Core Curriculum
Everything you need to know about strength, cardio, nutrition, and fat loss.
Being fit and healthy can be hard. Knowing what to do shouldn’t be. These guides give you the clarity to train and eat with confidence.
We recommend you read each of the below in full - but here's a quick summary.
Studies show a powerful connection between muscle mass, strength, and a longer life. While scientists debate the exact cause, the practical reality is undeniable:
More muscle equals a better quality of life.
As we age, strength training becomes our ultimate insurance policy to a longer, happier and healthier life.
No matter your age, you can still get stronger. In a landmark trial, frail nursing home residents (average age 87) gained +113% muscle strength in just 10 weeks of resistance training.
Muscle strength change after 10 weeks
Fiatarone et al., 1994 - New England Journal of Medicine randomized trial, 100 frail adults. View study
The Core Philosophy: Chase Stimulus, Not Fatigue
When you exercise, your primary goal shouldn't just be to sweat, burn calories, or get tired. The ultimate goal of training is to stimulate adaptation.
Your body is incredibly smart, but it is also lazy - it will not build energy-costly muscle unless you give it an undeniable reason to. Training is simply the act of sending a clear message to your body that its current level of strength isn't enough, forcing it to adapt and grow stronger.
To get the best results, you must focus on chasing stimulus, not fatigue:
Fitness advice online can be incredibly confusing, filled with complicated training splits and "must-do" exercises. In reality, effective training is very simple if you just focus on a few key things.
Aim to train each muscle group twice a week.
This can easily be accomplished by two full body days. Sessions do not have to be long. Two 30-60 minute workouts focussing on compound movements (movements involving multiple muscles) is plenty.
Train to or close to failure.
Intensity is where most people go wrong. Workouts need to be genuinely challenging.
Most people underestimate their capacity (e.g. stopping at 10 reps when they could actually do 15). Because of this, once technique is solid, occasionally take a safe set to true failure so you understand your limits.
From there, most working sets should be within ~3 reps of failure.
Building muscle is a costly process for the body, it doesn't want to do it. By training close to failure (and showing our bodies that we are currently incapable of completing the given task), you give it an undeniable reason to adapt.
Muscular failure is the point where you physically cannot complete another rep with good form. It is not the "burn" from lighter endurance work (such as Pilates), and it is not simply choosing to stop early. It is the actual inability to continue even if you want to.
Train slightly harder each session.
Progressive overload links closely with the above point on intensity. Progressive overload essentially means trying to train a little bit harder each session. This can be accomplished by trying to add weight, reps or sets.
Progressive overload is key to ensuring intensity remains high, if training is effective what was hard at the start of the training block is likely not hard now.
Target range: 6–8 reps per set
You won't add weight or a rep every session, but that's always the goal.
Good technique reduces injury risk and ensures the target muscles are doing the work. If you're unsure, ask a personal trainer to check your form or use a reputable tutorial.
Lift fast, lower under control. Perform the lifting phase with intent and control the lowering phase for at least 1 second (e.g. control the descent in a squat, then stand up quickly).
Note: A deliberately slower lowering phase does not build more muscle than a normal, controlled lowering phase.
The number of repetitions you do of each exercise doesn't matter that much as long as you are pushing each set close to failure.
Generally do between 5-12 reps for 1-3 sets. How many sets you do per muscle group per week will vary greatly depending on your training split.
Rest and recovery is key, in between sets take at least one minute rest. Listen to your body and rest as long as it needs. The more time between sets the better.
Take at least one days rest between training each muscle group. During this time prioritise sleep and eating a protein rich diet.
Note: when you first start training, your muscles will be very sore after working out, this is normal. Over time the feelings of fatigue will reduce.
Remember
Muscle damage/ muscle pain does not drive muscle growth. You do not need to be sore after a workout for it to be effective.
Enjoyment is the key to consistency. Strength training can feel pretty repetitive compared to other forms of activity, but there are plenty of ways to make it more fun:
I don't want to get bulky
A common myth is that strength training will make you bulky. In reality, building significant muscle takes years of consistent, intelligent training with a specific focus on muscle gain. It doesn't happen by accident. Most people who lift weights become leaner, stronger, and more defined, not overly muscular. Besides if you ever feel you're gaining too much muscle you can always just stop or switch to a lower rep more strength focussed training style.
VO₂ Max & Why It Matters
VO₂ max is the ultimate measure of your cardiorespiratory fitness. Simply put, your VO₂ max score indicates the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in, transport, and utilize during exercise.
A good analogy for VO₂ max is your body’s engine size. It isn't just an elite fitness metric for athletes; it is the combined output of your lungs moving air, your heart pumping blood, and your muscles using that oxygen to make energy. If any of these systems begin to decline, your VO₂ max drops.
