This full-body kettlebell workout can help GLP-1 users maintain muscle while losing weight

Last year, a woman who had never exercised joined my circuits class. She had lost 59.5lbs (27kg) with weight-loss medication Mounjaro and wanted to start strength training.

She said that everything felt “very soft” after losing weight—even sitting down was less comfortable as there was less fat—and she felt that she’d lost muscle, too.

She worried she wouldn’t make it to the end of the hour-long exercise class, but she did—and returned for two more classes that week.

That was nine months ago and since then she’s been doing three classes a week consistently. Her transformation—both physical and mental—has been wonderful to watch.

Her body shape has changed, she’s developed noticeable strength and muscle definition, and she says her back pain has reduced and she feels more confident.

Strength training is essential during and after taking GLP-1 medications because weight loss can reduce muscle mass along with fat. That’s especially detrimental if you’re in your 40s and beyond, when muscle mass and bone density are already naturally in decline.

Resistance training, coupled with a protein-rich diet, can help prevent this muscle loss and support bone health during weight loss.

That’s why I’ve created this full-body kettlebell workout to build strength, stability and overall fitness while using GLP-1s.

The centre of mass on a kettlebell sits away from your hand, creating a challenge for your muscles to keep the weight stable. You have to work harder and recruit more muscles to control the weight, making kettlebell exercises a valuable tool for building all-over functional strength and muscle.

How to do the workout

You will need a medium-heavy kettlebell for this workout and maybe a slightly lighter one for the overhead press, depending on your strength level.

Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds then move on. Aim to complete three to five sets of the whole circuit.

The moves:

1. Goblet squat
2. Romanian deadlift
3. Single-arm row
4. Goblet reverse lunge
5. Single-arm overhead press

Exercise guides

1. Goblet squat

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out, holding a kettlebell upside down in front of your chest.
• Engage your core, and move your shoulders back and down.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees and lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Drive through your heels to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Why: Squats strengthen major lower-body muscles—including the quads, glutes and hamstrings—which are important for maintaining strength and function during weight loss. Building these muscles can help you stay active as your body weight changes, making everyday movements such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries easier.

2. Romanian deadlift

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell handle in both hands in front of your thighs.
• Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly, keeping your back flat.
• Lower the weight toward the floor, keeping it close to your legs throughout.
• Drive through your feet and push your hips forward to return to standing.

Why: The Romanian deadlift works the biggest muscle groups in your body—the glutes and hamstrings—while strengthening your posterior chain (the muscles running down the back of your body). These muscles encourage your body to maintain lean tissue during weight loss. The Romanian deadlift also improves core and back strength and stability, which can help you move more efficiently, making you more likely to stay active and mobile.

3. Single-arm row

Time: 40sec each side Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell handle in your right hand.
• Step your right foot back, keeping your right leg straight and bending your left knee.
• Lean forward slightly over your front knee, placing your left hand on your left knee for support if needed.
• Lift the kettlebell to your ribcage, keeping your elbow close to your side.
• Lower the kettlebell to the starting position with control.
• Continue on one side for 40 seconds, then switch sides.

Why: The kettlebell single-arm row is a smart addition to a GLP-1 strength-training workout because it targets muscles that people often overlook during weight loss—the back, shoulders and arms. The row is a pulling movement pattern, and pulling a challenging weight creates what is known as mechanical tension, signalling to your body that this muscle tissue is important and should be maintained. This can help preserve muscle tissue when you are in a calorie deficit or losing weight rapidly.

4. Goblet reverse lunge

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a kettlebell upside down at your chest.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees to lower, keeping your chest facing forward and your left knee aligned above your left ankle.
• Pause at the bottom of the movement.
• Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Why: Like the deadlift and squat, the lunge works some of the largest muscles in your body, including your glutes and quads. Building and maintaining these muscles helps you stay strong and mobile, while encouraging your body to hold on to valuable muscle.

5. Single-arm overhead press

Sets: 5 Time: 40sec each side Rest: 20sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell handle in one hand in front of your shoulder.
• Engage your core.
• Press the kettlebell straight up until your arm is fully extended overhead, with your biceps close to your ear.
• Pause at the top, then slowly lower the kettlebell back to your shoulder with control.
• Continue on one side for 40 seconds, then switch sides.