GLP-1s and Real Health: Building Strength Along the Way

GLP-1 medications are one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of our time. I believe they’re going to make a massive difference, particularly for people struggling with obesity and metabolic health. And I think that’s a good thing. The problem isn’t the medication itself. The problem is the idea that a medication can replace everything else.

When GLP-1s first became popular, there was a tendency to look at them as a kind of genie in a bottle: Take the injection, lose the weight, and all your problems are solved. But it doesn’t quite work that way. Losing weight and becoming healthy are not necessarily the same thing.

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The Part We Can’t Ignore: Muscle Loss
One of the concerns with significant weight loss—particularly rapid weight loss—is that you don’t lose only body fat. You can also lose lean mass, including muscle. There are several reasons this can happen with GLP-1 medications: • People may simply eat less food overall. • It can become difficult to consume enough protein. • Rapid weight loss can increase the amount of lean tissue lost. • If someone isn’t doing resistance training, there is very little stimulus telling the body that its muscle is necessary. This last point is especially important. If you’re going to lose weight, you want as much of that weight as possible to come from fat rather than muscle. That’s where training comes in.

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Being Lighter Isn’t the Same as Being Stronger
This is the part that I think we’re going to have to pay much more attention to in the future. Imagine someone who was previously overweight and sedentary. They take a GLP-1 medication, lose a significant amount of weight, and eventually reach what is considered a “normal” body weight. On paper, that’s a huge success. But what happens if they’ve also lost a significant amount of muscle? They might be lighter—but not necessarily stronger, fitter, or more physically capable. And that’s where sarcopenia becomes an important concept. Sarcopenia refers to the loss of muscle mass and function. It’s something we traditionally associate with aging: the frail older person, the stooped posture, the difficulty getting up from a chair, the loss of balance and strength, and an increased risk of falls and fractures. But here’s the uncomfortable question: What happens when that same physical decline starts showing up in younger people? Someone could potentially reach their 40s at a “normal” body weight while having the physical capacity we traditionally associated with someone much older. That’s not the outcome we’re looking for.

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Resistance Training Is the Missing Piece
The good news is that this isn’t hopeless. Muscle responds to training. You don’t necessarily need to become a bodybuilder. You don’t need to spend two hours in a gym six days a week. The minimum effective dose can be surprisingly small. Once or twice a week is better than zero. And even once a week can make a meaningful difference compared with doing nothing. Resistance training could mean: Traditional weightlifting, Bodyweight exercises, Machines, Dumbbells or barbells, Isometric exercises, Planks, Push-up holds, Other forms of resistance that challenge the muscles. The important thing isn’t finding the “perfect” exercise. It’s finding something you will actually do consistently. If you absolutely hate your workout, you’re probably not going to stick with it. Start with something you enjoy. Build some confidence. Then, as you become more capable, you might discover that you actually enjoy doing things you never thought you would. 🏋️‍♀️

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Don’t Just Celebrate What Your Body Weighs
One of the most exciting things about losing weight shouldn’t simply be watching the number on the scale go down. It should be discovering what your body can now do. Maybe you can: Get up and down from the floor more easily. Carry groceries without struggling. Climb stairs without getting winded. Pick something heavy up safely. Do your first push-up. Squat comfortably. Play with your kids. Feel confident moving your body. That’s a much more meaningful measure of health than simply reaching a particular number on the scale. Don’t just become smaller. Become more capable.

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GLP-1s Should Be a Tool in the Toolbox
I don’t think we should reject GLP-1 medications. Quite the opposite. I think they could be an incredible tool. The mistake would be treating them as a replacement for the behaviors that create long-term health. Instead, imagine using a GLP-1 to create momentum. Someone who has struggled with obesity for years begins medication, starts losing weight, and suddenly movement becomes easier. Now they can: Walk more. Exercise more comfortably. Start resistance training. Improve their diet. Develop better habits. Become more confident in their body. The medication helps create the opportunity. But what you do with that opportunity matters. 💪

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Medicine, Nutrition, and Training Should Work Together
This is where I think the future of healthcare should go. Instead of someone seeing only their doctor, only their dietitian, or only their personal trainer, we should be thinking about these professionals as parts of the same team. Imagine a doctor saying: “This medication may help you with your weight. Now let’s also get you some nutritional support and introduce you to someone who can help you build strength.” The trainer doesn’t need to be the doctor. The dietitian doesn’t need to prescribe medication. The doctor doesn’t need to design someone’s workout. They just need to work together. When each professional does their part, the individual doesn’t have to carry the entire burden themselves. A little bit of help from the doctor, a little bit from nutrition, and a little bit from training can potentially create a result that is much greater than any one of those things working alone.

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The Goal Isn’t Just a Lower Number
There is a bigger issue here than GLP-1 medications. We are already seeing concerns about physical capability and resilience across generations. As people become increasingly sedentary, we’re losing some of the physical abilities that previous generations took for granted. That affects more than appearance. It affects: Strength, Mobility, Independence, Health span, Quality of life, Longevity. Living to an old age is one thing. Living to that age while still being capable of getting off the floor, carrying things, climbing stairs, playing with your grandchildren, and enjoying your body is something else entirely. We shouldn’t only be trying to extend lifespan. We should be trying to extend health span.

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The Best of Both Worlds
I genuinely believe GLP-1 medications could dramatically improve the future of health. But I don’t think the answer is: “Take this medication and you don’t have to worry about anything else.” I think the better answer is: “Use every effective tool available—and use them together.” Use medication when it’s appropriate. Improve nutrition. Build muscle. Move your body. Develop physical confidence. Create habits that can last. And perhaps most importantly, use the initial weight loss as an opportunity to become more physically capable, rather than simply becoming lighter. GLP-1s can be a powerful tool. But they’re not the whole toolbox. The goal isn’t simply to lose weight. The goal is to build a body that you can actually enjoy living in.

Keep showing up, build your strength, and move with purpose every day.

, Coach Everett