Improve Body Composition on a GLP-1 With Minimal Strength Training w/ Andrew Menechian

Send us Fan MailIf the scale has stalled or you're worried about losing muscle on a GLP-1, that number may not be telling you the whole story. Fitness coach and competitive powerlifter Andrew Menechian explains why body composition matters more than your weight or BMI, how to set a protein target that actually fits your body, and the minimum strength training it takes to hold on to muscle. You'll also hear why he thinks cutting calories lower and lower backfires, and the diet-break approach he uses instead. **IN THIS EPISODE** - What body composition means, and why two people at the same weight can look completely different - Why BMI misses people who are "skinny fat" and labels muscular athletes as obese - Beginner gains: why people new to strength training can build muscle and lose fat at the same time - The two things that protect muscle on a GLP-1: protein and resistance training - How to set a protein target based on lean body mass instead of total body weight - How much strength training it takes to maintain muscle versus build it - Why training first thing in the morning makes the habit easier to keep - Simple options for older adults and people with injuries or physical limitations - Muscle first or fat loss first when you're already at a healthy weight - Metabolic adaptation, reverse dieting, and his diet-break strategy for plateaus **ABOUT THE GUEST** Andrew Menechian is an online health coach and head of fitness at Fit Commit, with about 15 years of coaching experience. He is a former head coach at the Clean Health Fitness Institute and former education manager at Fitness Playground in Australia. A competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter, he won the 2015 IFBB Australasian Men's League title and unofficially broke an Australian under-90 kg deadlift record. **CONNECT WITH ANDREW MENECHIAN** FitCommit Website: https://fitcommit.ai Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitcommitai/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fitcommitai Andrew Menechian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmenechian/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewmenechian X: https://x.com/andrewmenechian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmenechian/ **SPONSOR** This episode is brought to you by Timeline. When you buy a one-month supply of Mitopure Gummies, you'll get a free Discovery Size Mitopure Firming Serum, an $85 value. Go to https://www.timeline.com/glp1bundle to claim yours. **CHAPTERS** 00:00 Preview: why the scale isn't the whole story 00:25 What's in this episode 01:21 Welcome, Andrew Menechian 02:19 From shy kid to bodybuilder and record deadlifter 04:51 Why a goal weight can set you up for disappointment 05:45 What body composition really means 08:06 Why BMI falls short 08:52 Can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time? 11:41 Sponsor: Timeline 12:35 How to avoid losing muscle on a GLP-1 13:12 How much protein you really need 16:53 How much strength training it takes to keep muscle 18:36 Why morning workouts make the habit stick 21:09 Strength training with injuries or physical limitations 23:35 The Plateau Breakthrough Playbook 24:57 Fat loss first or muscle first? 26:56 Metabolic adaptation and reverse dieting 27:24 His diet-break strategy for plateaus 30:33 Where to find Andrew MORE FROM GLP-1 HUB📬 Get The Steady State, Ana's weekly newsletter with GLP-1 guidance from a dietitian who's on one: http://join.glp-1hub.com 🎙 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and if this episode helped, leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🌐 Shop GLP-1 essentials, meal plans, and recipes: https://shop.glp-1hub.com 📷 Follow on Instagram: @glp1hub 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GLP-1hub*Some of the links shared are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.*The content of this show is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The goal of this show is to provide various points of view about GLP-1 Medications. The personal and professional opinion of the guests and their content does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Ana Reisdorf or GLP-1 Hub.