When people hear '10-week fitness course', they probably have a fairly good idea of what to expect. You turn up each week, follow the exercises, hopefully get a bit stronger and then, after 10 weeks, the course finishes.
There are a lot of people offering that, and it’s never been something we’ve been interested in.
Every time we run Strong for Life, we end up learning almost as much as the participants. Yes, we call it a 10-week course, but it's really a 10-week introduction to strength training and bone health. Our aim isn't just to get people exercising for 10 weeks. We want them to leave with the skills, knowledge and confidence to continue getting stronger for years to come.
That means understanding not just what to do, but why we're doing it. We draw on the leading research into bone mineral density and strength training, and spend time exploring how to choose exercises, adapt them to individual needs and progressively make them more challenging.
We made a conscious decision when developing Strong for Life to include a lot of information. We want people to understand enough to make their own decisions rather than always needing someone to tell them what to do next.
The challenge, of course, is finding ways to share all that information without overwhelming people. How much do you need to know before you start? What's better learned through experience? And how do you build a course that supports people now, while preparing them to continue independently?
This year we decided to change quite a few things. We got everyone moving straight away, made more room for people to talk and share ideas, and changed how we introduce new movements and build up the programme over time.
Three weeks in, we're already seeing the benefits of some of those changes, and learning plenty from the people taking part. From the importance of getting started before everything feels perfect, to the value of learning from other participants and finding creative solutions to everyday challenges, here are some of the things we're noticing and how they're shaping the way we teach strength training.
1. Start doing right away
In the past we included a two-week familiarisation period for the programme. The idea was that we would take time to provide information and explain the structure of the course so participants could build up their confidence before they started exploring progressive strength training.
While this worked well for some, we realised that others build up a sense of anticipation and worry before they start moving. My own particular form of procrastination is to over-prepare and wait until everything is perfect before beginning; it seems like a few other people feel the same way!
We decided to start the first week with a simplified programme that everyone could do right away. The goal was to get over the barrier of actually starting. Get moving and then refine as you gain experience. This method can feel a bit accelerated, but we’ve been very pleased with how quickly people started to engage with the programme and ask questions.
2. Better done than perfect (AKA Just give it a go)
This is Gill’s mantra for life, but it applies well here too, and it can feel liberating once you let go and allow yourself to just give it a go. It’s related to #1. It’s easy for us to catastrophise or create excuses to put off starting a new routine. Instead of waiting for every bit of knowledge and curating the perfect list of equipment, just give it a go. Chances are you’ll get 80%+ of the benefits from just doing something rather than waiting for everything to be perfect. Over time you can modify your choices and add equipment once you know more about what you need.
3. Get people talking to each other and give them time to discuss
In the past we were afraid that giving too much time in breakout rooms or discussion rooms would be boring or that participants wouldn’t have anything to say. This year we started to set aside 10 minutes for people to just talk with their support groups and coaches. Then people requested 15 minutes; as the course progresses, we might end up with 20. A big part of doing a mixed online course is finding a way for people to support each other and create a community. It turns out that people are really good at cheering each other on, co-solving problems and commiserating with each other.
4. It’s great having some experienced participants
During our first year of running Strong for Life, we started offering all alumni a subsidised place in future courses. This has been a huge asset for us. Having experienced participants who can support and guide new members is incredibly important for building a sense of place and a culture of sharing and helping. This year we started an ‘ambassador’ programme where veteran Strong for Lifers can join in the course for free if they go out of their way to be helpful and supportive to newer members. This has helped create a social glue that is evident in the communication this year.
5. Support sessions and sustainability
The first time we ran Strong for Life, we knew that we wanted to do a live workout component, but we weren’t sure what we wanted it to look like. We knew that we didn’t want to fall into the trap of follow-along exercises; nothing like an 80s VHS aerobics workout or a gym studio body-sculpting class. We weren’t sure how to make it work until we just started inviting people to show up, via their phones, to see what emerged. Our support sessions turned out to be a big part of the sustainability of the programme. Nobody is doing the exact same thing; nobody is telling people what to do. People show up and chat and get on with their workout. Some people turn on their cameras, some people don’t. Mostly people just chat about their lives while getting stronger. It turns out that making space and time is what people sometimes need.
6. Not all information needs to be funnelled through course leaders
This is related to points 3 and 4. Now that we have an experienced base of returning participants, ambassadors and coaches, a lot less of the information needs to come from us. We’re seeing a more learner-centred culture emerge. A lot more information is being shared in our chat rooms, forums and support sessions. We still provide guides, libraries, FAQs and other resources, but it’s great to see a shared wisdom emerge.
7. Provide tools for exploring, not just set exercises
While we do provide exercise libraries, modifications, substitutions and other resources for progressive strength training, we’ve started to lean into the idea of building learning skills over just providing lists of exercises. Since everyone will have their own challenges and limitations, I think it’s important to help participants build their own toolboxes when they approach new movements. Why is this movement included? What are the benefits? Is it a good match for me? How can I modify the movement while maintaining the benefits and stimulus of the movement? It’s been great to see all the problem-solving going on in terms of DIY equipment and modifications this year.
