Strength Training Guide for Beginners

Imagine your first day in the gym. You are motivated and ready to do as much, in one day, as you can and as is physically possible. But you may have even noticed that as a newbie you are also as confused as a chameleon. 

Unless you have enrolled under a personal trainer, it is a general observation that as a beginner you do not know where and how to start with your workout. You may start by lifting some dumbbells and maybe performing some common exercises that you see on various media platforms or read about in articles. 

This definitely is a good initiating step towards your fitness journey but wouldn’t it be great if you have some knowledge regarding what is to be done when you lift weights? 

Do you know that incomplete knowledge regarding the correct exercises, proper form, or an appropriate lifting protocol may not just delay your progress but even lead to major injuries? 

This article is a complete guide for beginners in strength training. You can read about all the major aspects you need as a rookie to start your strength training.

What is Strength Training?

Strength training is a workout program that involves weight-bearing exercises. Many of us may get confused with weight lifting when we talk about strength training. But strength training does not involve only lifting weights. 

You can build strength by even incorporating resistance training, which is any exercise that puts an opposing force on the movements that you are doing. You can use equipment like resistance bands, resistance machines as well as your body weight and of course your traditional weights like dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, etc for strength training.

How do you start Strength Training?

You do not need to immediately go to the gym and lift heavy dumbbells and barbells to start with your strength training. You can simply begin with bodyweight exercises at a level that you can tolerate initially. 

Slowly you can increase the difficulty of your exercises by increasing the weight you are lifting or incorporating added resistance. This requires careful planning. Your body has to initially get adapted to the exercises you are performing only then can you increase the level up.

An important point to remember here is that no matter eager you are to see results it will take time and patience. You cannot suddenly start doing something your body is not used to. Taking it slow and steady is the key.

Why is Strength Training essential?

Strength training as the name suggests strengthens your body. It makes your muscles, ligaments, and joints strong. You need a strong body to carry out the everyday movements eg. Lifting your heavy shopping bags, carrying a bucket of water, and even self-defense. 

Strength training mimics the natural movements that your body is designed to do like pushing, so if you were to fall you push yourself up, your body is designed to squat so if you squat to sit on a chair you are able to lift yourself back up again, similarly your body is designed to lunge so when you walk your body feels stable and strong. Thus, strength training will help you improve all these everyday movements.

It is a common phenomenon that as you age you lose your muscle mass. This is called sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is associated with a decline in muscle strength, power, quality, and physical function. 

With age the bone mineral density also reduces and the bones become fragile leading to a condition called osteoporosis. This may lead to increased chances and severity of the injury. Strength training is recommended as the intervention of choice for the prevention and treatment of the adverse consequences of sarcopenia and osteoporosis. (1)

Terminologies that you need to know as a beginner in strength training. 

1. Form – each exercise has a specific form, it’s the exact way in which you perform the exercise. It is a topography of movement to increase safety and muscle strength gains.
2. Rep – or short for repetition. It is a single cycle of lifting and lowering a weight in a controlled manner, moving through the correct form of the exercise.
3. Set – a set consists of several repetitions performed one after another with no break between them with the number of reps per set and sets per exercise depending on the goal of the individual.
4. Rep Maximum (RM)- The number of repetitions one can perform at a certain weight is called the Rep Maximum (RM). For example, if one could perform ten reps at 25 kgs, then that weight would be their 10RM. 1RM is therefore the maximum weight that someone can lift in a given exercise or a weight that they can only lift once without a break.
5. Tempo – is the speed with which an exercise is performed.

5 Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners and How to perform them?

As a beginner, you do not need to perform all the exercises that are there in the book. You need a few exercises that can target the major muscles of your body. 

Squats

Muscles targeted- gluteus (buttocks), quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh), adductor (groin), hip flexors, and calves.

