11/12/2019 Beginner's Strength Training: How to Get Started

BEGINNERS

The Beginner's Guide to Strength

Training
By Paige Waehner
Updated September 14, 2019

Medically reviewed by
Richard N. Fogoros, MD

LeoPatrizi/Getty Images

It can be hard to know where to start when beginning strength training. There are
countless exercises you can do, some of which work some muscles, but not others. There
are safety concerns to beware of, a wide variety of sometimes confusing equipment to
help you in your e orts, and so on. With some familiarity of the basics of getting started

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with strength training, actually doing so can become far less daunting, and you can begin
to craft a routine that is targeted toward helping you achieve your personal goals.

Bene ts of Strength Training

No matter where you are in your tness 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 important bene ts it o ers, it helps you:

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

Be sure to check with your doctor before you start lifting weights if you have any medical
conditions, injuries, or illnesses.

Unfortunately, many people haven't gotten the message that strong is in. Indeed,
statistics on strength training are grim: According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), less than 30 percent of American adults engage in muscle-
strengthening activities like lifting weights or doing push-ups at least twice a week—the
recommendations set out by the government. 

Too often, people skip the weights in favor of cardio, especially women who worry about
building bulky muscles. But that's a worry they can set aside because most women don't
produce the amount of the strength-hormone testosterone necessary to build big
muscles.

Common Misconceptions
Many people's sense of what's involved in strength training isn't quite complete, and
learning the realities may help you overcome aspects that you might view as hurdles to
getting started.

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You don't have to join a gym. There are lots of bene ts to working out at home—it's free,
convenient, and private. A plethora of DVDs and online resources can help you direct your
sessions if desired. 

If you decide to join a gym, know that you're not expected to know how all of the
equipment works right o the bat—or what to do with it. Be sure to take advantage of
the free orientation so you can learn how to properly use everything that's o ered and
set up a basic strength-training program. At the gym, machines are preferred for
beginners, because they're quite safe: Most require little coordination and o er more
stability than free weights while performing the movements. 

That said, you don't have to use weights or machines. Anything that provides resistance
can do the job. This includes bands, free weights like dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells,
and weight machines. 

For beginners, your own body weight might be enough to get you started. However, it can
be hard to challenge your body without any additional resistance, so to progress, you'll
need some equipment. If you decide to strength train at home, you'll want to invest in
some basics, such as resistance bands, weights, and an exercise ball. Try to have a range
of weights: a light set (3 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).

Getting Started
Two key terms you'll want to know are rep and set. Rep, or repetition, is a single instance
of an exercise—a dumbbell bicep curl, for instance. A set is the number of repetitions
performed sequentially. For example, you can say, “I did 2 sets of 10 reps of bicep curls." 

Use these pointers to build a framework for your workout:

Start with a short, simple program. Your goal is to do a routine that works for all muscle
groups on two non-consecutive days a week. This will help you build a strong foundation
and allow you to progress from week to week.
Warm up rst. 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 weight.
Focus on form. Good form means you can reap all of the bene ts of your workout and
avoid injuries at the same time. To maintain proper form, pay attention to your posture
(stand tall with chest lifted and abs held tight), move slowly (this ensures you're relying
on muscles, not momentum, to do the lifting), and remember to breathe. Many people

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hold their breath while exerting, but exhaling during the hardest part of the exercise
helps fuel the movement.
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 ne. 
Aim to challenge yourself, not overtax yourself. The rst few weeks, focus on learning
how to do each exercise rather than on 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 amount of time it takes to start seeing improvement in your body, you can change
your routine to make it more di cult. Lifting the same weights for the same exercises
every week will keep your body in the same place. You can modify weights or
repetitions, choose di erent exercises, or change the order in which you do them. You
only have to make one change at a time to make a di erence, although more is often
better. 

Choosing Your Exercises

If you don't know much about weight training, consider hiring a personal trainer to help
you set up your program. 

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

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

Most experts recommend starting with your larger muscle groups and then 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. But don't feel limited by that. You can do your exercises in any order you like.

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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 you can only complete 10 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 di culty. 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.

To determine how much weight you should use, start with a light weight and perform
1 set. Continue adding weight until you can do the desired number of reps with good
form. The last rep should be di cult, but not impossible.

If you're using a resistance band, keep in mind that one band might not cut it for your
entire body. Di erent muscles have di erent strengths, so you may want to buy two
di erent resistance bands in di erent thickness, which determines how di cult they'll
be to use. In general, if you're able to complete 8 reps of an exercise using a band, you'll
want to select another that provides a greater amount of resistance. 

Your First Workout

Your rst workout is a test of where your body is and how di erent exercises feel to your
body. These classic exercises are a great place to start to begin connecting 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 workout, you'll need a resistance band, a chair, various weighted dumbbells.

Start with a 5-minute warm-up of light cardio.

Do 1 set of each exercise, one after the other, resting brie y 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 so you can keep track of
your progress.

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Rest at least a day before doing the workout again, working your way up to 2 to 3 times a
week.

Exercise Reps Suggested Weight

Chair Squats 12 No weight

Side-Step Squats 12 right, then left Resistance band

Lunges 12 No weight

Wall Push-ups 12 No weight

Chest Flies 12 5 to 10 lbs

Seated-Band Biceps Curls 12 Resistance band

Seated-Band Rows 12 Resistance band

Lying Triceps Extensions 12 5 to 10 lbs

Vertical Leg Crunches 12 No weight

Back Extensions 12 No weight

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