Strength training, specifically for beginners who are adults and parents that are too busy or too overwhelmed to think about it, is critical for peak performance. Unfortunately, there are far too many people out in the world who fall in to this camp. Even more unfortunate is the fact that strength training is one of the most important pieces someone can dial in to ensure that they are their best self for their family, friends, job, or whatever else is important to them.
Here are the problems Beginners face with Getting Started:
- I don’t have time
- I don’t know where to start
- I’ll get hurt
- I can’t afford to get started
What is cool about all of those problems is that they are all solvable and already solved everyday by millions of people. While beginners who are thinking that those things are unique, there is someone who lives within 500 yards of you (in most cases) who has thought or felt the same pressure and worked to resolve it.
Below, I am going to share 5 tips to help you overcome those pressure points if you felt like any of those reasons to avoid strength training has resonated or does resonate with you.
5 tips for strength training for beginners:
- Don’t buy anything – there is plenty of opportunity to strength train with every day objects when you’re just getting started. Don’t force yourself into a financial deficit just to get some weights. The habit alone of strength training is more important than the dollar spend to accomplish the task. If it is me, I like to prove to myself that I can build the habit before I earn the right to spend money on it. Don’t buy anything, just start.
- Use your body weight – This tip follows the heals of the one above. If you can’t spend money on it, the question becomes what do you use? And honestly, your bodyweight will work just fine for a VERY long time if you stick to core movements like a squat, sit ups, planks, and push ups. Beyond your body weight, you probably have access to books, milk jugs, bricks, wood, or anything else that might have some weight that you can use once your body becomes too easy (hint: it won’t)
- Start small – aim to do 5-10 minutes or less per day. If you are truly a beginner, then expecting your patterns to change and fit in 60-90 minute sessions will eventually be a downfall. Rather, target consistency over volume. Here is a simple workout you can do in 5 minutes.. today. In 5 minutes, stand up from a chair 10 times then do 5 push ups from the wall, a chair or table, or the floor. Repeat that as many times as possible.
- Focus on being able to do it again tomorrow – this point looks at the intensity of your workouts and avoiding injury. When you are looking to start training, the most valuable tool you have is your discipline to do it frequently. So, workout only hard enough that you could train again tomorrow. You want to feel a little sore in the muscles you used, but not so sore that you can’t walk, take the stairs, or sit up from bed.
- Track your work – Discipline is built in the results, so monitor what you are doing. This is essential for beginners because it shifts the focus away from what your body *looks* like to what your body CAN DO. Write down how long things take you, how many reps you can do before getting tired. Regardless of the what, be sure to track progress. In the example of the 5 minute workout from tip 3, track how many rounds you completed on day 1. Try it again in 3-4 days and keep track again. Do this to start to see the magic of frequency and consistency over time.
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