When in my schedule to fit in weights?

[FabledLands]

I'd love some advice on where to fit weights into my schedule. I'm 48. Perimenopausal, although not too bad. My weight has been stable for decades, but I have now gained a few pounds; however, I'm in a difficult situation where dropping calories may not be the right thing to do because I am small (49kg, BMI 21-22) and have little room to play with, e.g., I may drop muscle mass quickly. I worry when I see posts from people eating around 1200 a day who are taller than me, but I also read that eating too little can cause water retention and increased cortisol, reducing recovery.

My main sport is kickboxing/weapons, and I do not plan to reduce this. In fact, everything I do health-wise is to improve this (appear to ache more and gain injuries quicker. My flexibility has reduced, too).

I think I need to add some weights. Will be at home. I used to lift in my 20s. But I am not sure where in the week or how often. Here is my schedule.

Mon - Reformer 50 mins
Tue - 2 hours kickboxing/weapons
Wed - rest
Thur - Yoga
Fri - Reformer 50 mins (every other week), 1.5 hour kickboxing/sparring
Sat - 1 hour kickboxing/weapons practice at home
Sun - rest

Any advice from people who know more than me would be appreciated. Can I do the full body once a week? Is that too little, or will all the body weight stuff I already do contribute?

I'd swap out one or other of the Pilates/yoga sessions - probably the Pilates - and aim to do a programme that is consistent for about 12 weeks of weight moves that support your main sport.

For one session per week, it needs to be full body - so the classic compound lifts, especially squat variations & deadlifts. You could add in things like thrusters, devil's press, which are full body but also require movement & flexibility.

Track the weights you use over the 12 weeks, and see if you can increase by a little bit each week. You need to focus on building muscles, not just maintaining it. That's hard, but it can e done, if you eat in a bit of a surplus and pay attention to protein. Try adding creatine as a supplement as well.

I'd also add in targeted mobility & flexibility. Or try to push the flexibility aspect of yoga.

Try Wednesday (rest day) and Sunday, doing 20–30 minutes full-body strength (squats, lunges, push-ups, rows, core). This will help maintain muscle, support your kickboxing, and reduce injury risk without overtraining.

I'd do it Thursday before yoga to benefit from the rest day the day before. As a pp recommends, start with compound lifts and squats