assignment 1 what is strength training

Strength Training: Health Benefits, How to Get Started, and How to Get Better

The days of strength training being a pursuit of body builders and gym rats has passed.

Strength training has been linked with benefits from healthier bones to stronger muscles to a better mood and longer lifespan. These are just a few reasons resistance exercise is included in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) physical activity guidelines and recommended for all adults.

So, what makes strength training so important (and beneficial)? And how much do you have to do for health perks?

What Is a Strength Training Workout?

Strength training (or resistance training) is a type of exercise that causes your muscles to resist an external force, according to the definition from Penn State College of Medicine . The force can be applied by your body weight, dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, resistance bands, exercise machines, or several other tools.

Types of Strength Training

According to the  Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine , there are two primary types of resistance training :

• Isometric Resistance This type involves static muscle contractions, so your muscles contract without changing length (or without movement). Examples include holding a plank (the top of a push-up) or performing a wall sit (holding your body in a seated position with your back against a wall).
• Isotonic Strength training This type involves contracting your muscles through a range of motion. Examples include bodyweight squats and push-ups.

Isotonic strength training can be divided even further into two phases of muscle contraction: concentric and eccentric. The concentric part is the portion of the exercise in which the muscle shortens, whereas the eccentric is the portion in which the muscle lengthens, according to research .

So during a bicep curl (where you hold a weight in your hand and bend your forearm toward your chest from hanging straight down toward the floor, and then release your arm back down), a concentric contraction occurs as you curl the weight toward you, while the eccentric occurs as you lower the weight.

What Exercises Count as Strength Training

According to the HHS physical activity guidelines, all adults should complete at least two total-body strength workouts per week for general health. That’s in addition to the weekly 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (the category of exercise that raises your heart rate, such as, brisk walking, jogging, or water aerobics).

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines, muscle-strengthening activities count if they involve a moderate or greater level of intensity or effort than you’re accustomed to and work the body's major muscle groups (the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).

The guidelines specify that strength workouts, in addition to overloading the targeted muscles, should work them to the point of fatigue (meaning it would be difficult to complete another repetition when you’re finished).

Some examples of these types of strength workouts are:

• Powerlifting
• Olympic weight lifting
• Bodybuilding
• Functional strength training

It’s also worth noting that some lower-impact activities — like Pilates, yoga, and barre — that focus on muscle-strengthening may not actually count toward the twice weekly strength workout recommendations from HHS if these activities aren’t targeting all the major muscle groups and if they’re not working the muscles to that point of fatigue (where you can’t do another repetition of an exercise when you’re finished).

But that’s not to say those activities aren’t still good for your muscles or overall health, says Mike T. Nelson, PhD , an exercise physiologist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “If someone is going to do yoga, Pilates, or barre over doing nothing, any of those activities is light years ahead of doing nothing.”

Common Questions & Answers

Potential health benefits of strength training.

Research has identified many health benefits associated with strength training. Some include:

Stronger Bones

Resistance training builds more than muscle — it builds bone, too. According to  Harvard Health , strength training tugs and pushes on bone, which spurs bone-building cells to begin work. This action makes strength training helpful for preventing and improving osteoporosis (a condition characterized by weak, brittle bones) in older adults, according to a position paper published in August 2019 in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research .

In one study , postmenopausal women with low bone mass saw improvements in bone density and strength after training for 30 minutes twice a week for eight months.

Healthier Muscles

With strength training, by definition, you build muscle. But you’re also promoting healthy aging of your muscles. Thanks to aging, we start losing roughly 3 to 5 percent of muscle mass per decade around the age of 30, notes  Harvard Health . By the time many people reach 80 years, approximately 50 percent of their muscle is gone, per a  research review . Age-related loss of muscle (known as sarcopenia) has many consequences, including limited mobility, a lower quality of life, and an increased risk of falls and fall-related injuries, according to a  review .

Strength training is one of the best ways to safeguard against sarcopenia. It’s also recommended as the first-line treatment for counteracting loss of strength and function related to sarcopenia in older adults, according to a  research paper published in February 2022 in Age and Ageing .

And you don’t necessarily need to strength train for hours each week to see results. One review  found that frail, elderly adults who performed one to six strength workouts per week (with each session consisting of one to three sets of 6 to 15 repetitions of an exercise) saw 6 to 37 percent gains in muscle strength, 3 to nearly 8 percent gains in muscle mass, and 4 to 58 percent increases in functional capacity (a measure associated with risk of falls).

Longer Lifespan

Resistance training may extend your lifespan. In  one study , researchers analyzed data collected from over 80,000 people and found that participating in any form and amount of strength training lowered the risk of death from any cause by 23 percent over an average 9.2-year follow-up period, and lowered risk of death from cancer by 31 percent.

The researchers recommend strength training at least 50 to 60 minutes per week and doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week to boost longevity, based on their results.

Improved Mood

According to a  meta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry , evidence supports strength training as a complementary therapy modality for treating depression symptoms, and possibly as an alternative treatment to standard approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants. However, more research is needed to compare the effectiveness of these treatment modalities.

And a  study in obese adolescents found that lifting weights led to a greater self-esteem boost after four weeks than aerobic exercise.

Learn More About the Ways Strength Training Boosts Your Health and Fitness

Is Strength Training Good for Weight Loss?

Strength training doesn’t burn as many calories as aerobic exercise. Harvard Health  estimates that a 155-pound person burns roughly 108 calories in 30 minutes of general weight lifting and 252 calories in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling on a stationary bike. So strength training may not be the best option if burning maximum calories is your main goal.

But evidence suggests that strength training can aid weight loss efforts when combined with a healthy diet.

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in February 2022 in Obesity Reviews concluded that resistance training is an effective weight loss intervention in people with overweight and obesity when combined with calorie restriction.

In another study , dieters who did four weekly strength training workouts for 18 months lost more fat than dieters who didn’t exercise and those who did only aerobic exercise (about 18 pounds for strength exercisers, 10 pounds for nonexercises, and 16 pounds for aerobic exercisers).

As we age, we gradually lose muscle mass. Much of that muscle is replaced with fat — even if the number on the scale doesn’t change, according to  past research . “Circumventing that change [through strength training] makes a huge difference over the course of many years,” Dr. Nelson says.

According to a  review published in 2019 in the Journal of Obesity , maintaining or adding muscle mass often prevents people from gaining weight as they age.

Unlike fat, muscle is metabolically active tissue, which means that it requires energy to maintain, “The more muscle you have, the better you can dispose of calories, especially glucose, during daily movements,” Dr. Nelson continues. “That adds up over time.”

Learn More About Strength Training for Weight Loss

Gear: What Equipment You’ll Need for Strength Training Workouts

You can get an effective workout using your body weight alone. However, having equipment enables you to perform a wider variety of exercises (either at home or at a gym). It also helps you progress by making strength workouts more challenging, notes Katie Prendergast , a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)–certified personal trainer in Denver.

Here is some gear that can help you get more out of at-home strength workouts:

• Dumbbells Dumbbells are a type of free weight, meaning they aren’t attached to anything and can be moved freely. They have a short bar with weight at either end and can be used for various strength exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, chest presses, biceps curls, and overhead triceps extensions. The ends of dumbbells are typically round or hexagonal. “I would recommend the hex-shaped ones, because the round ones will roll,” Prendergast says. It’s also a good idea to find dumbbells with rubber-coated ends, because these have a quieter landing when dropped, Prendergast notes. Adjustable dumbbells can be another good option. Unlike standard dumbbells, which have a fixed weight, adjustable dumbbells allow you to increase or decrease the weight at the ends using a knob, pin, or dial. The appeal of these is that they take up much less space, Prendergast says. And while a pair of adjustable dumbbells can cost a few hundred dollars, she adds that you may wind up spending the same or less than if you bought separate sets of dumbbells.
• Kettlebells Kettlebells are another type of free weight and can be used in addition to or in place of dumbbells. They’re shaped like a cannonball with a handle on top, which places their center of mass lower and makes them a great option for high-intensity movements like swings and snatches. But you can also do traditional strength exercises like squats and shoulder presses, Nelson says. There are many kettlebells on the market, but Nelson’s favorites are ones made from cast iron ( like the ones from  Dragon Door ). Some cheaper kettlebells have a rubber or vinyl coating on the handle — Nelson says to avoid these because they can be too grippy to let the bell slide around your hand the way it’s supposed to.
• Exercise Mat An exercise mat can help protect your floors when you set down weights and catch any sweat from your workout. A mat can also protect your knees and back during floor exercises. Opt for a yoga mat or lay down foam floor mats in a dedicated workout space. “Those are pretty inexpensive and they’ll last forever,” Nelson says.
• Resistance Bands Resistance bands are strength training tools that resemble large rubber bands. They’re available in various resistance or tension levels in styles that range from flat loop bands, to elastic tubing with interchangeable handles, to smaller loop bands, per the  Cleveland Clinic . Resistance bands are an affordable way to add tension to many exercises, including squats, chest presses, shoulder presses, triceps extensions, and deadlifts. They’re especially helpful for pulling exercises like rows and biceps curls, as these can be tricky to do without free weights or exercise machines, Nelson says. Get a pack of resistance bands so you have bands of various tension levels to work with.
• Shoes and Apparel Prendergast recommends wearing flat shoes with a wide toe box that allow your toes to spread. Running and walking shoes are not the best choice for strength training, as these are built for forward movement and don’t offer the stability and ankle support needed for lateral (side-to-side) movements. Otherwise, you don’t need any specialty apparel for strength training. However, you may prefer tops and bottoms made of sweat-wicking fabrics (such as polyester, spandex, bamboo, or nylon), Prendergast says.

How to Get Started With Strength Training Workouts

As with any exercise, starting slow as a strength training beginner is essential. When in doubt, start with fewer and shorter sessions than you think you can do and add more over time. Nelson says that this may make it easier for you to train consistently, which helps turn strength training into a habit. He adds that many beginners can manage 30 minutes three times per week.

Before starting a new strength routine, it’s important to check with your doctor if you have a preexisting condition like hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a heart condition, or any other issue that would interfere with your ability to safely exercise, says Robert Waskowitz, MD , an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Orthopedic Associates of Hartford in Connecticut. A healthcare provider can help confirm what an appropriate workout plan for you looks like, or find out how to modify exercises that may increase your risk of complications, he adds.

Once you have medical clearance, follow these tips for getting started with strength training workouts.

Work With a Personal Trainer

Instead of walking into the gym and doing random exercises, set up a session with a personal trainer if that’s an option for you. Many people find it is worth the investment to work with a personal trainer for a couple of sessions to learn how to do exercises properly and ask questions specific to them, Prendergast says.

Plus, personal trainers can create a strength program tailored to your goals, abilities, and preferences, she notes. This way, you have a routine to follow, so you’re not wondering what to do next.

Do Bodyweight Exercises First

Prendergast recommends starting with bodyweight exercises if you’re new to strength training. “Bodyweight exercises help people hone their technique without a load so that when they do pick up weights, they move with good form,” she explains. This reduces your risk of injury from moving a weight incorrectly.

Plus, bodyweight exercises tend to be less intimidating for someone totally new to lifting, Prendergast notes.

Try push-ups (elevate your hands on a surface if needed), step-ups, and pull-ups (use a resistance band or machine to assist if needed).

Start Slow and Show Up

As Nelson notes, training less often and building up your frequency over time is better than jumping into a hardcore strength routine. You will reduce the risk of injury, and you may find it easier to create consistency.

Nelson recommends aiming for a 30-minute strength workout three times per week, and not worrying too much about following a “perfect” routine. “Just showing up and doing something, as long as it’s not painful, is going to offer benefits,” he says. “You can always change what you’re doing and make it harder, but just work on showing up in the beginning.”

How to Make a Strength Training Workout Harder

Once you feel more comfortable lifting weights, look for ways to make your workouts more challenging.

