{"id":3130,"date":"2022-04-28T05:56:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T05:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=3130"},"modified":"2022-04-28T18:42:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T18:42:00","slug":"5-best-strength-training-workout-routines-for-beginners-home-gym","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/5-best-strength-training-workout-routines-for-beginners-home-gym\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Strength Training Workout Routines For Beginners (Home &#038; Gym)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3643170\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/legos-bench-pressing.jpg\" alt=\"These LEGOs are working the bench and doing some deadlifts. Nerd Fitness approves.\" width=\"798\" height=\"353\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/legos-bench-pressing.jpg 1920w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/legos-bench-pressing-300x133-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/legos-bench-pressing-768x340-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/legos-bench-pressing-713x316-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/legos-bench-pressing-600x266-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Want to get strong like these LEGO lifters but don&#8217;t how to start?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this Beginner&#8217;s Guide to Strength Training (part of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength 101 series<\/a>), you\u2019ll have both the confidence to start getting strong with resistance training AND a plan to follow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>These are the exact strategies we use with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Online Coaching Clients<\/a> to help them start strength training, and I\u2019m excited to cover everything you need.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button red\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tLet us help you start strength training! Learn more:\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p><b>We\u2019ll be digging into the following:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#start_strength_training\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do I start strength training or resistance training?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#examples_strength_training\">What are some examples of strength training?<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#strength_training_for_me\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which strength training program is right for me?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#best_strength_training\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 best strength training workouts for beginners.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#how_much_should_i_lift\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How much weight should I lift?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#9_strength_training_exercises\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 9 best strength training exercises.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#strength_training_form_checks\">How to know you&#8217;re doing an exercise properly (form checks)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#strength_training_weight_loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strength training for weight loss.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#strength_training_do_this\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJust TELL ME what strength program I should do.\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the way, we\u2019ve combined this article along with the rest of our strength articles into a \u201c<strong>Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know<\/strong>\u201d guide. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grab it free when you join the Rebellion by putting your email in the box below.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup one-column split yellow-cta strength-101 shortcode-form-13 \">\n<div class=\"nf-signup-intro\">\n<div><span style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"pre\">Download our comprehensive guide<\/span> <span class=\"extra\">STRENGTH TRAINING 101!<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-benefit\">\n<ul>\n<li>Everything you need to know about getting strong.<\/li>\n<li>Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.<\/li>\n<li>How to find the right gym and train properly in one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-form\"><img class=\"asset-image\" src=\"&gt;\" \/><\/p>\n<form accept-charset=\"UTF-8\" action=\"https:\/\/tv329.infusionsoft.com\/app\/form\/process\/12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" class=\"infusion-form\" method=\"POST\" id=\"inf_form_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\"><input name=\"inf_form_xid\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" \/><input name=\"inf_form_name\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"Plugin Signup\" \/><input name=\"infusionsoft_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"1.68.0.144\" \/><input class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_field_Email\" name=\"inf_field_Email\" type=\"email\" required placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/><input name=\"null\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"null\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" name=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" type=\"text\" value=\"http:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" name=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" type=\"text\" value=\"21263\" \/>\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginURL\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginLandingPage\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_IPAddress\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"87.208.24.106\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastMedium\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastCampaign\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastSource\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastTerm\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastContent\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOptinFormFilledDate\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"2022-04-28 16:55:25\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_infcustomcoachvariation\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookBrowserId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"fb.1.1649223672899.1338373861\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookClickId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"infusion-submit\">\t<input class=\"opt-in-submit button infusion-recaptcha\" id=\"recaptcha_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" type=\"submit\" value=\" Get it now\" \/><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearme\"><\/div>\n<p><span id=\"more-21263\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"start_strength_training\"><\/a>How Do I Start Strength Training?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3878294\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train.jpg\" alt=\"Barbells in a gym bar bells and rope\" width=\"722\" height=\"379\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train.jpg 2188w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train-300x157-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train-713x374-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train-768x403-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train-1536x806-1.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train-2048x1075-1.jpg 2048w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/weights_to_strength_train-600x315-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 722px) 100vw, 722px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll look back years from now and thank \u201cPast You\u201d for starting strength training today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And I promise, you WILL strength train <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">today<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After all, strength training or resistance training doesn\u2019t need to be scary or overcomplicated! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Strength training really comes down to two things<\/span>:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>#1) Movement of any weight against &#8220;resistance&#8221;(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/work-out-at-home-at-the-office-or-anywhere-you-want-how-to-get-started-with-bodyweight-training-today\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">including your body weight<\/a>)<\/strong> &#8211; Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>#2) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-is-progressive-overload\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Progressive overload<\/a>:<\/strong> doing<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> slightly<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more than last time (lift heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will constantly have to adapt and rebuild themselves. These microscopic tears (that don\u2019t hurt) force your muscles to go through hypertrophy, meaning they grow bigger and stronger so they can meet the demands of the exercise.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-1\" id=\"refmark-1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach Jim explains the ins and outs of progressive overload in this video:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What is Progressive Overload? (+ How to Do It)\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4tEKCMxXg1I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>That&#8217;s all there is to it:<\/strong> <strong>do some resistance training and attempt to make it more and more challenging, and you&#8217;ll grow stronger.<\/strong><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-2\" id=\"refmark-2\"><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means if you drop down and do ONE knee push-up right now, technically you\u2019ve done a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strength<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> training workout. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also means if you then do TWO knee push-ups tomorrow, then you are officially following a strength training routine. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3581186 \" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/you-can-do-it.gif\" alt=\"Like this man says, &quot;You can do it&quot; wants you to start strength training!\" width=\"387\" height=\"242\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Now, there are many different \u201cstrength training\u201d and &#8220;resistance training&#8221; paths. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like a \u201cskill tree\u201d in a video game (with branching paths and progressions), you can progress up one path, and mix and match movements from others depending on the situation<\/span><b>. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These paths depend on your goals and what equipment you have available to you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"examples_strength_training\"><\/a>What Are Some Examples of Strength Training?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3733526\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stormtrooper-gym.jpg\" alt=\"Does the Empire mandate this training?\" width=\"803\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stormtrooper-gym.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stormtrooper-gym-300x199-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stormtrooper-gym-768x509-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stormtrooper-gym-713x472-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-stormtrooper-gym-600x397-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Let&#8217;s chat about a few different types of strength training.