Because it measures your entire body’s systemic health, it is a staggering indicator of life expectancy:
Based on the 2018 Cleveland Clinic study tracking 122,007 adults. Lower fitness levels dramatically spike mortality risk.
Mandsager et al., 2018 - Cleveland Clinic cohort of 122,007 adults. View study
Each 1-MET increase in fitness (equivalent to a 3.5 ml/kg/min bump in VO₂ max) reduces all-cause mortality risk by roughly 13–15%, with no clear upper limit.
Fitness tiers are age- and sex-matched percentiles - what counts as elite varies by demographic. Points plot study-wide mean peak METs and hazard ratios vs. elite (Mandsager et al., 2018). The 13–15% per-MET reduction is corroborated by Kokkinos et al., JACC 2022. View study
Do I need to test my VO₂ max?
Absolutely not. While you can estimate it using a smartwatch or fitness tracker, you don't need a lab test to reap the benefits. The target isn't a specific number; the target is simply moving your current baseline upward.
Improving your heart and lung health comes down to consistency over perfection.
Any form of activity can be used to improve your cardiorespiratory system. The key is to find something you enjoy so it doesn't feel like a chore. Dancing, hiking, playing tennis, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking are all great. Anything that elevates your heart rate for a sustained period of time works.
If you can’t find a sport or activity you love, build an entertaining environment around it. Watch your favorite TV show on a treadmill, save a specific highly engaging podcast exclusively for your walks, or recruit a friend so you have built-in accountability and social time.
Fitness influencers love to overcomplicate cardio with phrases like the "fat-burning zone" or "Zone 2 cardio". While heart rate zones absolutely have a place in training athletes or those chasing a specific goal (e.g. Marathon Training), for the average person just looking to improve their overall health and longevity, these terms create unnecessary confusion. You can lose fat and will improve fitness across all intensities.
Instead of tracking complicated heart rate zones, simplify your training by structuring your week into a mostly easy/some hard intensity mix:
The most effective way to tackle that 20% high-intensity work is through interval training (alternating periods of hard work with periods of rest). Depending on your goals, you can tweak the length of your intervals to chase different adaptations:
Keeping it Simple
If you want to take your training to a higher level later on, you can design specific protocols for specific adaptations. But for the average person looking to live a long, healthy life: Master the mostly easy/some hard mix, find a type of movement you actually enjoy, and you have already won.
Strength
Preserves muscle and connective tissue, keeping your joints resilient and your body structurally capable of handling endurance work over time.
Cardio
Builds fitness - but strength maintains the framework that allows you to keep doing it safely and efficiently.
Practical Nutrition
Nutrition can seem complicated online. One person says carbs are evil, another says you need a dozen supplements, and someone else insists a single "cheat meal" will ruin your progress.
For most people, nutrition is much simpler.
You do not need a perfect diet. You need a diet that provides sufficient nutrients, supports your goals, and is realistic to follow consistently.
Protein helps repair tissue, preserve muscle, support recovery, and keeps you feeling full.
Aim for 1.5–2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
Good sources include:
Carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel source, particularly during exercise.
Simple (fast-digesting) carbs are best placed around training to support performance and recovery. Slower-digesting (complex) carbs are generally better outside of training windows, as they provide steadier energy, improve satiety, and reduce the likelihood of overeating.
Complex (slow-digesting)
Simple (fast-digesting)
Carbohydrates are not bad for you, and they do not inherently cause weight gain - excess calories do.
Dietary fats support hormone production, brain function, and overall health.
Example sources of fats:
While saturated fat is not universally harmful, most health organizations recommend keeping it below approximately 10% of total calorie intake.
Industrial trans fats should be avoided whenever possible due to their well-established association with cardiovascular disease. WHO Guidelines
For most meals:
Aim for at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day. WHO recommendations
Hydration supports physical performance, recovery, and cognitive function.
A practical target is approximately 30–40ml of water per kilogram of body weight daily (2.8L for a 70kg person), with additional intake during exercise or hot weather.
Supplements should supplement a good diet, not replace one.
One of the most extensively researched supplements available. Consistently shown to be safe and effective for improving strength, power output, training performance, and muscle growth. Emerging research also suggests benefits for cognitive function and healthy aging, making it one of the few supplements with strong scientific support. ISSN position on creatine
Nothing magic, just a convenient source of protein. Whey protein is simply a byproduct of cheese and yogurt production that has been filtered and dried into a powder. It can be a useful tool for busy people or anyone struggling to hit their daily protein target.
Other supplements may have a role in supporting your health but remember, supplements are not necessary. They should support your diet, not make up for a bad one.
