Can’t Lift? We’ve Got You
Studies show that lifting weights can build muscle, as long as you take those sets close to failure. Challenge is the stimulus! However, we know you can’t always do that and we want to make sure you’re supported for this choice or season. Let us assure you that your body doesn’t recognize whether resistance comes from a barbell, a band, or your own bodyweight, it only responds to effort and challenge. Heavy lifting is awesome, but not the only road to gains.
If you can’t lift weights right now, whether due to injury, access, or preference, you can still build strength, tone, and muscle definition. You just need to approach it strategically.
- Use your body as the gym: Bodyweight movements like squats, lunges, push-ups, glute bridges, and planks can build real strength when performed with intention. The key is to train close to fatigue, where you could only manage one or two more reps with good form. You can make any exercise harder by slowing it down, pausing mid-rep, or shortening rest periods. There are literally hundreds of no equipment workouts available for free on the YouTube channel
- Get creative with resistance: If you have resistance bands, they can be a great tool for muscle work at home. Tracy has some great options right here. But even if you don’t, household items can get the job done. Water bottles, backpacks, or detergent jugs all add load. Your muscles don’t care what you’re holding; they just respond to tension.
- Progress is everything: Muscle growth requires progressive overload, gradually increasing the challenge over time. That might mean doing extra reps, reducing rest, or choosing a thicker band. Small progressions, done consistently, create real change.
- Fuel with enough protein: No matter how smart your training is, you can’t build muscle without adequate protein. Aim for roughly 1.2 to 1.6g/(kg of body weight per day), and include a quality protein source at every meal. It supports muscle repair, recovery, and satiety, a triple win. Tracy’s cookbook has plenty of protein centric recipes to try.
- Prioritize sleep and recovery: Muscle is built after your workouts, not during them. Aim for 7-9 hours of good sleep each night to let your body repair, regulate hormones, and recover. Without it, progress stalls, no matter how consistent your training is.
- Don’t under eat or over stress: Too little fuel or too much stress makes it harder to build muscle and easier to lose it. Keep meals balanced, manage recovery days, and give your body the energy it needs to adapt.
Science prefers weights for muscle building, no argument there. But if you take bands or bodyweight moves close to failure, feed your body protein, and recover well, you’ll still stimulate muscle growth. It’s not about what you lift, it’s about how hard your muscles have to work.
Take your Pick!
We have introduced a new filter to our programs page. This handy and simply tool will allow you to narrow down which program you need, based on your goal. Using the filter at the top, you can select any of the following:
- Strength
- Fat loss
- Nutrition
- Mobility
- Longevity
- Wellness
- Coaching
- 1-2-1 Coaching
So if you’re looking for How to Build Muscle as You Age 3.0, the Fat Loss Nutrition Master Class, Coach Andrew and Tracy’s mobility program, or Stratton’s latest calendar – add your goal and you’ll see what we recommend.
Join Tracy and Guests on Move Daily Talks
This week we are resharing one of the most useful podcast’s Tracy has done – all about feet! Our feet are utterly vital to our life, wellbeing and our abilities to move daily. Many of you struggle with chronic, niggling foot pain. This podcast from earlier this year was so practical and insightful. Well worth a listen. You can find it here to listen to, or if you want to watch, head to YouTube.
This Weeks Workouts!
Here is your handy reminder of the current week’s workouts. All of the workouts are available either free via the YouTube channel, or are the Members Exclusive workouts, which you can access if you sign up to our Membership. Don’t forget that the workouts are released across the week and so make sure you are signed up for YouTube notifications by subscribing to the channel.
