Being a novice in the realm of fitness… When beginning a weightlifting regimen, it might be challenging to know where to start. I understand, I promise. I’ve been there myself, after all.
I was doing internet workouts without any guidance, warm-up, or regimen, and after several months, I was not making any significant improvement. I can assist you whether you’re just starting out or are making a comeback to training after a break.
I’ll go over everything you need to know about beginning a novice weightlifting program in this blog.
In this manner, you’ll be ready to work out and begin achieving your desired outcomes!
Why Should You Lift Weights?
Obviously, since you’re reading this, the chances are you already know why weightlifting is so great for you. For one, we all know how great weight training is for building muscle and strength. But, did you know that weightlifting is great for losing body fat, too?
That’s right – the more muscle you have, the more calories your body requires and burns. That’s because muscle tissue is much more metabolically active than fat tissue. Basically, it helps your body burn even more calories at rest!
Weight training is also one of the best ways to prevent injury. You see, when you weight train, you help strengthen your joints, connective tissue, and bones. As I’ve gotten older, this has become a top priority for me. I developed osteopenia in my early 20s (a condition that weakens the bones) and knew I needed to make some major changes to my nutrition and fitness.
My goal is to stay in shape and be able to keep up with my kids. I plan on being the mom who’s right there in the gym, lifting alongside my son and daughter. What’s your goal with weight training?
Anyways, I’m sure you’re wondering: “What’s the best starter workout routine for me?” Well, let’s dive into it.
Benefits of Weightlifting
Builds Muscle & Strength
Weight training is the best way to build muscle and increase overall strength. As your muscles adapt to resistance, they grow bigger and stronger. This can improve both performance and daily function.
Supports Joint Health
Stronger muscles mean better joint support, reducing the risk of injury. This is especially important for your shoulders and hips.
Burns Fat & Boosts Metabolism
Lifting weights helps burn calories just like any other workout. Building more muscle can help support your metabolism too. This will just make it easier to burn fat and maintain a lean physique over time.
Improves Everyday Movement
Weight training enhances balance, posture, and coordination. Trust me – Muscle strength can help in more areas than you may even be considering.
Weight Lifting For Beginners
Before you even pick up a dumbbell, consider what your personal fitness goals are. Do you want to train for weight loss, hypertrophy (muscle growth), muscular strength, general health, or something else? Write it down.
Identifying your goals will give you good direction when it comes to your workouts. I mean think about it … if your goal is to build strength, you’d make sure to find a beginner weight lifting routine that includes lifting heavy weight.
If your goal is to maintain and improve your overall health … you don’t necessarily have to lift heavy weights. Your weight training will look different depending on the results you’re looking to earn.
Warm Up
Before jumping into your workout, it’s important to start with a proper warm-up. A few minutes of light cardio combined with dynamic movements can help increase blood flow and prepare your joints for movement.
Warming up can help reduce the risk of injury, which is why I think it’s an essential part of any training routine.
Here are some solid warm-ups I’ll use myself:
Light Cardio
5 minutes of jogging, jumping rope, or cycling.
Dynamic Stretches
Arm circles, leg swings, or torso twists.
Bodyweight Movements
Jumping jacks, lateral lunges, or inchworms.
Consider Your Equipment
Here’s the good news … there are so many different pieces of equipment that you can use to weight train! Here’s the bad news … because there are so many pieces of equipment you can use, there are also an endless amount of exercises you can do. If you’re a beginner to weight lifting, that can be pretty intimidating.
Whether you train at a gym or at home, there are plenty of options to get a solid workout. Most strength training involves a mix of free weights, machines, and resistance tools. However, bodyweight exercises can be just as effective when you’re a beginner.
Here’s what you may use:
Free Weights
Dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells.
Resistance Tools
Bands, weight machines.
Home Gym Equipment
Folding squat rack, adjustable dumbbells.
Once you know all of the equipment you’ll have access to, you can start experimenting. I’m always looking for new exercises to try out, and if you’re not sure what to start with, I’ll even include an example workout you can try out.
Reps and Sets
Because we’re talking about weightlifting for beginners, I’d assume you’re a beginner yourself. For that reason, you’ll want to make sure you’re not underdoing or overdoing your workout.
That’s where reps and sets come into play. While you’ll find a lot of different recommendations here … understand that these are just recommendations.
Everybody has different levels of fitness. While some people may be able to do 15 exercises in one training session, other people may only be able to do 5 starting out. I’d make it your goal to push yourself but also focus on building a good foundation of endurance and strength for your future lifts.
When it comes to reps and sets:
Reps, or repetitions, are the number of times you perform an exercise in a row. For example, 10 reps of push-ups means doing 10 push-ups before resting.
Sets refer to how many times you complete those reps. If a workout calls for 3 sets of 10 push-ups, you’ll do 10 push-ups, rest, and do a total of three rounds.
For beginners, I typically recommend 15-18 total working sets. Ideally, as you get started, you’ll divide that between multiple muscle groups. I’d shoot for 2-3 sets of each if you’re doing a full-body workout.
