These exercises are ideal for beginners because they help you build strength and practice foundational moves upon which hundreds of other exercises are created. 8 great beginner strength-training exercises Allow 48 hours of recovery (that is, no more heavy lifting for those muscle groups you worked) between workouts. As you become stronger, you can progress to 3 to 5 sets for each movement. If you’re a beginner, perform 1 to 3 sets per exercise. This may sound like a lot of rest, but it’s actually fairly standard for a workout that’s focused specifically on gaining strength. Give yourself 2 to 5 minutes of rest between sets to allow sufficient recovery for your nervous system and muscles-otherwise you won’t be able to maximize your effort during the next set, says Yellin. If you’re just getting started, though, focus on a weight you can lift for a range of 6 to 12 reps, since lifting too heavy before you’re comfortable with the moves can increase your risk of injury, says Fagan. In general, the recommendation for building strength is to use a weight you can lift for about 6 reps per set with proper form.
Reps and sets for beginner strength training Common pulling exercises include rows, pull-ups, and lat pull-downs. Some other examples of pushing exercises include squats, standing overhead presses, push-ups, dips, bench presses, barbell box step-ups, and glute bridges. If you were to skip the pulling motion and only do the chest presses, you’d be at greater risk for injury over time due to uneven pulling on the joints, Yellin explains. A chest press hits the pectoral muscles (chest muscles) and triceps. “Balancing your routine with pushing and pulling ensures that you maintain good muscular balance and hit all the important muscle groups,” Yellin adds.įor example, rows-a pulling motion-recruit your back and biceps muscles. Examples of multi-joint exercises include squats, which involve the hip and knee joints and work the glutes, legs, and core and push-ups, which use your elbow, wrist, and shoulder joints and work the chest, arms, and core muscles.Īnother essential factor for a quality weight-lifting workout is including a mix of pushing and pulling exercises.
“Multi-joint, compound movements employ the most muscle fibers,” Jeffrey Yellin, DPT, CSCS, tells SELF.
The key to getting stronger is focusing on compound movements, which involve multiple joints of the body and, therefore, multiple muscles working at the same time. A 2016 research review in the journal Sports Medicine suggests that strength training twice per week is enough to significantly increase muscle mass. More good news: You don’t have to work out constantly to gain muscle. Resistance training can help older adults improve balance, build bone density, reduce the risk of falls, preserve independence, and even boost cognitive well-being, according to a 2019 position paper from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. And building balanced strength-by making sure you’re focusing on all muscle groups-is important because it helps prevent weaker muscles from overcompensating, which can lead to injury.Īs you get older, maintaining muscle mass and strength becomes even more important for overall health. Increasing muscle strength can help make everyday movements less of a struggle, whether you're carrying a week’s worth of groceries up the stairs, placing a bulky object on an overhead shelf, or simply getting up off the floor.
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