Here are a few ideas:

• Increase weight. Once you can complete your prescribed sets and reps without much effort, it’s time to bump up the intensity. One way to accomplish this is to lift a heavier weight. Typically, dumbbells increase by 2.5- or 5-pound increments, whereas kettlebells increase by 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds), Prendergast says. She recommends simply choosing the next available weight of whichever tool you use. “If you feel like the last two reps of your set are hard but doable, you’ll know you picked the correct weight for that exercise and rep range.”
• Do more sets or reps. “Rep” is short for “repetition,” which refers to how many times you do a specific exercise (each push-up, for example, is one rep). A “set” refers to how many reps you do at a time (a set of push-ups for you, for example, might include 8 or 10 reps). Another way to boost the intensity is to add more sets or reps. Prendergast likes to start her beginner clients with three sets of 8 to 10 reps per exercise during their first week and increase to three sets of 10 to 12 reps with the same weight the following week. You can progress by doing four sets of 8 to 10 reps the next week and four sets of 10 to 12 reps the following week. “After that, it’s time to increase the weight,” Prendergast says.
• Slow down. Performing your reps at a slower pace boosts the intensity of the exercise. “If you think of a dumbbell chest press, lowering the weights more slowly will increase the amount of time each repetition takes,” Prendergast says. This can be a great method if your weight selection is limited and you can’t bump up your lifting load. Spend three or four seconds on the eccentric, or lowering, portion of an exercise, Prendergast suggests.
• Pick a harder exercise variation. You can also make your strength workouts more challenging by choosing more advanced variations of the same exercises. For example, you can swap a traditional two-legged squat for a single-leg or split squat. “You're still training the same leg muscles, but because you're doing it one at a time, you won’t be able to use as much weight,” Prendergast says.

Nutrition Tips for Strength Training

As with any form of exercise, nutrition plays an important role in strength training. Use these guidelines to fuel up right.

If you haven’t eaten for a few hours, grab a light snack about 30 to 45 minutes before your workout, suggests Roxana Ehsani, RDN, CSSD , a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics and adjunct professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Look for a snack that contains easy-to-digest carbohydrates and keeps protein, fat, and fiber to a minimum, “as they take longer to digest and will slow the quick carbs from hitting your bloodstream,” Ehsani says. “We want those carbs to hit quickly to give you an energy boost pre-workout.”

She recommends these options:

• 1 cup of 100 percent pomegranate juice
• 1 cup of applesauce
• A handful of pretzels

If you work out at the beginning of the day, you may opt not to eat anything beforehand. However, Ehsani recommends at least having a small snack (like one of the options above). “After an overnight fast, your energy stores are low. Eating something before training can help you achieve better results from your workout,” she explains.

If your workouts are an hour or less in duration, you can probably stick to water during your workout, Ehsani says.

But if you train for over an hour, bring an electrolyte-rich beverage like a sports drink with you, too. “It gives you a mix of fluids, electrolytes, and simple carbs to keep your energy levels up during a long workout,” Ehsani says.

You can also opt for a small, easy-to-digest snack instead of a sports drink. Think dried fruit, applesauce, or even jelly beans, Ehsani says.

Ehsani says to make sure you’re hitting the three “R’s” after your workout: rehydrate, refuel, and repair. “A lot of athletes may complain that they aren’t hungry after tough training sessions, but I always encourage them to start by sipping something to start the recovery process,” she says.

Ehsani suggests a fruit smoothie made of:

• 1 cup of milk (dairy or nondairy)
• ¾ to 1 cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1 banana or mango
• 1 cup of berries
• 1 to 2 handfuls of baby spinach or kale

Or snack on a handful of pistachios. “Pistachios are one of the highest-protein snack nuts and provide all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein and the perfect post-workout snack ,” Ehsani says.

Then, aim to have a well-balanced meal consisting of veggies, fruits, complex carbs , healthy fats, and 20 to 35 grams of high-quality protein within two hours post-workout.

“One of my favorite post-workout meals is wild Alaska salmon, because it’s a high-quality source of protein that helps rebuild muscle,” Ehsani says. She recommends pairing 3 ounces of salmon with 1 cup of roasted veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, and 1 cup of quinoa or brown rice for a nutrient-dense meal.

Resources We Love: Strength Training

American Council on Exercise

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization that certifies health coaches and exercise professionals. It also offers plenty of free resources on its website, including a robust blog , calculators (for body mass index, target heart rate zone, blood pressure), and an extensive exercise database and library with detailed descriptions and photos.

National Academy of Sports Medicine

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has been certifying fitness professionals since 1987. Check out the NASM website for free resources that include a blog , podcast, calorie calculator, exercise library, and mini education courses.

Nerd Fitness

Founded by Steve Kamb in 2009, Nerd Fitness is a blog and community of certified strength training professionals that strives to provide a fun place for “nerds” to learn about health and fitness. You’ll find tons of articles for beginners, covering topics like finding a good personal trainer and beginner-friendly gym workouts .

Tony Gentilcore

Certified strength and conditioning specialist Tony Gentilcore maintains a consistent fitness blog. Here, you’ll find answers to common lifting questions, form tips, advice for handling pain, and more. While the blog is geared toward fitness professionals, recreational lifters will learn a lot, too.

The Body of Knowledge

The Body of Knowledge is a central hub where you can access free resources created by Andy Galpin, PhD, a professor of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton. It includes video explainers on exercise physiology, articles (you can access by providing your email address), and Galpin’s personal book, blog, and podcast recommendations.

The Future app takes the guesswork out of training. It pairs you with a strength coach, who creates personalized weekly workouts tailored to your goals. Plus, Future boasts a robust blog where you’ll find articles about postpartum fitness, eating for weight loss, mobility exercises, and more.

This app offers numerous at-home strength classes, from barre and dumbbell workouts to bodyweight-only and low-impact options. You can get your cardio workouts from Alo Moves, too. The app includes plenty of walking, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and boxing routines.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

• Introduction to Strength Training. Penn State College of Medicine .
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) .
• Olympic Weightlifting to Enhance Sports Performance. National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) . February 23, 2022.
• What Is CrossFit. CrossFit .
• Bodybuilding. Encyclopedia Britannica . December 30, 2022.
• What Is Functional Strength Training? American Council on Exercise (ACE) . May 11, 2011.
• Strength Training Builds More Than Muscles. Harvard Health Publishing . October 13, 2021.
• Fragala MS, Cadore EL, Dorgo S, et al. Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research . August 2019.
• Watson SL, Weeks BK, Weis LJ, et al. High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research . October 2017.
• Preserve Your Muscle Mass. Harvard Health Publishing . February 19, 2016.
• Wilkinson DJ, Piasecki M, and Atherton PJ. The Age-Related Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function: Measurement and Physiology of Muscle Fibre Atrophy and Muscle Fibre Loss in Humans. Ageing Research Reviews . November 2018.
• Larsson L, Degens H, Li M, et al. Sarcopenia: Aging-Related Loss of Muscle Mass and Function. Physiological Reviews . January 2019.
• Hurst C, Robinson SM, Witham MD, et al. Resistance Exercise as a Treatment for Sarcopenia: Prescription and Delivery. Age and Ageing . February 2022.
• Lopez P, Silveira Pinto R, Radaelli R, et al. Benefits of Resistance Training in Physically Frail Elderly: A Systematic Review. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research . November 2017.
• Stamatakis E, Lee IM, Bennie J, et al. Does Strength-Promoting Exercise Confer Unique Health Benefits? A Pooled Analysis of Data on 11 Population Cohorts With All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Mortality Endpoints. American Journal of Epidemiology . May 2018.
• Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Hallgren M, et al. Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Psychiatry . June 2018.
• Goldfield GS, Kenny GP, Alberga AS, et al. Effects of Aerobic Training, Resistance Training, or Both on Psychological Health in Adolescents With Obesity: The HEARTY Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology . December 2015.
• Lopez P, Taaffe DR, Galvao DA, et al. Resistance Training Effectiveness on Body Composition and Body Weight Outcomes in Individuals With Overweight and Obesity Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Obesity Reviews . February 2022.
• Beavers KM, Ambrosius WT, Rejeski WJ, et al. Effect of Exercise Type During Intentional Weight Loss on Body Composition in Older Adults With Obesity. Obesity . November 2017.
• Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights. Harvard Health Publishing . March 8, 2021.
• Hunter GR, Singh H, Carter SJ, et al. Sarcopenia and Its Implications for Metabolic Health. Journal of Obesity . March 2019.
• St-Onge MP and Gallagher D. Body Composition Changes With Aging: The Cause or the Result of Alterations in Metabolic Rate and Macronutrient Oxidation? Nutrition . February 2010.
• How Effective Are Resistance Bands for Strength Training? Cleveland Clinic . May 4, 2022.
• Wagener S, Wilhelm Hoppe M, Hotfiel T, et al. CrossFit: Development, Benefits and Risks. Sportorthopadie-Sporttraumatologie . September 2020.
• Powerlifting. Encyclopedia Britannica . April 28, 2017.
• Remaud A. Isometric/Isotonic Exercise. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine . 2013.
• Padulo J, Laffaye G, Chamari K, et al. Concentric and Eccentric: Muscle Contraction or Exercise? Sports Health . July 2013.

Strength Training

Strength training increases muscle mass, bone density, and joint stability, whilst reducing the disease development. Read on to explore how.

By Jess Fassnidge Last updated: April 3rd, 2024 17 min read

Contents of Article  

• What is strength training? 
• What are the principles of strength training? 
• What are the benefits of strength training? 
• Misconceptions of strength training 
• How often should you strength train? 
• Common strength training equipment 
• Strength training vs cardio 
• Does strength training burn calories?
• Strength training examples
• Conclusion 
• References 

What is Strength Training? 

The term strength, or strength training, is often used interchangeably with resistance training or resistance exercises. Strength or muscular strength is defined as the ability to generate maximum external force. (1) An internal force would constitute part of the human body applying force on another part whereas external forces pertain to an environmental force against the human body. Therefore, for this article, the definition of strength relates purely to how the human body can exert force against an external factor. Other definitions relating to strength describe it as the ability to contribute to maximal human efforts in sport and physical activity (2). Regardless of the exact definition used, strength is fundamental to a human being outside of the realm of just sports performance context. Joyce and Lewindon (2014) go on to further define maximal strength as the ability to apply maximal levels of force or strength irrespective of time constraints and relative strength is the ability to apply high levels of force relative to the athlete’s body mass (3).

Strength can be distinguished based on three muscle actions: concentric, isometric, and eccentric contractions. Concentric actions refer to the muscle shortening, and normally maximal strength is measured concentrically before an eccentric movement occurs. Eccentric action is the opposite of concentric in that a muscle creates less tension and lengthens. Isometric contractions almost sit in between concentric and eccentric in that they create tension without shortening or lengthening (4). 

Figure 1 shows an example of the bicep muscle and how each part of a bicep curl will pertain to the type of action being used. As the individual curls the weight towards their body, they are moving it concentrically where the bicep muscle is shortening. As soon as the weight starts to move away from the body, the bicep muscle is lengthening and therefore is the eccentric part of the exercise.

Figure 1. – Muscle can actively exert force regardless of whether the muscle gets shorter, stays the same length, or gets longer due to the opposing force (20).

Strength can often be termed as ‘absolute strength’ or ‘relative strength’. Absolute strength pertains to an athlete’s capacity to exert maximum force regardless of what their body weight is (4), whereas relative strength considers the body weight of an individual and therefore is a ratio of the two. Some sports are divided into various weight categories such as boxing or gymnastics, in which case a high level of relative strength is imperative. 

Finally, general strength training looks at the foundation as an entirety of improving the strength of the entire body. Low general strength levels may indicate or lead to injury or a higher susceptibility of it, or asymmetrical issues and imbalances. Specific strength training takes a more sport-specific approach so athletes can be strong in certain planes, ranges of motions or movements based on the demands of the sport (4).

What are the principles of strength training?

Constructing a strength plan and goals requires us to understand the basic principles to make sure we are getting the biggest bang for our buck. The same goes for aerobic training, these foundational principles are specificity, overload, and progression. 

Specificity is a basic concept where an individual is to train in a specific manner to produce a specific response or action. In practical terms, if someone wanted to design a program around strengthening their hamstring muscles, they would have specific exercises to match the required demands. Exercises that could occur in this scenario may be the deadlift , glute bridges, or Nordic curls. In an athlete’s sense, specificity can relate directly to the sport by mimicking movement patterns or becoming a supplementary addition to improve strength levels that can transition to the pitch and aim to enhance performance.  

