and the dumbbell deadlift.
Variation 2: The Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is a close cousin of the conventional deadlift, but with a distinct purpose and feel. It places more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes by reducing the amount of knee bend.
Setup and Execution
- Hold your dumbbells in front of your thighs, keeping your arms straight but not rigid.
- Again, set your posture: chest up, shoulder blades engaged.
- Keep your knees soft but not deeply bent.
- Begin the movement by hinging at the hips — push your hips back and lower the weights along the front of your legs.
- You should feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings as the weights lower.
- Once you feel a deep hamstring stretch (usually around mid-shin or just below the knees), drive your hips forward and stand back up.
Key Cue: Feel the Stretch, Maintain the Tension
There’s no pause at the bottom. Think of this movement as a smooth down-up pattern, maintaining tension in the hamstrings throughout.
The RDL is excellent for isolating the back of the legs and reinforcing proper hinge mechanics. It’s also a bit more beginner-friendly for those who may not yet have the mobility or flexibility for a deep conventional deadlift.
Conventional vs. RDL: What’s the Difference?
Here’s a quick recap to help you understand the differences and when to use each:
| Feature | Conventional Deadlift | Romanian Deadlift (RDL) |
|---|---|---|
| Knee Bend | Moderate to Deep | Minimal (soft knees) |
| Focus | Total-body, especially glutes and back | Total body, but focus on hamstrings and glutes |
| Starting Position | Dumbbells at sides | Dumbbells in front of thighs |
| Range of Motion | Typically deeper | Slightly shallower |
| Mobility Demands | Higher | Moderate |
Both are effective and ideally you should learn to do both.
Deadlifts and Real Life: Functional Strength in Action
The deadlift is arguably one of the most functional exercises you can perform. You deadlift every time you:
- Pick up something from the floor
- Lift luggage into a car
- Move a box or piece of furniture
- Carry groceries or bags
Mastering the movement pattern now helps ensure you can do these everyday tasks safely and without injury — now and in the decades to come.
How to Incorporate Deadlifts into Your Workouts
If you’re wondering where these lifts fit into your weekly routine, the Fit From Scratch Workout Plan is a great resource. It gives you three dumbbell-based workouts and three bodyweight and band workouts — all structured to help you train effectively without guesswork.
Inside the dumbbell part of the guide, you'll find deadlifts paired with other key movements in the exact format that allows for recovery, progression, and results — regardless of your current fitness level.
This free guide gives you a smart, progression-based structure that will be great for women 40+ looking to build strength and muscle.
Final Thoughts: Strength That Carries You Forward
As a woman in your 40s (and beyond), strength is about more than just aesthetics. It’s about resilience, energy, confidence, and freedom.
The dumbbell deadlift is one of the core lifts that makes all of that possible. It builds the kind of strength that doesn’t just show up in the mirror — it shows up in your everyday life.
Start with the version that feels right for you. Focus on form. And above all, stay consistent.
Strength isn’t something you “get.” It’s something you earn — one rep at a time.
More resources:
FREE Lean Ladies Calorie, Protein and Workout Guide: https://kerstenkimura.com/lean-ladies-calorie-protein-and-workout-guide-2/
FREE Course Strong and Sensitive: https://kerstenkimura.com/14-day
FREE nervous system regulation guide for anxiety: https://kerstenkimura.com/3-somatic-exercises-free-guide/
Beginner Level Strength Training Program: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/train-to-build-starter-program/
Intermediate Level Strength Training Program: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/train-to-build-intermediate/
Fit and Fueled Vault: A collection of 75+ video trainings providing sustainable, holistic approach to strength, nourishment, and nervous system regulation for women. NO DIETS. https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/fit-and-fueled-vault-course/
Emotionally Fit is my emotional awareness program for chronic pain or other chronic symptom recovery. You can find it here: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/emotionally-fit-program/
Visit my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/dotsbykersten
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