I asked a personal trainer who uses GLP-1s how weight loss drugs have changed how she works out—here are three exercises she loves right now
Burning calories is out, building muscle is in
GLP-1 medications are an integral part of many people’s weight-loss journeys.
One of those is NASM-certified personal trainer Kylie Hansen.
“I’ve had bariatric surgery, I currently use a GLP-1 and I’m a personal trainer and nutrition coach,” Hansen tells Fit&Well.
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned through my own weight-loss journey is that seeing the scale go down and building a strong, healthy body are not the same thing.
“At this point in my journey, I’m much less interested in exercising just to burn calories or make the scale move. I want muscle.”
She adds that she sees muscle as an insurance policy that allows her to live an active life.
“I want to be strong, capable and able to continue doing the things I love as I get older.”
Hansen favors dumbbell workouts and strength training with machines at the gym, as the added stability gives her the confidence to lift heavier weights.
“I’ve had spinal surgery, and I find that dumbbells allow me to move in a way that feels more natural for my body,” she says.
“I don’t believe there is one perfect way to strength train,” says Hansen.
“Find movements that work for your body, start where you are and give yourself opportunities to get stronger. These are three movements I personally love.”
- Goblet squat
- Walking lunge
- Dumbbell punch
1. Goblet squat
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 60-90sec
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest with both hands.
- Brace your core and keep your chest upright.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips as low as comfortable, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
- Push through your feet to extend your legs and return to standing.
Why Hansen recommends this exercise: “Squats train a lot of muscles in one movement, particularly the quads and glutes, while also involving the hamstrings, core and other muscles that help stabilize the body,” says Hansen.
“If I had to choose one movement, squats would definitely be on my list because there is so much you can do with them.
“You can do a sit-to-stand from a chair, a bodyweight squat, goblet squat, sumo squat, heel-raised squat, close-stance squat—the list goes on.
“I love that because you can meet yourself where you are instead of thinking you have to perform a certain version of an exercise for it to count.
“Maybe today your squat is simply getting out of a chair without using your hands. That's still something worth working on.
“Eventually that might become a bodyweight squat. Then maybe you hold a dumbbell.
“Over time, you can gradually challenge yourself with more resistance or a variation that's appropriate for you.”
2. Walking lunge
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 60-90sec
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a step forward with one foot.
- Bend both knees, lower your back knee toward the floor.
- Push through your front foot to bring yourself forward, stepping directly into the next step with your opposite leg leading.
- Continue alternating legs until all reps are completed.
Form tip: Keep your leading foot stable, your torso stable and chest upright.
Make it easier: If walking lunges aren't comfortable or you're still wobbly, perform a supported or stationary lunge.
Make it harder: Hold dumbbells if you're ready for more.
Why Hansen recommends this exercise: “I love walking lunges because they challenge each side of your body independently,” says Hansen.
“They also require balance, coordination and control while building lower-body strength.
“Walking lunges work the quads and glutes while also involving the hamstrings, calves and core.”
3. Dumbbell punch
Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec Rest: 45-60sec
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent and your core engaged.
- Hold a pair of light dumbbells in front of your shoulders.
- Drive one arm forward in a controlled motion, without locking your elbow.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
- Continue alternating while maintaining control.
Form tip: Keep your core engaged throughout the movement and avoid using momentum to throw the weights around.
Why Hansen recommends this exercise: “This one might not be the first exercise people think of when they hear strength training, but I love it because movement doesn't always need to feel intimidating,” says Hansen.
“Not every exercise has to be complicated. Especially for someone who is just beginning to exercise or coming back to it after a long time. I think there's value in finding movement you actually enjoy doing.
“Sometimes picking up a couple of very light dumbbells and moving can help someone begin seeing themselves as a person who exercises.
“I would use this as a lighter resistance movement rather than treating it as a replacement for progressively loaded strength exercises like squats, lunges, presses or rows.”
“Light dumbbell punches involve the shoulders and arms while your core stabilizes your body as your arms alternate.”
Hansen’s tips for exercising on GLP-1s
You’ve got the GLP-1, you’ve got the workout; you’re sorted, right? Maybe not.
Hansen found that her relationship with motivation changed dramatically while on GLP-1 medication.
“The medication helps me eat less, so the scale can move without me feeling like I'm doing a tremendous amount of extra work,” she explains, “and my brain says, ‘Oh, I don't need to do anything!’ That's where I have to challenge myself.”
She adds that weight loss and building a healthier body aren't necessarily the same thing.
“I still have to decide to exercise. I still have to think about my nutrition. I still have to work on the habits I want to have long after losing weight stops being my immediate goal,” she says.
“A GLP-1 doesn't strength train for me. It doesn't build my habits for me. That's still my job.”
“Whether you're taking a GLP-1, you've had bariatric surgery, or neither applies to you, your mind is one of the most powerful tools you have.
“We have to learn to recognize and challenge the thought patterns that either move us toward the person we want to become or keep us stuck where we are.”
Kylie Hansen is a NASM-CPT, NASM-CNC and a coach for Busy Bariatrics. She helps people who struggle with their weight figure out how to make fitness, nutrition and mindset work for them. She had bariatric surgery in 2013, experienced significant weight loss, had three children and now uses a GLP-1.