Overload is about assigning training or sessions of greater intensity than the athlete is accustomed to. Without the stimulus overload, even a well-designed program will limit the athlete’s ability to seek improvement (2). An example of progressive overload can be changing the load a person is lifting to make it harder or adding in more strength days per week. Another manipulation could be made by adding more exercises to the session or tweaking the rest periods in between. Finding the balance between overloading and not overtraining is vital. If a program is correctly designed, it will challenge the individual enough to enhance strength improvements but consider required recovery/rest days.  

Progression has a methodical approach to prevent potential overuse or injury from occurring. It may seem like you can make a big leap by lifting a heavy load one week compared to the last, but jumping straight into it without a designated plan can have many disadvantages, with injury being at the forefront. Lifting heavy loads will provide an important overload, but not at the expense of sacrificing proper technique and form. Progression should, when applied correctly promote long-term training benefits (2). 

What are the Benefits of Strength Training?

Strength training provides a wide range of benefits to individuals regardless of age or experience level. It has been shown to increase muscle size and strength, help stabilise joints and ligaments, improve neurological signalling, aid in power mechanism and speed as well as many studies detailing the importance it can provide for mental health. Research has shown that doing strength training can reduce symptoms of various chronic diseases like arthritis, depression, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis, sleep disorders and heart disease. In addition, some research demonstrates that strength training in older adults with functional limitations can reduce falls (5, 6). A long-term study conducted by Nelson et al. noted that women aged 50-70 years old who participated in strength training twice a week for one year became stronger, increased their muscle mass, improved their balance, and reported better bone density in comparison to the control group who did no strength training at all (6). 

Misconceptions of Strength Training?

A few studies have investigated the preconception of strength training about males’ and females’ perceived importance of it. A common belief today is that many females have a negative preconception of strength training for multiple reasons. Some believe that by engaging in strength training they will add a lot of muscle mass and become aesthetically bigger, while others believe that is it not necessarily important for them to participate in whether they are an athlete or not. Poiss et al (2004) surveyed this exact issue at the collegiate level by exploring the perceived rates of the importance of strength training and found that male athletes were found to be significantly more likely to consider weight training as essential to their sport-specific training than females (8). Similarly, Bennie et al (2020) completed a comprehensive study, spanning 28 countries in Europe and found that 19.8% of men participated in strength training activities ≥2 times a week compared with 15% of women (9). 

A common misconception is that cardio-based training is the best and only way to lose weight or specifically, body fat percentage, and strength training does not do this. Excessive body fat can be associated with a major risk for general health and can lead to life-threatening conditions or diseases. Several studies (11, 12, 13) have found that increasing resistance or strength training can positively affect body fat percentage alongside managing obesity or metabolic disorders (12). In line with these findings, a study that compared endurance to strength training over 10 weeks in male physically active participants, concluded that although resistance training alone may improve muscular strength and basal metabolic rate (BMR), and endurance training alone will increase aerobic power and decrease body fat percentage, a combined approach is optimal (10). 

NB! An important thing to note is that muscle has a higher density than fat. If an individual implements strength training into their routine they could find an increase in weight (kg) however their fat stores have decreased, leading to reduced limb circumference and a change in body composition. Checking body fat percentage is a better metric that a person may look to improve. To summarise, a bodybuilder and an individual with obesity could have the same BMI, but the bodybuilder would have a higher percentage of muscle mass than the individual with obesity, who will have a greater percentage of body fat.

How often should you strength train?

The amount of strength training required will depend ultimately on the goals. An athlete looking to focus on maximising strength to translate to their sport will have different goals compared to an athlete or individual who is returning from a serious injury and focusing on regaining baseline strength. An elderly person looking to keep a good foundation of strength to help with functional movement will have different goals than a bodybuilder looking to enhance hypertrophy . These different scenarios will elicit a different training need and therefore frequency, duration, and load needed. 

Various research alludes to differences in the frequency of strength training that should take place each week. Outside of sports performance, literature and article results can fluctuate from anywhere between 1-4 sessions per week as a general recommendation. Many studies will look at untrained, non-elite or recreational adults who engage in resistance training and often conclude direct strength improvements. In terms of experienced lifters, Lasevicius et al (2019) examined the difference in resistance-trained men by comparing 2 sessions a week to 3 sessions to determine if any significant differences were noted. The study concluded that although a significant difference was found between pre and post-test scores, there were no differences between the two groups and despite 2 or 3 training days per week, they both evoked similar responses (18). Contrastingly, other studies have found differences between groups when comparing 3 strength sessions a week to 6 sessions concerning the training volume per session (19). What does this mean? There is no exact science with how much strength training you should do as it will elicit various physiological responses for individuals at different time points. Strength training provides major benefits to health, so just getting started and remembering individualisation is key. 

Strength Training for Athletes 

There are multiple ways that strength training can be programmed, often, athletes will fall into a periodization model where it considers their competition fixtures throughout the season and looks to maximise strength at the right time. There are multiple tactics to do this, but with periodisation, a coach can manipulate loads based on the goals within a set cycle. An annual plan is usually put together at the start of a new season which incorporates the macro-cycle which is essentially looking at the bigger picture. What games are there, and how long is the pre-season, in-season, and off-season period in terms of weeks. Within the macrocycle, this is then broken down into a meso-cycle and then finally a micro-cycle. The micro-cycle is a short time that could equate to a week as an example, which provides details of how the exact strength sessions may look in terms of exercises, reps, sets etc. The meso-cycle sits in between both which looks at when strength training sessions may be added throughout the month with a potential focus attached to it. 

Figure 2. shows an example that Suchomel et al (2018) documented on periodisation with the various stages. The preparatory phase is typically the off-season where maximal strength can be focused on then as pre-season begins this will start to transition to strength-power training. During the season most sports will strip back on strength and replace it with technical or tactical training. Strength-power is imperative for the athletes to complete during the main season to keep them strong and ticking over.   The only difference is the load may be reduced and the session will be scheduled by the S&C team to promote enough recovery time before competitive games to avoid a decrease in performance. 

Figure 2.  An example of strength focuses during the preparatory and competitive phase (7). 

Common Strength Training Equipment

Strength training can be completed with various equipment or methods to stimulate a similar response. Examples include free weights , body weight movements, machines , and/or resistance/ elastic bands . 

Bodyweight exercises

For a beginner, body-weight exercises are a great way to learn different movements and perfect form. A completely new beginner will likely find adaption through body-weight exercises as they have several advantages as noted above in the benefits of strength training. Not only do they target various muscle groups but there is the potential for lots of versatility. A plateau can occur when using strictly body weight exercises as an overload of a stimulus is limited in nature so other strength training methods are often added or advised to seek further improvement (6). These exercises or movements are great for people returning from injury or starting an activity for the first time. It is the foundation or building blocks to get people moving correctly before adding additional load. 

Free Weights

Dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells can be used as free weights and as the name suggests, they are not attached to a machine. There are many advantages to using free weights and lots of exercises that can be progressed or regressed as necessary with them too. One main advantage is that by using free weights they force stabilisation, range of motion, and coordination. A back squat for example using a barbell will require a person to work their quadriceps in the concentric movement but they need to engage other muscles and the core to create the movement to be as efficient and smooth as possible. With free weights, an element of balance is needed so alongside strength gains these types of exercises can help improve balance and coordination as well.

Many different machines can be found in a gym setting that looks to isolate specific sets of muscle(s). For a beginner, machine exercises may be a great place to start as they are often user-friendly, and less technique is required in comparison to free weights. They provide isolated work and load to a specific area of the body which means any discrepancies or imbalances could be addressed by adding in machine movement. If imbalances are a problem, machines can become a potential hindrance if one muscle group or one side dominates or takes most of the force. For example, a leg press machine requires both feet to push against the resistance. If an individual has an obvious stronger side, they may find that one leg is working harder than the other, therefore, taking most of the weight. A recommendation would be to assess any potential imbalances or discrepancies an individual or athlete has before assigning a program as exercise selection can be manipulated. Machines could still be used if other exercises address the imbalances that were found. Often, a machine has less risk of getting the movement wrong and can move the body through the desired range of motion.

Read this article to find out more about free weights vs machines.  

Resistance Bands 

Resistance bands can be used to create tension or make movements more difficult as the muscles work to resist the pressure created. Resistance bands can come in all shapes and sizes with the strength of the band getting thicker which ultimately means it is harder to resist. Beginners can use bands as a good starting point and work their way up to harder bands as they become used to the tension. They are a great way for injured athletes to build up strength after rehabilitating from a knee ligament injury (14). One disadvantage to using resistance bands is it is hard to evoke the same resistance each time as it is purely subjective.

Strength Training vs Cardio

On a basic level, strength and cardio training play different roles, and have an obvious difference in that cardio training aims to improve oxygen efficiency whereas strength training adds stress to the muscle to gain strength. Going for a steady state long run versus completing heavy weight lifts in the gym will provoke different energy pathway responses. 

Our energy pathways will work together but depending on the activity we are doing, will depend on which energy system is working as the predominant source. Maximal strength, often, is where minimum reps are conducted but the load is extremely high. An example of this may be an athlete completing a 1 repetition maximum (RM) – 3 RM bench press. It is an intense few seconds of work where the body is heavily relying on the adenosine triphosphate-phosphocreatine (ATP-PCr) system to provide a high capacity of power through the stored ATP and PCr we have but it will only last a few seconds. Once this energy has been used, our body will then upregulate the anaerobic glycolysis which provides more energy, still at a high-power outlet, but not the same as the ATP-PCr. The benefit to the anaerobic glycolysis is the duration can be longer which will certainly help when we look to do strength training where it lasts more than a few seconds. In terms of cardio-based training, again, it will depend on the intensity and duration of the task to what energy system is in the driving seat. If a person were to do a long steady state run at the same speed, they would be utilising their aerobic capacity system as their predominant energy system. This will allow an individual to be able to work for a long period at a relatively low intensity. Even by utilising anaerobic energy pathway, we often rely on strong aerobic power for a quick recovery and regeneration between actions (15) 

Does Strength Training Burn Calories?

Having already established that strength training can have profound effects on an individual’s health it is important to note how strength training can and does burn calories. It is often associated that aerobic-based activities are the most effective for burning calories and improving cardiovascular fitness. By participating in regular muscle-building activities, the muscles are metabolically active and will therefore burn calories (16). Muscles require a lot of calories to function even at rest and strength training requires substantially more calories. With regular strength training, muscle mass will increase which increases your metabolism and therefore can lead to burning more calories at rest and throughout the day (17). 

Strength Training Examples. 

Strength training sessions will differ depending on your desired goal or outcome. The force-velocity curve in Figure 3 is based on your 1RM and the percentage you are working at. Working at the top of the y-axis shows that the weight is very heavy and maximal strength is the main goal whereas the furthest point along the x-axis has no more than 30% of your 1RM where you are focused on moving it quicker, but the load of course is lighter.

Figure 3. Force Velocity Curve.

A strength session can be a total body focus which encompasses movements accommodating a variety of muscle groups from both upper and lower. Some like to do a split, where they complete an upper-body session one day and a lower-body session the next. Another well-known spilt is something called the ‘push and pull’. An example of a push exercise is where the movement or weight is being pushed away from the body, such as a bench press, push-up, shoulder press or overhead press. As the word ‘pull’ insinuates the body is contracting muscles and pulling a force towards the body. Examples of a pull exercise could be pull-ups, lat pull down, bent-over rows or a deadlift . An example for a beginner is represented in Table 1 and specifically for a female football athlete in Table 2. These are noted as generic examples of how a strength session could look, but individuality must be considered when designing a programme to suit the needs, goals and preferences of the individual. 

Table 1. An example of a total body strength session for a beginner. 

*The individual will need to have a play around with a weight that they know they can get to around 12-15 reps but does not inhibit them reaching the desired amount, or it is not easy enough they can progress over 15 reps. 

Table 2. An example of a total body strength session for a female football athlete in the off-season during the summertime.

As an athlete, coach or practitioner interested in more specific elite athlete training, check out the article on training methods of elite-athletes.

