Strength training, also known as resistance training, is anaerobic exercise, meaning “without oxygen.” In contrast to aerobic exercise, strength training can’t be sustained for long periods of time because your muscles aren’t moving oxygen as they work. An example of anaerobic exercise is lifting weights a specific number of times, or reps. During this exercise, your muscles are deprived of oxygen and become too fatigued to continue at that level of exertion.
Benefits of Strength Training:
You’ll burn more fat, even after you stop working out. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so the more you have, the more calories you burn all day. Strength training also has a positive side effect called afterburn, where you continue to burn calories for hours after working out.
Overall strength means you’ll avoid injury. Strong muscles mean you also have strong, supported bones and connective tissue and can therefore withstand more stress before becoming sick or injured.
You’ll look and feel younger and healthier. Studies show that resistance training can enhance heart health, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, increase bone density, reduce back pain, improve sleep, and ease symptoms of arthritis and fibromyalgia.
You’ll be happier and more confident. Research shows that strength training releases “feel-good” endorphins, resulting in stability in your moods, less anxiety and fewer episodes of depression.
Your Muscles and How They Work
There are two types of muscle contractions:
- Isometric contractions: The muscle stays the same length during exercise. An example is holding a plank.
- Isotonic contractions: The muscle shortens and lengthens during exercise. An example is a dumbbell arm curl where the muscle shortens as you raise the dumbbell and lengthens as you lower it. Most of your sore muscles after working out are due to the lengthening of your muscles during exercise.
While your muscles do help you lift and carry heavy items, they are also important to movement. When you contract your muscles, your joints move.
- Flexion is when you decrease the angle in the joint. An example is the contraction phase of a bicep curl which decreases the angle at the elbow joint.
- Extension is the opposite of flexion, where you increase the angle in the joint. An example is the relaxation of a bicep curl which increases the angle at the elbow joint.
- Abduction is moving a body part away from the middle of the body in the side plane. An example is raising an arm or leg out to the side of the body.
- Adduction is bringing the body part toward the middle line of the body.
The major muscle groups are your arms, shoulders, chest, back, legs, buttocks, and abdomen. There are several ways to target each of these major muscle groups during training.
- Whole Body Workout – A range of exercises that work your entire body in a single session, examples are high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and CrossFit-style workouts
- Focused Workout – Exercises that target a specific muscle groups, like upper body, legs, or abs.
- Large Muscle Group Workout – Exercises that focus on major muscle groups, like squats, bench press, or deadlifts
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so the more you have, the more calories you burn all day.
Muscle Groups and the Exercises That Strengthen Them
- Chest: bench press, chest press, push-ups
- Shoulders: overhead press, lateral raise, front raise
- Biceps: biceps curls, hammer curls, concentration curls
- Triceps: triceps extensions, dips, kickbacks
- Back: one-arm row, back extensions, lat pulldowns
- Abdominals: crunches, reverse crunches, wood chops, pelvic tilts
- Lower Body: squats, lunges, leg press, deadlifts, calf raises
Beginners should choose one or two exercises for each muscle group in the upper body and three to four exercises for the lower body.
Strength Training Lingo
There are some basic terms related to strength training that will be helpful to know.
- Repetition or rep – One completion of an exercise: one chin-up, one squat, one arm curl.
- Set – The selected number of repetitions before you rest: 10 repetitions is 1 set of arm curls.
- Rest interval – The time between sets.
- Repetition maximum or RM – Your personal best or the most you can lift in any exercise. For example, if the most you can do in a certain exercise is 12 reps, your RM is 12 for that exercise.
Example: Barbell Arm Curl, 40 pounds, 3 X 12 RM, 60 seconds
Or translated, this means you would do 3 sets of arm curls with 40 pounds, 12 reps in each set, rest for 60 seconds between sets. You may see instructions like this on strength training workout examples and now you’ll know what it means!
How do you know how many reps, sets, and what rest time is best for you?
A personal trainer or strength coach can help you fine tune this, but it depends on the type of muscle you are trying to build.
- To gain strength, you would use the most weight you can handle for the least number of repetitions with a longer rest time.