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>#1) BODYWEIGHT TRAINING<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3581189\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/batman-push-up.gif\" alt=\"Batman does bodyweight training for his strength training!\" width=\"459\" height=\"258\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bodyweight training is simply doing an exercise in which your own body is the \u201cweight\u201d you are \u201clifting.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Duh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the BEST place for anybody &#8211; regardless of weight or age &#8211; to start their strength training journey. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why is this the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best place<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to start? Two big reasons: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A) You always have your body with you (unless you are a ghost, in which case, this is awkward).<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This means you can work out ANYWHERE with bodyweight training:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine<\/a> in your living room. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-20-minute-hotel-workout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hotel Workout<\/a> in a hotel (obvi). <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/playground-workout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Park Workout<\/a> in a&#8230;well, you get the point.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>B) Using your body for resistance training is the most \u201chuman\u201d thing ever!<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> By learning to push and pull and hang and squat and lunge, you are doing what your body is literally designed to do. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By getting strong with bodyweight movements, you\u2019re making yourself <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/becoming-antifragile-how-to-prepare-yourself-for-chaos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">antifragile<\/a> and less injury-prone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Now, it&#8217;s SCIENCE TIME!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While learning the movements with bodyweight exercises, you are allowing for proper communication to develop between your neuromuscular systems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3925877\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/neuromuscular-junction.gif\" alt=\"This gif shows an arm bending from a neuromuscular junciton \" width=\"270\" height=\"207\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More efficient communication between your neuromuscular systems will result in something known as &#8220;proper motor unit recruitment.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may be asking yourself: <em>what is a motor unit? <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s okay because I was asking myself this same question. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A motor unit is a single motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>You can think of two different types of motor units:<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-3\" id=\"refmark-3\"><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">We all have small motor units<\/span>, meaning that a single motor neuron innervates relatively few muscle fibers, and these smaller motor units are good for precise and detailed movements (e.g., moving your fingers).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">We all also have large motor units<\/span>, meaning that a single motor neuron innervates hundreds of muscle fibers, and these larger motor units are good for generating a lot of force (e.g., getting larger muscle groups like the quads to generate a lot of force to help in sprinting).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>When you start strength training, you really are helping your muscles communicate better<\/strong> <strong>together.<\/strong><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-4\" id=\"refmark-4\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/a> This is why we recommend starting with bodyweight exercises, to help start this process.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, bodyweight training isn\u2019t as easy to \u2018scale\u2019 the difficulty as some of the other strength training methods (&#8220;put more weight on barbell&#8221;), but you can get REALLY strong with just bodyweight training.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, you can start with knee push-ups, then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">go to regular push-ups<\/a>, then elevated push-ups, then even up to things like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-handstands\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">handstands<\/a>\u00a0and handstand push-ups. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You just have to know HOW and WHEN to scale up (we can help there too).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tLet us create a bodyweight training program for you!\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>#2) DUMBBELL TRAINING<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3581192\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/cartoon-dumbbell.gif\" alt=\"This cartoon uses free weights for his strength training.\" width=\"323\" height=\"323\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Dumbbells are a great first step into the world of\u00a0weight training and strength training:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Most gyms will have dumbbells<\/strong>, even if it&#8217;s a basic gym in your apartment complex.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A set of dumbbells\u00a0<\/strong><b>doesn\u2019t take up a lot of room,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which means you can have a pair at home without a large footprint.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Dumbbells make it easy to add difficulty to a bodyweight movement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> holding dumbbells while doing lunges, for example.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Dumbbell exercises can be less intimidating than barbell training<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for some, and are a step towards barbell training.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Dumbbells have an added stabilization challenge,<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-4\" id=\"refmark-4\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and will point out muscle imbalances pretty easily (\u201coh my right arm is stronger than my left arm.\u201d).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Dumbbells allow for single-arm and single-leg exercises to be performed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This can allow you to strengthen any muscle imbalances and can come in handy especially after an injury.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>You can scale easily.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Once the 10-pound weights become too easy, pick up the 15-pound ones!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>#3) KETTLEBELL TRAINING<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3584184\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Kettlebell-cat-beginner-strength-training-workouts.gif\" alt=\"This cat loves doing a beginner kettlebell workout for strength\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>A kettlebell is essentially a cannonball with a handle on it. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They come in any weight imaginable, they don\u2019t take up a lot of room, and can be used in dozens of ways for a great compact workout. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-20-minute-beginner-kettlebell-workout-build-muscle-and-burn-fat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20-minute kettlebell<\/a> workout has 8 simple exercises you can do with just one weight.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there are \u201cadjustable kettlebells,\u201d you\u2019ll most likely be working with a single kettlebell, and then adjusting your movements for \u201cprogressive overload\u201d (making the workout slightly more difficult each time). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are a member at a gym, they\u2019ll probably have multiple kettlebells that you can use to level up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>#4) BARBELL TRAINING<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3580373\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/steve-deadlift.gif\" alt=\"Rebel Leader Steve showing how to do a 420 lb deadlift at the gym.\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of sex or gender age, if your goal is to get strong quickly, use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-20-second-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 seconds of courage<\/a> and get comfortable training with a barbell (I\u2019ll help you, I promise):<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-is-progressive-overload\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Progressive overload<\/a>\u201d is easy<\/span> &#8211; you simply add weights to either side of the bar, allowing you to progressively lift more and more weight each week. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">It\u2019s much easier to go heavy safely<\/span> \u2013 especially for lower body movements like the squat and the deadlift.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest downside to barbell training is that in order to train at home, you need to have purchased a squat rack, a barbell, a bench, and enough weights for your house or garage (which can be an expensive investment, especially when starting out!).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If not, you definitely will need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/6-things-you-should-do-before-buying-a-gym-membership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">join a gym<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>WHICH RESISTANCE TRAINING PATH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Not sure which path to pick?<\/strong> You\u2019re not alone &#8211; this stuff can be overwhelming. C<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heck out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1-on-1 Coaching Program<\/a>. We get to know you and your goals, will check your form via video, and make adjustments based on your progress!<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tLet us build a strength training workout for you that fits your busy life! Learn more:\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"strength_training_for_me\"><\/a>Which Strength Training Program is Right for Me?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3733460\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-strongman.jpg\" alt=\"Do you think he supplements with creatine?\" width=\"753\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-strongman.jpg 753w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-strongman-300x131-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-strongman-713x311-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/lego-strongman-600x261-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em><b>So, w<\/b><b>hat\u2019s the best workout program to start as a beginner?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Realistically, it\u2019s the one that you will ACTUALLY<\/b><b>\u00a0do.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barbell training might be optimal in terms of building pure strength quickly, but if you don\u2019t see yourself getting to the gym regularly &#8211; or you\u2019re too self-conscious to enter the free weight section (for now) &#8211; no problem! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bodyweight training<\/a>.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-5\" id=\"refmark-5\"><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversely, bodyweight training might seem convenient and easy to start now, but if you can\u2019t motivate yourself to work out at home, you might be better off joining a gym.