Conclusion 

Strength usually refers to our ability to resist an external force and much literature urges the importance of regular strength training. It has been shown to increase muscle mass, provide stability to ligaments and joints, develop stronger bones, and help reduce the potential of various illnesses and diseases. There are multiple ways to engage in strength training exercises through machines, free weights, resistance bands or bodyweight movements. Strength training is imperative for everyone, not just athletes, and will help enhance overall quality of life with a regular structured routine.

• Zatsiorsky. V.M., Kraemer, W.J., Fry, A.C. (2021) ‘Science and Practice of Strength Training’, Human Kinetics , Third edition, pp.3-60. [ Link ]
• Baechle, T.R., Earle, R.W. (2008) ‘Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning’, Human Kinetics , Third edition. [ Link ]
• Joyce, D., Lewindon, D. (2014) ‘High-Performance Training for Sports’, Human Kinetics. [ Link ]
• Bompa, T., Buzzichelli, C., A. (2015) ‘Periodization Training for Sports’ Third edition. [ Link ]
• Seguin, R., Nelson, M.E. (2003) ‘The Benefits of Strength Training for Older Adults’, American Journal of Preventive Medicine , 25(3), pp.141-149. [ Link ]
• Nelson, E., Fiatrone, M., Morganti, C., Trice, I., Greenberg, R., Evans, W. (1994) ‘Effects of High Intensity Strength Training on Multiple Risk Factors for Osteoporotic Fractures’, JAMA , 272, pp.1909-14. [ Link ] 
• Suchomel, T.J., Nimphius, S., Bellon, C.R., Stone, M.H. (2018) ‘The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations’, Sports Med , 48, pp. 765-785. [ Link ]
• Poiss, C.C., Sullivan, P.A., Paup, D.C., Westerman, B.J. (2004) ‘Perceived Importance of Weight Training to Selected NCAA D3 Men and Women Student Athletes’, Journal of Strength and Conditioning , 18(1), pp.108-114. [ Link ]
• Bennie, J.A., De Cocker, K., Smith, J.J., Wiesner, G.H. (2020) ‘The Epidemiology of Muscle Strengthening Exercise in Europe: A 28-Country Comparison Including 280,605 Adults’, PLoS One , 15. [ Link ]
• Dolezal, B.A., Potteiger, J. (1998) ‘Concurrent Resistance and Endurance Training Influence on BMR in Non-Dieting Individuals’, Journal of Applied Physiology , 85(2), pp.695-700. [ Link ]
• Westcott, W.L. (2012) ‘Resistence Training is Medicine – Effects of Strength Training on Health’, Current Sports Medicine Reports , 11(4), pp.209-216. [ Link ] 
• Strasser, B., Schobersberger, W. (2011) ‘Evidence of Resistance Training as a Treatment Therapy in Obesity’ J. Obesity , 2011. 482564.  [ Link ]
• Campbell, W.W., Crim, M.C., Young, V.R., Evans, W.J. (1994) ‘Increased Energy Requirements and Changes in Body Composition with Resistance Training in Older Adults’, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , 60(2), pp.167-75. [ Link ]
• Mavrovouniotis, A., Potoupnis, M., Sayegh, F., Galanis, N., Argiriadou, E., Mavrovouniotis, F. ‘The Effects of Exercise on the Rehabilitation of Knee Ligament Injuries in Athletes’, European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science , 5(12), 3382261. [ Link ]
• Bogdanis, G.C., et al. (1996). ‘Contribution of Phosphocreatine and Aerobic Metabolism to Energy Supply During Repeated Sprint Exercise’, Journal of Applied Physiology , 80, pp.876-84. [ Link ]
• Brown, L.E. (1956). ‘Strength Training’, Second Edition , Human Kinetics. [ Link ]
• Incledon, L. (2005). ‘Strength Training for Women’, First Edition , Human Kinetics. [ Link ]
• McLester, J.R., Bishop, P., Guilliams, M.E. (2000). ‘Comparison of 1 Day and 3 Days Per Week Equal-Volume Resistance Training in Experienced Subjects’, J Strength Cond Research , 14(3), pp.273-281. [ Link ]
• Colquhoun, R.J., Gai, C.M, Aguilar, D., Bove, D., Dolan, J., Vargas, A., Couvillion, K., Jenkins, N.D.M., Campbell, B.I. (2018). ‘Training Volume, Not Frequency, Indictive of Maximal Strength Adaptations to Resistance Training’, J Strength Cond , 32, pp.1207-1213. [ Link ]
• Chedrese, P.J. and Schott, D. Communication systems in the animal body. University of Saskatchewan. [ Link ]

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Strength training: get stronger, leaner, healthier.

Strength training is an important part of an overall fitness program. Here's what strength training can do for you — and how to get started.

Related article

Want to reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently? Strength training to the rescue! Strength training is a key component of overall health and fitness for everyone.

Use it or lose it

Lean muscle mass naturally diminishes with age.

Your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time. Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass at any age.

Strength training may also help you:

• Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
• Manage your weight. Strength training can help you manage or lose weight, and it can increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories.
• Enhance your quality of life. Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age.
• Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression and diabetes.
• Sharpen your thinking skills. Some research suggests that regular strength training and aerobic exercise may help improve thinking and learning skills for older adults.

Consider the options

Strength training can be done at home or in the gym. Common choices may include:

• Body weight. You can do many exercises with little or no equipment. Try pushups, pullups, planks, lunges and squats.
• Resistance tubing. Resistance tubing is inexpensive, lightweight tubing that provides resistance when stretched. You can choose from many types of resistance tubes in nearly any sporting goods store or online.
• Free weights. Barbells and dumbbells are classic strength training tools. If you don't have weights at home, you can use soup cans. Other options can include using medicine balls or kettle bells.
• Weight machines. Most fitness centers offer various resistance machines. You can invest in weight machines for use at home, too.
• Cable suspension training. Cable suspension training is another option to try. In cable suspension training, you suspend part of your body — such as your legs — while doing body weight training such as pushups or planks.

Getting started

If you have a chronic condition, or if you're older than age 40 and you haven't been active recently, check with your doctor before beginning a strength training or aerobic fitness program.

Before beginning strength training, consider warming up with brisk walking or another aerobic activity for five or 10 minutes. Cold muscles are more prone to injury than are warm muscles.

Choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions. When you can easily do more repetitions of a certain exercise, gradually increase the weight or resistance.

Research shows that a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions with the proper weight can build muscle efficiently in most people and can be as effective as three sets of the same exercise. As long as you take the muscle you are working to fatigue — meaning you can't lift another repetition — you are doing the work necessary to make the muscle stronger. And fatiguing at a higher number of repetitions means you likely are using a lighter weight, which will make it easier for you to control and maintain correct form.

To give your muscles time to recover, rest one full day between exercising each specific muscle group.

Also be careful to listen to your body. If a strength training exercise causes pain, stop the exercise. Consider trying a lower weight or trying it again in a few days.

It's important to use proper technique in strength training to avoid injuries. If you're new to strength training, work with a trainer or other fitness specialist to learn correct form and technique. Remember to breathe as you strength train.

When to expect results

You don't need to spend hours a day lifting weights to benefit from strength training. You can see significant improvement in your strength with just two or three 20- or 30-minute strength training sessions a week.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

• Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. Greater amounts of exercise will provide even greater health benefits. But even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being active for short periods of time throughout the day can add up to provide health benefits.
• Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.

As you incorporate strength training exercises into your fitness routine, you may notice improvement in your strength over time. As your muscle mass increases, you'll likely be able to lift weight more easily and for longer periods of time. If you keep it up, you can continue to increase your strength, even if you're not in shape when you begin.

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• AskMayoExpert. Physical activity (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2020.
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed March 4, 2021.
• American College of Sports Medicine. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: Guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011;43:1334.
• Four types of exercise can improve your health and physical activity. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/four-types-exercise-can-improve-your-health-and-physical-ability. Accessed March 4, 2021.
• Real life benefits of exercise and physical activity. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/real-life-benefits-exercise-and-physical-activity. Accessed March 4, 2021.
• Brown LE, ed. Types of strength and power training. In: Strength Training. 2nd ed. Human Kinetics; 2017.
• Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. March 11, 2021.

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The Online Home for Strength Sports

Different Types of Strength Training (+ How to Get Started)

All roads lead to “strong.”.

What Is Strength?

• Types of Strength
• Progressive Overload

Strength starts with weakness. Everyone who commits to getting stronger does so for a reason — they want to improve their health, improve stability as an older adult, need additional strength for their job … the list goes on. Or, maybe you simply want to be strong for its own sake.

No matter your “why,” your next question is probably “how.” And that’s where things start to get a little bit complicated. Strength training has a lot more to it than you might think. 

There are more than a handful of different types of strength training, even if they all lead to the same place. So, once you know your destination, you need to decide how you’re going to get there. These are the different types of strength training. 

Editor’s Note : The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice . When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.

Strength has more than one meaning. Colloquially, you hear strength and think of capability; having the means, resources, and/or willpower to carry out a task or perform an action of some kind. And that certainly applies to exercise.

But, more specifically, strength in the context of fitness typically denotes the maximal amount of force you can apply in one “bout” of a given activity . This includes, but isn’t limited to, the well-known “ 1-rep-max ” (1RM) test.

Strength, Power, and Endurance

These three qualities encompass most dimensions of athletic performance. Most of what you do in the gym involves one or more of them at any given time; there aren’t many strength-based exercises that don’t contain some level of power or endurance.

Think of, for example, a 10-rep-max set of back squats . Sure, you’re testing how much weight you can lift for a prescribed number of reps. But you also need the durability to hit all 10 reps in the first place. 

[Read More: 7 Barbell Back Exercises That Are NOT the Deadlift ]

While strength refers purely to the expression of force, power considers how quickly you can generate that force. If you’ve ever seen an Olympic lifter perform a snatch or clean , you’ve seen this in action — those exercises challenge the amount of weight you can lift as well as how quickly you can lift that weight in the first place.

Types of Strength Training

When it comes to specific types of strength training, there are two primary categories: resistance training and, well, everything else.

Resistance Training

A vast majority of the time when people say “strength training” they mean resistance training — working with free weights like barbells or dumbbells , using a cable machine , exercise machine, and so on. 

Any exercise you perform that involves applying external weight to your body counts as resistance training. How you program and perform your exercises in service of a specific goal is what determines if you’re strength training. 

The Strength Sports

While recreational resistance training has taken hold as one of the leading forms of exercise, you can certainly make a hobby (or a career) out of it if you choose. There are several formalized strength sports that systematize resistance training. These sporting events are held locally all the way up to the Olympic Games. 

• Powerlifting : Tests 1RM strength in the barbell back squat, bench press , and deadlift .
• Weightlifting : Tests 1RM strength and power in the snatch and clean & jerk . Contested at the Olympic Games.
• Strongman : Tests all-around bodily strength through a variety of exercises such as deadlifts, loaded carries , and overhead press variations.

Other sports exist in the realm of these three sports, but aren’t as tightly focused on muscular strength alone. CrossFit includes plenty of maximal strength and strength-endurance tests , and everything from 3 to 10-rep maxes are commonplace in CrossFit workouts and competitions.

Bodybuilders are not judged on any aspect of athletic performance in competition. They are evaluated solely on aesthetics. However, all bodybuilders develop their physiques through resistance training, and so-called “ powerbuilding ”, which blends in strength-specific training, is quite popular.

Everything Else

Can you train for the purpose of gaining strength without relying on barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells ? Absolutely. Remember, strength is both relative and contextual . If you’re new to physical fitness and can’t yet do your first push-up , working towards it means improving your upper body strength.

[Read More: A One Month Push-Up Training Program for Beginners (3 Days Per Week) ]

Bodyweight training counts as strength training up to a point, as you have to strengthen both your muscles and joints to develop robust stability. However, most people won’t get much long-term use out of calisthenics if their goal is to get stronger . Once you can perform several pull-ups at a time, your only options for progression are:

• Move on to more difficult variations
• Increase the number of repetitions you perform
• Add external resistance of some kind

This idea applies to other forms of exercise such as yoga , martial arts, or even rucking . They have a prerequisite level of strength , but partaking in these modalities won’t build strength primarily .

