Exercise Information

For most people, a balanced exercise routine should include both resistance training and cardiovascular movement:

Resistance Training

• Aim for a minimum of 2 sessions per week of 30-90 minutes (volume and intensity are important factors here).

• Focus on all major muscle groups: legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms, and core.

• Include both compound exercises (e.g. squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows) and isolation exercises (e.g. tricep pushdown, lateral raise, and leg extension) for maximum benefit.

Cardiovascular Exercise

• Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio per week.

• This can be split across multiple sessions and can include activities you already enjoy, whether it's walking, cycling, or swimming.

Resistance training can be approached with three main goals:

1. Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth)

• Focus: increase the size of your muscles.

• Benefits: muscle growth, improved strength, aesthetics, and injury prevention.

• Ideal rep range: 6 to 12 reps per set.

2. Strength

• Focus: increase the maximum force your muscles can produce.

• Benefits: improved functional strength, bone health, and overall power.

• Ideal rep range: 1 to 6 reps per set.

3. Muscular Endurance

• Focus: sustain repeated muscle contractions over time.

• Benefits: improved stamina, performance in daily activities, and sport-specific endurance.

• Ideal rep range: 12 to 20+ reps per set with lighter weight.

Recommended Weekly Volume

To see meaningful results, aim for 10 to 20 working sets per muscle group per week. This range provides enough stimulus for growth while allowing for recovery. Beginners may start at the lower end, while more experienced lifters may benefit from higher volumes.

Resistance training can take many forms: free weights, machines, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises. The method you choose matters less than consistently applying progressive overload.

Progressive Overload is great for tracking your progress. This simply means gradually increasing the stress on your muscles over time. If you lift slightly heavier weights or do more repetitions than last time, your body senses the extra demand and adapts by growing stronger or bigger. Think of it as telling your body, "I need more muscle" or "I need to get stronger."

Progressive overload is the foundation of building muscle, strength, and endurance. It simply means gradually making your workouts harder over time so your body has a reason to adapt. If an exercise stops feeling challenging, it’s a sign that it’s time to increase the difficulty.

Training to Failure: Pushing a set to near failure ensures your muscles are being sufficiently challenged. You don’t need to reach absolute failure on every set. Stopping a few reps shy of failure is often ideal. Occasionally, training to complete failure can help you understand your limits and what it feels like.

Ways to Apply Progressive Overload

There are several ways to progressively overload your muscles:

• Increase Weight: Gradually lift heavier weights while maintaining proper form.

• Increase Reps: Do more repetitions with the same weight.

• Increase Sets: Add additional sets to your workout.

• Adjust Rest Time: Shortening rest periods can make the same weight feel harder.

If you’re new to resistance training, it’s best to start slow and build up gradually. The goal at the beginning isn’t to lift heavy weights or follow strict macros; instead, aim to learn proper form, stay consistent, and build confidence in the gym.

Start with less:
Begin with 2–3 workouts per week, giving your body time to adapt and recover. This helps you establish a routine without burning out. Aim for the lower end of the recommended volume: about 10–12 sets per muscle group per week. You can always add more once you’re comfortable.

Use higher rep ranges:
Stick with hypertrophy or endurance ranges (10–20+ reps) using lighter weights. This allows you to practise good form, strengthen stabilising muscles, and reduce the risk of injury. Take time to master the basics. Watch YouTube videos from reputable coaches to learn correct movement patterns, and don’t rush to increase the load. Keep using lighter weights until your form feels natural.

Follow a plan or structure:
Having a simple programme to follow removes the guesswork and helps you build balanced strength. A basic full-body routine is a great way to start!

If you feel awkward in the gym:
That’s completely normal, and almost everyone starts feeling that way. Try beginning with treadmill walks to familiarise yourself with the space and observe how others train. When you’re ready, grab a pair of dumbbells and head to a quiet corner for a few basic exercises like goblet squats, shoulder presses, or rows. Over time, as you feel more at ease, you can start exploring machines and barbells.

