How to Strength Train Safely
Many people tell me they don’t think strength training is for them because they don’t want to get injured and they feel that strength training is too risky.
However, when strength training is done properly, the risk of injury is low, even when you compare it to the injury risks associated with playing tennis or pick-up basketball. Compared to the risk of injury, the benefits of strength training can be life changing for improving health and performance with activities outside the gym.
Here are some tips to start strength training safely:
Start Easy and Light
Many people who ask me about trying strength training for the first time assume that they must use heavy weights from the beginning. However, I recommend focusing on technique first using light weight before gradually progressing to heavier loads.
The reason I recommend doing this is that I typically see people getting injured when they do far more than their body is currently prepared to do.
This can take shape by way of using too much weight, performing too many repetitions, or by stacking too many exercises into one workout.
Whatever exercises you plan to do during a workout, start with a weight that feels easy for you. You can always go a bit heavier after the first set.
While it should feel challenging, the amount of weight you use does not have to feel soul-crushingly heavy in order to give your body a good stimulus. A good way to gauge this is to find a weight that feels tough but also doable, meaning you are able to complete all repetitions with controlled technique.
Simply selecting a weight and number of repetitions that feels relatively challenging can be a great place to get your body accustomed to resistance training while leaving you room to progress gradually over time.
As the weeks go by, you can decide to gradually increase level of difficulty by choosing one of the following:
Increasing the amount of weight
Increasing the number of repetitions (sets and/or reps)
Changing the speed/tempo that you perform the exercise such as moving slower, adding a pause, or moving the weight faster/more explosively
Changing the amount of rest in between sets
Additionally, I typically program 5-8 exercises in a given session for many of my clients. Sometimes I start with as few as 2 exercises depending on the needs of the person I’m working with.
Training Frequency
If you’re brand new to strength training, I recommend starting with 1-2 workouts per week. Just like keeping it light and easy with weight, I recommend keeping the total amount of work that’s built into your weekly calendar on the easier side.
The theme here is a gradual increase in exposure, not a massive spike.
When I’m teaching someone who is new, I try to get a sense of both what they did last week and the previous few weeks so I understand where they’re coming from. If they’re starting from zero, I don’t want them to jump from zero to one hundred. I want them to go from zero to one. Then one to two, and so on.
This reduces the risk of putting too much physical stress on them while gradually progressing the amount of work they do over time as their body begins to adapt.
Eventually you might progress to three or four workouts per week. I don’t recommend performing strength training more than four times a week as this begins to become less practical for most busy adults who aren’t training for a gym-based sport. Four strength workouts could also cut into the limited time that you have to set aside for cardiovascular focused workouts which are also important for fitness and health.
Ask For Help
Most of us (myself included) don’t want to look stupid or embarrass ourselves. However, if you plan on using strength training equipment and you’re unsure of how to set up a piece of exercise equipment or perform an exercise and you have questions, ask someone for help.
I find that most people are happy to offer advice or help. People generally like the feeling of helping others.
Another way to ask for help is to hire a qualified coach who can tailor their guidance to your specific goals and needs.
Be Patient
The results that come from strength training take time. Think months and years, not days or weeks.
That being said, if you train with challenging but doable weights consistently, you may start feeling the difference within the first 12 weeks of training. One thing to note is that most of the initial changes during this phase are neurological, helping you improve coordination.
Your body becomes more efficient at sending signals to your muscles to perform movements and contractions which can make the exercises you perform start to feel easier.
Once you have a workout program you feel you can stick with for a while, follow the plan and keep showing up. Consistency is the name of the game, not flashy gimmicks or fancy exercise routines.
I recommend sticking with the same exercises for at least a few weeks before changing them up.
Check Your Ego
The human body has an incredible ability to adapt. While this is an amazing feature, it’s also a two-way street. If you spend years of your life not doing anything physical, your body will adapt to this as well.
Over time, you may not be able to do the things that you used to do - at least when you’re first getting back into exercise.
As such, when you’re returning to exercise after a long period of being inactive or you’re trying out strength training for the first time, focus on consistency before you worry about trying to set a record. Be honest with yourself about what your body can realistically handle today, not what your body used to do a few months or even years ago.
Balance Work and Rest
Strength training needs to be balanced alongside adequate recovery. Unfortunately due to social media, people assume “recovery” involves expensive massages, ice baths, saunas, cryotherapy, or cupping. However, the most effective methods of recovery include eating regularly, taking rest days, and getting enough sleep. These are not exciting as what social media influencers recommend, but they work - and they don’t cost as much as the aforementioned “recovery” methods.
If you’re looking to start a strength training program that is custom built for you, book your free call here.