What Is Progressive Overload?

Merely performing resistance training exercises won’t automatically build strength, in the same way that a pot of water set on your stovetop won’t boil unless you turn on the burner. Bodily strength is an adaptation to a demand — your body won’t adapt unless you “force” it to.

The mechanism that forces you to adapt to a stimulus is called progressive overload . The idea here is simple; if gaining strength makes a difficult task easier over time, it follows that you need to expose yourself to more difficult tasks to continue building strength.

[Read More: The 18 Best Pre-Workouts, RDN-Approved (Personally Tested) ]

When it comes to resistance training, progressive overload typically takes the form of gradually increasing the amount of weight you lift, or the reps you perform per set, or the number of sets you perform per workout. For example, say you perform the barbell deadlift once per week:

• Week 1: 5 x 5 with 135 pounds.
• Week 2 : 5 x 5 with 140 pounds.
• Week 3 : 5 x 5 with 145 pounds.
• Week 4 : 5 x 5 with 150 pounds.

This type of slow, incremental progression is the bedrock of progressive overload. Now, make no mistake, you can’t add another five pounds to your barbell indefinitely until the cows come home. 

There are diminishing returns and other factors at play that influence the art (and science) of periodization — the general organization of your training to facilitate sustainable progress and avoid plateaus. 

[Read More: The 7 Best Adjustable Dumbbells for More Effective Home Workouts ]

Scientific research tells us that strength programs which adhere to some form of planned structure like this are far more successful at creating strength gains than if you just went to the gym and winged it every time. ( 1 )

Benefits of Strength Training 

Strength training is good for a whole lot more than “just” getting you strong. And the best part is, you don’t need to be a world-class powerlifter to reap these benefits. 

Supports Stable Joints

Your muscles attach to, configure, and articulate your joints. Think of them as a lever-and-pulley system. Increasing your strength via resistance training reinforces these structures, making strength training a fantastic way to increase your joint integrity. 

[Read More: The Snatch-Grip Deadlift Is an Underrated Strength-Building Exercise ]

Research shows that strength training, particularly unilateral (or single-limbed) exercises , is a fantastic form of precautionary care for things like osteoarthritis or mitigating fall risks. ( 2 )

Real-World Carryover

Make no mistake, strength is specific to a degree. Just because you can move one thousand pounds on the leg press doesn’t necessarily mean you can squat double your own body weight with perfect form.

However, the general bodily strength you develop through exercise will certainly carry over into your everyday life. If you’re comfortable doing deadlifts with one or two hundred pounds, picking up a full basket of laundry off the floor should be a breeze. 

Improves Mental Health

You’ve probably heard avid weight lifters describe the gym as their own form of therapy. Don’t get it twisted; therapy is therapy, but hitting the iron can certainly be therapeutic. Research has continuously demonstrated that exercise helps manage symptoms of depression , control anxiety, and much more. ( 3 ) Strength training is good for more than just molding your muscles. 

Helps You Build Muscle

As it turns out, strength and size go hand-in-hand — literally. With all other factors kept equal, a larger muscle with more cross-sectional area has better leverage and, thus, can produce more force.

[Read More: The 15 Best Home Gym Machines ]

This creates a synergistic effect between muscle size and strength. ( 4 ) And it flows both ways. If you dedicate some time to strengthening your body, you can work with heavier weights over time, which create more mechanical tension, which facilitates greater muscle growth long-term. ( 5 )

Makes Exercise Fun

There’s something to be said for exercising for its own sake. The best way to make a new habit stick is to find a way to make it fun. If you are bored to tears on the treadmill or elliptical , you might consider giving strength training a try instead.

[Read More: The Best Online Workout Programs For Coaching, Cardio, Value, and More ]

One of the most addicting parts of weight lifting (for some) is the feeling of consistent, incremental progress. By following a pre-written workout program that incorporates progressive overload, you can turn your fitness regimen into a “game”. For the mathematically-minded who enjoy following a spreadsheet, powerlifting in particular can be a lot of fun to dive into. 

Your Takeaways

Strength training is exactly what it sounds like; training to develop more bodily strength. As with anything in the world of health & fitness, though, there’s more going on under the hood.

• Strength training almost always refers to resistance training , or working with weights in some form.
• Other types of physical activity such as traditional sports or bodyweight exercise have a baseline requirement of strength , or develop strength as a byproduct, but aren’t exclusively focused on it.
• There are several formalized strength-based sports, which include powerlifting, weightlifting, strongman , as well as strength-adjacent sports like bodybuilding and CrossFit .
• The best way to gain strength is to follow a pre-written plan that incorporates progressive overload through periodization.
• Strength training confers a number of additional benefits to your physical and mental health .

More Training Content

• How Many Sets Per Muscle Group, Per Week, Should You Do?
• How To Lose Belly Fat — A Strength Athlete’s Guide
• Massage Gun Vs. Foam Roller — Which Is Better for Strength Athletes?
• Williams, T. D., Tolusso, D. V., Fedewa, M. V., & Esco, M. R. (2017). Comparison of Periodized and Non-Periodized Resistance Training on Maximal Strength: A Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 47(10), 2083–2100. 
• Behm DG, Colado JC, Colado JC. Instability resistance training across the exercise continuum. Sports Health. 2013 Nov;5(6):500-3. doi: 10.1177/1941738113477815. Erratum in: Sports Health. 2015 Mar/Apr;7(2):184. Colado Sanchez, Juan Carlos [corrected to Colado, Juan C]. PMID: 24427423; PMCID: PMC3806173.
• OConnor, Patrick & Herring, Matthew & Adrian, Amanda. (2010). Mental Health Benefits of Strength Training in Adults. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 4. 377-396. 10.1177/1559827610368771. 
• Akagi, R., Kanehisa, H., Kawakami, Y., & Fukunaga, T. (2008). Establishing a new index of muscle cross-sectional area and its relationship with isometric muscle strength. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 22(1), 82–87. 
• Schoenfeld B. J. (2010). The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(10), 2857–2872.

Featured Image: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock

About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

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BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

• Exercise & Fitness

How to Start Strength Training if You’ve Never Done It Before

T he weight room at the gym can be an intimidating place. The equipment looks like it could crush you if you use it wrong. People grunt as they haul heavy things up and down. And why don’t these machines come with instruction manuals, anyway?

Figuring out how to start strength training as a beginner can be tough, but it’s worth the effort. Modern exercise science shows that strength training offers a host of benefits, like stronger bones , decreased inflammation , lower risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease , plus better sleep , mental health , and cognitive function . And, of course, stronger muscles. “We start to lose muscle tissue as early as our 30s if we don't [work to] maintain it,” says exercise physiologist Alyssa Olenick. That’s why current federal guidelines recommend that adults work all of their major muscle groups with strengthening activities two days a week, in addition to doing cardio.

Fortunately, getting started is simpler than you might think. “You definitely do not need a personal trainer to start strength training,” says Kristie Larson, a New York–based personal trainer who specializes in working with beginners. Many of the basic moves you probably learned in grade-school gym class can be the foundation of an effective routine. 

The best exercises to start with

So, what exactly counts as strength training? “Any sort of exercise modality that is putting your tissues under load with the intention of increasing strength or muscle tissue over time,” Olenick says. That can include bodyweight-only exercises like planks, or working with resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, or resistance machines.

A smart place to start is with exercises that simulate the activities you do in everyday life. “Things like squatting to a bench, which mimics sitting in a chair, or a lunge where we're getting up from the ground using one leg,” Larson says. “It's easy to feel how that is going to benefit your life.” 

To hit all the major muscle groups, you’ll want to check off each of the four foundational movement patterns: pushing (like with push-ups or bench presses), pulling (like with rows or biceps curls), squatting (like with lunges, leg presses, or squats), and hinging (like with deadlifts, where you lift a weight from the floor to hip level). “[Make] sure you have one of those on each day so you’re getting a little bit of everything,” Olenick says.

Read More : Why Walking Isn't Enough When It Comes to Exercise

Also add in some targeted core work . Larson likes to give beginners moves like planks, bear holds (planks with bent knees hovering just off the ground), weighted marches (marching in place while holding weights), and heavy carries (where you just pick up a heavy weight and walk with it).

Feel free to skip the barbells if they feel too intimidating. Instead, you can start with dumbbells, resistance bands, or just your body weight. “Just get comfortable being in the gym, doing these new movement patterns,” Olenick says.

If you’re not sure how to put together a well-rounded program, you can find structured beginner workout plans online. (Larson, for instance, offers free simple guides to get started.) Just avoid any plans that offer unrealistic promises. “It should be scalable and modifiable—something where you can actually make it personalized to yourself,” Larson says. Each exercise should come with a suggested range of reps (the number of repetitions to do before taking a break), sets (how many rounds of those reps), and information about how long to rest between sets. 

Don’t be surprised if you start to feel stronger pretty quickly. “The first six to eight weeks of resistance training, you're getting a lot of neuromuscular adaptations,” Olenick says. “Your nervous system is getting better at recruiting and contracting your muscle fibers. They call them newbie gains.”

How to pick the right weight

Newcomers sometimes get stumped by which weights to choose off the rack. “For a beginner, you want to feel like you can do between 10 to 15 repetitions without a break,” Larson says. “If you get to the end of your 10 reps and you feel like you could do 10 more, the weight's too light. If you're fighting to do that last rep or two and you're a true beginner, that weight is a bit too heavy.” (Although you might see videos about “training to failure” on social media—meaning lifting weights until you hit your absolute limit—Larson says that’s an advanced method beginners shouldn’t worry about.)

Read More : Why Your Diet Needs More Fermented Pickles

Olenick likes to choose weights based on your rate of perceived exertion: On a scale of one to 10, where one feels super easy and 10 feels like the heaviest you can lift, she suggests aiming for about a six or seven. Over time, as you get stronger and more comfortable with the motions, you can start to reach for heavier weights. 

How much strength training to do

Although the two-day-a-week federal guidelines don’t specify how long you should spend on your strength workouts, Larson recommends putting in 30 to 60 minutes per session. For each move, she says a good range to shoot for is two to three sets of 10 to 20 reps. “I would say 10 to 15 for weighted, externally-loaded exercises, and 15 to 20 if we're talking about bodyweight [exercises],” she says. Then, between each set, take enough of a rest to let your muscles recover so you can give another quality effort.

Read More : 8 Ways to Stay Hydrated If You Hate Drinking Water

No matter how excited you are to begin, remember to keep your workouts doable. “Start with less than you think, then build from there,” Olenick says. “Make it maintainable for life.” 

How to start strength training without getting injured

In nearly every strength-training exercise you do, you’ll want to focus on maintaining a neutral spine—a tall, open-chested posture with your rib cage stacked over the pelvis. But Olenick points out that form exists on a spectrum, rather than simply being good or bad. “Most things you do in the beginning will not be with perfect form,” she says, adding that that’s okay. “You’re not automatically going to get injured just because you’re doing it imperfectly.” 

The truth is, most beginners aren’t actually the novices they might think they are. “A lot of people have fear around strength training. But we lift heavy things in our everyday lives all the time: We're carrying heavy grocery bags. We're bringing in the dog food. We're opening heavy doors against the wind,” Larson says. “Most people underestimate what they can lift.” 

No matter how you start or what your technique looks like, you’ll still be building muscle. As long as you keep things manageable, “you can't mess it up in the beginning,” Olenick says. “Everything you do is beneficial.” 

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How to Use Power Training to Build Muscle and Confidence, One Move at a Time

This training style isn’t just for athletes: find out how it can benefit you.

By Pam Moore • April 3, 2024

What Is Power Training? Arrow

Strength Training vs. Power Training: The Main Differences Arrow

The Benefits of Power Training Arrow

Power Training Moves to Try Arrow

How To Incorporate Power Exercises Into Your Workouts Arrow

The Takeaway Arrow

If you’re ready to uplevel your fitness but you don’t have additional hours to spend working out,  power training might be just what you need. Unlike your typical ride, run, or strength workout, “the primary focus lies in refining speed, agility, and overall athletic performance,” says Peloton instructor Assal Arian —which means doing some big movements (think heavy lifts and explosive jumping) for short periods of time. Learn more about how power training can benefit you, and exactly what you can do to get started.

