The 12 Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners

It’s a good way to build up that upper body strength. When you’re starting out, machines are your friend because they guide your movement. This helps you focus on feeling the muscles work and reduces the risk of injury. For the leg press, you’ll want to set the seat so your knees are at about a 90-degree angle when your feet are flat on the platform.

Week 1

Also, remember that gym staff are there to help, so don’t be afraid to ask them questions about how to use the equipment. Before you get into the heavier stuff, it’s a good idea to get your ankles ready. They might seem small, but they do a lot of work, especially when you’re doing things like squats or lunges.

Jay Cutler Relies on this Exercise for Making Massive Chest Gains

You can’t always depend on a gym trainer because he/she has to train many guys and girls at the same time, so it’s better to save this workout. No other exercise strengthens your entire body from head to toe as the deadlift does. Like push exercises, you can do pull exercises in several planes of motion, like vertically down or horizontally towards your torso. The pushing itself can be performed in various planes of motion, mostly vertically overhead or horizontally away from https://www.verywellfit.com/the-components-of-fitness-4154074 the chest.

Fats

After a month of Level One exercises, you’ll graduate to Level Two. Again, you’ll focus on using only your body weight, and for this pattern, I chose the Reverse Lunge. In this first level, is mad muscles legit you don’t have to worry about using a heavy weight or a light weight. As an athletic strength coach, I can tell you that the Lunge is one of the most overlooked yet incredibly beneficial movement patterns that you need to master. Next, we move to the Hinge movement pattern, and the Cable Pull Through is great for beginners.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners: Creating a Workout Routine

It strengthens your shoulders, upper chest, and triceps. If you do it standing up, you also involve your core for balance and stability. You could call the overhead press the cornerstone of your /resource-guide/2025/03/18/mad-muscles-review-transparent-pricing-real-fitness-results-in-20255 upper body strength, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

The weight should feel challenging, especially for the last 4 to 5 reps of each set, but it shouldn’t compromise your form. In terms of the weight that you’re going to start with, I’d recommend picking a weight that you know you can perform the five reps for, but is still going to challenge you. If for some reason you didn’t get all three sets of five, then you would repeat the weight that you used the previous workout. You’ll transition away from building that foundation to trying to build strength upon that foundation. That means the reps and sets will change as well as the exercises.

• But fear not; lifting weights is the number one thing you can do to convince them to stick around.
• We’re going to start with something very simple in Level One called a Rollup.
• Pull exercises involve moving a weight toward your body or moving your body toward a fixed object.
• Goals help break down the overwhelming task of “getting fit” into smaller, more manageable quests.
• Pretend you’re zipping up tight jeans (that’s how you brace your core).
• If you plan on deadlifting, have a personal trainer or experienced weightlifter observe your form.

I’ve designed two workout plans, one for building muscle and the other for increasing fat loss; depending on your fitness goal, you can save one of the routines. Always warm up properly before jumping into your workout. Start with lighter weights than you think you need and focus on mastering proper form before increasing resistance. Listen to your body, there’s a difference between the good burn of muscles working and the sharp pain of something going wrong.

Level 5: Enlist in the Barbell Battalion

Seriously, don’t worry about lifting heavy weights at first. It’s way better to do it correctly with a lighter weight and build up slowly. Trying to lift too much too soon can lead to injuries, and that’s the last thing you want when you’re just getting into the gym. If you’re going to do one exercise to build a strong lower body and core, this is it. Seriously, squats are like the king of leg exercises. They hit your quads, your glutes, your hamstrings, and even your core muscles have to work to keep you stable.

Choose Where to Train: at Home or in a Gym

Deadlifts are like a mini army of exercises packed into one. It mainly targets your posterior chain (the backside of your body), which is crucial anytime you need to lift something. It works your glutes, hamstrings, thighs, lower back, upper back, traps, forearms, and even your soul. In short, the squat is your best friend for building a foundation of strength as solid as bedrock.

The lat pulldown can be more user-friendly, though, especially if you are beginning your strength-training journey or are working on building enough strength to conquer the pull-up. In other words, including both the leg extension and squat in your workout routine (not necessarily in the same workout) can make for more complete leg muscle development. If you train in a fully equipped gym with a leg extension machine, that is. If you’re struggling with balance, you can start with bodyweight lunges, and once you’re more stable, add dumbbells or a barbell to the mix.

Featured Programs

If you have a great program to follow, you can get in incredible shape with just a set of dumbbells. Every other workout, swap out the goblet squat for the dumbbell Romanian deadlift. Add a little more weight here and there- making the minimal possible jumps each time (going from 10 lb to 12.5 lb dumbbells, for example).

Make sure the shoulder is favoring a forward movement. Press the dumbbell overhead until your arm is straight. Finally, lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat. Then switch to the other side when you’ve completed all of your repetitions. By starting at Level One and working your way through each level, you’ll correct any muscle imbalances and set the stage to perform the bigger lifts properly.

How to Perform Bicep Curls

So, do not panic, keep patience, work consistently, and feed your muscles optimum nutrition and you’ll surely see the results. The free version of StrengthLog has everything you need as a beginner (and it’s 100% ad-free!). However, we offer all new users a free 14-day premium trial, which you can activate in the app if you want to check out the added benefits of the paid version. In addition, lunges are an effective way to improve balance and functional movement, which is extra important for beginners. Speaking of working muscles, the leg press hits your quadriceps, glutes, and adductors, with your hamstrings chipping in depending on your foot position.

Beginner Workout Plan (30-Day Routine)

If your goal is muscle growth and fat loss, adjust the program with more sets, slightly higher reps, and shorter rest periods. Adding cardio on rest days can also help with fat loss. Maybe you struggle to carry things, feel tired easily, or just wish your body could do more. Strength is more than just lifting heavy weights, it’s the key to moving better, feeling more confident, and living a healthier life.