Training: Where to Start

If you've been meaning to get back into training — or start properly for the first time — this is your entry point. You don't need a complicated programme, a fancy gym, or hours a week. You need a simple approach, applied consistently, that compounds over time. That's it.

Why resistance training matters most

Of all the habits you can build alongside your treatment, resistance training delivers the most return: it preserves and builds muscle, supports fat loss, improves insulin sensitivity, and reliably lifts mood and energy. It also amplifies the results your treatment is working toward. If you only do one thing, make it this.

Start simple — and stay there

The classic mistake is going from zero to five sessions a week with a programme you found online, then collapsing in week three. Two to three full-body sessions a week — say Monday, Wednesday, Friday — is enough to drive real progress. Start with what you'll actually show up for.

The one principle that drives progress

Progressive overload: do a little more over time. Add a bit of weight, get an extra rep, move with better control. Your body adapts to the demand you place on it — the goal is a slightly greater stimulus each week, trending upward over months. You don't need to destroy yourself every session.

Build around four movements

Compound movements load several muscle groups at once — the most result per minute of training. Two to three sets of 8–12 reps of each:

• Squat — goblet squat, barbell squat, or leg press.
• Hinge — Romanian deadlift, deadlift, or hip thrust.
• Press — bench press, overhead press, or push-up.
• Row / pull — dumbbell row, cable row, or chin-up.

That's a complete session. Thirty to forty minutes, done.

Recovery is part of the programme

Muscle is built between sessions, not during them. Keep at least a day between full-body workouts, protect your sleep, and hit your protein — Eating to support your treatment covers the targets. Feeling beaten up for days isn't a badge of honour; it's a sign to pull back slightly.

Message the care team if

• You have an injury or condition and want a safe way to start.
• You're on a weight-loss medication and your energy for training is low.
• You want this turned into a written plan for your situation.

Show up, lift something, do slightly more next week. Everything else is detail. You've got this.