Millions of Americans are taking GLP-1 agonist medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound to lose weight, treat type 2 diabetes, and manage other chronic health conditions. And while these drugs are generally really effective, they can also bring on some not-so-great side effects, including a big drop in muscle mass for some people.
Losing muscle isn’t just an aesthetic bummer–it can make you more likely to develop sarcopenia down the road. Sarcopenia is a fancy term for low muscle mass, and it can lead to decreased strength, endurance, and mobility, as well as increased risk of falls and injuries later in life, as SELF previously reported. Basically, if you want to live a long, healthy life, you’ll want to avoid sarcopenia as best you can. And one effective way to lower your risk of it? Strength training.
Specifically, lifting heavy weights while taking a GLP-1 can help preserve your lean muscle mass as you lose weight, Gregory Norman, a certified personal trainer and regional personal training manager of Focus Integrated Fitness, tells SELF. Not only does training with heavy loads improve neural efficiency (basically, your body’s ability to effectively engage muscles), it also spurs your muscles to grow bigger and stronger.
With that in mind, Norman developed for SELF a total-body beginner strength workout geared towards people taking GLP-1s. (Important caveat: While this routine is designed to maintain and even grow your muscle mass, it may not be safe for everyone on GLP-1s. Before giving it a go, check with your doctor to understand if it’s the right choice for you.)
This routine features seven exercises that together hit all the basic movement patterns you need to work your entire body, Norman explains.
These include a lower-body push movement (squat); an upper-body horizontal push (hands-elevated push-up); an upper-body horizontal pull (dumbbell bent-over row); a lower-body pull (dumbbell glute bridge); an upper-body vertical push (high plank to downward dog tap); upper-body vertical pull (dumbbell pullover); and a bonus core move (the dead bug).
All of these moves are compound exercises, meaning they work multiple joints at a time. Compared to isolation exercises, where just one joint works at a time (like tricep extensions or hamstring curls, for example), compound moves recruit more muscles, which makes them an efficient, effective choice for maintaining and growing your muscle mass.
Norman recommends doing this full-body workout two to three times per week, with rest days taken in between each session.