Why muscle matters while you lose weight on a GLP-1, how often to lift, eight beginner moves and a sample week you can do at home.
If you're taking a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound, your doctor may have told you to "do some strength training." This guide explains why that advice matters, how often experts suggest training, eight beginner moves to start with, and a sample week you can do at home. HipTrain wrote it. We're a live online personal training service, not a medical provider, so please check with your doctor before you start.
A 2025 joint advisory from four obesity and nutrition organizations recommends strength training at least three times a week, plus at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, for people on GLP-1 medications. The goal is to help preserve muscle and bone while you lose weight. Start light with body weight or bands, work all your major muscle groups, and add weight gradually as moves get easier.
Some of the weight you lose can be lean mass. The advisory, from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society, looked at the STEP 1 trial of semaglutide. Of the average 13.6 kg (about 30 pounds) people lost, 5.3 kg, about 38%, was lean body mass. Lean mass includes muscle, organs and water. Because muscle is roughly half of lean mass, the authors estimate that about 20% of the weight lost was muscle.
It varies by person. The advisory cites modeling suggesting that, without structured strength training, muscle may make up about 10% to 15% of weight lost in women and 20% to 25% in men. Those are estimates, not a prediction for you.
Muscle is hard to win back. Cleveland Clinic endocrinologist Dr. Anira Iqbal says, "Once you start losing muscle mass, it becomes very difficult to gain it back." Muscle also matters for everyday things: the National Institute on Aging (NIA) says strength work makes it easier to get up from a chair, climb stairs and carry groceries.
That's why the advisory lists preserving muscle and bone through strength training and good nutrition as a priority throughout GLP-1 treatment, not just at the end.
If three days feels like a lot, start with two and build up.
Do 1 or 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps of each. The NIA says strength exercises should be done at a moderate level of effort, to the point where another rep would be difficult.
Stand in front of a sturdy chair, feet hip-width apart. Push your hips back and lower until you lightly touch the seat, then stand. Easier: use your hands on your thighs. Harder: hold a dumbbell at your chest.
Hands on a wall or counter at shoulder height. Lower your chest toward it, then push away. Move your feet back, or use a lower surface, to make it harder.
Loop a band around a sturdy post, or hinge forward with one hand on a counter and a dumbbell in the other. Pull your elbow back toward your ribs and squeeze your shoulder blade.
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until they line up with your knees and shoulders. Lower slowly.
Hold dumbbells or a band in front of your thighs. With a soft knee bend, push your hips back and lower the weight along your legs, keeping your back flat. Stand back up by squeezing your glutes.
Seated or standing, press light dumbbells or water bottles from shoulder height overhead without locking your elbows.
Holding a rail, step onto the bottom stair with one foot, bring the other up, then step down. Do all reps on one side, then switch.
Hold a dumbbell or a full grocery bag in each hand, stand tall and walk for 20 to 30 seconds.
This is an example only. It follows the advisory's three strength days and adds walking toward 150 minutes.
Leave a day between strength sessions when you can. The NIA advises not exercising the same muscle group two days in a row.
When you can do 12 clean reps of a move, make it a little harder: add a second set, a little weight, or a slower lowering. The NIA says gradually increasing weight, sets or days is what makes muscles stronger. If you're having a rough week with nausea or low energy, it's fine to hold steady or go lighter.
Most people on a GLP-1 know they should lift. The hard parts are learning the moves, choosing the right weight, and actually doing it three times a week. A coach watching on video can fix your form, adjust on days you feel off, and keep you accountable with a booked time. HipTrain is live 1-on-1 personal training over video with the same certified coach every session. Our coaches are trainers, not doctors or dietitians, so they won't advise on medication or diet.
"I have been training with Juan Garcia for about a year now. He is very knowledgeable, and helped me get to a consistent strength training schedule, even though I didn't have any strength training experience when we started. I would highly recommend HipTrain and Juan." (Manya S., Google review)
Three 30-minute sessions a week ($179.99 a month) matches the advisory's three strength days. Your first session is free. Read more on our personal training for GLP-1 users page and our live strength training page.
Where HipTrain isn't the right fit: if you want labs, body scans or a meal plan alongside training, you'll need a medical or dietitian-led program. We offer live training only. And if you'd rather follow a written plan on your own, the routine above is free.
The 2025 joint advisory suggests at least three times a week, plus at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity. If you're new, start with two days and build up. Check with your doctor first.
It can help, but nobody can promise a result. The advisory recommends strength training and good nutrition together to help preserve muscle and bone. How much you keep depends on many factors, including age, sex, protein and how consistent you are.
For most people cleared by their doctor, yes. Drink water, start light, and stop and call your healthcare provider if you feel dizzy, nauseated or short of breath, as Cleveland Clinic advises.
No. All eight moves above work with a chair, a wall, a stair and a band or light dumbbells. Add heavier weights as you get stronger.
Both. The advisory pairs strength training with at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week. Walking counts.
Want a coach to do your three strength days with you? Try your first HipTrain session free. No credit card needed.
We checked these guidelines in October 2026. Guidance changes, so confirm with your doctor what's right for you.