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-6\" id=\"refmark-6\"><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>So let\u2019s get you a workout program!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3581373\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/carlton-celebrating.gif\" alt=\"Everyone, including Carlton here, is happy you want to start strength training.\" width=\"397\" height=\"305\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we cover in our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-determine-your-perfect-workout-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Find the Perfect Workout Plan (for you)<\/a>\u201d: MOST <\/span>beginners will be best served by following a &#8220;full-body&#8221; or &#8220;total body&#8221; routine,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2 to 3<\/span> times per week, with a day of rest in between each workout.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-7\" id=\"refmark-7\"><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>This full-body workout will have 4-5 big compound movements.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-12-best-compound-exercises-for-beginners-how-to-train-efficiently\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">compound movement<\/a> is an exercise that recruits LOTS of muscles simultaneously and forces your body to work in unison. These compound exercises are considered multi-joint exercises meaning that they involve more than a single muscle group.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-8\" id=\"refmark-8\"><sup>[8]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An example would be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the barbell squat<\/a>, which recruits <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">every muscle<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your core, butt, and legs to work together to lift the weight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3602517\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/squat.gif\" alt=\"A squat is a life changing exercise\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is WAY more efficient &#8211; and effective at building pure strength &#8211; than doing 5 different isolated leg exercises.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-9\" id=\"refmark-9\"><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why do 5 exercises when 1 exercise will get you <\/span><\/i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">better results<\/span><\/i><\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 20% of the time?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>To answer your next question, let me tell you about how many sets and reps you should do as a beginner! <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>As we explain in our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-correct-number-of-reps-per-set-in-the-gym\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Many Sets and Reps<\/a>\u201d guide:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reps in the\u00a0<\/strong><strong>1-5 range<\/strong>\u00a0build super dense muscle and strength.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reps in the 6-12 range<\/strong>\u00a0build equal amounts of muscular power, strength, and size.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reps in the 12+ range<\/strong>\u00a0primarily build muscular endurance and size and also cardiovascular health.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-10\" id=\"refmark-10\"><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>If you want more, Coach Jim breaks down different set and rep ranges in this video:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Many Reps and Sets Should I Do?\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U6c8HgnJoNM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p>Many beginner strength programs will<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> encourage you to keep things simple, doing just<\/span> 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personally, I encourage people to aim for a weight that they can lift for 8-10 reps. This gives you a chance to really work on your form and lift safely! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The max lifts will come later, my friend. You gotta learn to walk before you can run!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;<b>Staci, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-determine-your-perfect-workout-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">which workout plan is best<\/a> for me?&#8221;\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It depends on your goals! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">If your main goal is general fitness and fat loss<\/span>,\u00a0doing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/circuit-training-build-some-muscles-burn-some-fat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a circuit training workout<\/a>\u00a0will likely help you reach your goals (make sure you see our section below for \u201c<a href=\"#strength_training_weight_loss\">strength training for weight loss<\/a>\u201d).<\/strong><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-11\" id=\"refmark-11\"><sup>[11]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your main goal is to get stronger<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and\/or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">put on muscle<\/a>, following a more traditional, pure-strength-style <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-the-gym-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gym workout<\/a> is going to get you there faster.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TRUTH BOMB:\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">ANY strength training workout will help<\/span> you reach nearly any goal provided you do two things:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/healthy-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eat correctly for your goals<\/a> too.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> How you eat will account for 80-90% of your success or failure when it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/why-cant-i-lose-weight-heres-the-truth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">weight loss<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-skinny-guys-guide-to-building-muscle-and-bulking-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bulking up<\/a>.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-12\" id=\"refmark-12\"><sup>[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Increase the difficulty of your workouts.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is that \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-is-progressive-overload\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">progressive overload<\/a>\u201d stuff we were talking about earlier.\u00a0Doing 1\u00a0more bodyweight squat, lifting 5 more pounds, or completing your circuit 10 seconds faster than last workout. By forcing your body to constantly adapt, your muscles will never get complacent and have to keep burning extra calories and rebuilding themselves stronger.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on your current situation, and how quickly you\u2019re looking to cut through the \u201ctrial and error\u201d and get expert guidance, I might have an interesting solution for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>We have a pretty killer <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>1-on-1 Online Coaching Program<\/b><\/a><b> here<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> at Nerd Fitness.<\/strong> You\u2019ll work with a coach that will build a workout program for your body type and goals, check your form to make sure you\u2019re doing them safety, and even help plan out your nutrition too.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tWe help busy people transform from newbies to strong badasses! Learn more: \t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"best_strength_training\"><\/a>The 5 Best Beginner Strength Training Programs<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3581357\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-workout-713x342-1.jpg\" alt=\"A gym like this is a great way to strength train, as Darth Vader knows. \" width=\"713\" height=\"342\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-workout.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-workout-300x144-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-workout-600x288-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em><b>\u201cAlright Staci, are there any &#8216;out of the box&#8217; beginner workout programs I can start following now?&#8221;<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yup! Let me share with you some of our suggestions:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here are 5 resistance training workouts you can follow TODAY. Pick the level that you feel most comfortable with, and then level up when you feel ready:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>#1) BEGINNER BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beginner Body Weight Circuit Workout | Nerd Fitness\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qvhHhDNjtxM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/2009\/12\/09\/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beginner Bodyweight Workout<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has a variety of rep ranges to promote endurance, strength, and cardiovascular health. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Complete one set of each exercise and then moving directly to the next exercise:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>20 bodyweight squats<\/li>\n<li>10 push-ups<\/li>\n<li>20 walking lunges<\/li>\n<li>10 dumbbell rows (using a gallon milk jug)<\/li>\n<li>15-second plank<\/li>\n<li>30 Jumping Jacks<\/li>\n<li>Repeat for 3 rounds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Want to stick with bodyweight training? When you&#8217;re ready to level up, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/advanced-body-weight-workout-warning-this-will-kick-your-ass\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">advanced bodyweight training circuit<\/a>.<\/em><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-13\" id=\"refmark-13\"><sup>[13]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Otherwise, you can move onto weight training when you feel comfortable!<\/p>\n<p><b>#2A) BEGINNER NERD FITNESS DUMBBELL WORKOUT<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are just getting started with dumbbells and you\u2019re looking for a beginner workout program to follow, this is our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-the-gym-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Level 3 Gym Workout, <\/a><strong>\u201cDumbbell Division\u201d:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>10 goblet squats<\/li>\n<li>10 push-ups<\/li>\n<li>10 dumbbell rows per side<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I knew you\u2019d ask, so here is Goblet Squat video explanation (from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/prime-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nerd Fitness Prime<\/a>):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_dr4dyi2cum dnt=1 videoFoam=true\" style=\"height:100%;position:relative;width:100%\">\n<div class=\"wistia_swatch\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0;transition:opacity 200ms;width:100%;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/dr4dyi2cum\/swatch\" style=\"filter:blur(5px);height:100%;object-fit:contain;width:100%;\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" onload=\"this.parentNode.style.opacity=1;\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><b>And here is our video on how to do dumbbell rows:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"One Arm Dumbbell Row | Nerd Fitness\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ej9XLPN3mPo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><b>#2B) BEGINNER NERD FITNESS KETTLEBELL WORKOUT<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"20 Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aASkkrqdmNo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-20-minute-beginner-kettlebell-workout-build-muscle-and-burn-fat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beginner Kettlebell Routine<\/a> is a workout you do anywhere you have room to swing a kettlebell. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, probably not in a phone booth or a closet or a bathroom stall. But other than that, pretty much anywhere else.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Complete 3 Kettlebell Workout Circuits:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>8 Halos (each side)<\/li>\n<li>10 Goblet Squats<\/li>\n<li>8 Overhead Presses (each side)<\/li>\n<li>15 Kettlebell Swings<\/li>\n<li>8 Bent Over Rows (each side)<\/li>\n<li>6 Front Rack Reverse Lunge (per side)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>#3) BARBELL TRAINING: 2 DAY WORKOUT SPLIT<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>As we cover in our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-the-gym-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Train in a Gym<\/a>\u201d guide (where we take you from \u201clost sheep\u201d to \u201cbarbell badass\u201d), <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this routine is a much more focused weight training, strength building workout that gets your feet wet with barbell training. Click on ANY exercise to learn how to do it properly. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY A <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do 3 rounds of:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">barbell squats<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">push-ups<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/inverted-row-are-you-missing-out-on-this-great-exercise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bodyweight rows<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY B <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do 3 rounds of:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-the-deadlift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">barbell Romanian deadlifts<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">push-ups<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ej9XLPN3mPo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dumbbell rows per arm<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>WHAT ARE SOME OTHER POPULAR STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAMS?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>#1) &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/startingstrength.wikia.com\/wiki\/FAQ:The_Program#Three_Flavors_of_Starting_Strength\">Starting Strength<\/a>&#8221; is considered the gold standard beginner <b>barbell weight training <\/b>program by many. <\/strong>We highly recommend you pick up <a title=\"the actual book\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0982522738\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0982522738&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=nerdfitn-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the actual book<\/a> if you are serious about barbell training &#8211; it&#8217;s one of the most important training books you can ever read.<\/p>\n<p><strong>#2) <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program\/\">Strong Lifts<\/a>\u00a05X5:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A solid workout program that starts<\/span>\u00a0you out very slow, with just the barbell, and helps you master form before you get too heavy.\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also keeps things VERY easy with \u201cdo 5&#215;5.\u201d Strong Lifts has been around for a long time and is a solid program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>#3) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jimwendler.com\/2011\/09\/531-for-a-beginner\/\">Jim Wendler&#8217;s 5\/3\/1<\/a><\/strong>: This program allows you a little more freedom to do exercises that you enjoy, or work on personal weaknesses, because you choose some of the assistance work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note: You can modify any of the barbell training programs to be done with dumbbells, if that&#8217;s what you have at home!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>Lastly, <\/b><b>you can always <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2010\/02\/15\/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>write your own workout plan<\/b><\/a><b>!\u00a0<\/b>I wrote my own workouts for a decade and it taught me a LOT about training and health.<\/p>\n<p><b>We do have our own\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>1-on-1 Online Coaching Program<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where you\u2019ll work with a coach that will build a strength training workout program for your body type and goals, check your form on each exercise via video, and even help you plan out your nutrition too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tWant step-by-step guidance and form checks? Learn more:\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"how_much_should_i_lift\"><\/a>How Much Weight Should I lift?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3581358\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-lifting-713x475-1.jpg\" alt=\"Is this LEGO lifting too much or too little for his strength training?\" width=\"713\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-lifting-713x475-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-lifting-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-lifting-768x512-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-lifting-600x400-1.jpg 600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-lifting.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>We have a FULL resource on <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-how-much-weight-should-i-be-lifting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>how to determine your starting weight for lifting<\/b><\/a><b>, but I\u2019ll give you the gist here.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>The simple to learn but tough to implement answer:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lift enough so that you can get through the set, but not too much that you have NO fuel left in the tank at the end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And then, try to lift <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sliiiightly<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more than last time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here are two common questions on strength training:<\/p>\n<p><b>#1) How much weight should I start with?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>If you are using dumbbells or a kettlebell,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> always err on the side of \u201ctoo light\u201d versus \u201ctoo heavy.\u201d You want to learn the movement correctly and build correct form. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>If you are training with a barbell<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ALWAYS start with JUST the bar, no matter the exercise (By the way, a standard barbell weighs 45 pounds).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>#2) How fast should I add weight to the bar?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s what we teach all of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our coaching clients<\/a><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: add the minimum amount of weight each week you can, even if you THINK you can lift more. It\u2019s better to finish a workout full of momentum and say \u201cI can do more!\u201d than defeated and saying \u201cthat was too much, crapola.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think of it this way, even if you are adding just 5 pounds per week to the bar, within a year you would be lifting 300+ pounds!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recommends a similar approach:<\/strong><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-14\" id=\"refmark-14\"><sup>[14]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">For less trained people (i.e., beginners)<\/span>, it is recommended that for upper body exercises you increase the load by 2 \u2013 5 pounds and by 5 \u2013 10 pounds for lower body exercises. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">For more trained people (i.e., advanced)<\/span>, it is recommended that for upper body exercises you increase the load by 5 \u2013 10 pounds or more and by 10 \u2013 15 pounds or more for lower body exercises.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>So go SLOW.\u00a0<\/strong>Even slower than the NSCA recommends if needed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Team NF\u2019s Steve even bought little half-pound weights and increases many of his lifts by just 1 pound per week. It\u2019s a big part of how he transformed (jokingly) from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-tiny-changes-transformed-me-from-steve-rogers-to-captain-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steve Rogers to Captain America<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if you are looking for this content in easily digestible form, make sure you download our free <strong>Strength 101 Guide<\/strong> when you join the Rebellion below:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup one-column split yellow-cta strength-101 shortcode-form-13 \">\n<div class=\"nf-signup-intro\">\n<div><span style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"pre\">Download our comprehensive guide<\/span> <span class=\"extra\">STRENGTH TRAINING 101!<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-benefit\">\n<ul>\n<li>Everything you need to know about getting strong.<\/li>\n<li>Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.<\/li>\n<li>How to find the right gym and train properly in one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-form\"><img class=\"asset-image\" src=\"&gt;\" \/><\/p>\n<form accept-charset=\"UTF-8\" action=\"https:\/\/tv329.infusionsoft.com\/app\/form\/process\/12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" class=\"infusion-form\" method=\"POST\" id=\"inf_form_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\"><input name=\"inf_form_xid\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" \/><input name=\"inf_form_name\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"Plugin Signup\" \/><input name=\"infusionsoft_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"1.68.0.144\" \/><input class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_field_Email\" name=\"inf_field_Email\" type=\"email\" required placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/><input name=\"null\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"null\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" name=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" type=\"text\" value=\"http:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" name=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" type=\"text\" value=\"21263\" \/>\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginURL\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginLandingPage\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_IPAddress\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"87.208.24.106\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastMedium\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastCampaign\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastSource\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastTerm\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastContent\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOptinFormFilledDate\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"2022-04-28 16:55:25\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_infcustomcoachvariation\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookBrowserId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"fb.1.1649223672899.1338373861\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookClickId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"infusion-submit\">\t<input class=\"opt-in-submit button infusion-recaptcha\" id=\"recaptcha_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" type=\"submit\" value=\" Get it now\" \/><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearme\"><\/div>\n<h2><a name=\"9_strength_training_exercises\"><\/a>The 9 Best Strength Training Exercises to Learn<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3842194\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/staci-barbell-lunge-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"952\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/staci-barbell-lunge-1.png 952w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/staci-barbell-lunge-1-300x123-1.png 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/staci-barbell-lunge-1-713x292-1.png 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/staci-barbell-lunge-1-768x315-1.png 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/staci-barbell-lunge-1-610x250-1.png 610w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/staci-barbell-lunge-1-600x246-1.