Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance and Exercise in South Asians

Participants will start with 3 x 20 minute exercise sessions in the first week, building up to 5 x 60 minutes of exercise by weeks 9-12 of the intervention, at an intensity of 65-80% of predicted maximum heart rate.

Participants will undertake two supervised sessions per week. The exercises performed during each session will consist of leg press, calf press, leg extension, leg curl, chest press, shoulder press, lateral pull down and seated row. Exercises will be performed at 60-80% 1RM. In weeks 1-2 participants will perform, during each session, a single set of 5-10 repetitions of each exercise (tiring but comfortably achievable) to ensure they are comfortable with the exercises and are performing these in the correct form. In weeks 3-4 participants will perform, during each session, two sets of each exercise to voluntary muscular failure - defined as not being able to perform single another repetition. In weeks 5-12 this will progress to 3 sets of each exercise to voluntary muscular failure, in each session.