Skeletal muscle accounts for roughly 80% of insulin-mediated glucose uptake. More muscle, and more insulin-sensitive muscle, means more capacity to handle carbohydrate and less strain on the pancreas. This is why resistance training reliably improves markers of insulin sensitivity even without weight loss.
How much is enough
- Resistance training 2–4 sessions per week, focused on compound movements
- Zone 2 cardio (conversational pace) 2–3 hours per week for mitochondrial capacity
- Walking after meals — improves postprandial glucose in minutes
- Daily step target of 7,000–10,000 as a rough NEAT floor
“If I could give every client one intervention it would be resistance training twice a week. It changes glucose handling, body composition, mood, sleep, and longevity — all from one lever.”
“Most clients underestimate how much lifting changes their metabolic picture. Twelve weeks of consistent training, even without significant weight loss, moves fasting insulin and HOMA-IR in a way that surprises them. Muscle is medicine.”
Related reading
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Insulin Resistance: What It Is and What Actually Improves It
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Body Composition: Why the Scale Lies
The scale gives you one number. Body composition tells you what that number actually means.
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Muscle Preservation on GLP-1: Protecting Lean Mass While Losing Fat
Any rapid weight loss puts lean mass at risk. On GLP-1 therapy, the leverage points are protein and training — not the medication.
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