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 952px) 100vw, 952px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you&#8217;re new to all this &#8220;strength training&#8221; stuff, hopping into a program and going from zero to sixty might be a recipe for failure.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Instead, be patient, and take the time to learn these movements\u00a0first.<\/p>\n<p><b>I\u2019m going to share with you the 9 best strength training exercises that every beginner should master (scroll down for full video and explanations!):<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1. Push-up:<\/strong> uses every push muscle in your body (chest, shoulders, triceps)<\/li>\n<li><strong>2. Bodyweight squat<\/strong>: uses every muscle in the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, core)<\/li>\n<li><strong>3. Bodyweight row:<\/strong> works every &#8220;pull&#8221; muscle and helps prepare you for a pull-up!<\/li>\n<li><strong>4. Pull-up or chin-up: <\/strong>the best &#8220;pull&#8221; exercise in history! Everybody should have a goal to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/do-a-pull-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">get their first pull-up<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>5. Bodyweight dip: <\/strong>advanced &#8220;push&#8221; movement that targets your push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) in a different way than push-ups.<\/li>\n<li><strong>6. Barbell squat: <\/strong>the best bang for your buck on muscle building. recruits nearly every push muscle in your whole body, and great core workout.<\/li>\n<li><strong>7. Barbell deadlift: <\/strong>the favorite exercise of every coach at Nerd Fitness. Uses every &#8220;pull,&#8221; leg, and core muscle in your body.<\/li>\n<li><strong>8. Barbell benchpress:\u00a0<\/strong>as basic and powerful as they come. Uses every &#8220;push&#8221; movement in your upper body and can get you strong as heck!<\/li>\n<li><strong>9. Barbell press:\u00a0<\/strong>press the bar above your head! Targets shoulders and triceps more than the chest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of the exercises listed above are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-for-functional-fitness-exercises-and-workout-plans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">considered functional (closed-chain) exercises<\/a>. That means they relate to our everyday movements and can be used to predict our success in sports, recreational and occupational activities, and activities of daily living.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-15\" id=\"refmark-15\"><sup>[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>When attempting all of these above listed exercises, aim to master the movement and perform the exercise through its entire range of motion (ROM).<\/p>\n<p><em>Why?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because it will decrease your risk for injury, activate all of the appropriate muscle groups, and result in greater muscle hypertrophy.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-16\" id=\"refmark-16\"><sup>[16]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s go over these now.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Click on any of these exercises to get a FULL explanation of the movement, step-by-step:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>1) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Push-Up<\/a>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Do a Proper Push Up (mistakes to avoid!)| Nerd Fitness\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8V-ZUMvQKr0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><b>2<\/b><b>) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Bodyweight Squat<\/a>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This exercise serves a dual purpose: it is the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first! <\/span><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Do a Proper Bodyweight Squat (mistakes to avoid!) | Nerd Fitness\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cB0cOX7gePg?start=209&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><b>) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/inverted-row-are-you-missing-out-on-this-great-exercise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Inverted Bodyweight Row<\/a>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength: your back, biceps, and forearms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Inverted Row Video\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/embed\/iframe\/i6vlu63eja?dnt=1\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wistia_embed\" name=\"wistia_embed\" msallowfullscreen width=\"500\" height=\"281\"><\/iframe><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><b>4) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-proper-pull-up-and-why-you-need-to-do-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Pull-Up and Chin-Up<\/a>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you can support your bodyweight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/do-a-pull-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can\u2019t do a pull-up or chin-up yet<\/a>?)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Do a Proper Pull Up | Nerd Fitness\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IwlDSQx5u3A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><b>5) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-perfect-dip-no-tobacco-required\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Bodyweight Dip<\/a>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you start to get stronger with push-ups and need to find a way to increase the challenge, consider doing dips &#8211; warning: these are very advanced, but incredible strength building exercises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_gcx6mlvv5w dnt=1 videoFoam=true\" style=\"height:100%;position:relative;width:100%\">\n<div class=\"wistia_swatch\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0;transition:opacity 200ms;width:100%;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/gcx6mlvv5w\/swatch\" style=\"filter:blur(5px);height:100%;object-fit:contain;width:100%;\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" onload=\"this.parentNode.style.opacity=1;\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>And now we&#8217;re into the best weight training exercises:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>6) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Barbell Squat<\/a>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"60 - Barbell Back Squat Video\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/embed\/iframe\/4miki3c9of?dnt=1&#038;videoFoam=true\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wistia_embed\" name=\"wistia_embed\" msallowfullscreen width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><b>7) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-the-deadlift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Barbell Deadlift<\/a>:\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It&#8217;s certainly the most primal: \u201cpick the weight up off the ground. Done.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to do it with proper form:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"16 - Barbell Deadlift Video\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/embed\/iframe\/owt4doefbm?dnt=1&#038;videoFoam=true\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wistia_embed\" name=\"wistia_embed\" msallowfullscreen width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><b>8) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-the-overhead-press\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Barbell Press<\/a>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Press a barbell above your head. This recruits all of the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms in order for you to lift the weight over your head. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a bonus, you need to really flex and brace your core, which gets those muscles working too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_hxt112gp1r dnt=1 videoFoam=true\" style=\"height:100%;position:relative;width:100%\">\n<div class=\"wistia_swatch\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0;transition:opacity 200ms;width:100%;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/hxt112gp1r\/swatch\" style=\"filter:blur(5px);height:100%;object-fit:contain;width:100%;\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" onload=\"this.parentNode.style.opacity=1;\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><b>9) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-do-you-bench-strength-training-101-the-bench-press\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Barbell Bench Press<\/a>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lie on a bench, and lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\">\n<div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_top017q81d dnt=1 videoFoam=true\" style=\"height:100%;position:relative;width:100%\">\n<div class=\"wistia_swatch\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0;transition:opacity 200ms;width:100%;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/top017q81d\/swatch\" style=\"filter:blur(5px);height:100%;object-fit:contain;width:100%;\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" onload=\"this.parentNode.style.opacity=1;\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NOTE: All exercises were explained according to the guidelines that have been established by the NSCA.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-17\" id=\"refmark-17\"><sup>[17]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Your mission, should you choose to accept it:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-20-second-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 seconds of courage<\/a>, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>And if you want somebody to help you put these into a workout program, teach you HOW to do these movements properly, and have the confidence to know you&#8217;re training correctly for your goals&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button red\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tLet us create a workout program that fits your busy life!\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"strength_training_form_checks\"><\/a><span style=\"line-height: 1.6316em;\">How to Know You&#8217;re Doing a Strength Training Movement Properly (Form Checks)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3583415\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-cameraman-713x475-1.jpg\" alt=\"This cameraman knows a form check is valuable when it comes to strength training. And a raincoat in a storm. Both practical.\" width=\"713\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-cameraman-713x475-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-cameraman-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-cameraman-768x512-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-cameraman-600x400-1.jpg 600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-cameraman.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Always start out with just your body&#8217;s weight and make sure your movement is correct!