Muscle preservation on GLP-1s
Rapid weight loss on semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide comes with a hidden cost: up to 40% of the lost weight can be lean tissue if resistance training and protein aren't protecting it. That's the muscle you use to climb stairs, carry groceries, and hold the scale after you taper off.
This library is 27 protocols organised by how your body actually feels on GLP-1s — not by how much you can bench. Foundations for low-appetite or nauseous days. Builders for stable stretches. Progressors for weeks 12+ when appetite has settled and you're eating enough to recover.
Foundations
8 protocolsLow-appetite days, week 1–4, or nausea flare-ups. Bodyweight, minimal equipment, forgiving on energy.
Wall-sit hold
5 minNoneSets3 rounds × 30–60 s
Why on GLP-1Isometric quad load with zero impact — safe on days when nausea makes anything jarring unpleasant.
Chair-squat pulses
6 minA chairSets3 rounds × 12 reps
Why on GLP-1Preserves quad and glute mass — the two muscle groups most at risk during rapid GLP-1 loss.
Wall push-ups
5 minNoneSets3 rounds × 10 reps
Why on GLP-1Chest and triceps stimulus that stays gentle on the stomach — no floor position, no reflux risk.
Glute bridge
6 minNoneSets3 rounds × 12 reps
Why on GLP-1Hip-extension work that fights the metabolic drop-off in glute mass during aggressive calorie deficit.
Standing calf raises
5 minNone (optional wall for balance)Sets3 rounds × 15 reps
Why on GLP-1Calves are neglected on weight-loss programs and shrink noticeably — 5 minutes twice a week prevents it.
Seated band row
8 minLight resistance bandSets3 rounds × 12 reps
Why on GLP-1Upper-back pull that counterbalances the posture drift many users get during low-energy weeks.
Dead bug
6 minNoneSets3 rounds × 10 reps/side
Why on GLP-1Core stability with no crunching — safer than sit-ups when GLP-1 reflux is active.
Sit-to-stand
6 minA chairSets3 rounds × 10 reps
Why on GLP-1Lower-body functional strength — directly correlates with the physical-function scores that predict long-term maintenance.
Builders
12 protocolsStable stretches once side effects settle. Bands or light dumbbells, twice-weekly full-body pattern.
Goblet squat
15 minSingle dumbbell 10–25 lbSets3 sets × 8–10 reps
Why on GLP-1Best full-lower-body lift when appetite is small — one dumbbell, minimal setup, maximum quad and glute recruitment.
Dumbbell row
15 minDumbbell 10–25 lb, bench or chairSets3 sets × 8–10 reps/side
Why on GLP-1Preserves back thickness — the muscle group that most visibly signals "healthy weight loss" vs "wasting".
Push-ups
10 minNoneSets3 sets × as many as form allows
Why on GLP-1Chest, shoulder, and triceps in one exercise — no equipment, low fatigue on low-calorie days.
Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
15 minTwo dumbbells 15–35 lbSets3 sets × 10 reps
Why on GLP-1Hamstring and glute focus — the posterior chain that visibly hollows out during rapid loss without training.
Dumbbell overhead press
12 minTwo dumbbells 8–20 lbSets3 sets × 8 reps
Why on GLP-1Shoulder mass keeps arms proportionally full as body-fat drops — small volume, high visible payoff.
Reverse lunge
12 minOptional dumbbells 5–15 lbSets3 sets × 8 reps/side
Why on GLP-1Unilateral load — corrects the strength imbalance that shows up when overall mass drops fast.
Band lat pulldown
10 minResistance band anchored highSets3 sets × 12 reps
Why on GLP-1Lat width fills the shirt as fat drops — the single biggest visual cue that weight loss looks healthy.
Plank progressions
10 minNoneSets3 sets × 30–60 s
Why on GLP-1Isometric core — no digestive strain, and rebuilds trunk stability lost during any inactive-treatment weeks.
Step-ups
15 minSturdy bench or box, optional dumbbellsSets3 sets × 10 reps/side
Why on GLP-1Trains stair-climbing pattern directly — one of the daily-life abilities that GLP-1 users report losing.
Banded hip thrust
12 minResistance band, benchSets3 sets × 12 reps
Why on GLP-1Glute hypertrophy on minimal equipment — highest-payoff exercise for the muscle group that shrinks fastest.
Farmer's carry
10 minAny two heavy items 15–40 lb eachSets4 rounds × 30 s walk
Why on GLP-1Grip, traps, and core in one — closest thing to a whole-body maintenance exercise that fits any home.
Band face pull
8 minResistance band anchored at chest heightSets3 sets × 15 reps
Why on GLP-1Rear delts and mid-back — the postural muscles that decline first on any weight-loss program.
Progressors
7 protocolsPast the settling-in phase and eating enough to fuel recovery. Compound lifts, progressive overload.
Barbell back squat
35 minBarbell, squat rackSets3 sets × 5 reps at 70–80% 1RM
Why on GLP-1The single most muscle-preserving lift when calories are low — heavy load, low volume, minimal appetite provocation.
Conventional deadlift
40 minBarbellSets3 sets × 3–5 reps
Why on GLP-1Whole-body strength anchor — preserves the posterior chain that visibly shrinks fastest during rapid loss.
Bench press
30 minBarbell, benchSets3 sets × 5–8 reps
Why on GLP-1Chest and triceps signal that muscle is being preserved, not lost — the classic "look" cue.
Pull-up progression
25 minPull-up bar, optional band assistSets4 sets × 3–6 reps
Why on GLP-1Body-weight-relative strength — the metric that goes UP on GLP-1s as fat drops, if muscle is protected.
Barbell overhead press
25 minBarbellSets3 sets × 5 reps
Why on GLP-1Shoulder mass and core stability in one lift — anti-hollowing insurance for the upper body.
Loaded walking lunge
20 minTwo dumbbells 20–40 lbSets3 sets × 20 total steps
Why on GLP-1Unilateral leg volume — supplements squats and directly counters the calorie-deficit atrophy pattern.
Weighted lat pulldown
20 minCable machineSets3 sets × 8–10 reps
Why on GLP-1Back-width lift with progressive overload — the aesthetic anchor that makes weight loss read as healthy.
Pair the training with the tracking
GLP-1 Coach tracks protein against the 1.3× body-weight target that protects lean mass, surfaces the one action worth doing today, and knows the difference between your first month and your taper.
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