Training guides

Short, practical answers to the questions every lifter asks.

How to Film Your Form

To film your form, prop your phone at about hip height, two to four metres away, side-on for most lifts, with your whole body and the bar in frame.

Progressive Overload

Progressive overload means gradually asking your body to do a little more over time, so it keeps having a reason to adapt.

Sets and Reps

For most goals, 2 to 4 sets per exercise works well.

Rest Between Sets

Rest two to five minutes between heavy sets for strength, about one and a half to three minutes for building muscle, and 30 to 90 seconds for endurance or circuits.

RPE and RIR Explained

RPE (rate of perceived exertion) rates how hard a set felt on a 1 to 10 scale.

First Week at the Gym

In your first week, aim for two or three short full-body sessions, about 45 minutes each, using light weights and simple exercises.

A good lifting warm-up takes 10 to 15 minutes: five minutes of easy cardio, a few minutes of movements that match your session, then three to five ramp-up sets that build from an empty bar or light weight to your working weight.

Muscle Soreness or Injury? How to Tell the Difference

Normal post-workout soreness (DOMS) is a dull, achy tenderness in the muscles you trained, felt on both sides, peaking one to three days later and fading within a few days.