Your first 90 days on a GLP-1
Week by week: what the starter dose actually feels like, when appetite changes show up, when your provider will titrate, and the three weeks most people find hardest.
Studies of significant weight loss consistently show that a meaningful share of what comes off is lean mass. On a GLP-1, where loss can be fast and appetite is suppressed, the risk is higher than on a slow diet. Muscle is metabolically expensive tissue — losing it makes maintaining your new weight harder.
Two sessions a week is the floor, and it is enough
You do not need to become a lifter. Two full-body resistance sessions weekly, done consistently, preserves the large majority of lean mass in most people. Three is better. Zero is the problem.
The movements that matter
Cover these six patterns and you have covered the body.
| Pattern | Example | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | Goblet squat, leg press | 3 × 8–12 |
| Hinge | Romanian deadlift, hip thrust | 3 × 8–12 |
| Push | Dumbbell press, push-up | 3 × 8–12 |
| Pull | Row, lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 |
| Carry | Farmer's walk | 3 × 30–40 s |
| Core | Plank, dead bug | 3 × 30–45 s |
Train close to failure — the last two reps of every set should be genuinely hard. Effort matters more than programme sophistication.
Expect strength to stall, not climb
In a calorie deficit you are not building much. Holding your lifts steady while body weight falls is a win, and it means the muscle is staying. If your numbers drop sharply, look at protein and sleep before you change the programme.
Cardio has a place, but not the main one
Walking is excellent — it is easy to recover from and it does not compete with resistance training. Aim for 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day. Add harder conditioning only if you enjoy it, and never at the cost of a lifting session.
If you are new to this
Start with bodyweight and machines rather than free weights. Two sessions a week for a month before adding anything. The plan you keep doing beats the optimal plan you abandon.
This is education, not a prescription. Doses, targets and schedules described here are illustrative. What is right for you depends on your history, your labs and your provider’s judgement.