Can You Really Get Strong On One Session A Week?

Over the fifteen years I've been in this industry, I've had all kinds of conversations with people about what they actually want.

One guy explained his goals to me once, and as he talked, I could visualise exactly what he meant. He wanted to be like Arnie.

I let him talk. Letting people talk is one of the most important things in this job. If you're too busy replying, you're not actually gathering the information you need.

The Reality of Transformation

Arnold Schwarzenegger spent days, weeks, months, years, decades transforming himself into Mr Olympia.

It doesn't matter whether you're trying to be Mr Olympia, fitter, healthier, more attractive, stronger for your sport, or just want to feel better in general—in how you move, how you carry yourself through the week. The principle is the same.

So when this guy told me what he wanted, and then said he only wanted to train once a week, I had to be honest with him. One session a week wouldn't get him there.

He replied that one session was all he wanted to do.

There isn't a coach in the world who could take fifteen years of experience and squeeze it into a result that only happens once a week. That's not how development works.

Why Strength Training Matters

Here's what people don't always understand. If you're a runner, running every day makes you better at running, technically. But if you're not strong enough, there's a ceiling. You'll hit it eventually, no matter how much technical work you put in. Cycling, same principle.

Years ago, you probably could have got away without it. Some of the athletes and professionals I've spoken to over the years would probably agree it wasn't really a thing back then, though some were likely doing it quietly and just not talking about it.

But I can say this generally now. If you're not doing some form of strength training—whether that's a proper programme, or strength work built into yoga, or into Pilates—you will see a real decline in your wellbeing over time.

Start Small, Build Consistently

I've always said this. Taking up a new habit can be hard.

The analogy I use is a book. If you don't like reading, you don't sit down and read the whole thing in one day. That's too much. You might not even manage a chapter. You might not even manage a page.

But a sentence. You can manage a sentence.

A sentence every day becomes a paragraph. A paragraph becomes a page. A page becomes a chapter. And suddenly, without really noticing, it's a habit that happens every day.

Strength training works the same way. Start smaller than you think you need to. Let it build. The consistency you bring today becomes the progress you'll celebrate tomorrow.

Happy training,

Pinnacle Team