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 you can do to work a range of different muscles. There are safety concerns to be aware of and a wide variety of potentially confusing equipment to figure out.

However, it doesn't have to be so daunting. We're here to help with a primer on the basics of strength training to get you started—and help you to begin crafting a routine that's targeted toward achieving your personal goals.

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.
• 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 the bodies of people 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.

Lifting Weights 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), as of 2018, while around 50% of American adults engage in adequate cardio exercise, less than 30% meet the recommended minimum guidelines for muscle-strengthening activities, which include engaging in exercises like lifting weights, yoga, heavy gardening, or push-ups at least twice a week. 

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 and online resources 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. 

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).

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.
• Choose the right amount of weight to lift. The key is to use weights that are not too light and not 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 just 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 means lets you reap all of the benefits 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 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 fine. 
• Aim to challenge yourself, not overtax yourself. The first 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 difficult. 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 different exercises, or change the order in which you do them. You only have to make one change at a time to make a difference, 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, going to a class, or following a video online. 

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. 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 1 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, keep in mind that 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, you'll want to select another that provides a greater amount of resistance. 

Your First Workout

Your first workout is a test of where your body is and how different 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 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 so you can 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.

A Word From Verywell

Too often, people skip weights in favor of cardio, especially women, some of whom may worry about building bulky muscles. But that's a worry they can set aside. Many women don't produce the amount of strength-hormone testosterone necessary to build big muscles. The enormous health benefits of strength training are clear. And regardless of size, muscular bodies are strong bodies—and that's beautiful.