Lifting, resting, recovering: how do you start lifting weights?
HHuman beings have always been obsessed with picking up heavy things. Lifting a heavy stone was reportedly a test of masculinity among prehistoric tribes. In cultures around the world, lifting stones became a custom sport And ceremonial practice. Today you can test your strength with Louis Vuitton dumbbells or a Kettlebell in the shape of Bigfoot’s head.
Lifting something heavy is satisfying. And if more And more Research shows that it can also be an important part of health and longevity.
The benefits of strength training such as weight lifting involve stronger bones, increased metabolism, lower risk of injuries, reduced risk of heart disease, improved body image and even improved brain function.
“It helps us maintain overall function, especially as we age,” says Dr. Andrew Jagim, director of sports medicine research at the Mayo Clinic Health System. Particularly in older populations, strength training helps maintain balance and coordination, and gives older adults “the autonomy to support themselves independently.”
So how do you start? We asked experts.
Start without weights
Before you pick up a barbell, experts recommend doing bodyweight exercises that will help you build a base level of strength and familiarize yourself with the movement patterns of lifting. These include squats, push-ups, lunges and planks.
“You want to get the form correct, because we don’t want to injure ourselves, or put our body and joints in some compromised position,” says Claire Fountain, a somatic therapist, yoga instructor and former personal trainer.
In a perfect world, everyone would have access to qualified personal trainers who can help us become familiar with the different movement patterns of lifting. But for those on a more limited budget, Fountain suggests finding instructional videos online that break down each exercise. Make sure you check who is making the videos; Shredded fitness influencers may promise eight-pack abs, but you’re better off finding content produced by qualified professionals. Look for personal trainers who are certified by organizations such as the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF), or the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT).
When watching these videos, pay attention to what an instructor’s body looks like, as well as any cues the instructor gives about position, Fountain says. These could be, for example, where your heels or hips should be, or what your arms should be doing during a particular exercise.
Don’t be intimidated by the gym
You don’t necessarily have to be a member of a gym to practice strength training. You can use resistance bands or body weight, or lift household items such as water bottles.
If you have the time and money to go to a gym, this is a convenient place to find equipment and meet other lifters. Some gyms also offer a free session with a trainer when you join, and they can help you with form.
“Joining a gym can be very scary, especially when you feel like everyone knows what they are doing. It’s okay to be a novice,” says Fountain. “And maybe you’ll meet a gym buddy.”
Machines are your friend
“Some people think machines are a waste of time. I think machines are probably one of the best things a beginner can (use),” says Mathew Forzaglia, a certified personal trainer and founder of Forzag Fitness.
Because machines like a leg press or a chest press have a fixed movement pattern—they move forward and backward, and that’s it—you don’t have to worry about balance or stabilizing the weight. This means you can become familiar with the motion of a squat or bench press with a much lower risk of injury.
“It focuses on movement pattern and building fundamental strength from the start,” says Forzaglia.
Find the right weight for you
When it comes to lifting, don’t bite off more than you can chew, Forzaglia says. It is safer to start lighter and move up to a heavier weight when you are in good shape and feel comfortable, rather than starting too heavy and risking injuring yourself.
To test a weight, Forzaglia suggests doing 10 reps — or, in lifting jargon, “reps” — of an exercise. If you get to 10 and feel like you can do 10 more reps, your weight is probably too light. If you reach the end and are barely able to perform your last rep with good form, the weight is probably too heavy.
“For a beginner, a 10/10 effort is never what we want to do because there’s a chance he or she won’t come back tomorrow” because of the pain, Forzaglia explains.
If at the end of the ten reps you feel like you can do two or three more, that’s a good weight to work with.
Structure your training
When it comes to exercise, doing something is generally better than doing nothing. But you’ll get more out of a workout if you start with a plan, instead of aimlessly wandering around the gym and hopping on the machines that are free.
If you can work with a trainer, they can tailor a workout just for you. There are also hundreds of training plans available online – as with instructional videos, look for plans created by certified professionals.
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If you’re not ready to commit to either, Jagim suggests structuring workouts around five types of exercises—lower body push and pull, upper body push and pull, and full body—and one of any type.
Pushing exercises involve pushing a weight away from you, such as a leg press, chest press or squat. Pulling exercises involve pulling a weight towards you, such as a leg curl, lat pull-down or pull-up. And full-body exercises are complex movements that engage almost every muscle in the body, such as a plank or a farmer’s litter, where you hold weights with both hands and run a certain distance.
“That’s a good foundation for a full-body strength training program that doesn’t require a lot of advanced planning and allows for easy substitutions,” says Jagim. If your gym doesn’t have a leg press machine, you can still do a lower body push exercise and “still work the muscles we’re trying to target.”
Once you have a plan, warm up with dynamic stretches such as walking lunges or arm circles, then perform three to four sets of eight to 12 repetitions for each exercise, with a minute of rest between each set.
Don’t overdo it
“The Internet can make it feel like you have to be at the gym every day,” says Fountain. But when it comes to strength training, less is more.
“You want to give your body time to rest and recover,” says Fountain. After lifting, muscles need time to heal and grow. That means that, especially for novice lifters, two to three sessions per week are usually sufficient.
Eat to support your training
When starting a new exercise routine, it’s best not to change too much at once. Forzaglia says a common mistake people make when it comes to fitness is wanting to change their entire lives by committing to a grueling new workout regimen and strict diet. This overwhelms people and causes them to burn out quickly. It’s better to make changes little by little, says Forzaglia.
Still, you want to make sure you’re eating enough to support your activity level and allow your muscles to recover. Carbohydrates and protein are especially important, because carbohydrates give you the energy to complete a workout, and protein helps rebuild your muscles afterward.
For people who practice strength training, “it is generally recommended to consume 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight,” says Jagim.
If this feels too abstract, Forzaglia suggests aiming for a fist-sized amount of protein and a palm-sized amount of carbohydrates at each meal. “And you can go all out on the vegetables.”
If you want to improve and grow:
Integrate progressive overload
“If you want to continue to make progress over time, you have to find a way to make your training a little bit harder,” says Jagim. This could be by increasing the number of reps you do from one week to the next, or by increasing the weight you use.
Without progressive overload, your body will adapt to the training and your muscles will not continue to grow.
Track your workouts
Write down each session which exercises you do per session, which weights you used and how many sets and repetitions you completed. This helps you remember how to gradually overload and allows you to see your progress over time.
Find out what works for you
As you continue lifting, don’t be afraid to try different programs, says Forzaglia. “Go online and research different types of programs and choose one that suits you,” he says. Try it out for at least a month, and if you don’t like it, that’s okay too. “You just gained more knowledge about your ideal training style.”
Then, when you find a program you prefer, stick with it. “People think they have to do all those complicated exercises they see online, but it’s simple and more about consistency,” says Fountain. “I do the same exercises that I have been doing for twenty years.”