- To gain muscle size, you would use lighter weight for more repetitions with less rest time.
- To gain endurance, you would use very light weight for more repetitions and a very short rest time.
- To gain power, you would use lighter weights and longer rests while concentrating on the speed of the lift.
With these general principles, you can adjust the sets, reps, rest and exercise types to find the best combination for you.
How Do I Get Started?
It can be hard to know where to start when beginning a strength training program. There are countless exercises that work a range of different muscles. There are also safety concerns to be aware of and a wide variety of potentially confusing equipment to figure out.
The great thing about strength training is that you don’t have to use weights or machines. Anything that provides resistance, including resistance bands or your own bodyweight, will get the job done.
- Choose Your Resistance
For beginners, your bodyweight will provide enough resistance. However, it can be hard to continue to challenge your body without any additional resistance, so to progress, you’ll need some equipment, like hand weights, ankle weights or resistance bands.
- Choose Your Program
Start with a short, simple program that works all muscle groups on two non-consecutive days a week.
- Choose Your Weight or Level of Resistance
You’ll know if a weight is too light if you can do an entire set with minimal effort. You’ll also know if a weight is too heavy because you won’t be able to follow good technique. Choose a weight that is challenging but allows you to follow proper form. Follow the same principles when using resistance bands.
- Warm Up Before Working Out
Warm muscles are less susceptible to injury, so do 5 to 10 minutes of cardio before starting your program or add strength training to the end of your cardio workout.
- Focus on Form and Following Good Technique
To maintain proper form, pay attention to your posture (stand tall with chest lifted and abs held tight), move slowly (this ensures you’re relying on muscles, not momentum, to do the lifting), and remember to breathe.
- Don’t Forget About Rest Days
Rest days are crucial for building lean muscle tissue and preventing injury. Most advice says to avoid working out the same muscle groups two days in a row.
- Change Things Up as You Get Stronger
Once you’ve been consistently following a program for 6 weeks or more, you’ll want to change your routine to make it more difficult. You can modify weights or repetitions, choose different exercises, or change the order in which you do them.
Strength Training Equipment
Your own bodyweight
Some strength training exercises, like pushups or lunges, use your body weight to provide resistance.
Dumbbells, or hand weights
Dumbbells and hand weights are the same thing, but lighter weights are more commonly referred to as hand weights. Popular hand weights come in 1-, 3- and 5-pound sizes.
Kettlebells
Kettlebells are weighted balls with handles. Exercises using kettle balls work several muscle groups at once, making them a common choice for a full-body workout, especially if you’re short on time.
Resistance bands
Resistance bands are color-coded elastic bands that provide varying levels of resistance when pulled and stretched. Because they’re light and portable, they are great to use anywhere and take along when travelling.
Which Exercises Should I Do?
There are many factors that can help you determine this, including your goals and the equipment and facilities available to you, as well as your age, strength, experience, and level of commitment.
Step one is to write down your goals. Are you trying to build strength? Or muscle mass? Or are you motivated by the benefits of strength training, like afterburn and overall strength?
To lose body fat and build muscle:
Use enough weight that it’s challenging to complete 8 to 12 repetitions and 1 to 3 sets—1 for beginners, 2 to 3 for intermediate and advanced exercisers. Rest for about 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets and rest for at least one day between workout sessions.
For muscle gain:
Use enough weight that you can only complete 4 to 8 repetitions and 3 or more sets, resting for 1 to 2 minutes between sets and 2 to 3 days between sessions. For beginners, give yourself several weeks of conditioning before you tackle weight training with this degree of difficulty. You may need a spotter for many exercises.
For health and muscular endurance: Use enough weight that you can only complete 12 to 16 repetitions, 1 to 3 sets, resting 20 to 30 seconds between sets and at least one day between workout sessions.
Use trial and error to determine how much weight you should use. Start with a lighter weight and perform 1 set. Continue adding weight until you feel challenged but can do the desired number of reps with good form. The last rep should be difficult, but not impossible.
If you don’t know much about resistance training or lifting weights, consider going to a class or following a video online. Most gyms offer a free walk-through or session with a trainer. Working out with others, especially in the weight room, is recommended for safety and technique.