Technique-

1. Stand with a bar (initially without any plates) on your upper back, and your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Take a deep breath and squat down by pushing your knees to the side while moving your hips back.
3. Break parallel by squatting down until your hips are lower than your knees.
4. Squat back up while keeping your knees out and chest up.
5. Stand with your hips and knees locked at the top. This is one repetition. (2)

Related:

The Beginner’s Guide to Progressive Overload Training

Deadlifts

Muscles targeted- hamstrings, glutes, back, hips, core, and trapezius.

Technique-

1. Stand with the middle of your foot under the barbell. Initially, you can use the barbell with the lightest possible weight.
2. Bend over and grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip.
3. Bend your knees until your shins touch the bar.
4. Lift your chest and straighten your lower back.
5. Take a big breath, hold it, and stand up with the weight.
6. Then lower it down again. This is one repetition. (2)

 

Bench Press

Muscles targeted- pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps brachii, biceps brachii, serratus anterior.

Technique-

1. Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar. You can even start with dumbbells. In this case, hold the dumbbells above your head at eye level.
2. Grab the bar with a medium grip-width with your thumbs around the bar.
3. Pull your shoulder blades back and down.
4. Unrack the bar by straightening your arms.
5. Take a deep breath and lower the bar to your mid-chest.
6. Press the bar up until your arms are straight. (2)

Pullups

Muscles targeted- latissimus dorsi, biceps, deltoids, rhomboids, and core.

Technique-

1. Grip an overhead bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your palms facing away from you. 
2. Hang with your arms fully extended. You can bend your legs at the knee if they drag on the ground.
3. Keep your shoulders back and your core engaged throughout. Then pull up slowly. Initially, it is ok even if you go halfway or do only one pull-up. As you attempt more you will get better at it.  
4. Move slowly upward until your chin is above the bar, then equally slowly downward until your arms are extended again. 

Push-ups

Muscles targeted- triceps, pectoral muscles, and deltoid muscles (shoulders).

Technique- 

1. Place yourself in a horizontal position balancing on both the hands and toes while facing down, with arms extended, hands shoulder, width, or more apart.
2. Your feet can be touching or slightly apart. 
3. Inhale and bend the elbows to bring the rib cage close to the ground without arching the low back excessively.
4. Push back up to complete arm extension and exhale at the end of each movement. This is one repetition. (3)

Strength Training Tips 

1. Warm up your primary muscles by doing warm-up sets before attempting to lift heavy weights. Ideally, your first warm-up set should be roughly 40-60% of your max.
2. Breathe through your mouth when strength training; exhale when pushing/lifting weights away from your body and inhale when pulling/lifting weights toward your body.
3. Never “lock out” a joint (elbow/knee) when lifting weights; doing so can lead to serious injury.
4. Rest for approximately 45-75 seconds between sets when using “light” weights and 2-3 minutes when using “heavy” weights; get a drink of water and/or stretch between sets.
5. Learn the names of the primary muscles of your body as well as all of the exercises that you use to train them; knowing the names and locations of the muscles will help you concentrate more when strength training, thus allowing for quicker, better results.
6. After strength training, give fatigued muscles a minimum of 48-72 hours to rest before strength training those particular muscles again.
7. Do not work out the same muscle groups on consecutive days. Too much strength training without a significant amount of recovery time can tear the muscles down rather than build them up.

Author: Dr Pooja Nilgar (Content writer and editor)

References

1. Hanson, E.D., Srivatsan, S.R., Agrawal, S., Menon, K.S., Delmonico, M.J., Wang, M.Q. and Hurley, B.F., 2009. Effects of strength training on physical function: influence of power, strength, and body composition. Journal of strength and conditioning research/National Strength & Conditioning Association, 23(9), p.2627.
2. Bengtsson, V., Berglund, L. and Aasa, U., 2018. Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 4(1), p.e000382.
3. Azeem K., 2015. The Push-up.  International Journal of Fitness, Health, Physical Education & Iron Games, 2(1), p.1-4.