Getting Started in Strength Training
Strength training is one of the fastest growing modalities of exercise in western culture, and with good reason. Prior to the turn of the millennia, easily the most common form of exercise was cardiovascular specific exercise with running comprising a large chunk of that. Strength (and barbell) training was reserved only for the most hardcore, often at the back of the gym, making noise and commotion that most gym goers could only gawk at.
However with the rise in popularity of Crossfit as well as growing understanding in the general population of its benefits, strength training is quickly becoming a commonplace pursuit. The biggest driver of the growth of strength training has been its accessibility. With more gyms catering to strength training clientele and such a huge range of educational resources online about strength training, it’s become increasingly easy for even the complete novice to get started under the barbell.
So now, you dear reader, have stumbled your way to this blog, perhaps interested in getting started in strength training. You’ve read about the benefits and understand that you will put on muscle, get stronger, have improved mobility and general health. You’re curious to try a different form of exercise than you’ve done before, or perhaps you’ve done some bootcamp style classes and found yourself with a natural pull towards the lifting component. And you’re wondering, how do I get started.
Keep it simple.
Like all fitness trends, there is a lure towards the extreme, however doing things in excess, especially strength training, will not serve you as you may expect. It may feel overwhelming:
Should I use machines or barbells?
How many days a week should I train?
How long should my rest periods be?
Can I mix muscle groups in a day?
How long should each session last?
It can be a bit much to take in.
My biggest piece of advice for beginner lifters/gym goers is to always to keep it simple. Really reaping the benefits of strength training takes time, so slow and steady always wins the race.
Train only as frequently as your schedule allows (one day is better than none; two days is better than one)
Focus on fewer exercises across a broad range of movements and aim to execute them well (3-5 exercises per session is plenty)
Stick to compound exercises (exercises using multiple joints at once)
Use a variety of rep ranges.
The rest is minutiae and honestly not that important until you’ve got 6-12 months of consistent training under your belt. Nail these few points and build some consistency. Nothing will propel you forward with as much force as that.
Understand that there is skill component to barbell lifts.
Executing the barbell lifts requires skill and until you have that skill, training your muscles very hard won’t be possible. But that’s ok because even the light weights you will have to work at in order to build your skill will be enough to make the strength gains you are hoping for.
Imagine you want to swim to improve your cardiovascular fitness, except you don’t know how to swim. Well first you need to learn how to swim before you can start using swimming as a means of exercise. In the same way, first you need to learn how to lift weights before you can start using weight lifting as a means of exercise.
To do so, keep the weights light and focus on moving under control. Do your best to lift through a full range of motion and if you’re unable to do so, it’s probably a sign that the weight is too heavy. Learn to stay balanced and in control of your body and the external load (the weights) and be as deliberate and stable as possible every time you touch a weight.
Find some consistency.
“Suboptimal training done consistently will always outperform perfect training done inconsistently.”
Remember earlier when I said “the rest is minutiae and … not that important”. This is what I mean.
If you are new to training, I recommend committing yourself to a regular schedule of training that you can manage. As a beginner, 2x per week is more than enough to see huge improvements — as long as you do two sessions per week, every week, for months on end.
So it’s important here to find a weekly routine that suits you and that you can do indefinitely. This isn’t a fad, this isn’t a trend. Improving your strength is a long-term commitment to your health and to do that, you need to have the mentality that you will be able to consistently train each and every week.
Get a coach.
Of course incredible results and improvements can be made solo but to really fast track your progress, finding a professional who can guide you and teach you is invaluable.
A good coach will
Teach you correct form from the get go
Troubleshoot issues you may come across
Prescribe you a training program suited to your ability and ensure you are progressing at a healthy rate
Take a lot of guess work out for you
Save you a lot of the headaches and troubles you may encounter if you were on your own
Save you countless hours of butting your head against a wall trying to solve a problem that you just can’t figure out and
Lastly of course, a good coach will provide you accountability, encouraging you and inspiring you to continue on your journey so that you can realise the goals you have set for yourself.
Now it would be remiss to not bring up our coaching services at TSF. Our system focuses on a face-to-face experience where we coach you in person to ensure your safety and results. I encourage you to get in contact with our coaching staff if you are interested in learning more about getting started in strength training.
Getting started in strength training doesn’t need to be a super intimidating complicated process. If you can move, you can strength train. At its foundation, strength training is about adding load to human movement. It’s one of the things that I love about it so much; that it is infinitely scalable, which makes it incredibly accessible. Even an 80 year old with no experience with sport or exercise can start strength training in some form. So keep it simple, learn the technique, get consisten, find yourself a coach or mentor and you’ll be quickly on your way to all the benefits that strength training will bring you.
