Strength Training for Beginners

So, you’re interested in strength training and don’t know where to even begin? You have come to the right place! In today’s post, I will address one of the best ways for beginners to break into the world of strength training.

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What is Strength Training?

Simply put, strength training is a training style in which, you guessed it, the individual builds strength in their muscles. This improvement in strength may even correlate to bigger muscle size (depending on genetics, type of training, diet, etc.) For a training session to be considered “strength training,” you need two components: Movement with Resistance and Progressive Overload. Sounds simple enough, but what does that mean?

Movement with Resistance

Resistance is the act of your muscles counteracting the force put upon them by an outside source (i.e., dumbbell, barbell, bodyweight, etc.) Because your muscles are moving an object with weight, it is creating small micro-damage to the muscle. Before you get scared, this process is essential to build strength because the body repairs this damage and makes the muscle more resistant to that amount of weight. That’s where our second component comes into play.

Progressive Overload

Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, in layman’s terms, it just means to do a little bit more than the last time. When that microdamage is repaired, the body can now accommodate that weight you were using for the amount of movement you were doing with not a lot of effort. This phenomenon is what strength is. To make your muscles stronger, you simply add more weight or add more reps. This simple adjustment provides a new stimulation to the muscles leading to new microdamage and, in turn, more strength.

I want to stop here for a second and address a subject that many beginners tend to overlook, and that is REST. Rest is crucial because that is when the body makes the repairs to the micro-damage you acquired during your latest sweat-sesh. I have covered the importance of getting enough rest in a few of my previous blog posts already (8 Ways to stay committed to a Lifestyle change, Not Losing Weight? Here are 5 Reasons why!, and Exercise or Extra fries? 3 benefits of physical activity) so I won’t go too far in-depth about this topic. Rest includes getting quality 7-8 hours of sleep at night, taking a day(s) off between sessions during the week, reducing intensity level, etc. If you would like to see an entire blog post on the importance of rest as a part of your fitness regimen, let me know in the comments or shoot me an email!

The Best way for beginners to start Strength Training

“I thought you said you were going to tell us how we can start strength training?” You’re right, you’re right. I have rambled on long enough about the semantics of strength training. Still, I think it is important to acknowledge what makes a strength training workout able to build strength before introducing my suggestion. This may surprise you, but my suggestion for beginners is not to go out, purchase a gym membership, grab the heaviest thing on the gym floor, and begin lifting it. No! What I truly suggest is already in your home; actually, it is with you all day, everyday…. Your body! That’s right, my tip for entering the world of strength is, to begin with, bodyweight exercises.

Bodyweight Exercises & Strength Building

You have probably seen a TON of videos floating around the internet of people doing 300lb squats for reps and 700lb max deadlifts and thought to yourself, “Hey! I want to do that!” Maybe you just want to be able to pick up your kids (or pets) without struggling. Whatever your goal is, the first step is the same. Bodyweight exercise in itself sounds simple, and that’s the point. A lot of lifts require specific techniques to complete them safely. Let’s take a simple squat, for example. There are so many things to consider in proper form for a squat before you even want to begin adding additional weight, such as foot position, weight distribution, hip position, etc. The best way to learn these techniques is by starting with your own bodyweight. This is a safe way to try out new lifting movements without the extra risk of adding heavyweight.

Why is technique important beyond safety? If your body's safety and the mitigation of injury aren’t convincing enough, I can give you a reason that may sway you. You can lift more with proper technique! There is a reason why there is a proper technique (besides safety) and that it is the most proficient way to lift something heavy in the way you want to move it. Sure, you can probably move some heavyweight with poor form (DO NOT DO THAT!), but you risk major injury with that. Do the same lift with proper form, and you would be surprised how much weight you can actually move!

Now What?

Okay, so we’ve gone over the nitty-gritty of strength training and what I suggest beginning with (bodyweight exercises), but what do we do now? Well, after you talk with your primary care physician and discuss what you are safely allowed to do, start exercising! My recommendation is to find a fitness trainer or a personal trainer that can show you the proper form for some basic lifts so that you can have some professional feedback during the process. Don’t have access to a fitness trainer or a personal trainer? That’s okay. Watch informative videos from fitness professionals (think physical therapists, Exercise science specialists, and Physicians) about proper form. When you are ready to begin trying these moves, take it slow! I also recommend watching yourself in a mirror or videotaping yourself so that you can see how your body is moving, and you can adjust from there. Once you have got the technique down, now you can add it to your routine and begin repping it out! The last tip I can give is to listen to your body. Do not add more weight or reps if you do not feel like your body can handle it. This is why I strongly suggest working with a professional when available. They would be able to help you tune into what your body is telling you and how to adjust your plan accordingly.

Want to learn more about strength training? Want to learn more about exercises for beginners? Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email! I would love to hear from my fellow “Fitstorians!”