What Is Power Training?

If you’re wondering exactly what power training is—and how it differs from other types of training, we’ve got you covered. In short, “Power training is a specialized fitness approach designed to enhance the rapid generation of force through explosive and dynamic movements,” Peloton instructor Assal Arian tells The Output . 

Is Power Training The Same As Strength Training?

While power training and strength training certainly have some overlap, they’re not exactly the same. General strength training can help you meet a variety of objectives, including injury prevention , bone density optimization, body composition goals, to boost performance in another sport, or to add variety to your workout routine. While power training can help you meet all the goals mentioned above, by emphasizing quick, explosive movements, it’s designed to enhance your neuromuscular coordination and to improve your force production, says Assal. 

And while power training can involve lifting weights (think compound movements using heavy weights), it can also include some spicy cardio moves. 

Strength Training vs. Power Training: The Main Differences

To understand the primary difference between strength training and power training, let’s start with the basics—working definitions of terms “strength” and “power.” (If you hated physics class in high school, bear with us.)

Strength refers to your body’s ability to resist force, which is measured in Newtons. The formula for force is as follows: Force equals mass (m), which is measured in kilograms, multiplied by acceleration (a), which is measured in meters per second squared (m/s2). 

Power , measured in Watts (w), is the rate at which you can produce energy, or how quickly you can generate strength, and it’s calculated via the following formula: Power = force multiplied by velocity. If you’ve ever noticed your wattage increase during a Peloton ride, that’s because you increased your resistance (force), your cadence (velocity), or both. 

Ever wondered why you felt comfortable running ten miles at a conversational pace—but the bootcamp class that had you doing 30-second sprints left you feeling completely spent? The issue was that you might have had plenty of strength and endurance, but not enough power. 

Is power training superior to strength training? The complicated truth is, it depends. There are many factors to consider, including your athletic goals, training history, current fitness level, and your injury history. Even if power training looks like the right option for you on paper, you also have to consider how much you enjoy it—because the best workouts are the ones you consistently complete.

The Benefits of Power Training

Power training is an excellent, time-efficient way to improve your athletic performance, enhance your overall fitness, and more.

Improved Endurance Sports Performance

Endurance athletes including cyclists, runners, and triathletes might be surprised by the impact of power training on their performance. The extra strength and efficiency you build from heavy lifting and other explosive exercises translates into greater power output during intense efforts in your sport, whether that’s charging up a hill, going with an attack, or outsprinting a competitor in the home stretch. 

One study in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance compared competitive cyclists who performed endurance training only versus those who did as well as a heavy lifting program. Over just 20 weeks, those who did heavy lifting (a form of power training) showed marked improvements in their explosive strength and VO2 max on the bike. 

Improved Agility

Power training, including heavy lifting, sprint training , and plyometric exercises , is a great way to work on your agility and coordination, which are essential for sports like tennis, soccer, and pickleball, just to name a few. 

A Journal of Medical Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences study tested a group of badminton players’ agility before and after engaging in a plyometric training program. After just five weeks, subjects showed significant improvements in measures of agility, including a plank test and a vertical jump test. The researchers concluded that “plyometric training not only improves the agility or anaerobic power but also strengthens the core, which is the power-generator of the body.”

Improved Connective Tissue Quality

When you think about health, fitness, and the long-term sustainability of your exercise program, you might not be thinking about your connective tissues—but you should be. Because if your tendons and ligaments can’t do their job of supporting and protecting your muscles, your muscles can’t do theirs, either. 

Power training is one way to optimize the integrity of your connective tissue, which reduces your risk of injury. A 2022 Sports Medicine meta-analysis reviewed more than 30 studies found that plyometrics were an effective means of improving lower body tendon stiffness.

Power Training Moves to Try 

Hirurg / E+ via Getty Images

Many power training exercises don’t require a gym or even equipment. After a solid warm-up, try including some of the following moves in your next workout. 

1. Box Jump 

Box jumps build explosive power that translates to endurance sports, including cycling, running, or rowing. 

Start by planting your feet on the floor about shoulder-width apart, facing your box. Start with a height of 12 to 24 inches, depending on your height, fitness level, and athletic background.

Hinge forward from your hips, and in one explosive movement, jump up and forward with your knees slightly bent. 

Land on the box with both feet simultaneously, about hip-width apart, with your knees and ankles flexed and a slight bend at your hips. 

Stand up straight, then step off the box.

2. Broad Jump 

A simple bodyweight move you can do just about anywhere, broad jumps engage your upper body, legs, and core to help you develop explosive power.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees bent, and your arms extended behind your trunk. 

Shift your weight to your heels and get into a partial squat. 

Transfer your weight to the balls of your feet and jump up and forward, reaching your arms forward and overhead. 

Land in a squat position while bringing your arms back down to your sides. 

If you’re looking for an equipment-free, full-body cardio exercise to get your heart rate up in a hurry while boosting your dynamic power output, the burpee is your move.

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. 

Squat and rest your palms on the floor.

With your weight resting on your hands, kick your legs back in one explosive motion.

Plant the balls of your feet on the floor so that you’re in a high plank position.

Bending your elbows, lower your torso down to the floor.

Extending your elbows as if you were doing a pushup, rise back to a high plank position.

From a high plank, jump your feet forward so that your toes are just behind your hands.

Stand up. 

Jump straight up with your feet about hip-width apart while raising your arms overhead. 

4. Explosive Sprint 

Short, very fast sprints, whether on the bike, running, rowing, or doing any other type of aerobic activity, activate your fast-twitch muscle fibers to help you generate quick bursts of speed more efficiently. 

Gently warm up at an easy pace for at least five to ten minutes. 

Sprint for 30 seconds at nine out of 10 rate of perceived exertion (RPE). 

Continue at an easy pace for 90 seconds. 

Repeat 4 to 12 times, depending on your fitness level. 

Cool down at an easy pace for at least five minutes.

5. Squat Jump  

This high-intensity move requires no equipment but gets your heart rate up quickly and engages your core and lower body to develop the dynamic strength and power you need to elevate your performance in just about any sport. 

Stand with your feet planted about hip-width apart. 

Hinge at your hips and bend your knees while keeping your core engaged and your chest upright to get into a squat. 

In one explosive movement, jump straight up, extending your knees and hips. 

Land on the balls of both feet simultaneously with a soft bend in your knees. 

6. Weightlifting for Power 

When you lift weights for power, you’re forcing your body to recruit more muscle fibers than you would if you were lifting for muscular endurance (lower weights and a rep range of 12 to 20) or hypertrophy (moderate weights and sets of 8 to 15). And that recruitment means more of your muscle fibers are trained to engage at the same time, making it easier to put in a surge when it’s time to attack your next hill or sprint on the bike. 

If you choose this type of workout, make sure you’re ready to do it safely by first spending weeks (if not months) lifting lighter weights in higher rep ranges with excellent form.

Choose a compound lift such as a squat, deadlift, chest press, or overhead press. 

After a few warm-up sets, select a weight that you could safely lift three to six times. You should feel as if you could do no more than two more reps with good form. 

Lift that weight three to six times. This is one set. 

Perform two to six sets, depending on your fitness level and training goals.

Rest for two to four minutes between sets.

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How To Incorporate Power Exercises Into Your Workouts

If you’re including power training in your workouts, following a few general guidelines will help you minimize your risk of injury and get the most out of your workouts. 

Start with a Warmup

These moves are quick but they demand a lot from your body, which means you need to warm up with at least five to ten minutes of gentle aerobic activity in order to do them safely. A gentle warmup that increases your body temperature, boosts your circulation, and activates your muscles is a non-negotiable. 

Don’t Skimp on Rest Intervals

Unlike an endurance workout , where your goal is to maintain a relatively steady pace throughout, the goal of a power workout is to generate as much force as quickly as you can for a very short period of time—and in order to do that, you need adequate rest between intervals. Rather than rushing to get in an extra set, prioritize quality over quantity and make sure you’re fully recovered in between sets.

Don’t Do Power Training Every Day

These workouts might not leave you feeling beat up at the end of a session, but they aren’t designed to be done on consecutive days. Otherwise, you risk injury, burnout, and performance declines. Make sure to put at least 48 hours between power sessions. 

Consider Dedicating One Workout to Power Training Each Week

While there’s nothing wrong with adding a few power training exercises to your workout, dedicating an entire workout to power training can be a fun and effective way to elevate your fitness. “This targeted focus challenges the body's ability to generate force rapidly, promoting optimal development of both power and strength,” says Assal.

Peloton Workouts to Try 

Many Peloton stregnth and HIIT cardio classes incorporate elements of power training into their programming. Looking to get started? These are just a few classes you'll find on the Peloton App .

Explore Peloton Strength Workouts

60 min Total Strength

Andy Speer · Strength

20 min Full Body Strength

Assal Arian · Strength

20 min HIIT Cardio

Selena Samuela · Cardio

The Takeaway

No matter what your fitness goals are or what stage you’re in on your fitness journey, power training can help you keep your workouts fresh and reach your finish line faster. As Assal shares, “Power training is great for individuals seeking to augment their athletic prowess, agility, and overall power output. It's also beneficial if you want to enhance functional strength and speed.”

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The 12 Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners

This article reviews 12 of the best strength training exercises for beginners. They cover all major muscle groups of your body and give you the best possible foundation for strength, lean muscle mass, and performance gains.

Key Points:

• The best strength training exercises for beginners engage several muscle groups, offer a clear progression path, promote balance and stability, and offer enjoyment and build confidence.
• Your body moves through the four fundamental movement patterns: pushing, pulling, hinging, and squatting.
• Including at least one exercise from each movement pattern category in your workouts makes for a comprehensive training program for your entire body.

Click here to jump directly to the exercises!

Table of Contents

What Makes a Good Strength Training Exercise?

The best strength training exercises for beginners have things in common. Six of the most essential ones are:

• Beginner exercises should have straightforward techniques that are easy to learn, minimizing the risk of injury and building confidence. They should be stable so that your muscle power is the limiting factor, not your balance. For example, deadlifts are great: lift something off the ground, then put it back down. But standing on a balance board on one leg while doing complex movements in several planes of motion is off the table.
• Exercises that engage multiple muscle groups are beneficial for beginners to promote balanced muscle development and improve functional strength. These types of movements are called compound exercises .
• Exercises that are  easily scalable  allow beginners to progress at their own pace. You can increase the weight or complexity of the movement as you become stronger and more confident. The key to your training results is progressive overload – doing more repetitions of each exercise or adding more weight when possible.
• A beginner must find the exercises enjoyable or at least satisfying. If you hate something you do, the likelihood of consistency and long-term commitment to a strength training routine drops like an anchor at sea.
• Exercises that promote balance and stability are essential for building a solid foundation. Include exercises that engage your core and improve coordination by using one side of the body at a time.
• As a beginner, you should be able to see a clear path for progression in your exercises, whether it’s adding weight, increasing repetitions, or advancing to more complex variations.

The Four Fundamental Movement Patterns

Your body is built to move through four specific movement patterns , no matter what you do or where you are. That includes lifting weights.

A training program with at least one exercise from each movement pattern covers all major muscle groups.

Doing them is also functional, meaning they transfer to everyday life and sports, as they give you balanced development of strength, muscle mass, and performance while reducing the risk of injury.

The four fundamental movement patterns in strength training refer to pushing , pulling , hinging , and squatting exercises.

Movements where you push something away from your body . Either vertical, like a shoulder press , or horizontal, like a bench press or push-up .

Push exercises primarily target your chest , shoulders , and triceps .

Pulling movements involve pulling something towards your body .

Like push movements, pull exercises can be vertical, like lat pull-downs , or horizontal, like rows .

Pull exercises mainly work your lats , traps , and biceps .

Movements where you bend at the hips with minimal bending at the knees, usually while keeping your back straight. Deadlifts are a prime example of a hinge movement.

Hinge exercises focus on the posterior chain at the backside of your body, including the lower back , glutes , and hamstrings .