The easiest way to improve nutrition is to make good choices convenient.
Remember
You do not need to eat perfectly. Focus on consistently getting the basics right and your health, body composition, and performance will improve over time.
Fat loss requires patience.
To lose weight you need a sustained calorie deficit (consuming slightly fewer calories than you burn). The mistake most people make is chasing speed; aggressive deficits destroy adherence, muscle, and energy.
The goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Aggressive dieting can slash muscle and energy, a small consistent deficit over time paired with strength training ensures you are losing fat and not muscle.
Track trends over weeks, not single days. Daily weight fluctuates with water, salt, sleep, stress, your menstrual cycle, and many other factors.
Tracking your bodyweight can be a useful guide and monitor of progress, but it is not the be all and end all.
The goal is fat loss, not weight loss.
Be aware of how bodyweight fluctuates - always try to weigh yourself at the same time of day, under the same conditions. Ideally, first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom.
Women should be especially aware of how bodyweight shifts throughout your cycle. If you are monitoring weight, compare against your average at this phase of your last cycle.
You cannot choose where your body loses fat. Doing endless crunches will not burn belly fat, and leg exercises will not strip fat from your thighs - your body pulls from fat stores systemically based on genetics and hormones, not based on which muscles you train.
Training specific areas still matters: it builds muscle in those regions, which improves shape and definition as overall body fat drops. But the fat itself comes off through a sustained calorie deficit - not through targeted exercises, wraps, creams, or gadgets that claim to melt fat in one spot.
Key Point
Ignore all fad diets or products claiming to make you lose fat - it's all complete bullshit.
The number one reason people fail isn't a lack of willpower - it's an excess of ambition. They try to overhaul their entire life overnight, burn out within a fortnight, and quit.
If you want real, lifelong results, you need to lower the barrier to entry. Make a simple plan, write it down, set baseline goals that feel almost too easy, commit to them, and then work to overachieve on them over time.
Don't completely clear out your fridge or start an aggressive, miserable diet. Instead, focus on awareness and seamless swaps.
When it comes to the gym, consistency beats ambition. Setting realistic expectations gives you the chance to build confidence and create a routine you can actually stick to. Every time you meet or exceed your goal, you reinforce the identity of someone who follows through.
When the changes you made in Phases 1 and 2 become second nature, it's time to gradually progress. Continue making small, manageable changes, but now you're building from a much stronger foundation.
The big results you're chasing aren't the product of dramatic changes, but of small, consistent improvements repeated week after week.
This Cycle Continues...
Each small change becomes habit. Every loop, you progress from a stronger foundation.
Small Change
One easy tweak at a time
The New Normal
It becomes automatic
Progress
You level up from a stronger base
Repeat
Start the next cycle
Below is some practical recommendations to help you get started. These are the key takeaways from what is discuessed above, overtime you should aim to check all these boxes each week.
Following the practical recommendations is a guide on how to slowly add these into your life.
Remember, Start Slow! Consistency is key!
Everything above, distilled into what to actually do. Don't take it all on at once, build up step by step.
Don't try to do everything at once. Each week, pick one goal in nutrition, strength, and cardio - write them down, follow through, and only level up once the current step feels natural/manageable.
Pick one nutrition goal, one strength training goal, and one cardio goal for the week. Write them down.
Ensure my breakfast every day has a protein source.
Do a 30-minute strength session.
Play tennis for 45 minutes with Bob.
Once Step One feels natural, raise the bar slightly - one small upgrade in each area.
Become more aware of the calories and macronutrients in my three main meals.
Do two 30-minute strength sessions this week.
Do one moderate/high intensity cardio workout.
Continue building upon previous steps.
Make one or two simple food swaps (e.g. lower-calorie mayo, healthier snacks) and keep protein at every meal.
Train twice a week and push each set close to failure - try to add a rep or a little weight when you can.
Do easy cardio as often as you like, plus one high-intensity interval session this week.
Write your plan down every week - that's how you stay consistent.
The floor - what you commit to no matter how chaotic the week gets. The primary purpose is to protect the habit.
Example: I will go to the gym and do at least 5 minutes of strength training twice this week. Even on days you don't feel like it, show up, do one set, and leave. The habit stays intact.
What you aim for on a normal week - your realistic standard when life is running smoothly.
Example: I will do two 45-minute strength training workouts this week.
Where you push the boat out and try to improve on past weeks.
Example: I will try to fit in an extra cardio session this week - but if I don't have time, it was still a successful week.
Nail the basics and you'll make incredible progress on your own. If you want a system tailored to your schedule and lifestyle, get in touch below and we can discuss how I can help.
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