One of our members recently sat down for her quarterly goal review, and her InBody scan told a story worth sharing. She is 68 years old, she started a GLP-1 medication about five weeks ago, and she has already lost close to nine pounds. The number that mattered most, though, was not on the scale. Her muscle mass barely moved.
That outcome is not luck. It is what strength training on GLP-1 looks like when someone shows up and does the work.
GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide are helping a lot of people lose weight, and that is genuinely good news. But there is a catch that never shows up on a bathroom scale. When weight comes off quickly, some of what you lose is muscle, not just fat.
Reviews of the research place the share of muscle and other lean tissue at roughly 15 to 40 percent of total weight lost on these medications, depending on the drug and the person (see this 2025 review of GLP-1 and exercise). For an adult over 60, losing that much muscle can mean weaker legs, poorer balance, and a harder time staying independent. That is the real risk, and it is exactly why strength training on GLP-1 is not optional.
Why Strength Training on GLP-1 Protects More Than Your Muscle
Here is why we people on a GLP-1 to focus on strength training.
- It keeps your weight loss the right kind of weight loss. Resistance training signals your body to hold on to muscle while you lose fat. UC Davis Health experts describe resistance training and high-quality protein as essential for maintaining muscle during GLP-1 therapy. Strength training on GLP-1 helps make sure the pounds you drop are the pounds you actually want gone.
- Muscle protects your metabolism. Muscle is active tissue that burns energy even at rest. Lose too much of it and your metabolism slows down, which makes keeping the weight off much harder later. Strength training on GLP-1 helps defend the engine that keeps your results lasting.
- It keeps you strong for real life. Our 68-year-old member told us she now walks better, handles stairs with confidence, and recently jumped onto a box for the first time. Strength built in the gym carries over into everything you do outside of it.
- It guards your strength even when the medication is hard. Many people lower their dose or step away from a GLP-1 because of side effects. Muscle built through consistent strength training on GLP-1 stays with you and supports you no matter what you decide about the medication down the road.
- Age is not the barrier you think it is. A common worry is that strength training stops working after 60. It does not. Our member is living proof that a person in her late sixties can lose fat, hold her muscle, and get measurably stronger all at the same time.
How Fit Augusta Makes Strength Training on GLP-1 Work
Plenty of gyms will give you access to gym space and machines. That is not us. Strength training on GLP-1 works best when it is measured, coached, and adjusted to the person doing it.
At Fit Augusta, every member gets an InBody body composition scan, so we see exactly what is happening with your fat and your muscle, not just your weight. Our professional coaches build sessions around your body, your joints, and your goals. Quarterly goal reviews keep your plan on track, and our nutrition coaching helps you prioritize the protein your muscle needs. Small class sizes mean a coach actually sees you and adjusts your movements in real time.
That combination is how strength training on GLP-1 turns into the kind of result our member saw on her scan.
Start With a No-Sweat Intro
If you are on a GLP-1, or thinking about starting one, do not leave your muscle to chance. Let us show you what a smart, supported plan looks like.
Book a free No-Sweat Intro at the location nearest you. It is a relaxed, no-pressure conversation about your goals, with no workout required.
Evans: https://fitaugusta.com/free-intro-fit-augusta-evans/
Downtown Augusta: https://fitaugusta.com/free-intro-fit-augusta-downtown/
Strength training on GLP-1 is how you make sure your weight loss leaves you stronger, not just smaller. GLP-1 medications can take off the fat, but resistance training is what protects the muscle, the metabolism, and the independence you want to keep. One of our members proved it at 68, and we would love to help you do the same. Your scale is only part of the story. Your muscle is the part worth protecting.