Lastly, the squat is a fundamental lower body movement pattern where you bend at the hips and knees , lower your body towards the ground, and then extend back up. Examples include the back squat , front squat , and goblet squat .

• Squat  exercises work your  quads ,  glutes , and  adductors .
• If you train with barbells and pick one exercise from each movement pattern, you could choose the bench press , barbell row , deadlift , and squat .
• If you train with dumbbells, you could do dumbbell shoulder presses , dumbbell rows , dumbbell deadlifts , and goblet squats .
• If you train with machines, you might opt for the chest press , machine row , back extension , and leg press .

You can also freely mix and match equipment. For example, you could do push-ups, barbell rows, kettlebell swings, and barbell squats.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners

Now, let’s dive further into the best strength training exercises for beginners in each fundamental movement pattern category.

They are just examples of exercises you could do, but when put together in a workout routine, train all your major muscle groups thoroughly. However, they are some of the tippy top options, and you can never go wrong with one of them in your strength training workout.

For a comprehensive list of strength training exercises, with detailed descriptions and videos explaining how to perform then safely and effectively, check out our exercise directory:

>> Exercise Directory: List of Strength Training Exercises

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners: Push Exercises

Push exercises involve moving weight away from your body .

They primarily target your chest , shoulders , and triceps .

The pushing itself can be performed in various planes of motion, mostly vertically overhead or horizontally away from the chest.

The push-up is the bread and butter of upper body bodyweight exercises, a timeless classic that’s as beneficial for fitness newbies as for advanced athletes.

Push-ups are fantastic for building upper body strength and muscle, mainly targeting your chest, shoulders, and triceps but also engaging your core.

So, is it great for strength training beginners? You bet your last protein shake it is!

• Research shows that push-ups are just as good as the regular bench press for muscular strength and muscle mass in beginners. 1
• No gym? No problem. Push-ups don’t care if you’re at home, in a hotel room, or at the park. You don’t need any equipment except for your body weight and gravity.
• You can easily adjust the difficulty level. Starting out, you might be kissing the ground more than pushing away from it, but there are modifications to help you progress.

A push-up variant for every fitness level makes them ideal for beginners and beyond. From wall push-ups for the absolute beginner to the one-armed version for the push-up elite, it grows with you.

Here is a tier list of push-ups, going from least challenging to most:

• Wall Push-Ups : Start facing a wall, arms outstretched. Push away from the wall—the easiest variant of the push-up.
• Kneeling Incline Push-Up : The knee push-up is less challenging than the regular push-up, and doing them against an incline lightens the load even further.
• Incline Push-Ups : Find a sturdy surface like a bench or a step. The higher the surface, the easier the push-up. It’s push-ups with training wheels.
• Kneeling Push-Up : Drop to your knees and perform a push-up. It reduces the weight your arms have to lift, making it a perfect starting point.
• Regular Push-Up : You made it! From here, you can explore further variations like wide-grip, diamond, or even clap push-ups to keep challenging yourself.

As you get stronger, you can do more reps, more sets, or move on to more challenging variations. You can also use resistance bands to increase the load.

All this makes the push-up one of the best strength training exercises for beginners and essential for any bodyweight workout.

How to Perform Push-Ups

• Begin by lying face down on the floor. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with fingers pointing forward. For regular push-ups, extend your legs back, balancing on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees on the ground for kneeling push-ups instead of extending your legs.
• Ensure your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels (regular) or knees (kneeling). Engage your core muscles to prevent your hips from sagging or sticking up in the air.
• Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows to lower your body towards the floor. Aim to lower until your chest or chin nearly touches the floor. Your body should remain straight throughout the movement, with your lower back in a natural curve. Avoid any sagging or arching.
• Exhale as you push through your hands to straighten your elbows, lifting your body back to the starting position. Maintain that straight body line as you push up.
• Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Bench Press

The bench press is a classic for building upper body strength, and likely the most popular strength training exercise of all. It’s adaptable for all fitness levels, and you can vary it to keep your workouts fresh and challenging. It’s a staple in all forms of strength training and a key exercise in powerlifting.

It primarily works the pectoralis major (your chest), triceps brachii (the back of your arms), and anterior deltoids (the front of your shoulders).

The bench press is a compound movement, which means it requires multiple joints and muscles to work together. That makes it fantastic for building overall strength as well as for hypertrophy (the fancy word for muscle growth), especially in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

You can do the dumbell chest presses with a pair of dumbbells. Both the dumbbell chest press and the standard barbell bench press are superb pushing exercises. You can also target your upper or lower chest more using an incline or decline bench, but the best way to get started is with the flat bench press.

How to Bench Press

• Lie on the bench, pull your shoulder blades together and down, and slightly arch your back.
• Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Inhale, hold your breath, and unrack the bar.
• Lower the bar with control, until it touches your chest somewhere close to your sternum.
• Push the bar up to the starting position while exhaling.
• Take another breath while in the top position, and repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

How to Perform Dumbbell Chest Presses

• Sit on the bench and ensure your feet are flat on the floor for stability.
• Lie back on the bench with your feet firmly on the floor and your back pressed against the backrest. Hold a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip and lift them to the start position.
• Take a breath, brace your core, and press the dumbbells upwards until your arms are extended, your palms facing forward. Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together throughout the movement.
• Inhale and lower the dumbbells with control back to your shoulders.

Overhead Press

Like the bench press, the overhead press is a pressing exercise that belongs to the fundamental push movement pattern. The main difference is that you perform the overhead press seated or standing while pushing the weight toward the ceiling, making it a more shoulder-focused exercise.

The simplicity of the overhead press makes it perfect for beginners to learn good form and technique. You just press the weight up and bring it down – nothing fancy about it.

If you only do one shoulder exercise, including the overhead press in your strength workouts is a great idea.

It strengthens your shoulders, upper chest, and triceps. If you do it standing up, you also involve your core for balance and stability. You could call the overhead press the cornerstone of your upper body strength, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

How to Perform Overhead Barbell Presses

• Place a barbell in a rack at about chest height.
• Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and step close to it.
• Tighten your abs, unrack the bar and let it rest against your front delts while you step back from the rack. This is your starting position.
• Push the barbell up, extending your arms fully, while exhaling.
• Bring the weights back down to your shoulders, slow and controlled, while inhaling.
• Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

How to Perform Dumbbell Presses

• Grab a pair of dumbbells, and lift them up to the starting position at your shoulders.
• Inhale and lightly brace your core.
• Press the dumbbells up to straight arms, while exhaling.
• Inhale at the top, or while lowering the dumbbells with control back to your shoulders.
• Repeat for reps.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners: Pull Exercises

Pull exercises involve moving a weight toward your body or moving your body toward a fixed object.

They primarily target your  lats ,  traps , and  biceps .

Like push exercises, you can do pull exercises in several planes of motion, like vertically down or horizontally towards your torso.

Lat Pulldown

It’s one of the best strength training exercises for beginners because it’s accessible, easily adjustable, and allows you to feel your back muscles working, something that isn’t always a guarantee when it comes to training back.

Keep these three pointers in mind to make the movement more effective:

• Start with a lighter weight. Your muscles will thank you as focusing on the correct muscles working is easier.
• Don’t use momentum to swing the bar down. Keep your core engaged and your body still, and resist the weight on the way up.
• Keep your chest up and back straight to activate your lats fully.

A medium-width grip with your palms facing forward is a good way to start. Once you’re comfortable, try different grip widths and handles to challenge your muscles in new ways.

How to Perform Lat Pulldowns

• Sit on the lat pulldown machine and adjust the thigh pad to fit snugly against your thighs.
• Reach up and grasp the wide bar attachment with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), slightly wider than shoulder-width. Ensure your grip is secure and comfortable.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor and sit with your back straight and chest up.
• Take a deep breath and engage your core strength to maintain a stable torso throughout the exercise.
• Begin the movement by pulling the bar down towards your upper chest while keeping your elbows pointed to the sides. Imagine bringing your shoulder blades together as you pull down.
• Continue pulling until the bar is below your chin or touches your upper chest. Resist the urge to lean back and turn it into a full-body heave-ho.
• Squeeze your lats in the contracted position, slowly release the tension, and allow the bar to rise until your arms are fully extended. Maintain control and proper form throughout the entire range of motion.

Cable Seated Row

The cable row is a great back exercise for beginners. You can focus on form and technique without the balance and coordination required by free weights.

At the same time, it encourages proper posture, teaches you the art of pulling (a fundamental movement in life and in the gym), and serves as jumping-off point for more complex exercises.

Seated rows mainly works your back: the latissimus dorsi (the broadest muscle of the back), rhomboids, and trapezius. But it also hits your biceps, forearms, and your lower back muscles.

In short, the cable row is safe, effective, and with enough versatility to keep your workouts fresh and challenging, making it one of the best strength training exercises for beginners and one to keep in mind for your back workout routine.

How to Perform the Seated Cable Row

• Sit on the seated row bench, facing the cable machine. Your feet should be flat on the footrest, knees slightly bent, and your torso upright with your chest out, shoulders back, and core engaged.
• Grab the handle with a neutral grip (palms facing together) and ensure your arms are fully extended and your back straight in the starting position.
• Pull the handle towards your abdomen by retracting your shoulder blades (squeezing them together). Focus on driving your elbows backward and keeping them close to your body.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and contract your lats before extending your arms and leaning forward again. Maintain a controlled motion throughout the movement and avoid using excessive momentum.
• Stretch your lats out without letting your shoulders slump forward, then repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Barbell Row

With the barbell row , you get one of the best compound exercises for your upper body, involving many major muscle groups and a great way to build back strength, width, and thickness.

It works your entire back, including your lats, traps, rhomboids, and spinal erectors. In addition, it hits your biceps and rear deltoids.

Many beginners focus on their “mirror muscles,” the muscles they can see in the mirror, like the chest, biceps, and shoulders. Balancing pushing exercises with movements like the barbell row allows for complete strength and muscular development.

• Using a barbell allows you to use heavy weights, but don’t sacrifice correct form for load.
• Push those hips back as if you’re trying to close a car door with your butt because your hands are full of groceries. Keep that back straight!
• Imagine pulling with your elbows, not your hands. Doing so makes it easier to focus on your back instead of on your arms.

Overall, the barbell row is a superb functional exercise that allows for remarkable strength gains and muscular development for beginners and advanced lifters alike.

Alternatively, you can do  dumbbell rows , supporting one side of your body against a bench and rowing with the other. Using one arm at a time can make focusing on your back muscles easier. You can’t go wrong with either option.

How to Perform Barbell Rows

• Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Stand with your feet slightly wider than feet hip-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward at your hips, maintaining a straight line from your head to your hips.
• Brace your core and keep your back straight. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest or upper abdomen, keeping your elbows close to your body. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
• Lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
• Breathe out as you lift, in as you lower, like blowing out candles on a birthday cake, then inhaling the sweet smell of victory.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners: Hip Hinge Exercises

Hinge exercises focus on bending and extending your hips , engaging your posterior chain muscles, which include the lower back , glutes , and hamstrings .

Hip hinge movements are crucial for developing power, strength, and stability in your lower body and back.

Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is an excellent hip hinge exercise suitable for both beginners and experienced trainees.

How to Perform Kettlebell Swings

• Place a kettlebell on the ground, about one or two feet in front of you.
• Take a wide stance, lean forward and grip the kettlebell.
• Brace your core slightly, and swing the kettlebell back between your legs, while inhaling.
• Swing the kettlebell forward by extending your hip, while exhaling.
• Try to swing the kettlebell to about chest height.
• Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions and put the kettlebell back on the ground when you’re finished.

No other exercise strengthens your entire body from head to toe as the deadlift does.

Deadlifts primarily work the muscles in your posterior chain (the muscles on the back of your body): your hamstrings, glutes, and entire back, from your lower back up to your traps. In addition, it’s also an effective exercise for your quadriceps, the muscles at the front of your thigh, helping you extend your knees as you stand up.

The deadlift is one of the greatest strength training exercises for beginners and offers many benefits.

• It develops the kind of strength that is useful in real-life situations, like lifting heavy objects or moving a couch safely.
• Deadlifting engages so many muscles that it turns your metabolic rate to 11 and transforms your body into a calorie-burning furnace.
• Last but not least, deadlifts make you better at almost anything athletic. Whether you’re into soccer, basketball, or competitive pillow fighting, deadlifts improve your explosive power, speed, and muscular endurance.

