TRX Training
You’ve heard the buzz about Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications, especially for weight loss. But here’s what no one’s talking about: while you’re shedding pounds, you might also be losing precious muscle mass. This isn’t just about aesthetics. Muscle loss can slow your metabolism and leave you weaker than when you started.
The good news? You can keep your muscle while the medication does its magic.
With a smart strength training program and the right nutrition approach, you’ll lose fat while keeping your lean muscle.
Even better? You can make your body your machine with portable equipment that travels anywhere your life takes you.
Ready to discover how to make GLP-1s work for you without sacrificing your strength? Let’s dive into the science-backed strategies that actually work.
What Are GLP-1 Medications and How Do They Work?
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro work by copying a hormone your body naturally makes in your intestines.
When you eat, this hormone tells your pancreas to release insulin, which helps control your blood sugar.
These medications also send signals to your brain that make you feel full faster and stay satisfied longer. Harvard Health Publishing explains that these drugs work by “mimicking the natural GLP-1 hormone” which is “released by the gut in response to eating and has several effects that help regulate blood sugar levels, hunger, and slow digestion.”
Plus, they slow down how quickly food moves through your stomach, so you don’t get hungry as often.
As Harvard Health notes, they “slow down stomach emptying, keeping you feeling full longer” and “send signals to the brain that increase feelings of fullness, leading to reduced food intake.”
Doctors first used these medications to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.
But researchers noticed something interesting: patients were also losing significant amounts of weight.
This discovery led to these same medications being approved specifically for weight loss in people without diabetes.
The appetite-suppressing effects are so powerful that many people find themselves eating much less than usual, which is why weight loss happens so quickly.
Why Muscle Loss Happens with GLP-1s
When you lose weight on GLP-1 medications, you’re not just losing fat. You’re also losing muscle. Studies show that people on these medications can lose 25-39% of their total weight as muscle, which is much higher than the 10-30% muscle loss seen with regular dieting.
This happens because the medications work so well at suppressing your appetite that many people end up eating far less protein than their bodies need.
When you don’t get enough protein and lose weight quickly, your body starts breaking down muscle tissue for energy. UCLA Health has documented this concern, noting that “people dropping pounds on Ozempic are losing not only fat, but also muscle mass.
This is a condition known as sarcopenia. As muscle mass diminishes, so do strength, stamina, and resting metabolic rate.”
Why This Matters More Than Just the Scale
Losing muscle does more damage than just making you weaker. Your muscles burn calories even when you’re sitting still, so less muscle means your metabolism slows down significantly.
This makes it much harder to keep the weight off once you stop taking the medication.
You might also notice physical changes that people call “Ozempic face” or “Ozempic butt.” These are actually signs that you’ve lost muscle and fat in areas that gave your body its shape.
The good news is that with the right approach, you can prevent most of this muscle loss while still getting all the benefits.
The Power of Strength Training for GLP-1 Users
The good news? Strength training is your secret weapon against muscle loss while on Ozempic or Wegovy medications. When you lift weights or do resistance exercises, you create tiny tears in your muscle fibers.
Your body repairs these tears by building the muscle back stronger and bigger than before.
This process not only maintains your muscle mass but can help you build new muscle even while losing weight.
Mass General Brigham emphasizes that “muscle strength supports physical independence. It mitigates the risk of falling.
And it is a key factor in maintaining bone density, which is achieved through movement. Strength training has the greatest effect on building muscle mass.”
Strength training gives your metabolism a huge boost that lasts long after your workout ends. Your body keeps burning extra calories for up to three days as it repairs and rebuilds your muscles.
Here’s How to Get Started
You don’t need to spend hours at the gym to see results.
Starting with just 15-20 minutes of strength training, 2-3 times per week, can make a dramatic difference in preserving your muscle mass.
Focus on compound movements like squats, push-ups, and rows that work multiple muscle groups at once.
These give you the biggest bang for your buck. The best part? You don’t even need a gym membership.
Portable equipment like the TRX Suspension Trainer™ can give you a complete full-body workout anywhere, whether you’re at home, in a hotel room, or at the park.
This makes it much easier to stay consistent with your routine, which is the key to keeping your muscles if you’re on GLP-1s.
Best Types of Strength Training for GLP-1 Users
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Bodyweight exercises: Push-ups, squats, lunges, and planks are completely free and can be done anywhere, making them perfect for beginners or people with busy schedules
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Free weights and dumbbells: Traditional weight training that allows you to gradually increase the weight as you get stronger, which is essential for building muscle over time
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Resistance bands: Incredibly portable and lightweight, these provide variable resistance that gets harder as you stretch them, perfect for travel or home workouts
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Suspension training: TRX systems use your body weight and gravity to provide full-body workouts that can be done anywhere you can anchor the straps
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Kettlebell movements: Combine strength training with cardiovascular fitness through dynamic movements like swings and Turkish get-ups
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Compound movements: Focus on exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once across all equipment types for maximum muscle engagement and time efficiency
10 Strength Exercises to Preserve Muscle on GLP-1s
1. Push-ups
Push-ups are the king of upper body exercises because they work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core simultaneously. They’re completely free, require no equipment, and you can do them anywhere. Plus, you can easily modify the difficulty by changing your hand position or elevating your feet.
How to do push-ups:
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Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
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Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels
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Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows
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Push back up to the starting position
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Keep your core tight throughout the entire movement
2. TRX Chest Press
The TRX chest press gives you all the benefits of a bench press without needing heavy weights or a gym. You can adjust the difficulty instantly by changing your body angle, making it perfect for beginners and advanced users alike. This exercise builds pushing strength while improving your balance and core stability.
