On a GLP-1 and Ready to Start Strength Training? 

If you've recently started a GLP-1 medication, you've probably already heard the advice:

Strength train. Eat enough protein. Improve your diet. Stay active.

You may completely agree.

But knowing what you should do isn't the same as knowing how to get started.

Maybe you've never strength trained before. Maybe it's been years since you've exercised consistently. You may have a knee, back, or shoulder that concerns you. Or you may simply feel like you wouldn't know what to do if you walked into a gym tomorrow.

That's okay.

You don't need to become a "gym person" before you start. You just need an appropriate place to begin.

The Goal Isn't Just to Lose Weight

GLP-1 medications can be extremely effective at helping people lose weight. But you've probably also heard about the importance of maintaining muscle during that process.

That's where strength training comes in.

But I think there's a better goal than simply trying to prevent muscle loss.

If you're going to spend the next several months changing your health and your body, why not use that time to become stronger too?

You can lose weight while learning how to strength train, improving what your body can do, and building habits that can continue long after being a beginner.

The scale can be moving down while your physical abilities are moving up.

That's the outcome I want for the people I coach.

You Don't Need to Get in Shape Before You Start

This is especially important if exercise hasn't been part of your life for a while.

You don't need to lose more weight first.

You don't need to improve your conditioning before working with a trainer.

And you definitely don't need to learn how to use gym equipment before you come in.

Where you are today is where we start.

Early training should be appropriate for what you can do right now. As you become stronger and more comfortable, we build from there.

I've coached people who came in with very little training experience, old injuries, limited mobility, poor conditioning, or simply very little confidence in what their bodies could do.

Those aren't reasons you can't strength train.

They're reasons your training should be built around you.

Private Strength Training Can Make Starting Easier

Walking into a busy gym and trying to figure everything out yourself isn't the only way to start strength training.

GN Strength is a private, appointment-based gym in Portage, Michigan.

There isn't a crowded room full of people watching you exercise. You aren't expected to keep up with a class. And you won't be handed a workout and left to figure it out.

It's you and your coach.

We can take the time to learn exercises, find the right starting point, work around limitations, and gradually progress as you get stronger.

For someone completely new to strength training, that can make the first step a lot less intimidating.

Your Nutrition Needs to Work in Real Life Too

You've probably been told to prioritize protein and eat a nutritious diet while taking a GLP-1.

Again, knowing that and consistently doing it are different things.

Nutrition coaching shouldn't just be someone telling you which foods are "good" and which are "bad."

I want to understand how you actually eat.

What do you like? What does a normal workday look like? What happens on weekends? What habits are already working? Where do you struggle?

Then we can build an eating strategy that supports your health and weight-loss goals without expecting you to live on a temporary diet.

The goal is to help you develop habits you can actually sustain.

Your physician or medical provider manages your medication and medical care. My role is to help you with the strength training, nutrition habits, and day-to-day implementation that go along with it.

I've Seen What This Can Look Like

One of my current clients started training with me at age 42.

When he began, he had knee problems and could barely perform a bodyweight squat. He was also using a GLP-1 as part of his weight-loss efforts.

He trains with me twice per week.

Ten months later, he had lost 35 pounds.

But that's only part of his progress.

His squat went from bodyweight to 235 pounds for sets of five.

His deadlift went from 85 pounds to 265 pounds.

His bench press went from 65 pounds to 145 pounds.

Those numbers aren't meant to suggest that everyone will get the same results.

They're meant to show what's possible when weight loss isn't the only thing you're working on.

He didn't just become lighter.

He became much stronger along the way.

You Don't Need a "GLP-1 Workout"

I don't have one special workout that I give everyone taking a GLP-1.

That's intentional.

You might need help learning how to strength train safely and confidently.

Someone else might need extra attention around a previous injury.

Another person may need more help with nutrition, accountability, or staying consistent.

That's why I want to get to know you before deciding exactly what your coaching should look like.

We figure out where you're starting, what you want to accomplish, and what might get in the way.

Then we build around that.

Make This About More Than a Number on the Scale

Starting a GLP-1 can be the beginning of a significant change in your life.

If you're also thinking about strength training for the first time, I know taking that step can feel like a big one.

You don't have to show up already knowing what you're doing.

That's my job.

My goal is to meet you where you are, help you become comfortable with the process, and gradually show you just how much more capable you can become.

If the scale is going down, I want to see other things going up:

Your strength.

Your confidence.

Your ability to do things that used to be difficult.

And your belief that you can maintain the changes you're making.

GLP-1 Strength Training and Nutrition Coaching in Portage, Michigan

I provide private strength training and nutrition coaching at GN Strength in Portage for adults throughout the Portage and Kalamazoo area, including people using GLP-1 medications as part of their weight-loss journey.

You don't need to know what kind of training program you need.

You don't need to have your nutrition figured out.

And you don't need to get in better shape before you contact me.

Ready to Get Started? 

If you're using a GLP-1 and ready to add strength training, you don't need to know exactly what kind of program you need. Tell me a little about yourself, what you'd like to accomplish, and where you're starting. I'll follow up personally with more information about GN Strength and the next step.