While Gogglebox star Amy Tapper has revealed she used weight loss medication Mounjaro to help her reach her 8 stone weight loss goal, she lost the first 3.5 stone with a big lifestyle change: consistent strength training.
‘There were times when I would see my personal trainer three times a week when I was starting, and this was before the medication,’ she said on The Relaxback UK Show podcast.
Her PT Natasha Ram, who still trains Amy twice weekly, told us: ‘We’ve been training together for nearly five years and Amy lost 3.5 stone in that time – before she went on Mounjaro. She also overhauled her diet and made protein a priority.’
The most important factors Natasha implemented when programming Amy’s workouts were ‘consistency’ (the pair initially trained three times weekly, now twice) and ‘gradual progression by increasing the intensity and weight lifted over time to help Amy’s body continue to adapt as her muscles repaired after each workout and built back stronger.’ While Amy also does one Pilates session per week and one cardio session (typically incline walking or boxing) weekly, the strength training has helped her hit her goals more effectively, Natasha explains, as ‘muscle mass burns more fat at rest, so the more she built, the more fat she lost.’
Below, Natasha shares the exact 30-minute lower-body and core session the pair does weekly.
While weight loss medication can help you achieve your goals, some research suggests that using them alone may lead to reductions in muscle mass, as well as declines in important fitness markers such as VO2 max and strength. Combining them with resistance training and adequate protein intake may help preserve muscle mass and support fitness levels – but lifestyle-first approaches such as strength training and a diet focused on macronutrients can also be effective on their own. Always consult a medical professional before considering weight loss medications.
Amy Tapper’s 30-minute lower body and core workout
Workout: Perform 8-10 reps of each exercise, with no rest between exercises. Repeat the whole thing for 3 rounds, resting for 60-75 seconds between rounds.
Finisher: Perform each exercise for 1 minute, taking no rest between exercises.
Marching knee raises PlankAmy’s weekly workouts2 x strength sessions1 x Pilates 1 x cardio (incline walking/boxing session)RELATED STORY
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.
