Tool
Strength Minimum Plan
Not a workout app — a floor. The single most useful thing you can do to keep muscle while losing weight is some resistance training, done consistently. This is theminimum effective approach: enough to matter, simple enough to actually do. It’s general education, not a program built for you.
Where will you train?
The minimum that works
- 2–3 sessions a week, 20–40 minutes. Two is enough to start; three is better.
- Cover the whole body each session with a handful of compound movements.
- Take most sets close to effort — the last couple of reps should feel genuinely hard, while keeping good form.
- Protein supports the work — see the Protein Reality Check.
A simple full-body session
Pick one from each line, 2–3 sets of 6–12 reps. Swap any movement that hurts.
How to progress (without overthinking it)
- Add a rep or two before you add load.
- When you hit the top of a rep range with good form, add a little resistance and drop back down the range.
- Consistency beats intensity. A session you actually do beats a perfect one you skip.
Low-energy days (common on GLP-1s)
Appetite and energy can dip, especially early or after a dose increase. On a flat day: do a shorter version — one set per movement, lighter — or just walk. Something beats nothing, and you don’t have to earn your food. Don’t train through feeling faint, breathless, or unwell.
Questions to take to a clinician or trainer
- I get chest pain, severe breathlessness, or dizziness when I exert myself — what should I do first?
- I have a joint, back, or old injury — how should I modify these movements?
- Given my heart, blood pressure, or other conditions, is there anything I should avoid?
- I feel weaker or am losing strength fast — what should we check?