Disclaimer: In this post, I am sharing my experience with strength training. I am not a fitness trainer, and it is not to be taken as fitness advice.
Strength training is so important, and it is not all about being the most muscular person in the room. It is so important for joint health because when you strength train regularly, you build strong bones and are less likely to fall and get a fracture. Starting any new exercise regimen can sometimes feel overwhelming because you may not know how to use the machines at the gym or not know which machines you should be using to gain strength. As you age, strength training becomes more important because you start to lose bone density as early as your thirties and forties, and the only way to maintain it is by doing some kind of resistance training. There is so much information out there about how much you should be lifting to gain muscle, and it can be a little confusing to someone who is new. I have been strength training for several years because I have physical disability, and having more muscles helps make my life easier. I have made mistakes through my strength training journey, but I have also learned many lessons. What do you need to know if you want to start strength training? In this post, I am sharing everything that I have learned throughout years of strength training to help you get started if you are new.
Find a strength training coach- When I first started strength training, I knew of some exercises but didn’t know how to do them because when you are a beginner, you are still figuring things out. I went on YouTube and looked up fitness videos to learn how to do different exercises with correct form. I exercised with fitness videos for several years, and it wasn’t until recently that I changed the way I strength train and didn’t feel like I needed fitness videos anymore. If you are new to strength training and don’t know where to start, I would recommend that you get a strength training coach who can show you different exercises and how to do them correctly. You can go to a gym and take a strength training class, or if you are disabled and can’t afford to hire a coach, you can look up free fitness online. I am at the point where I know enough exercises and don’t need to watch fitness videos anymore, but for several years, I did, and it’s a great learning tool.
Be patient and don’t expect overnight results– When you start strength training consistently, often people want to see visible muscle within the first week. It takes time to see progress in your strength and it is important that you trust the process and be patient. Don’t expect overnight results because it took me years of consistency before I started seeing noticeable changes in my strength.
Prioritize form over reps- Fitness enthusiasts often say you need to be lifting as heavy as possible to see progress at the gym. It is important that you are lifting a challenging weight because if it’s too easy, you aren’t going to gain muscle, but you want to prioritize form over reps. If you are trying to do as many shoulder presses as possible but have terrible form for half of them, you aren’t going to get as much benefit from the exercise. Correct form should always be more of a priority than the amount of reps, because if you are not doing an exercise correctly, you are increasing the likelihood of getting injured and won’t be getting as much benefit from your workout. It is always better to do ten reps with perfect form than twenty poorly done reps because, in order to gain muscle, you have to be doing exercises correctly. Exercises are easier when they are done incorrectly and don’t activate as many muscles.
Start lighter than you think you are going to need- When you are new to strength training, sometimes people think that they need to be lifting as heavy as possible. It is important to pick a weight that is challenging, but you don’t need to be lifting as heavy as possible, and if you are new, I would recommend not doing that. If it’s your first day lifting, start with a weight a little bit lighter than you think you are going to need. You can also go up in the middle of a set if it’s too easy, but if you start to heavy and injure yourself, you can go back. When I started strength training, I did body weight movements, and as I got stronger, I was able to progress to bigger weights. Bigger weights do not necessarily mean you are going to gain muscle faster because you are not going to gain muscle if you are picking a weight that you can barely lift. Don’t shy away from light weights because even the professionals were all once beginners!
Make sure you are fueling properly- When I am strength training, I immediately notice when my nutrition has not been great because I struggle to do exercises that I normally would struggle with. It is so important that you fuel your body properly with enough protein and carbs, because if you don’t give your body what it needs, you aren’t going to have the energy to lift. Nutrition plays a major role in building muscle because it doesn’t matter how consistent you are with your strength training; you aren’t going to build muscle without proper nutrition. Everyone has different nutritional needs, and it is so important to find yours to see results in your fitness.
Stick to basics- I love doing compound exercises because I am all about working multiple groups at once to save time. There are a lot of strength training moves that have a lot of steps, which can be difficult for some people to remember. Strength training does not have to be complicated, and it is so important that you master the basics before you try anything more complicated. Stick to the classic moves because even though something has more steps, that doesn’t mean it’s better for you.
Don’t compare yourself to others- When you are lifting weights at the gym, it is easy to look at the person next to you who has been lifting longer and start comparing yourself to them. Fitness is very individualized, and even though someone is able to lift heavier than you, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proud of your progress. These days, it is so easy to get online and start comparing yourself to others, and it is so important that you don’t do that because a lot of before-and-after photos are photoshopped for social media. Focus on what you are doing and work on improving your strength because nothing good comes from comparing yourself to others.
Train close to failure– If you want to build muscle, it is so important that you are picking a weight that is challenging and training close to failure because failure in strength training is a good thing. I wouldn’t recommend you train until complete failure because that could be dangerous and cause avoidable injuries, but you do want to make sure you are fatiguing your muscles to gain strength.
Write down your workout– I used to do all my strength training, with fitness, but recently started writing down what exercises I am doing in a notebook and how many reps I am doing. I have been trying to increase the amount of reps I am doing when I am lifting, which can be difficult when you are watching videos and not counting your reps. Sometimes it can be difficult to see your progress, and writing it down is a great way to see how you’re progressing so you can make improvements.
Do exercises at a slower pace- When you are strength training, sometimes people do exercises quickly because they want to get it over with, but doing exercises too quickly may be hurting your gains. Slow down your reps and be intentional with your training because slower sometimes is better.
Strength training is so important for joint health because if you want strong bones, you have to be challenging them. It is hard to get into a strength training routine, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t have to be doing the hardest workout. Start small and work your way up because the key to building muscle is to do exercises with proper form and to pick goals that are achievable. It takes time to build muscle, and you shouldn’t expect overnight results because sometimes it takes years of consistency before you see a noticeable difference. Strength training will make your life easier, and it is not just about having big muscles, but it can also help with weight management. Weight loss has never been a goal of mine, but it has helped me lose and maintain my weight because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. What would you tell someone new to strength training? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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