Start Low, Progress Smart: The EP Approach to Exercise
Why Starting Too Hard Often Backfires
Many people begin with programs that are too demanding. This can cause:
Excessive soreness
Fatigue that disrupts daily life
Pain flare-ups
Missed sessions or loss of confidence
The problem is not that intensity is bad. The problem is that it is applied before the body has the capacity to tolerate it. From an EP perspective, adaptations happen through repeated, manageable exposure, not from sporadic bouts of overexertion.
Why Intensity Still Matters
For meaningful improvements in strength, cardiovascular fitness, or metabolic health, the body needs to be challenged above its current baseline.
Without intensity, adaptations stall. But intensity only works when layered on a foundation of consistency and adequate recovery.
Recovery allows the body to repair tissues, replenish energy stores, and adapt to the training stimulus. When sessions are too intense too soon, recovery lags behind, and progress stalls or injury occurs.
How EPs Apply Consistency, Intensity, and Recovery
Exercise Physiologists focus on:
Starting at a level the person can tolerate
Building regularity and confidence first
Gradually increasing load, reps, or effort over time
Using higher intensity sessions strategically, not constantly
Monitoring recovery to ensure each session builds capacity rather than depletes it
The goal is not to push people to exhaustion. The goal is to dose intensity in a way the body can adapt to, with enough recovery to allow progress week after week.
The Takeaway
Intensity drives adaptation. Consistency and recovery determine whether that adaptation actually happens.
As EPs, we emphasise:
Starting low and build a foundation your body can tolerate
Being consistent to allow tissues, joints, and confidence to adapt
Progressing intensity gradually to challenge the body safely for meaningful, lasting results
Prioritising recovery to ensure each session leaves you stronger, not depleted
This approach ensures exercise builds you up, not wears you down, and delivers long-term gains you can sustain.