8. There will be a solution; we just need to find it
I’ve been very impressed with the patience and flexibility shown by participants this year. As everyone acquires their own challenges, limitations, injuries and confidence over the course of their own lives, there is never a one-size-fits-all solution. There are hundreds of different reasons why someone might have grip challenges or issues with squats or reasons why weighted carries aren’t a great match. It’s been gratifying to see solutions bubble up from people with similar challenges. We’ve seen great suggestions on how to overcome issues with grip strength, pain, lack of space, etc. Gill and I always learn so much from the group.
9. Everyone will have different challenges - starting where it feels possible
While nobody is going to have the exact same challenges, everyone will have specific challenges they will try to overcome. These challenges could be physical, emotional or social. Some people might have limited time, space or equipment. Even people with similar challenges might need slightly different solutions. In this group we have participants with different grip issues: tendonitis, arthritis, RSI and other joint issues. The solution that works for one person with arthritic thumbs might not be the same as for someone who has tendonitis in their forearm. Even so, it’s great to hear people sharing different solutions or workarounds.
10. Take your time to enjoy viewpoints as you climb the mountain
Rather than rushing to the final programme, we’ve tried to create ‘viewpoints’ or ‘save points’ for the journey. Not everyone is going to have the capacity to progress at the same rate. We’ve tried to account for this by providing mini programmes that are less complex but still provide lots of benefits. The programmes are designed around maximising return on investment or bang for buck. So the earliest, simplest options focus on the big movements like squats and hinges while the later variations include more specific movements that still have lots of value, but don’t need to be top priority. I think this has allowed for a bit more breathing room as the course progresses.
11. Know when to back off a bit without avoiding something entirely
One of the skills we try to build is for people to have a sense of how a little movement can be nourishing even if it doesn’t pass the official threshold of strength-building or bone-building. Maybe heavy squats or a heavy grip on farmers' carries isn’t a great match for you. It doesn’t mean you should avoid bending your knees or moving your fingers. Sometimes just exposing your body to movement can be a great way to expand your tolerance and capacities. Almost no physiotherapist would recommend stopping a movement altogether. Rather we benefit from exploring what our bodies can tolerate now and if it’s possible to expand our capacities over time.
12. Getting the right balance between enough information but not too much information is tricky, but we’re getting better
One of the challenges of designing an inclusive course is that we end up with a big tent. People come from all different backgrounds and we try to accommodate them. We’re pretty good at anticipating the support that people will need, but it can be tricky getting the information to them at the right time and in the right form. Information is only useful if it’s accessible at the right time, when people are ready for it. There’s no sense in front-loading a course with all the information in the world; at the same time, when people need the information, it needs to be at hand. We’ve also learned that different people learn differently. Some people love videos, some people prefer physical printouts, some people like dense lectures, some people would rather have 3 bullet points and a photo. We’re never going to get the balance exactly right, because people have different needs. It does feel like this year we’ve hit an inflection point though. We love getting questions, but it feels like we have more answers at hand than we did in the past. There’s always room for improvement.
13. DIY solutions can work fine. We don’t always have to buy ‘fitness equipment’
Nowadays there is a fitness product for almost every situation. Grip aids, wrist wraps, adjustable kettlebells, resistance band handles, adjustable platforms, etc. We try to point people toward solutions that might help them, but there are often free solutions sitting around your house. We try not to push new equipment on to anyone until they know they need the equipment and will use it. Often people will have all sorts of spare straps, handles, wooden broomsticks, old bicycle tubes and all sorts of heavy objects that can be just as effective as the expensive specialty kit. We’ve had some great suggestions from our participants about how they’ve used old pipe insulation or spare gardening gloves to help with various setup challenges.
That being said, sometimes it’s quicker, easier and cheaper to just buy fitness equipment. Sometimes it’s also just worth paying the £10 to buy the specific piece of equipment. Things like a three-pack of resistance bands or lifting straps might just be worth your time and money to buy. It takes a bit of experience to build a sense of what is a good investment.
14. Starting a mobility practice can feel more challenging than lifting weights when you first start
This one has come up a lot this year. We share a supplementary mobility programme with Strong for Life, and new participants often comment that the mobility is more challenging than the initial strength training sessions. There are many reasons why this might be true at first. Mobility can be humbling at first. For people not used to a regular programme, it can feel like a challenge to their conditioning, their mobility, flexibility, strength and coordination. Luckily people tend to make fast progress if they stick with it. A lot of our early wins come from people trying to do their mobility 2–3 times a week in addition to their strength sessions. Eventually the mobility will get easier and the strength training will start to feel more challenging as we dial in the correct level of stimulus. The two practices are complementary and one feeds the other. We tend not to focus on heavy weights in the first few weeks as it’s important to develop regular habits. As people gain familiarity and confidence, they build up their ability to push themselves through strength training.
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We’re only three weeks in, so there’s plenty more to learn. Gill and I always come away with new ideas from the people taking part, and this year is no different. The aim is still the same: to help people build the skills, knowledge and confidence to keep getting stronger long after the course finishes. It’s great to see that starting to happen.
