Strength training for beginners: a simple guide
Starting strength training can feel like walking into a room where everyone already knows the rules. It doesn't have to. You need two or three short sessions a week, a few basic movements, and the patience to add a little more over time.
This guide covers the basics in plain language. It is for anyone starting out, and it is written with women and non-binary people in mind: there is no pressure to look a certain way, and no shame in starting small.
Why start strength training
Strength training (also called resistance training) means making your muscles work against a load: weights, machines, bands or your own body weight. People usually start for one of three reasons: they want to feel stronger in daily life, they want to protect their long-term health, or they were told to by a doctor or physio.
The research is encouraging, with one caveat: much of it is observational, which means it shows links rather than proof of cause. A review of 11 studies covering more than 370,000 people found that resistance training was linked to a 21% lower risk of death from any cause, and about 40% lower when combined with aerobic exercise.
Review of resistance training and mortality (PubMed)
How often should a beginner train?
The World Health Organization recommends muscle-strengthening activity that works all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week. That is the target for most people, and it is a good one for a beginner: two sessions a week, with a day or more between them.
Three sessions a week is fine if you enjoy it and recover well. More is not better at the start. A missed session is not a failure either: one workout is better than none, and progress is measured in weeks and months, not streaks.
WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour
What a first workout looks like
A balanced beginner session has about 6 to 8 exercises and takes 30 to 45 minutes. Aim to cover the whole body across the week rather than everything in one go:
- Legs and hips: a squat or leg press, and a hip hinge such as a Romanian deadlift or glute bridge
- Push: a chest press or push-up variation, and a shoulder press
- Pull: a row or a lat pulldown
- Core: a plank, dead bug or similar
- Optional: calf raises and gentle holds for tendons and joints
For each exercise, do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets. Choose machines or dumbbells if you are new, because they are easier to learn than a barbell. Bodyweight exercises at home work well too.
Solide builds this kind of session for you each time, favouring the muscle groups you have trained least that week, so you do not have to design a programme yourself.
How heavy should the weights be?
Pick a weight you could lift 2 or 3 more times at the end of a set. If you could do 10 or more extra repetitions, it is too light. If your form falls apart before the target repetitions, it is too heavy.
In the first few weeks, your body is learning the movements, so the weight matters less than moving with control. Once a weight feels comfortable for all your sets, add a little: a heavier dumbbell, one more repetition or one more set. This is called progressive overload, and it is the whole idea behind getting stronger.
Writing down what you lifted last time makes this much easier, because you always know what to beat. That is why Solide logs every set and shows you your previous numbers.
Rest, soreness and recovery
Muscle soreness one or two days after a new workout is normal and fades as your body adapts. Sharp or joint pain is not normal: stop that exercise and swap it for another.
You get stronger while you recover, not while you lift. Sleep, regular meals and rest days all count. Leave at least a day between sessions that work the same muscles.
Common beginner mistakes
- Doing too much in the first week, getting very sore and quitting
- Copying an advanced programme designed for someone else
- Lifting too heavy, too soon, with poor form
- Skipping the weights you did last time instead of tracking them
- Judging progress only by the scale or the mirror, instead of by how much you can lift and how you feel
- Waiting until you feel ready: the first session is the hardest, and it gets easier quickly
Do I need a gym?
No. You can start at home with bodyweight exercises and a pair of dumbbells or resistance bands. A gym adds machines and a wider range of weights, which can help later. Solide has workouts for both, and you can swap any exercise you do not like or cannot do.
Workouts in Solide also keep working with no signal or wifi, which is handy in gyms with poor reception.
When to talk to a doctor first
Most healthy adults can begin gentle strength training. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure that is not controlled, an injury, are pregnant or recently gave birth, or have any health condition you are unsure about, talk to your doctor or a physio before you start. This guide is general information and not medical advice.
Start your first workout
Solide builds a balanced session each time, logs your sets and shows your progress in weeks. Free to start, on iOS and Android.