A literal step by step guide to start lifting weights
A literal step by step guide to start lifting weights
I’m making this easy for you because when I started lifting weights I was confused AF.
And I remember being frustrated with all of the conflicting articles I read day after day.
No worries, I’ve got you covered… and I won’t be using any fancy words for the sake of making this the easiest and most literal step by step guide to start lifting weights.
In this article I am going to guide you through everything you need to know to start lifting weights.
Here’s the rundown:
What do you need to get started
Do you need access to a gym
Should you workout 6 days a week
What should your workout split look like
What exercises should you be doing
How to know if you have good form
How many rest days should you take
The importance of recovery
Nutrition to support your new weight lifting routine
I’ll also write you a sample workout routine at the end.
So let’s get started….
What do you need to get started?
You don’t need a fancy gym bag, the cutest water bottle, or weight lifting gloves.
You don't even need supplements.
So.. don’t start by wasting your money.
All you really need is access to any kind of resistance like weights (dumbbells and/or kettlebells), resistance bands, and/or your body. Using your body is actually a good way to start by doing bodyweight exercises. So if you don’t currently have access to weights, start with bodyweight exercises and gradually you can bring in the weights. If you want to :)
The main thing here is that you just start.
Do you need access to a gym?
NO! You don’t!
If you have access to a gym that’s great! The gym will give you access to dumbbells, barbells, machines, and so much more. These things are great to implement into your workouts.
BUT.. if you don’t have access to a gym, you can workout at home and still see amazing results so don't worry.
In fact, I program home workouts for some of my online fat loss clients.
Like I said above, you don't need much to get started.
A gym membership will always be there, it’s not a necessity to start. You could also build yourself a home gym in the future. You have options.
Should you workout 6 days a week?
Probably not! Actually, no.
I say this because I find with my online fitness clients when they come to me, they are usually trying to workout 6 or 7 days a week and it results in them being exhausted, burned out, unmotivated and they stop seeing results.
Which sucks if you’ve been there.
So, taking rest days is part of the routine, remember that.
I’ll go more in depth on this later in the article.
Let’s talk about your workout split/routine
We just agreed that working out 6 days a week is too much, especially when you are just starting out.
I always recommend 2-3 days a week for the first month. After the first month or when you are ready you can bump it up to 4-5 days per week. Totally your call. :)
Let’s say you are starting out with 3 days of working out per week.
I recommend that you do 3 days of full body workouts so that you are working all muscle groups 3 times per week. This will give you BETTER RESULTS.
It doesn’t make much sense to workout biceps one day, triceps another day, then quads on the third day. You won’t be getting the most out of your workouts and in turn probably won't see much results from it.
So 3 full body workouts a week it is, agreed? Agreed!
Now, how should you set up your week? Something like this:
Monday: Full body workout
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Full body workout
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Full body workout
Sat & Sun: Rest
You get the point, spread your workout days throughout the week allowing rest days between each workout.
What exercises should you be doing?
The exercises that work multiple muscles at once are going to be your go to exercises. These are also called compound exercises, multi-joint movements.
Choose any form of these movements:
Squats
Deadlifts
Lunges
Overhead Presses
Chest Presses
Pull ups
Rows
Like I said before, only doing isolated exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, and leg extensions that only work one muscle aren’t going to do much for you.
Stick to the compounds and then if you want to add in an isolated movement or two at the end of your workout you can.
How to know you have good form?
Google is your friend!
AND… your phone video camera is your friend! Use them both!
There are so many videos on the internet showing how to do the correct form for every exercise. Google the exercise and watch the videos.
Once you think you have the form down correctly, video yourself performing the exercise and then watch that video to make sure you are in fact doing it correctly.
It’s that easy! So do it. You don’t want to end up injuring yourself just because you didn’t take the time to google. That would be embarrassing.
Rest days and the importance of recovery
Rest is extremely important. Let me paint you a picture…
When you workout you are tearing down your muscles and in order for them to rebuild and get bigger to handle more stress you have to let them rest and give them proper nutrition. You see, they won't be able to rebuild if you never give them a chance by tearing them down every single day.
Here are a few good tips for recovery:
Take at least 2 rest days per week.
Drink enough water daily
Get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night
Eat well (nutritious food)
So how should you go about your nutrition?
Nutrition is one of the most confusing topics out there.
People say “don’t eat fruit”, “carbs are bad”, “eat more carbs”, “processed foods will kill you”, and you get it.
I’m sure you’ve heard all these comments about what you should or should not eat.
Good news is, it’s really simple!
Eat enough protein for your body
Eat carbohydrates to fuel your body
Eat healthy fats for good health
AND eat your dang vegetables!
A well balanced diet and a diet you can sustain is the best diet for you.
You don’t have to eat keto
You don’t have to intermittent fast
You don't have to eat paleo
Just keep it simple, keep your daily calories in check (no overeating or severe under eating), workout, and rest.
Oh and don’t forget to drink your water! At least drink 64 fl oz a day or more.
Now to my simple conclusion of this article
LITERALLY JUST START
Here’s a sample workout routine:
Monday: Full body workout
Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise
Goblet Squat
Romanian Deadlifts
Pull ups (assisted or bodyweight)
Floor Chest Press
Reverse Lunges
Overhead Press
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Full body workout
Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise
DB Squats
Good Mornings
Bent over DB Rows
Push ups
Curtsey Lunges
Standing DB Shoulder Press
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Full body workout
Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise
KB Deadlift
Kneeling DB Thrust
Lat pulldown
Incline DB Chest Press
Curtsey Lunges
Seated Arnold Press
Lastly, just because you made it to the end of this article I want to give you access to my FREE 12 week progressive training program.
As always I am here to help you.
If you have any questions after reading this article just shoot me an email here.
I’m happy to answer.
Talk soon,
Cass
