How heavy
From our Vonda Wright profile
Wright and Sims favour heavy, low-rep sets for midlife women; Israetel advises older lifters to do most sets in the 10–20 rep range to lower the injury risk.
Compare experts › Stacy Sims vs Vonda Wright
Stacy Sims vs Vonda Wright
Stacy Sims (exercise physiologist) and Vonda Wright (orthopaedic surgeon) side by side: how they train, eat, supplement and sleep, how strong the evidence is, and how to build a plan from either or both.
Words explained (11)
- Zone 2
- Steady cardio at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences, but not sing.
- Intervals
- Short hard efforts with easy recovery in between, such as 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow.
- 4 × 4
- Four rounds of 4 minutes hard with 3 minutes easy in between. Also called Norwegian intervals.
- Mobility
- Moving your joints freely through their full range.
- Creatine
- A well-studied supplement that supports strength and muscle.
- Omega-3 (EPA, DHA)
- Healthy fats found mostly in oily fish such as salmon, herring and sardines.
- Fibre
- The part of plant foods you don't digest. It feeds healthy gut bacteria and keeps you full.
- Time-restricted eating
- Eating all your meals within a set window of the day, for example 8am to 6pm.
- Perimenopause
- The years of changing hormones before periods stop for good.
- Hormone therapy (HRT, MHT)
- Medicine that replaces hormones that fall at menopause. Only a doctor can prescribe it.
- NAD
- A molecule cells use for energy. Supplements are sold to raise it, but evidence in people is limited.
At a glance
| Measure | Stacy Sims | Vonda Wright |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Exercise physiologist | Orthopaedic surgeon |
| Training split | 60% strength · 10% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility | 40% strength · 45% aerobic · 10% intervals · 5% mobility |
| Signature habit | Heavy lifts + sprints | Heavy 4 × 4 + daily jumps |
| Protein | ~2.2 g/kg | 30 g+ at every meal |
| Training style | Women 40+ | Bones & joints |
| Overall evidence | Strong | Solid |
| Following | Instagram 1.4M · YouTube 372K | Instagram 1.7M |
Training splits are our estimates from each expert’s published routine. Following checked October 2026.
The key differences
- Sims puts more of the week into strength: about 60% against 40%.
- Wright puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 45% against 10%.
- Sims puts more of the week into intervals: about 25% against 10%.
- In plans in their style, both use short sprints for hard sessions.
- We rate the evidence behind Sims' protocol higher: strong, against solid for Wright.
- Supplements that go into a plan: Sims, creatine monohydrate; Wright, creatine monohydrate. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
- Neither has a separate mobility routine; plans add 10 minutes a day of basics.
Where they disagree
Protocols side by side
Each line is rated for the evidence behind it. “Doctor only” items never go into a plan.
Training
Stacy Sims
- Strength training 3–4 times a week, 45–60 minutes, built on compound liftsStrong evidence
- From perimenopause, lift heavy: about 3–5 sets of 6 reps or fewer, leaving 2–3 reps in reserve, with 2+ minutes restSome evidence
- Sprint intervals of 30 seconds or less, all-out, with full recovery; 1–2 sessions a weekSome evidence
- Jump and impact work (e.g. squat jumps, box jumps) for bone; one studied protocol is 10–20 jumps twice a daySome evidence
- Keep easy cardio (walking, easy rides) as recovery; she plays down long moderate-intensity sessions and zone 2 for midlife body-composition goalsPersonal habit
- 'Ten-minute rule': if you still feel flat after a 10-minute warm-up, scale the session downPersonal habit
Vonda Wright
- Two strength sessions a week. Main lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, a row or pulldown) as 4 sets of 4 reps: heavy enough that a fifth rep is possible but not a sixth.Some evidence
- Accessory exercises: 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps.Some evidence
- Beginners learn the lifts with light weights first; good technique can take 3–9 months. Add about 5–10% load every 1–2 weeks.Note
- About 20 jumps in different directions every day, for bone.Some evidence
- About 3 hours a week of easy cardio in 45–60 minute sessions, plus short sprints twice a week (for example 4 × 30 seconds with full recovery).Some evidence
- A walk after your biggest meal, building up to 45 minutes, and a little one-leg balance practice every day.Some evidence
Eating
Stacy Sims
- Do not train fasted: about 15 g protein before lifting, plus about 30 g carbohydrate before cardio of up to an hourSome evidence
- After training: 40–60 g protein (perimenopause on) within about 45 minutes, and carbohydrate within 2 hoursSome evidence
