Strength Training: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Stronger

It can be hard to know where to start when beginning strength training. There are countless exercises to work a range of different muscles. There are also safety concerns and a wide variety of potentially confusing equipment.

Where do you start?

It doesn’t have to be daunting. We’re here to guide you with a primer on the basics of strength training so you can begin crafting a routine targeted toward achieving your personal goals.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Benefits of Strength Training

No matter where you are in your fitness journey, strength training—which involves some type of resistance to challenge and build your muscles—should be a key component of your workouts. Among the wealth of benefits strength training offers, it can help you:

• Burn more fat: Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so the more you have, the more calories you burn all day—even when you’re not working out.
• Avoid injury: Strong muscles mean you also have strong, supported bones and connective tissue. All of that contributes to a body that can withstand more stress than those who don’t do strength exercises.
• Stay young and healthy: Studies show that resistance training can enhance heart health, bone health, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, increase bone density, reduce low back pain, improve sleep, and ease symptoms of arthritis and fibromyalgia.
• Improve mood: Research shows strength training can release feel-good endorphins to reduce anxiety and even fight depression. 
• Boost confidence: Anytime you master something, your confidence grows.

Strength Training vs. Cardio

Many people don’t devote as much energy to strength training as it deserves. Indeed, statistics on strength training are grim.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while around 50% of American adults engage in adequate cardio workouts, less than 30% meet the recommended minimum guidelines for muscle-strengthening activities, which include exercises like lifting weights, yoga, heavy gardening, or push-ups at least twice a week. 

Strength Training: Common Misconceptions

Many people have misconceptions about strength training that keep them from doing it. Learning the realities may help you get started.

• You don’t have to join a gym. There are lots of benefits to working out at home—it’s free, convenient, and private. A plethora of DVDs, fitness gifts, online resources, and phone apps can help you direct your sessions if desired. 
• You’re not expected to know how all of the gym equipment works. Take advantage of the free orientation and learn how to properly use everything that’s offered and set up a basic strength-training program. Most weight machines require little coordination and offer more stability than free weights while performing the movements. 
• You don’t have to use weights or machines. Anything that provides resistance can do the job. This includes resistance bands or your own bodyweight.

For beginners, bodyweight is enough to get you started. However, it can be hard to continue to challenge your body without any additional resistance, so to progress, you’ll need some equipment. Fortunately, there is plenty of affordable home gym equipment available to get you started.  

Try to have a range of weights: a light set (1 to 5 pounds for women, 5 to 8 pounds for men), a medium set (5 to 10 pounds for women, 10 to 15 pounds for men), and a heavy set (10 to 20 pounds for women, 15 to 30 pounds for men)—though an adjustable dumbbell set will also work. If you have room in your home gym space, you might want to invest in a well-built dumbbell rack to keep your weights organized.

Strength Training: Getting Started

Two key terms you’ll want to know are reps and sets. A rep, or repetition, is a single instance of an exercise—a dumbbell biceps curl, for example. A set is the number of repetitions performed sequentially. For example, you can say, “I did 2 sets of 10 reps of biceps curls.” Use these pointers to build a framework for your workout:

• Start with a short, simple program. Your goal is to do a strength-training routine that works for all muscle groups on two non-consecutive days a week. This will help you build a strong foundation and progress from week to week.
• Choose the right amount of weight to lift. The key to strength training is to use weights that are not too light or too heavy. You’ll know it’s too light if you can do an entire set with minimal effort. It’s too heavy if your form is sacrificed or it feels too taxing. Just right is a challenging effort that you can do with proper form and control and without excess strain.
• Warm up first. Warm muscles are less susceptible to injury, so do 5 to 10 minutes of cardio or some warm-up sets of each exercise in your workout using a light, easy-to-lift weight.
• Focus on form. Good form lets you reap all the benefits of your workout and avoid injuries. To maintain proper form, pay attention to your posture (stand tall with your chest lifted and abs engaged), move slowly (this ensures you’re relying on muscles, not momentum, to do the lifting), and remember to breathe. Many people hold their breath while exerting, but exhaling during the hardest part of the exercise helps fuel the movement. Many modern interactive fitness mirrors bring the guidance of a trainer right into your living room.
• Give yourself at least a day of rest to recover. Rest days are crucial for building lean muscle tissue and preventing injury, so try not to work the same muscle groups two days in a row. Some people like to break up strength training by concentrating on their upper body one day and their lower body the next, and that’s perfectly fine. 
• Aim to challenge yourself, not overtax yourself. The first few weeks, focus on learning how to do each exercise rather than how much weight you’re lifting or how many exercises you’re doing. You have plenty of time to build muscle.
• Change things up. After six or more weeks of consistent strength training, which is about the time it takes to start seeing improvement in your body, you can change your routine to make it more difficult. Lifting the same weight for the same exercises every week will keep your body in the same place. You can modify weights or repetitions, choose different exercises, or change the order. You only have to make one change at a time to make a difference, although more is often better. 

Strength Training for Beginners

Below is a list of muscle groups along with sample exercises.

• Chest: bench press, chest press, push-ups
• Shoulders: overhead press, lateral raise, front raise
• Biceps: biceps curls, hammer curls, concentration curls
• Triceps: triceps extensions, dips, kickbacks
• Back: one-arm row, back extensions, lat pulldowns
• Abdominals: crunches, reverse crunches, wood chops, pelvic tilts
• Lower Body: squats, lunges, leg press, deadlifts, calf raises

If you’re a beginner, you only need to choose one or two exercises for each muscle group in the upper body and three to four moves for the lower body. If you don’t know much about weight training, consider hiring a personal trainer to help you set up your program, going to a class, or following a video online. 

Most experts recommend starting with your larger muscle groups and proceeding to the smaller ones. The most demanding exercises are those performed by your large muscle groups, and you will need your smaller muscles to get the most out of these moves. However, you can do your exercises in any order you like.

Sets, Reps, and Weight

Choosing your reps and sets can be the most confusing part of strength training. How many reps and sets you do will depend on your goals.

• To lose body fat and build muscle: Use enough weight that it’s challenging to complete 8 to 12 repetitions and 1 to 3 sets—1 for beginners, 2 to 3 for intermediate and advanced exercisers. Rest about 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets and at least one day between workout sessions.
• For muscle gain: Use enough weight that you can only complete 4 to 8 repetitions and 3 or more sets, resting for 1 to 2 minutes between sets and 2 to 3 days between sessions. For beginners, give yourself several weeks of conditioning before you tackle weight training with this degree of difficulty. You may need a spotter for many exercises.
• For health and muscular endurance: Use enough weight that you can only complete 12 to 16 repetitions, 1 to 3 sets, resting 20 to 30 seconds between sets, and at least one day between workout sessions.

Use trial and error to determine how much weight you should use. Start with a lighter weight and perform one set. Continue adding weight until you feel challenged but can do the desired number of reps with good form. The last rep should be difficult, but not impossible. If you’re using a resistance band, one band might not cut it for your entire body.

In general, if you’re able to complete 8 reps of an exercise using a band, select another that provides a greater amount of resistance. 

Your First Strength Training Workout

Your first workout tests where your body is and how different exercises feel to your body. These classic exercises are a great place to connect with your body on a deeper level.

The idea is to focus on doing the exercises right rather than using a lot of weight or doing a lot of reps. For this beginner strength training workout, grab a resistance band, a chair, and various weighted dumbbells.

• Start with a 5-minute warm-up of light cardio.
• Do one set of each exercise, one after the other, resting briefly between exercises.
• Modify or skip any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.
• Make a note of how the moves feel and the weight you’ve chosen to keep track of your progress.
• Rest at least a day before doing the workout again, working your way up to several sets of each exercise 2 to 3 times per week.