For beginner weight lifters, I’d focus on higher rep ranges to build muscular endurance:
• Muscular Endurance: 12-15+ Reps Per Set
…and as you become more advanced with time, you can move into lower rep ranges to develop strength and power.
• Strength & Muscle Growth: 8-12 Reps Per Set
• Power & Explosive Strength: 3-6 Reps Per Set
How Do I Know When to Increase My Weight?
As you continue to lift weights, over time, you should build some good strength and endurance. So, when do you know when is the right time to increase the weight you use? Well, think of it like this…
Let’s say you’re used to doing 3 sets of 10 reps of squats at 100 pounds. As you get stronger, and the exercise becomes easier, you’ll start to notice that you can do more than 10 reps at a time. If you get to the point where you can do an extra 3-5 reps at the same weight … you may consider upping your weight.
This is, at least, the general rule of thumb that I like to use. I personally increase my weight anywhere between 5-10% when I’m ready to progress.
How Many Days a Week Should a Beginner Lift Weights?
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends lifting 2-3 days per week using body weight, free weights, machines, or bands. They also recommend that you rest for at least 1 day between sessions.
As you progress, you can increase your frequency to 3-4 days per week. Also, as you’re getting started, try to incorporate diverse exercises to target every major muscle group in your body. Basically, make sure to do a full-body workout.
The reason why I recommend this as a weightlifting for beginners routine is because of how quickly your muscles can fatigue. This way, instead of doing 8-10 exercises of one muscle group, you’re doing 1-2 exercises for each muscle group, allowing you to train for longer.
When you start building some momentum and consistency, that’s when you can consider doing even more workouts a week. Plus, you can start splitting up your training sessions by specific muscle groups. For example, you could do an upper body day and a lower body workout the next day.
How Long Should You Lift as a Beginner?
You can get an effective workout in as little as 20 minutes, but most sessions last between 30 to 60 minutes. For the most part, as intensity increases, the session length will decrease.
Think about it like walking, running, and sprinting. You can walk for a very long time at a low intensity. As you pick it up for a jog, you might not be able to last as long. Take it all the way to a sprint and your exercise time decreases even more.
It’s the exact same with weight lifting, especially beginner weight lifting!
If you are doing tons of burpees, and compound exercises, and are taking short breaks between sets … your workout time may be shorter.
On the other hand … longer rest periods and less demanding exercises may result in a longer session.
Lifting Weights For Beginners: Sample Routine
I wanted to give you an example of a beginner strength training routine that you can do in the gym or at home! Just remember to warm up, choose a light weight, and make sure you’re using the proper form.
Complete the first set of the exercise, and rest 1 minute between each set, before moving to the next exercise.
| Exercise | Reps | Sets |
| Squats | 8-10 | 2 |
| Deadlifts | 8-10 | 2 |
| Push-Ups | 10-12 | 2 |
| Bent Over Rows | 8-10 | 2 |
| Shoulder Press | 8-10 | 2 |
| Walking Lunges | 20 Total | 2 |
| Bicep Curls | 10-12 | 2 |
| Tricep Dips | 8-12 | 2 |
Cool Down
After you’ve put in all the hard work breaking down your muscles, now it’s time to cool down and recover. Allow them to relax and come back to a full range of motion by finishing your workout with static stretches.
Static stretching is where you hold a stretch for 30-90 seconds. It’s what you typically think of when you hear the word “stretch.”
Make sure to focus on the muscles you worked during your lift. For example, if you do a chest-focused lift … you should stretch your chest afterward! Some of my favorite stretches are toe touches, standing quads stretch, chest opener, and child’s pose.
Prioritize Your Recovery
Most people think that you are building muscle while you’re in the gym. But, like I said earlier, you’re actually breaking down your muscles during your weightlifting routine. That’s why, if you’re really looking to reap the benefits of weightlifting, you need to prioritize your recovery.
You see, the process of rebuilding your muscle tissue and building new muscle tissue actually happens outside of the gym. The quicker you can get your body recovered after the workout, the better when it comes to your results.
Two things happen during your weight training workouts:
1. Your body uses energy in the form of muscle glycogen (carbohydrates stored in muscle tissue) to fuel the workout
2. You break down muscle tissue
When you’re done training, your body needs to fix both these issues to start building muscle and begin recovering properly. That’s why the best thing you can do after your workout is a rapid assimilation protein and carbohydrate source.
This is the one time when supplements can actually be more beneficial than eating whole food! If you want to recover faster, reduce muscle soreness, and start earning great results off the bat … I highly recommend investing in a high-quality post-workout recovery supplement.
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Every one of our supplements is founded on quality, and measured on your results. As you get into a beginner weightlifting routine, that’s where I recommend trying our Post Workout Stack! It can help support muscle recovery and help you earn the results you’re after. I don’t miss it after a single workout. Plus, the flavors are incredible … and I mean incredible.