I’m new here. What do I need to know as a beginner in strength training?

First things first, well done for getting started! Starting in strength training is by far the hardest part. From the outside, it can look really hard and very intimidating so well done for overcoming that. The early days are daunting and they are filled with a lot to learn. Here is a (very honest) list of things you should know as you get started.

1. You will get sore. Probably very sore. BUT it does get better. 

The soreness that you’ll experience in your first few days and weeks of starting is the worst. I remember needing so much rest in between my sessions when I first started in the gym. The next day after training was always the worst and getting out of bed in the morning was a real struggle. But it does get better, and it gets better quickly. After the first week or two, the muscle soreness you experience after training will be SO much less, if it is even there at all.

Basically, this soreness (also called DOMS which is short for delayed onset muscle soreness) is the result of micro damage done to your muscles while training. While working out, your muscles are working hard and will sustain some damage. This sounds scary but it is in fact a good thing. This process is essentially forcing your muscles to repeatedly repair themselves which makes them become stronger and more resilient.

Your body adapts to this process with strength training exposure. Because of this, someone in their first few sessions will get far more significant DOMS than someone with a year of training experience. Train consistently, even just twice a week, for the next two months and you’ll see that your DOMS will decrease significantly.

2. Train regularly and intelligently. 

I’m a huge advocate for doing the basics over and over again, and doing them really fucking well. 

Fundamentally you should consider:

Exercise selection. At TSF, our programs are centered around the powerlifts and involve a combination of compound movements (multiple joint movements) and accessories (usually single joint movements). Executing a handful of exercises to a vey high standard will benefit you far more the “creative” exercises that you see on Instagram.

Training frequency. Train as often as your lifestyle allows. Training once a week for the next year is better than training five times one week and nothing for the next five months. Training should fit your lifestyle. Whether that means 2x 30 minute sessions per week or 4x 1.5 hour sessions a week almost doesn’t matter, as long as you are consistent.

3. Having a good coach in your corner will change the game. 

Obviously I am a coach so I’m a little biased, but I have also had good coaches and bad coaches myself so I think I have value to share here. I get it. Having a coach can seem a bit unnecessary or expensive but a good coach is so valuable.

A good coach will:

• Be able to create an exercise program that is suitable to you. Whether you want to be an elite powerlifter, are a complete beginner to exercise of any kind or are coming off the back of an injury, a good coach will be able to customise your training to suit you and your individual circumstances.

• Be supportive of you and your lifestyle. A coach probably isn’t right for you if they make you feel guilty for not doing something correctly, not training enough or if they try to push their own goals and philosophies on you. Pick a coach who aligns with you on these things and who wants the best for you on your unique journey.

• Be easy to communicate with. Find a coach that you can easily communicate with. This doesn’t mean find a coach that you can text at 3am on a Saturday night when you’re drunk, but rather someone that you get along with well and feel comfortable sharing with. Your insights in to your health, training and preferences are extremely important and to get the best out of your training, your coach will want to hear about these things. Finding a coach that you can speak to like you’d speak to a friend/family member will be so good for you. Of course relationships take time to develop, but you should find a coach that you want and can see yourself to move moving towards this type of open communication with.

• Accomodate injuries/changes/deviations to the plan. Say you’re in your first few weeks of strength training and your back starts feeling a little sore when you’re training. A good coach will not only modify and adapt your current training but will also be able to support you in recommending allied health professionals should you need one. A coach shouldn’t blindly tell you to train through pain, being on holiday or periods of low motivation. They should help you navigate these things and change the plan if need be. 

• Educate you. When you have a coach, you are literally paying someone for their expertise and knowledge. They should be able to answer questions that you might have, provide education around things in the gym and provide you with a better understanding than when you first walked through the door. 
  

Once you’ve found someone you like, talk to them about the services they offer. A lot of coaches offer online, private face to face and/or group training options. Speak to them about what options they offer and which will be best suited to you and your lifestyle.

4. Prepare to eat more! 

When you start strength training, you will likely get very hungry. And you’ll likely need to eat more. The physical demands on your body have increased. You are expending more energy and your body needs to recover and repair itself.

If food and nutrition, the idea of eating more food or gaining or losing weight feel scary to you, please talk to your coach about it. They can provide support, help you move through this change, provide general nutrition advice and can also help in recommending a nutritionist or dietitian if that is appropriate.

5. Wear whatever makes you comfortable. 

Wear whatever you feel comfortable moving in. Whether for you it’s oversized sweats, leggings and a crop top, shorts and t-shirt — it doesn’t matter, as long as your movement is not restricted. Walking in to a new gym or training environment for the first time, it can be daunting feeling as though you don’t know the “dress code”. Trust us, in powerlifting, we do not care what you wear. If you’re comfortable and keen to get stronger, we love that.

As you are training for longer, you’ll probably develop some of your own preferences. For example, I personally prefer bench pressing in a crop top because it allows me to ‘stick’ to the bench. But as you’re just beginning wear whatever is comfortable. That is perfect.

6. You probably don’t need lifting equipment just yet. 

You’ve probably seen people training with belts, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, etc. I wouldn’t worry about them for the first few months of your training journey. If your coach thinks for some reason they’ll be particularly useful for you early on, they’ll let you know. But you can make a lot of progress and learn a lot without them for now.

In some cases, your coach might recommend knee sleeves early on (ie, if you experience some knee pain while lifting) or perhaps wrist wraps if your wrists are a limiting factor while you squat or bench press. But more often than not, it’s just not necessary in the early days.

If you would like to learn more about lifting equipment and why we use specific items, I recommend this article by Billie: Personal Powerlifting Equipment.

7. The people in the gym around you aren’t as scary as they look, I promise. 

Most people in the powerlifting community (and especially at TSF) are very friendly and incredibly welcoming to new faces. We are all stoked to coerce someone else to join our club and our sport! We have all been there on our first day. We know you feel awkward and out of place.

I like to say that the biggest, strongest, scariest-looking people in the gym are usually the kindest and most generous. They’ve typically been around the longest and feel the largest sense of responsibility to make the new kids feel welcome.

At TSF, we have a huge culture of sharing and a huge emphasis on equality between members. No one is more deserving of equipment or coaching attention than anyone else, whether they’re squatting 2kg or 200kg.

So all of this is to say talk to people and ask for help. We all want you to succeed and we will all help you to get there in whatever way that we can.

8. Set some goals. 

Your motivation and desire to be in the gym will at times be really high; at other times it’ll be really low. This is super normal and we all experience it. Having realistic goals can be really helpful in navigating these periods. They help keep you disciplined in going to the gym and they help give you purpose in your training. Some good examples of goals for a beginner could be:

- Consistently train 3x per week (a training frequency goal)

- Go to the gym at 7am on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (a clear training schedule can help you stay more consistent)

- Perform your first body weight push up / squat / chin up (a performance goal)

- Feel confident (not fit enough; confident enough) to wear a certain piece of clothing (a mindset goal)

Goals of this kind are great because they don’t rely on any form of body measurement. They give you something to achieve without a focus on your body or appearance.

Writing these goals down somewhere that you can see them regularly can also help keep them at the forefront of your mind.

Want to get started in strength training? At TSF we love bringing beginners in to our gym. Again, I know we can look big and scary and intimidating but actually, our gym is full of beginner lifters and lifters that started as beginners with us. We would love to help you take your first steps. Get in touch. We would love to hear from you!