Bring a friend if you can:
Working out with someone else can make the experience more comfortable and fun, plus, it keeps you accountable.

Don’t overthink the details (yet):
Forget about tracking protein, calorie deficits, or advanced training techniques at first. Just focus on showing up, moving your body, and learning the basics. Once you’ve built confidence and consistency, you can fine-tune your nutrition and progressions later on. The most important step is simply starting. You don’t need to be perfect, and every session you show up for is a win. Over time, the gym will start to feel familiar, your movements will feel smoother, and you’ll naturally progress.

Recap of recommendations

• Start with treadmill walks and observe the gym/what people are doing - progress to using dumbbells in a corner once comfortable

• Full-body plan: 2-3x per week, 10-20+ reps per set, 10-12 sets per muscle/week - watch YouTube videos for form 

• Don't worry about macros, calories, strength or hypertrophy goals until you're comfortable and have learnt the correct form

• (Optional) Bring a friend

• Getting a coach/trainer can help you learn form and provide valuable information, but it is not necessary. 

• Have a look at the Extra Resources page for my recommendations on YouTubers

Cardiovascular exercise also has different goals and approaches:

1. Endurance

• Focus: increase the ability to sustain activity over long periods.

• Benefits: improved heart and lung health, better energy levels, and enhanced performance in sports and daily life.

• Examples: steady-state running, cycling, and swimming.

2. Interval Training

• Focus: improve both aerobic and anaerobic fitness with bursts of high effort followed by rest.

• Benefits: burns more calories in less time, improves cardiovascular fitness, and enhances sports performance.

• Examples: sprint intervals, rowing intervals, cycling intervals, HITT

3. Low-Intensity Movement

• Focus: maintain general health, mobility, and daily energy expenditure.

• Benefits: supports recovery, reduces sedentary time, and improves metabolic health.

• Examples: walking, light cycling, recreational swimming.

Just like with resistance training, consistency and gradual progression are key. Gradually increase your workout time, intensity, or frequency to keep improving your endurance and cardiovascular fitness.

Recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves. Your body adapts and grows stronger during rest, not while you’re exercising, so taking recovery seriously can make a big difference in your performance, health, and progress.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most critical components of recovery. During deep sleep, your body repairs muscle tissue, replenishes energy stores, and regulates hormones that support muscle growth, fat metabolism, and overall well-being. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep per night. Poor or insufficient sleep can reduce strength, increase fatigue, and even impair your immune system.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays a central role in recovery. Eating enough protein helps repair and build muscles, while carbohydrates replenish energy stores used during training. Healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals support hormone function and overall health. Staying hydrated is also crucial, as even mild dehydration can reduce performance and slow recovery.

Avoiding Overtraining

Overtraining occurs when your body is consistently pushed beyond its ability to recover. Signs include persistent fatigue, declining performance, irritability, poor sleep, and increased injury risk. To avoid overtraining:

• Include rest days in your weekly routine.

• Vary the intensity and volume of workouts.

• Listen to your body. Soreness is normal, but sharp or prolonged pain is a warning sign.

Injury Prevention

Recovery also helps reduce the risk of injury. Muscles, tendons, and joints need time to adapt to stress. Adequate rest, good nutrition, and proper warm-ups and cool-downs can prevent common issues like strains, sprains, and overuse injuries.

Hitting a plateau in the gym is very common. Progress isn't always linear, and often a few small tweaks can get things moving again. Some reasons you might not be seeing results include:

• Training intensity – You might not be pushing hard enough, or you could be overtraining without enough recovery.

• Nutrition – Progress relies on fuel. Not eating enough protein, calories, or quality nutrients can hold you back.

• Sleep & recovery – Muscle repair happens when you rest. Poor sleep or constant stress can stall gains.

• Lifestyle factors – High alcohol consumption, inconsistent routines, or low daily activity can slow progress.

• Genetics – Everyone responds differently to training. Some see faster gains, while others progress more slowly.

If you’re not making progress, don’t be discouraged. Try adjusting your training, nutrition, recovery, or lifestyle habits. Small changes can lead to big results over time.