Strength training helps people of all ages and abilities accomplish everyday tasks. It can make it easier to lift a heavy grocery bag or carry a box of Facebook Marketplace finds up the stairs.
Ask for a movement screening by a qualified exercise professional to find out what level of weight and resistance is safe for you to start with. Warm up with dynamic exercises for 5-10 minutes before you begin.
Start Slow
As with any exercise, starting a strength training routine can be intimidating. There are safety concerns, equipment that can be confusing, and a wide variety of exercises that work different muscles. However, if you take the time to learn the basics and start slowly, you can build muscle safely and create a routine that meets your goals.
First, experts recommend getting a health check before you begin lifting weights to be sure your body is ready to handle it. Next, find a trainer to help you get started and craft a plan that meets your fitness goals. Then, choose a reasonable number of reps and sets per workout and stick with it. It’s also important to give yourself rest days between workouts, so you can recover and grow stronger.
A general rule of thumb is to do two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps of each exercise. When you’re new to strength training, it’s also a good idea to have someone show you how to do each move and correct your form. That way you’ll be able to maximize your results and avoid injuries.
Then, begin small and increase your weights over the course of a few weeks, or until you feel you could do one more rep with good form. Then, bump up the weight again, or try a different resistance. It’s also a good idea to switch up your routine every few weeks, so that you’re challenging your body in different ways and keeping your muscles from getting bored.
Remember that you don’t need to have a gym membership or expensive equipment to do strength training. You can use your own body weight, resistance bands, or a simple set of dumbbells at home. The most important thing is that you start at a level you can manage, and increase your strength over the long term.
To start, experts recommend focusing on a handful of basic exercises that target each major muscle group. For example, squats work your legs and core, while push-ups engage your shoulders and chest. “With time, you’ll notice these moves start to feel easier,” says personal trainer Jillian Bullock of the app Sweat. That’s a sign that your muscles are growing strong.
Do the Right Exercises
Strength training exercises can be tough on the muscles, especially if you’re not used to them. That’s why it’s important to start off with a basic routine that utilizes only a few moves and requires little to no equipment, like bodyweight exercises or exercise bands, for example. This will allow you to build up your muscles before moving on to more intense workouts that can cause injury if done incorrectly.
To avoid injury, always perform each move with proper form. Incorrect form can cause injuries such as strained muscles, ligament damage and joint stress. For example, when lifting weights, beginners may bend their arms at the elbow or knees too much while trying to lift a heavier amount of weight. This excessive joint movement can strain the muscles, ligaments and tendons and increase your risk of injury.
Beginners should aim to do one set of each exercise, focusing on proper form and not speed. For most people, this is enough to achieve the desired results. However, it is recommended to do three or more sets of each exercise as you become more advanced.
You should also try to work different muscle groups each workout, and do whole-body sessions two or three times a week. This will help to prevent over-working any one particular muscle group, which can lead to fatigue and soreness. You may prefer to break your workouts into smaller chunks, working arm and shoulder muscles one day and leg and abdominal muscles the next. Just be sure to give each muscle group at least 48 hours of recovery between workouts.
While you’re starting out, it’s best to use a moderate resistance for your strength training exercises. To begin, warm up for five to 10 minutes with a light cardio activity such as walking or dynamic stretching (stretches like inchworms, dead bugs and hip bridges). Doing so will ensure your muscles are properly warmed up and less susceptible to injury.
You can use free weights, hand weights or resistance bands for your strength training. You can also opt for exercises that use your own body weight as resistance, such as push-ups and planks or sit-to-stands (also known as chair rises). Bodyweight exercises are a great option for those on a budget or who don’t have the space or access to expensive equipment.
Get the Right Intensity
For beginners, the key to getting results from strength training is consistency and patience. It’s not necessary to train at a gym to get a good full-body workout; you can use your own bodyweight, bands and even kettlebells to do basic exercises. Make sure to be physically fit with the help of michael mendes frisco.
It’s recommended that beginners perform two to three strength training sessions per week, giving their muscles time to recover in between workouts. It’s also a good idea to incorporate different exercises into each session, so you’re working all the major muscle groups of the body.
The goal is to train the target muscles to fatigue by doing several sets of each exercise, with a rest period in between. The intensity is increased by changing the number of reps, the amount of weight used or varying the tempo of each exercise. This allows you to achieve the desired change in muscle size, shape or endurance.
When you’re first starting out, a trainer or an experienced friend can help you figure out how much weight to use for each exercise. Beginners should start with a load that’s easy to handle, but still challenging. Then, as they get stronger, they can gradually increase the amount of weight they’re using.
As you continue to lift heavier weights, the goal is to do enough reps and sets to adequately fatigue your muscles. For beginners, this usually means doing 8 to 12 reps of each exercise and resting 30 seconds to 1 minute between each set.
A common misconception is that you have to be super strong to benefit from strength training. It’s true that building your muscles can make you more powerful, but it can also improve many aspects of your health, including your cardiovascular fitness and your flexibility.
So, whether you want to run a faster mile or simply feel more confident lifting boxes at work, resistance training is worth it. But it’s important to know that you’ll only get what you put into it — and that means taking the time to warm up properly, choose the right exercises for your goals, tolerate some discomfort and commit to sticking with it long term.
Give Your Muscles Time to Rest
A strength training workout should always finish with a rest day for your muscles. This allows them to recover and adapt from your intense exercise session. It also ensures that your muscles aren’t being overworked, which can lead to injuries like muscle strains. If you have to train the same muscle group on consecutive days, it’s best to give yourself at least 48 hours of rest between sessions.
During your rest period, focus on other exercises that aren’t as challenging and help you relax. This can include light cardio (like walking, jogging or even swimming) or yoga and pilates exercises. You can also focus on your diet to promote recovery, as a healthy diet can also enhance your muscle building efforts.
When you do start to strength train again, don’t jump right back in at the same intensity. Start with a program that builds your strength with low reps and a moderate weight, and gradually increase the weight and/or resistance as you become more comfortable with the movements. This is known as the progressive overload principle and is the best way to maximize your strength gains.
In general, you’ll want to work each muscle group two or more times per week. Some experts recommend breaking your routine up by training your upper body one day and your lower body the next, while others may prefer to do the opposite and train each group on consecutive days.
If you’re a beginner, your muscles will have little experience with movement that requires them to move against gravity. As a result, they’ll likely fatigue faster than those of seasoned exercisers who’ve built up their endurance. To avoid injury, it’s best to do your first few sets with a load that’s not too heavy and that you can complete without reaching muscle failure.
Beginners should also avoid power training, which involves focusing on high repetitions and a short rest period. This type of training shouldn’t be done by beginners until they have a firm handle on their technique and are able to perform a range of strength-building exercises with good form.
