Strength training at home: 20 minutes, no kit, twice a week

You do not need a gym, a programme or a personal trainer. You need a wall, a chair, the floor and twenty minutes on two days.

By Sian Anderson. Published 21 October 2026. 7 minute read. Information, not medical advice.

Sian Anderson, Writer and editor, MyGLP. Sources checked 21 October 2026.

Before you start

The NHS says most adults can start gentle strength work without seeing a doctor. If you have a heart condition, joint replacement, a recent operation, uncontrolled blood pressure, or pelvic floor problems, check first. Our pelvic floor guide matters here, because some moves need adapting if you leak.

On a weight loss medicine, train when you have eaten something in the last few hours. A session on an empty stomach in the nausea weeks is miserable and can make you dizzy. A pot of yoghurt an hour before is enough.

The six moves

Two or three sets of each, resting a minute between sets. The last two repetitions of each set should feel hard. When they feel easy, move one column to the right.
Move	What it works	Start with	Make it harder
Sit to stand from a chair	Thighs, bottom	8 repetitions, no hands	Lower chair, hold a bag of sugar to your chest, slow the way down to 3 seconds
Wall press-up	Chest, arms, shoulders	10, hands shoulder-width on a wall	Hands on the kitchen counter, then a low step, then the floor on knees
Glute bridge	Bottom, back of thighs	10, lying on your back, feet flat, lift hips	Hold 3 seconds at the top, then one leg at a time
Row with a towel or band	Upper back, arms	10, band round a door handle or a towel round a post	Shorter band, slower pull, pause at the chest
Step-up	Thighs, balance	8 each leg on the bottom stair	Second stair, hold the banister less, add a bag
Dead bug	Deep core, without strain on the pelvic floor	8 each side, lying on back, opposite arm and leg lower slowly	Lower further, slower, keep the lower back pressed down

The session

Two minutes of walking on the spot or up and down the hall.
Sit to stand, then wall press-up, then glute bridge. One set of each in turn, then repeat twice. About 8 minutes.
Row, then step-up, then dead bug. One set of each in turn, then repeat twice. About 8 minutes.
Two minutes of slow stretching: calves against the wall, a hamstring stretch with a foot on the stair, arms across the chest.

Twenty minutes. Two days a week, with a day between, is the Chief Medical Officers' minimum and holds most of your muscle while you lose weight. The muscle guide explains why that matters on the medicine.

Progress

Strength comes fast in the first two months because the nervous system learns the moves. Then it slows, and the only way forward is to make each move harder. Write down what you did. A note on your phone with the date, the move and the repetitions is enough. If the number has not gone up in three weeks, change the column.

A pair of adjustable dumbbells, from about £30, extends every move for years. A resistance band set for under £15 does most of the same. Neither is needed to start.

Soreness and injury

Aching muscles a day or two after a session is normal for the first few weeks and fades. Sharp pain during a move, pain in a joint rather than a muscle, or pain that is worse the next day and the day after is a reason to stop that move and ask a physiotherapist. The NHS offers self-referral to physiotherapy in most areas.

If you leak, or feel heaviness below

Stress incontinence and prolapse are common in women and worse with heavy lifting done badly. Breathe out as you lift, never hold your breath, and skip jumping and heavy overhead work until a pelvic health physiotherapist has checked you. The pelvic floor guide explains the exercises that fix most of it.

Classes and apps

If you would rather follow along, the NHS has free strength and flexibility videos and most councils run beginner strength classes for a few pounds. Look for anything with the word strength or resistance in it. Pilates counts. A spin class does not.

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Sources

Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 (NHS)
UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines (Department of Health and Social Care)
Strength and flexibility exercises (NHS)
Pelvic floor exercises (NHS)

Sian Anderson

Sian writes the health and nutrition guides on MyGLP. Every clinical claim links to the NHS, NICE, a medical royal college, a regulator or a peer-reviewed paper, and the pages carry no medical advice.

Questions

How often should I do strength training?

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend at least two days a week. Twenty minutes a session, with a day of rest between, is enough to hold muscle while you lose weight.

Do I need weights?

No. Sit to stand, wall press-ups, glute bridges, rows with a towel, step-ups and dead bugs cover the whole body with no kit. Weights extend the moves later, from about £30 for adjustable dumbbells.

Can I lift weights on Mounjaro?

Yes. Eat something a few hours before, drink water, and skip a session if you are being sick or dizzy. Strength training is the thing with the best evidence for keeping muscle during fast weight loss.

What if I leak when I exercise?

Breathe out as you lift, avoid holding your breath, and skip jumping and heavy overhead work until a pelvic health physiotherapist has seen you. Pelvic floor exercises fix most stress incontinence within a few months.