- Daily protein around 2.2 g/kg body weight, the top of the 1.4–2.2 g/kg range in her ISSN position standSome evidence
- Protein at meals 30–40 g, snacks 15–20 gSome evidence
- Avoid long fasts, keto and big calorie cuts if active; a small deficit (about 150–200 kcal) in the evening, away from training, if aiming to lose fatPersonal habit
Vonda Wright
- At least 30 g of protein at every meal, spread through the day: about half a gram per pound of body weight (about 1.1 g per kg).Some evidence
- About 30 g of fibre a day, a little healthy fat, and an anti-inflammatory way of eating.Some evidence
- Log your food for three weekdays and two weekend days to see what you really eat.Personal habit
Supplements
Stacy Sims
- Creatine monohydrate 3–5 g a day (start with 1–2 g if unsure), paired with strength trainingStrong evidence
- Choose third-party tested products (NSF or Informed Sport)Note
- Vitamin D3, omega-3, collagen and turmeric mentioned as options; no doses givenPersonal habit
- Iron only if a blood test shows low ferritinDoctor only
Vonda Wright
- Creatine 3–5 g a day for strength.Strong evidence
- Test vitamin D and supplement to reach a healthy range.Doctor only
- Supplements aimed at clearing ageing 'zombie' cells, and the urolithin A and NAD+ precursor she has said she takes.Personal habit
Sleep & recovery
Stacy Sims
- Traditional (Finnish-style) sauna at about 60–80 °C after training; she prefers heat to cold for womenSome evidence
- If using cold water, choose cool (about 16 °C) rather than ice-coldPersonal habit
- Treat easy days as true recovery between hard sessionsPersonal habit
- Sees hormone therapy as a valid option for hot flushes and bone risk, but not required for every womanDoctor only
Vonda Wright
- Put sleep first, before changing your diet or training.Personal habit
Stress & mind
Stacy Sims
- Keep hard intervals short; she says longer efforts and very long sessions raise cortisol, already a concern in menopauseSome evidence
- In perimenopause, have caffeine with food before training if it makes you shaky or light-headedPersonal habit
- Listen to your own body and track responses rather than following a fixed planPersonal habit
Vonda Wright
No specific guidance in what we reviewed.
Brain health
Stacy Sims
- Creatine for brain fog and mood; she cites a trial where 5 g a day added to an antidepressant helped women with depressionSome evidence
- Favours truly hard intervals over moderate or zone 2 cardio for midlife cognitive and metabolic benefitsSome evidence
Vonda Wright
No specific guidance in what we reviewed.
Weak spots to know
Stacy Sims
- Some researchers say her sex-specific advice goes beyond the evidence. A 2023 umbrella review co-authored by Stuart Phillips found no clear effect of menstrual-cycle phase on strength or training gains, and Sims publicly debated Lauren Colenso-Semple in 2025 on fasted training and protein timing, framed as mechanisms versus outcomes.
- Her case against fasted training leans heavily on short-term hormone and appetite responses; critics note that longer studies measuring actual fat loss and muscle gain show little difference when daily calories are adequate.
- Many of her menopause-specific prescriptions (exact sprint lengths, playing down zone 2, tight post-exercise protein windows) come from extrapolation and her own coaching experience rather than trials in midlife women.
Vonda Wright
- The 20-jumps-a-day figure, and the 1–3% bone gain she links to it, were given without a cited study in the interview we read.
- Her suggestions of senolytic supplements, urolithin A and NAD+ precursors rest on early, mostly small or animal studies.
- Heavy 4-rep lifting suits most healthy women with good coaching, but beginners and anyone with osteoporosis need a slow, supervised start.
Build a plan from Sims, Wright or both
Your free plan shows a week of gym sessions, cardio, a day of eating, supplements and mobility, fitted to your age, time and health.
Questions
What is the main difference between Stacy Sims and Vonda Wright?
Their training split differs most in aerobic base (zone 2): Sims about 10%, Wright about 45% (our estimate from their published routines). Sims' signature habit is Heavy lifts + sprints; Wright's is Heavy 4 × 4 + daily jumps.
How much protein do Sims and Wright recommend?
Sims: ~2.2 g/kg. Wright: 30 g+ at every meal.
Whose advice has stronger evidence?
We rate the evidence behind Sims' protocol higher: strong, against solid for Wright.
Do Sims and Wright disagree?
Yes, on how heavy. See "Where they disagree" on this page.
Can I combine Sims and Wright?
Yes. In Build my mix you choose one expert per area, for example one for strength and another for eating. Your free plan shows the result straight away.
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Full sources are on each profile: Stacy Sims · Vonda Wright. Reviewed October 2026.