Heading into the weight training room for the 1st time? Here’s exactly what you should focus on if you’re new to lifting, or getting back into it after extended time off.

“Forget failure. Forget Mistakes. Forget Everything, except what you’re going to do now. And do it.“
-Lou Ferrigno, 2-time Mr. Universe

Maybe you already have a lot of fitness experience, just not in the world of weight training. Or you’re completely new to the gym game?

I can’t write an article speaking to your individual needs (for that, I’ve got some Coaching spots available). But I can explain the top things most people should focus on when hitting the weights for the 1st time so that you have a safe, effective and long-term relationship with strength training.

I’ll guide you through the process of getting started if you’re new to lifting. Also, I’ll include some great resources to help you take it to the next level. By the time you’re finished you should feel confident in your ability to get yourself some great results!

A cautionary note before we dive in: this journey takes patience and work. While the payoff is huge, it requires some commitment. Ready?

Let’s go then!

What You Should Focus on if You’re New to Lifting

Master the Foundational “Big Lift” Skills

Despite what social media might depict, the most effective workouts that you can possibly do are packed with a few, compound lifts and are pretty repetitive.

You need to start with the foundation, big lifts. And stick with them. For most people (barring any physiological or health-related nuances), that includes:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Lunges
• Rows
• Chest Press
• Shoulder Presses
• Planks

Are there secondary exercises that you can work in? Absolutely yes. For example, hip thrusts, pull ups, dips, curls.

That said, mastering the above exercises will give you the foundational strength, skill, awareness and stimulation that you will need to keep progressing for your entire lifting career.

Get good at squats, deadlifts and lunges and you’ll be able to easily master things like leg press, extensions and hack machines. Master rows, chest presses and shoulder presses and you’ll build a strong upper body (and work triceps and biceps in the process). If you learn to plan properly, the sky is the limit.

Whether you choose to do full body lifts, push/pull lifts or splits (side note I’d save the latter for a bit later in your fitness journey) there is an essential requirement for newbie lifters: you’ve got to master these exercises. If you skip this part, you risk injury and there goes that.

Best way to master these?

Mastery is achieved through deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice means repetition. It means watching how-to videos, hiring a personal trainer, doing some research.

But mostly it means revolving your workouts around these foundational movements for months, if not years.

If you’re worried that means you won’t see results, put your fears aside! Keep reading because that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Focus on Getting Strong

How do you build the functional, fit body you want? By building strength right from the start, when you’re new to lifting. Regardless of your “end” goal. Get strong!

First, Master Form

Scroll back up and grab those foundational lifts. Set about mastering them. Perfect your form and technique. Use a mirror!

Forget fluff exercises and dedicate time to slowly but surely getting super confidenthere.

Then, Slowly Add Weight

Stay in the 6-12 rep range. Slowly increase the weight you lift.

For example, let’s say you can barbell squat 95 pounds for 10 reps. Next time, try to do 11-12 reps. Once you can hit 12 reps cleanly, increase the weight to 105 pounds and knock your reps back down to 6-8. Repeat the process.

This slow and steady approach will build muscle and help you get strong. It will keep you healthy, injury-free and progressing long-term. Also, this muscle-building process will increase your metabolism as well, improving your body composition and transforming your body sustainably.

Remember, long-term, sustainable and effective progress is what we’re after here. Don’t overcomplicate things.

Commit to What You Can Do

Now, more is always better, right?

Not so fast.

If you’re like many fitness newbies, you’ve likely seen a lot of fitness programming out there that recommends 5-6 days a week, 60+ minute sessions, more, more, more. You may even be revved up and excited about revamping your entire life to this new commitment.

This is one of the top mistakes people make when their new to lifting. The idea that they have to go all out and push every limit in order to see results. That if 3 workouts is good, 6 must be great! That’s not always the case.

Why? Think about it…

When you’re new to lifting, your body is more responsive to any exercise. At the start your body requires less stress to trigger the desired adaptation. Diving in too fast or too hard can result in injury, burn out or both. Take it slow, build your foundation and gradually increase volume over time.

Plus, think about the life change required to start working out 6 days a week after a long period of not. That’s a lot of shuffling around. A lot of adjustment. A lot of external resistance.

The goal right now is to establish routine. The less resistance, the better.

Need help coming up with ways to seamlessly fit fitness into your daily routine? Check out:

• Finding Time for Wellness: How to Create a Healthy Lifestyle in a Fast-Paced World by Julia Hale Fitness
• Productivity Tips by Tim Ferris

So, What is the Proper Programming for a Beginner?

If you’ve gotten this far you’re probably wondering, “okay fine, but what SHOULD I be doing?”.

There’s always room for personalization here (for that, click here). But here’s a good “starter package”:

Exercises

Your program should heavily repeat key, compound lifts which utilize multiple muscles to perform. The more muscles you use each rep, the more bang for your buck.

Great compound exercises include:

• Squats
• Bench Press
• Deadlift
• Rows

See the list at the top of this article. If you need help perfecting your form, ask a trainer at your local gym for a compound-lift-specific session, or click here to schedule a quick strategy session and comment “movement assessment”.

Frequency

Start with 2-3 sessions per week. This will get you into the gym frequently enough to stimulate muscle adaptation and develop confidence in the weight room while allowing you time to recover, enjoy other activities and feel ready for the next workout.

Sets and Reps

As a beginner lifter, you don’t need the same volume to elicit great results. Keep it simple with 8-10 sets per muscle each week, and 6-12 smart reps per set.

For example, if you workout 3 days a week, you might do 3 sets of squats Day 1, 3 sets of deadlifts Day 2, and 3 sets of Lunges Day 3.

Rest

Rest is key when it comes to building strength and muscle. I’m talking about both between set rest and between workout rest.

Rest between sets:

In general, the lower the reps + the higher the weight = the longer the rest. Anywhere from 60 seconds-2 minutes of rest should do it for now.

Rest between workouts:

Schedule 1-2 days of active rest in between workouts. These are great days to do some low-intensity cross-training for fun, mobility or stretching, yardwork or housework, or simple play.

Now, get out there and do the work!