<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If it\u2019s a barbell movement, use a broomstick (or PVC Pipe).<\/li>\n<li>If it\u2019s a dumbbell movement, use two sections of PVC or something else that is light and small to simulate a dumbbell.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>When it comes to movements like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench press, your form is crucial.<\/strong> Develop good habits with lightweight and you will save yourself months of frustration later and will protect you from injury.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-18\" id=\"refmark-18\"><sup>[18]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re struggling with certain elements of a movement, don\u2019t get frustrated! Remember, proper communication between your neuromuscular systems needs to develop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Things will start to improve.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-19\" id=\"refmark-19\"><sup>[19]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>How do you know if your movement is correct?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Do regular video form checks<\/span>!<\/strong>\u00a0Record yourself and watch the video.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3925899\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/lego-selfie.gif\" alt=\"Some LEGOs taking a selfie\" width=\"426\" height=\"235\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, an expert reviewing your specific movement can be invaluable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re looking for someone who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on your progress, you can check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1-on-1 Online Personal Training<\/a>! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve had an online coach for 4 years and it\u2019s changed my life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tNever wonder if you\u2019re doing a movement properly! Get form checks from our coaches:\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>You could also get expert guidance in person:<\/strong>\u00a0Look around at your local strength and conditioning gyms and see if you could hire a coach <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(here\u2019s how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-hire-a-good-personal-trainer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">find a good personal trainer<\/a>) <\/span>for one or two sessions just to go over the basic movements.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you can&#8217;t do either of those two options, no big deal!\u00a0<\/strong>Videotape yourself and compare it to the videos here in the articles<strong>.\u00a0<\/strong>You can also post your\u00a0video to the <a title=\"Form Check\" href=\"http:\/\/rebellion.nerdfitness.com\/index.php?\/forum\/149-form-check\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">form check section of the Nerd Fitness Forums<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>When I started, I really liked practicing all of the movements at home because I could watch a video online at the same time as I was watching myself do it in a mirror. Studies have found this can actually help!<\/em><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-20\" id=\"refmark-20\"><sup>[20]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"strength_training_weight_loss\"><\/a>Strength Training for Weight Loss<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3581364\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dumbbells-1-713x475-1.jpg\" alt=\"Strength training like with these dumbbells is key for a weight loss program.\" width=\"713\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dumbbells-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dumbbells-1-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dumbbells-1-600x400-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>So you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">looking to lose weight<\/a>, and tired of hours of cardio (me too). <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And you\u2019re wondering if strength training for weight loss &#8211; by following one of the workouts in this guide is a viable solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, gasp &#8211; will strength training make you too bulky? (SPOILER: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/7-strength-training-myths-every-woman-should-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">it won\u2019t<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Yes, Strength training will help you lose weight IF you do two key things for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/why-cant-i-lose-weight-heres-the-truth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">effective weight loss<\/a>:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-every-day-a-look-at-total-daily-energy-expenditure-tdee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Calorie <\/b><b>restriction<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: eating fewer calories than you burn every day<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-21\" id=\"refmark-21\"><sup>[21]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Strength training <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with progressive overload (picking up heavier stuff)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we point out in our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-burns-more-calories-cardio-intervals-or-weight-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cardio vs Intervals vs Weight Training<\/a>\u201d article, strength training is the MOST efficient method for weight loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only that, but <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you can find <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that shows you the benefits of strength training for weight management when combined with \u201ccalorie restriction.\u201d<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-22\" id=\"refmark-22\"><sup>[22]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>As we cover in our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/why-cant-i-lose-weight-heres-the-truth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Why Can\u2019t I Lose Weight?<\/a>\u201d article, here\u2019s why eating a caloric deficit and strength training is SO magical when combined:<\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you strength train \u2013 by picking up something heavy \u2013 your muscles are \u201cbroken down\u201d during the exercise itself, and then they rebuild themselves stronger over the next 24-48 hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em><b>Guess what happens during those 24-48 hours?<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your body will divert as many calories consumed as necessary to \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Rebuild Muscle<\/span>!\u201d<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-23\" id=\"refmark-23\"><sup>[23]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3569690\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Little-Giants.gif\" alt=\"Look at me all big and strong!\" width=\"500\" height=\"278\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also diverts additional calories to \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Burn as Fuel<\/span>\u201d to handle this increased \u201cmuscle rebuilding\u201d activity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This means two amazing things:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your metabolism is revved up for this time period, burning more calories than normal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rebuilding muscle is a calorie-taxing activity!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only that, but when you eat a caloric deficit, your body doesn\u2019t have enough calories to fuel all the day\u2019s activities. In these instances, your body will pull from your stored fat to make sure all the work still gets done. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This is the trifecta of physical transformation victory:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You get stronger and keep the muscle you have.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You burn through the fat you\u2019re trying to get rid of.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re decreasing your body fat percent and keeping your muscle = look good naked.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, strength training + eating right is the BEST path for weight loss out there! And yes, in certain situations, you can actually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lose weight AND build muscle at the same time<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Coach Matt explains how to gain muscle WHILE losing fat in this video:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Gain Muscle While Losing Fat\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gH1mfO0CtSU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><b>So how do you put this into practice? <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pick one of the strength workouts in this article. Calculate your daily caloric needs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/healthy-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn about healthy eating<\/a>. And start.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pick up something heavy, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/vegetable-haters-how-to-start-eating-vegetables\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eat a vegetable<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These are the types of things we work on with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1-on-1 Coaching Clients<\/a>: helping them lift weights confidently and eat correctly for their goals! Let us help you:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\t<a target=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tLet our coaches create a custom strength training and weight loss plan for you!\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"strength_training_do_this\"><\/a>\u201cJust Tell Me What Strength Training Program to Follow!\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3581366\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/stormtrooper-bear-713x472-1.jpg\" alt=\"Relax, you&#039;ll be fine strength training, just like this little trooper is fine with his bear. \" width=\"713\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/stormtrooper-bear-713x472-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/stormtrooper-bear-300x199-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/stormtrooper-bear-768x509-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/stormtrooper-bear-600x397-1.jpg 600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/stormtrooper-bear.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Okay! Unless you are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/underpants-gnomes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">collecting underpants<\/a>, you should now have a workout program you want to try out!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cStaci, this is a lot, can you just TELL me what to do?\u201d <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay fine. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the steps again for you:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">STEP #1<\/span>: PICK YOUR WORKOUT PATH:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>A) If YOU ARE TRAINING AT HOME. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pick one of these 3 based on what equipment you have:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beginner Bodyweight Workout (no equipment)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-20-minute-beginner-kettlebell-workout-build-muscle-and-burn-fat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kettlebell<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Beginner Workout<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-the-gym-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dumbbell Division Workout (Level 3 of Gym Guide)<\/span><\/a><b><\/b><b><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>B) IF YOU ARE TRAINING IN A GYM: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amazing! I love gyms. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-the-gym-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to train in a gym<\/a>\u201d guide and go from Level 1 to Level 6 over the next month.\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/should-i-go-back-to-the-gym-when-it-reopens-is-going-to-the-gym-safe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gym closed?<\/a> Here&#8217;s how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-build-a-home-gym-the-ultimate-guide-for-garage-gym-ideas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">build a home gym<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>STEP #2: TRY A NEW EXERCISE<\/b><\/span><b>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to following a workout program, I\u2019m gonna push outside of your comfort zone &#8211; that\u2019s where real growth happens. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn ONE new movement this week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pick one of the exercises below and try it out! <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to squat<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-the-deadlift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to deadlift<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-do-you-bench-strength-training-101-the-bench-press\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to bench press<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-the-overhead-press\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to do the overhead press<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/do-a-pull-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to do a pull-up<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to do a push-up<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/inverted-row-are-you-missing-out-on-this-great-exercise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to do an inverted row<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-42-best-bodyweight-exercises-the-ultimate-guide-for-working-out-anywhere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">42 bodyweight exercises<\/a> you can do too.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>STEP #3) HIRE A YODA:<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0If you are somebody that just wants to be told exactly what to, how to train for your goals, and are good at following direction, consider hiring a coach. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been working with an online coach since 2014 and it has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/5-lessons-learned-from-a-skinny-nerd-deadlifting-420-pounds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">changed my life<\/a> &#8211; and I do this stuff for a living! <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read our guide on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-hire-a-good-personal-trainer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Is a personal trainer worth it?<\/a>\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NF Online Coaching Program<\/a>!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"no-border alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/coach-ad-11.png\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>STEP #4) JOIN THE REBELLION!\u00a0<\/strong>If you like how we do things around here at Nerd Fitness, we&#8217;d love to have you in our community of misfits, mutants, and rebels!<\/p>\n<p>Sign up in the box below and I&#8217;ll send you our free Strength 101 guide:<\/p>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup one-column split yellow-cta strength-101 shortcode-form-13 \">\n<div class=\"nf-signup-intro\">\n<div><span style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"pre\">Download our comprehensive guide<\/span> <span class=\"extra\">STRENGTH TRAINING 101!<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-benefit\">\n<ul>\n<li>Everything you need to know about getting strong.<\/li>\n<li>Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.<\/li>\n<li>How to find the right gym and train properly in one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-form\"><img class=\"asset-image\" src=\"&gt;\" \/><\/p>\n<form accept-charset=\"UTF-8\" action=\"https:\/\/tv329.infusionsoft.com\/app\/form\/process\/12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" class=\"infusion-form\" method=\"POST\" id=\"inf_form_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\"><input name=\"inf_form_xid\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" \/><input name=\"inf_form_name\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"Plugin Signup\" \/><input name=\"infusionsoft_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"1.68.0.144\" \/><input class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_field_Email\" name=\"inf_field_Email\" type=\"email\" required placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/><input name=\"null\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"null\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" name=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" type=\"text\" value=\"http:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" name=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" type=\"text\" value=\"21263\" \/>\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginURL\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginLandingPage\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_IPAddress\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"87.208.24.106\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastMedium\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastCampaign\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastSource\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastTerm\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastContent\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOptinFormFilledDate\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"2022-04-28 16:55:25\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_infcustomcoachvariation\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookBrowserId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"fb.1.1649223672899.1338373861\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookClickId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"infusion-submit\">\t<input class=\"opt-in-submit button infusion-recaptcha\" id=\"recaptcha_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" type=\"submit\" value=\" Get it now\" \/><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearme\"><\/div>\n<p><strong><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">No matter what you do today<\/span>: <\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><b>D<\/b>on&#8217;t be afraid of doing anything wrong &#8211;<\/strong> truth be told, the majority of the people in the gym don&#8217;t have any idea what they are doing, and are just as nervous as you are!<\/p>\n<p>Muster up your <a title=\"20 seconds of courage\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/25\/the-20-second-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 seconds of courage<\/a>\u00a0i<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">f you need to, and let me know in the comments how it goes!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What questions do you have about getting started?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><em>So, what&#8217;s the biggest thing holding you back from starting strength training?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>-Staci<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>PS &#8211; Check out the rest of the articles in our Strength Training 101 series:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/28\/strength-training-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2013\/03\/18\/strength-training-101-finding-the-right-gym\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: Finding the Right Gym<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/strength-training-101-how-much-weight-should-i-be-lifting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101:\u00a0<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/06\/strength-training-101-how-much-weight-should-i-be-lifting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101:\u00a0How to Build Muscle Quickly<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/03\/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: How to Squat Properly<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/07\/strength-training-101-the-deadlift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: How to Deadlift<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-do-you-bench-strength-training-101-the-bench-press\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: How to Bench Press<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/do-a-pull-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: How to Do a Pull-Up<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/inverted-row-are-you-missing-out-on-this-great-exercise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: How to Do a Bodyweight Row<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-do-a-perfect-dip-no-tobacco-required\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: How to Do a Dip<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/28\/strength-training-101-the-overhead-press\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101: How to Overhead Press<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>photo source: <a href=\"https:\/\/wallpapersafari.com\/w\/Sjgdw4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LEGO bench pres<\/a>, tonobalaguer \u00a9 123RF.com, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/chrish_99\/6632375445\/sizes\/l\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stormtroopers lifting<\/a>, Chris Christian:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/wiredforsound23\/23731584448\/in\/photolist-9t12vE-7fM5uF-kUQVXc-78fcWd-81oVvT-c8PaFY-aw5aY6-Ca5zg7-GWbBhk-jbzaE7-8ohjt1-26YZj8Q-jZ9LJ-9CQVXt-YgKanQ-Lgj5gK-28VMJsS-27gqmmm-BGfgs4-6tB1jS-6qC1hJ-ac1kmW-4yBYWK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strongman<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/23950335@N07\/5513197198\/sizes\/l\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">W_Minshull: Stormtroopers in Gym<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pasukaru76\/5268559005\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lego Lifting<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/128161151@N08\/48056255301\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rainstorm<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kalexanderson\/6813233319\/sizes\/l\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kristina Alexanderson: Teddy Love<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"footnote-list\" style=\"display:none;\"><span id=\"fn-heading\">Footnotes<\/span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;( returns to text)<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li id=\"footnote-1\" class=\"fn-text\">Powers SK, Howley ET. (2011). Exercise physiology: Theory and application to fitness and performance. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities\/Social Sciences\/Languages.<a href=\"#refmark-1\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-2\" class=\"fn-text\">in order to achieve your training goals or to see improvements, your training must gradually and constantly increase. (Haff G, Triplett NT. (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Fourth edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.)<a href=\"#refmark-2\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-3\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, &#8220;Motor unit.