How to do TRX chest press:
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Hold the TRX handles and face away from the anchor point
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Walk your feet forward to create tension in the straps
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Start with your arms extended in front of your chest
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Lean forward and lower your body by bending your elbows
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Push back to the starting position by straightening your arms
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The more you lean forward, the harder the exercise becomes
3. Dumbbell Rows
Dumbbell rows strengthen your back muscles and help fix the rounded shoulders that come from sitting too much. Strong back muscles also support good posture and balance out all the pushing exercises you do. This exercise targets your lats, rhomboids, and rear delts while giving your biceps a solid workout too.
How to do dumbbell rows:
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Hold a dumbbell in one hand and place the opposite knee on a bench
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Keep your back straight and let the dumbbell hang straight down
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Pull the weight up toward your hip, squeezing your shoulder blade
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Lower the weight slowly back to the starting position
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Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other arm
4. Pull-ups/Assisted Pull-ups
Pull-ups are one of the best exercises for building upper body strength and creating that V-shaped back. They work almost every muscle in your upper body and are a true test of functional strength. If regular pull-ups are too challenging, assisted versions using bands or machines help you build up to the full movement.
How to do pull-ups:
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Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you
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Start with your arms fully extended
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Pull your body up until your chin clears the bar
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Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position
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Keep your core engaged and avoid swinging your body
5. TRX Low Row
The TRX low row is perfect for building back strength when you don’t have access to weights. It targets the same muscles as dumbbell rows but uses your body weight for resistance. This exercise helps improve posture and strengthens the muscles that pull your shoulders back.
How to do TRX low row:
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Hold the TRX handles and face the anchor point
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Walk your feet forward and lean back to create tension
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Start with your arms extended and body at an angle
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Pull your chest toward your hands by squeezing your shoulder blades
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Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position
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The more you lean back, the harder the exercise becomes
6. Bodyweight Squats
Squats are the foundation of lower body strength because they work your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core in one movement. They mimic movements you do every day like sitting down and standing up, making them remarkably functional. Strong legs from squats help protect your knees and keep you mobile as you age.
How to do bodyweight squats:
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Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out
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Keep your chest up and core engaged
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Lower your body by pushing your hips back and bending your knees
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Go down until your thighs are parallel to the floor
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Push through your heels to return to the starting position
7. Lunges
Lunges work each leg independently, helping fix muscle imbalances and improve your balance. They target your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while also challenging your stability and coordination. Single-leg training is especially important for everyday activities like walking up stairs or stepping over obstacles.
How to do lunges:
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Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart
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Step forward with one leg into a long stride
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Lower your body until both knees are bent at 90 degrees
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Your front knee should be directly over your ankle
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Push off your front foot to return to the starting position
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Alternate legs or complete all reps on one side first
8. Deadlifts
Deadlifts teach you how to lift heavy objects safely while building tremendous strength in your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. They’re one of the most functional exercises you can do since they train the hip hinge movement pattern you use when picking things up off the ground. Strong posterior chain muscles from deadlifts also help prevent back pain.
How to do deadlifts:
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart, weight in front of you
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Hinge at your hips and push your butt back
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Keep your chest up and back straight as you lower the weight
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Go down until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings
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Drive through your heels and push your hips forward to stand up
9. TRX Pistol Squats
Pistol squats are single-leg squats that build incredible leg strength, balance, and mobility. The TRX version allows you to assist yourself as needed, making this advanced movement accessible to more people. They target your quads, glutes, and core while improving ankle and hip flexibility.
How to do TRX pistol squats:
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Hold one TRX handle and stand on one leg
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Extend your free leg straight out in front of you
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Lower your body by bending your standing leg
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Use the TRX for balance and assistance as needed
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Push through your heel to return to the starting position
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Complete all reps on one leg before switching sides
10. Glute Bridges
Glute bridges specifically target your glute muscles, which are often weak from too much sitting. Strong glutes are vital for preventing lower back pain and maintaining good posture. This exercise also helps activate your glutes before other lower body exercises, making them more effective.
How to do glute bridges:
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Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
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Keep your arms at your sides for stability
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Squeeze your glutes and push your hips up toward the ceiling
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Create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders
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Lower your hips slowly back to the starting position
What are the Best Protein Sources for GLP-1 Users?
Lean meats like chicken breast and turkey, fish like salmon and tuna, eggs, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese are all excellent protein sources for GLP-1 users.
If you prefer plant-based options, tofu, beans, lentils, and nuts provide good protein along with other nutrients. W
hen your appetite is really suppressed, protein shakes and supplements can be lifesavers for hitting your daily protein goals. They’re easy to sip throughout the day and don’t make you feel overly full like solid foods might.
Timing Your Protein Intake
Don’t try to eat all your protein in one or two big meals. Your body can only use so much at once, and you’ll feel uncomfortably full on GLP-1 medications. Instead, spread your protein throughout the day by including some with every meal and snack.
For example, if you need 75 grams of protein daily, aim for about 25 grams at each meal. This might look like Greek yogurt with breakfast, chicken in your lunch salad, and fish with dinner, plus a protein shake as a snack. This approach helps your muscles get a steady supply of building blocks throughout the day while working with your reduced appetite.
From Muscle Loss Fears to Functional Strength
You started this journey worried that losing weight with GLP-1 medications meant sacrificing your hard-earned muscle and ending up weaker than when you began.
The fear of “Ozempic face” and a slower metabolism probably kept you up at night, wondering if rapid weight loss was worth the potential consequences.
Now you know that muscle loss isn’t inevitable when you’re armed with the right strategies.
By focusing on three key pillars – hitting your protein targets, incorporating regular resistance training, and staying active – you can help your body move better, grow stronger, and live longer.
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