&#8221; Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23720261\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-3\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-4\" class=\"fn-text\">When you first start strength training, your motor units don\u2019t fire as quickly and smaller motor units that don\u2019t generate a lot of force are recruited. This results in poor technique, you not being able to lift a lot of weight, and an increased risk for injury. However, as you continue working out and become more trained, your motor units fire more rapidly and your brain recruits larger motor units that results in improved technique, greater force generation allowing you to lift heavier weights, and a decreased risk for injury.<a href=\"#refmark-4\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-4\" class=\"fn-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21225489\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This study<\/a> found that when the chest press exercise required higher stability requirements (dumbbells), it resulted in similar pectoralis major and anterior deltoid activation, lower triceps brachii activation, and higher biceps brachii muscle activity. These findings show that different modes of strength training will result in different patterns of muscle activation, with free weight modes (barbell and dumbbells) having more muscle activation than machine (Smith machine)<a href=\"#refmark-4\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-5\" class=\"fn-text\">As you may recall, this will initially allow you to learn the movements and also allow for proper communication to develop between your neuromuscular systems.<a href=\"#refmark-5\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-6\" class=\"fn-text\">Or maybe grab a friend. Research has shown that exercising with a partner has the potential to increase exercise motivation, adherence, intensity, and\/or <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26813634\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">duration<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-7\" class=\"fn-text\">The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) simply <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19204579\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recommends<\/a> that a strength training program should be performed a minimum of two non-consecutive days each week, with 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for healthy adults or 10 to 15 repetitions for older and frail individuals. Eight to 10 exercises should be performed that target the major muscle groups.<a href=\"#refmark-7\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-8\" class=\"fn-text\">Haff G, Triplett NT. (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Fourth edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.<a href=\"#refmark-8\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-9\" class=\"fn-text\">To be fair, both compound (closed-kinetic chain) and isolation (open-kinetic chain) exercises all have their time and place. Isolation exercises are better served to target muscle imbalances and to reverse the effects of muscle atrophy after sustaining an injury or having a surgical procedure.<a href=\"#refmark-9\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-10\" class=\"fn-text\">For reference, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recommends 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets for muscle hypertrophy and more than 12 reps for 2-3 sets for muscular endurance.<a href=\"#refmark-10\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-11\" class=\"fn-text\">Circuit training results in a higher excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) resulting in great caloric expenditure <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/10589865\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">when compared<\/a> to traditional strength training with longer rest intervals in-between sets and exercises.<a href=\"#refmark-11\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-12\" class=\"fn-text\">As we touch on in other articles, the <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/7900797\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">two main drivers<\/a> of muscle protein synthesis (i.e., muscle hypertrophy) are strength training and ingestion of protein.<a href=\"#refmark-12\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-13\" class=\"fn-text\">We also recommend trying to minimize the rest interval in-between each exercise as much as possible. Why? As mentioned earlier in this article, circuit training results in a higher excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) resulting in great caloric expenditure (decrease fat mass and increase fat-free mass) <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/10589865\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">when compared<\/a> to traditional strength training with longer rest intervals in-between sets and exercise.<a href=\"#refmark-13\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-14\" class=\"fn-text\">Haff G, Triplett NT. (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Fourth edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.<a href=\"#refmark-14\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-15\" class=\"fn-text\">Haff G, Triplett NT. (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Fourth edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.<a href=\"#refmark-15\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-16\" class=\"fn-text\">Performing an exercise through its full ROM relates to the length-tension relationship, which states that <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22027847\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">muscles should be stretched to 100-130% of its resting length<\/a>. The importance of stretching a muscle to 100-130% of its resting length is to ensure maximal cross-bridge interaction between actin and myosin. When one has maximal cross-bridge interaction that will result in more force being produced by the muscle and eventually <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/17722950\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">greater improvements in muscle hypertrophy<\/a>. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some examples of stretching muscles to 100-130% of its resting length include when the barbell touches the chest during the bench press exercise or when your thighs are parallel to the floor during the descent phase of the squat.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, it is also <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19204579\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recommended<\/a> to perform the appropriate sequence of exercises to decrease your risk for injury (e.g., large before small muscle group exercises, multiple-joint exercises before single-joint exercises, and higher-intensity before lower-intensity exercises). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Performing exercises in this sequence will ensure that the higher-intensity exercises will be performed with minimal muscle fatigue.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#refmark-16\"><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-17\" class=\"fn-text\">Haff G, Triplett NT. (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Fourth edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.<a href=\"#refmark-17\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-18\" class=\"fn-text\">Both <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31343601\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">research investigations<\/a> and clinical experiences have indicated that strength training is safe for healthy adults and older adults, frail older adults, and individuals with disorders and\/or diseases. Cases of injuries associated with strength training have been found to be related to heavy and repetitive workload, unfavorable positioning or incorrect technique, and exercise selection.<a href=\"#refmark-18\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-19\" class=\"fn-text\">Also keep in mind how you are practicing and learning the exercise. You can learn exercises by utilizing the whole method of practice, in which the whole technique is practiced intact. Or you can utilize the part method (AKA the whole-part-whole method). With this method, you practice the exercise in parts, and then recombine the parts back into the whole technique. The whole method is best used for simple movements (e.g., biceps curl), while the part method is best used for more complex lifts (e.g., power clean).<a href=\"#refmark-19\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-20\" class=\"fn-text\">Observing the performance of another who is successful at performing a certain exercise is known as a vicarious experience. It has <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31204610\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">been found<\/a> that vicarious experiences can enhance self-efficacy (i.e., belief in your own abilities) when observing successful performances.<a href=\"#refmark-20\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-21\" class=\"fn-text\">More specifically, you want to seek a calorie deficit (hypocaloric diet) and this can best be established by subtracting 250-500 less kcal\/day from what you normally consume. Additionally, you want to make sure you are still consuming adequate amounts of protein (1.2-1.6 g\/kg bodyweight spread evenly throughout the day) to be protective of lean mass loss. Finally, carbohydrates and fat may be reduced from your normal intake to satisfy the needed caloric deficit at the expense of protein. However, make sure you are still consuming enough carbohydrate to maintain exercise performance and not cause a hypoglycemic response.<a href=\"#refmark-21\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-22\" class=\"fn-text\">Like this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/3337037\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study<\/a>\u00a0and this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/9309627\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study<\/a> and this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5421125\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one<\/a>. Another <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26817506\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">research investigation<\/a> found that during a 40% calorie deficit diet, consumption of a diet containing 2.4 g\/kg\/day of protein was more effective than consumption of a diet containing 1.2 g\/kg\/day of protein in promoting increases in muscle mass and losses of fat mass when combined with a high volume of resistance and anaerobic exercise (exercise 6 times per week [2 sessions of resistance training, 1 session of plyometric training, and 3 sessions of HIIT cycling]).<a href=\"#refmark-22\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-23\" class=\"fn-text\">ATP is needed to power the synthesis of proteins that are used for muscle hypertrophy and\u00a0 a higher amount of oxygen is needed post-exercise to produce ATP. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18046414\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This results in two things<\/a>: muscle hypertrophy happening and additional caloric expenditure. Additionally, without sufficient oxygen, our bodies have the potential to activate proteins that increase muscle fiber degradation and limit hypertrophy.<a href=\"#refmark-23\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-where-do-i-start\/\">5 Best Strength Training Workout Routines For Beginners (Home &#038; Gym)<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\">Nerd Fitness<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to get strong like these LEGO lifters but don\u2019t how to start? In this Beginner\u2019s Guide to Strength Training (part of our Strength 101 series), you\u2019ll have both the confidence to start getting strong with resistance training AND a plan to follow. These are the exact strategies we use with our Online Coaching Clients [\u2026]<br \/>\nThe post 5 Best Strength Training Workout Routines For Beginners (Home &#038; Gym) first appeared on Nerd Fitness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[20,1,21,22,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3130"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3170,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130\/revisions\/3170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}