As a beginner, you want to start with light weights to focus on form and gradually increase as you become more comfortable and stronger.

To focus more on your hamstrings and less on your quads, the Romanian Deadlift is a superb variation of the traditional deadlift.

How to Deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward. The barbell should be over the middle of your feet, close to your shins.
• Bend at the hips and knees to reach the bar. Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. You can use an overhand grip (both palms facing you) or a mixed grip (one palm facing you and the other facing away).
• Keep your back straight and chest up. Engage your core and ensure your shoulders are slightly in front of the bar. Your hips should be higher than your knees but lower than your shoulders.
• Pull the bar close to your body, with a straight back, until you are standing straight. Keep the bar close to your body, and your arms straight throughout the lift. The bar should travel in a straight line vertically.
• Reverse the motion by hinging at the hips and bending the knees. Lower the bar to the starting position in a controlled manner, maintaining a straight back.
• Reset your position if necessary.

Good Morning

The next exercise in the hip hinge category is the good morning , a classic posterior chain exercise you can do with a barbell or nothing but your own body weight.

The good morning sounds like a polite way to greet the day, but in reality, it’s a fantastic way to kickstart your muscles into action. It’s a tremendous exercise for your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

Good mornings work wonders for hamstring flexibility and hip mobility, and many lifters use it as an assistance exercise for compound movements like the squat and the deadlift. It’s also excellent for teaching proper hip hinge mechanics, setting the stage for heavier weights in more complex moves.

How to Perform Good Mornings

• Place the bar on your upper back. Inhale and brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
• Take two steps back, and place your feet slightly wider than hip-width.
• Inhale and hold your breath, and lean forward by hinging your hips. Imagine that you are trying to push your butt back as far as possible.
• Lean forward as far as you can with a straight back, and without the bar rolling forward.
• Your knees will bend slightly, but most of the movement takes place in the hips.
• With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips again while exhaling.
• At the top, inhale and repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners: Squat Exercises

Squat exercises involve bending at the knees and hips to lower your body towards the ground, then standing back up. You can also do it in a machine like a leg press, in which you lower the weight (the “ground”) towards you.

Squats work your quadriceps , glutes , and adductors .

This movement pattern is a must for building lower body strength and functionality.

The leg press is one of the best strength training exercises for beginners who want to train their lower body without free weights.

It offers a comfy introduction to strength training without compromising on effectiveness: sit or lie back and push against a platform. No balancing acts are required, so you can focus on the push without worrying about anything but your muscles working.

Speaking of working muscles, the leg press hits your quadriceps, glutes, and adductors, with your hamstrings chipping in depending on your foot position.

Research suggests that weight machines like the leg press are as effective for building muscle as free weight exercises, for example the squat. 5 For beginners, the leg press can be a friendlier option if you are still getting comfortable around gym equipment, primarily because the machine has safety stops and adjustable settings.

How to Perform Leg Presses

• Adjust the machine so that you only need to extend your legs slightly to be able to release the weights. Adjust the safety pins so that they catch the weight if you are unable to lift it.
• Place your feet on the sled, about shoulder width apart.
• Inhale and lower the weight towards you by bending your legs.
• Lower the weight as deep as possible without rounding your back, and while keeping your glutes on the seat.
• Press the weight back up again as you exhale.

It you were to only do one leg exercise, the squat would be a great choice. It you were to only do one exercise , the squat would still top the list of options.

The squat is the exercise for building a strong and muscular lower body, effectively working your quads, glutes, and adductors. It also activates many of your core muscles and even involves your traps, lats, rhomboids, and rear delts to stabilize your upper body, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and keeping your arms close to your midline.

In short: squatting strengthens your entire body.

However, the benefits of the squat doesn’t end there. It’s a great exercise for improving athletic performance, and the muscle strength you gain from squatting translates into many parts of everyday life.

Best of all, the squat offers fantastic opportunities of progression. You can start with the bodyweight squat , progress to the goblet squat or the dumbbell squat before you advance to the standard barbell back squat or the front squat .

How to Squat

• Place the bar on your upper back with your shoulders blades squeezed together. Inhale and brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
• Take two steps back, and adjust your foot position.
• Squat as deep as possible with proper form.
• With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips and legs again.
• Exhale on the way up or exchange air in the top position.

The lunge is a fantastic exercise for your lower body: your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings in particular. In addition, because they require balance and coordination, they force your abs and the rest of your core muscles to step up.

You can do lunges with or without equipment, from bodyweight lunges to dumbbell lunges and barbell lunges . It is a great exercise for everything from bodyweight workouts at home to hardcore gym sessions.

Other lunge variations include:

• Reverse Lunge : The reverse lunge can be kinder on the knees compared to the forward-moving variant and focuses more on the glutes and hamstrings.
• Side Lunge : all about lateral movement, the side lunge targets your inner thighs, glutes, and quadriceps. It’s fantastic for improving your side-to-side mobility.
• Jumping Lunge : The jumping lunge adds a cardiovascular challenge, making it a high-intensity exercise. It’s perfect for improving power, agility, and endurance.

One of the top benefits of the lunge is that it’s a unilateral exercise, meaning you train one side at a time. With unilateral exercises, you can better focus on one side of the body at a time. They can also help you discover muscle imbalances, boost coordination, and increase the intensity of the workout for that side.

In addition, lunges are an effective way to improve balance and functional movement, which is extra important for beginners.

Life and sports are full of asymmetrical movements (like climbing stairs, running, or jumping over a puddle). Unilateral training mimics such movements, enhancing your performance in and out of the gym.

How to Perform Lunges

• Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing inwards or with a barbell on your shoulders.
• Lower your body towards the ground by bending your front knee and lowering your back knee until it almost touches the floor.
• Return to a standing position by pushing yourself up with your front leg.
• Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, switch legs, and perform the exercise on the other side.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Beginners: Creating a Workout Routine

With those exercises for each of the four fundamental movements, you can easily design an effective strength training program.

Let’s recap:

• Pushing  exercises work your  chest ,  shoulders , and  triceps .
• Pulling  exercises work your  lats ,  traps , and  biceps .
• Hip hinge  exercises work your  lower back ,  glutes , and  hamstrings .

Take at least one exercise from each category, train it at least once weekly, and you’re golden.

Here’s a great example.

Beginner Barbell Program

A great example of a strength training workout routine using the fundamental movements and the best strength training exercises for beginners from the list above is the Beginner Barbell Program .

You train three times per week, alternating between workout A and workout B, like this:

• Monday:  Workout A
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday:  Workout B
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday:  Workout A
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: Rest
• Monday:  Workout B
• Wednesday:  Workout A
• Friday:  Workout B

This is what each workout looks like:

Short, sweet and effective training sessions that work your entire body.

You can read more about this program here:

>> Beginner Barbell Workout Plan & Training Program

If you want to give the Beginner Barbell Program a go, it’s free in StrengthLog, our workout tracker app.

StrengthLog is 100% free to download and use (and entirely ad-free to boot!) as a workout tracker and general strength training app. Track your workouts and your training to streamline your progress and results.

You’ll find over 80 strength training workouts and programs, including the Beginner Barbell Program (which you can follow directly in the app for free).

The free version of StrengthLog has everything you need as a beginner (and it’s 100% ad-free!). It’s like a personal trainer in your pocket! However, we offer all new users a free 14-day premium trial, which you can activate in the app if you want to check out the added benefits of the paid version.

>> How to Effectively Use a Workout Log App

Final Words

You have reached the end of this guide to the best strength training exercises for beginners. Thank you so much for reading!

If you’d like to read more articles of this kind on anything related to strength training, be sure to sign up for our free newsletter below, to be notified of new posts!

Further reading:

• Strength Training for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide
• Bodybuilding for Beginners: The Complete Guide
• How to Get Stronger, Part 1: The Beginner
• Beginner Strength Training Program: 2 & 3 Days Per Week
• Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness. Volume 15, Issue 1, June 2017, Pages 37-42. Low-load bench press and push-up induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gain.
• Asian J Sports Med. 2015 Jun; 6(2): e24057. Single vs. Multi-Joint Resistance Exercises: Effects on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy.
• J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Jan;26(1):16-27. Kettlebell swing, snatch, and bottoms-up carry: back and hip muscle activation, motion, and low back loads.
• Int J Exerc Sci. 2014; 7(3): 179–185. Cardiovascular and Metabolic Demads of the Kettlebell Swing using Tabata Interval versus a Traditional Resistance Protocol.
• BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023; 15: 103. Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance – a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Related Posts

Andreas Abelsson

Maximize your gains and build the body you want with our guide on the best exercises for every muscle group. 

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Home » Blog » Sports Performance » Importance of Strength and Conditioning for Athletes

Importance of Strength and Conditioning for Athletes

• Athletic Training , Sports Performance , Strength and Conditioning

Anyone who has played sports is likely familiar with strength and conditioning. The approach differs from strength training, which often focuses on lifting weights to increase muscle mass to improve performance.

Strength and conditioning begins from the intersection of exercise, physiology and anatomy to optimize your movement, recovery and health. Learn why strength and conditioning has been a cornerstone of athletic training for many years.

What Is Strength and Conditioning?

At its core, strength and conditioning strives to improve athletic performance through dynamic and static exercises to improve speed, endurance, power and reduce injury risks. These exercises:

• Focus on refining and strengthening the actions and movements used in your sport
• Work on form and balance to reduce injury risks and help lengthen your career
• Are based on the athletic training principles of reversibility, overload, individualization, progression, periodization and specificity
• Refine how you move and strengthen the areas used for your sport
• Emphasize greater strength, stability, mobility, mental clarity, endurance, speed and ability
• Blend traditional strength training with aerobics, plyometrics, core stability and agility training specific to your sport

Benefits of Strength and Conditioning

Whether strength and conditioning is required by your team or you have a personal drive to improve your performance, it can yield the following benefits over time.

Improved Performance

Strength and conditioning fuels your ability to lift more, go farther or travel faster by:

• Fortifying and balancing your muscles
• Improving your posture and physical mobility
• Enhancing coordination, flexibility and joint stability

You may also find you’re capable of new movements, have better peripheral awareness, and can connect your mind and body with greater ease.

Improved Physical Health

Beyond improvements to performance, strength and conditioning provides support to your muscles, connective tissues and bones. Developments include:

• Greater bone mineral density with time
• More and larger muscle fibers
• Faster and more reliable communication between the brain and muscles, resulting in quicker contractions and more synchronized movements
• More effective fat burning

More Meaningful Recovery

The physical changes experienced through strength and conditioning can also lower your injury risks, as a result of improved healing and recovery. Yet strength and conditioning is not a safeguard against sudden, acute injuries. Rather, the resulting muscle strength guides the recovery process to reduce your risks for chronic injury.

Chronic injuries tend to result from poor form, a lack of muscle resilience and improperly balanced tissues, which can prematurely end an athlete’s career. Along with preserving your body and career in the process, stronger muscles are more likely to respond and better protect your joints, allowing them to move more naturally.

Better Long-Term Health

Strength and conditioning is increasingly recommended by physical therapists outside of athletic contexts. Building and strengthening muscles has pervasive and long-lasting effects on your health:

• Metabolism support, which helps your body continue burning calories even when you’re not working out.
• Lower insulin resistance risks and subsequent health concerns related to hypertension, cholesterol levels, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
• Reduced risk for certain chronic conditions, including heart disease, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
• Support of the body’s muscle-building hormones to reduce age-related atrophy, weakness and related fall and injury risks.

Our team at Integrated Rehab can guide your strength and conditioning efforts to improve athletic performance. To learn more about our services, contact us today.

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How to Use the FITT Principle for Efficient Workouts

Consider the Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type of Exercise You Do

Heather Black, CPT is a NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Heather Black Fitness & Nutrition where she offers remote and in-person training and nutrition coaching.

Verywell / Joshua Seong

FIIT Principle

How to use fiit, fiit and injury prevention, frequently asked questions.

If you are wondering how to structure your exercise and track your progress, you may want to look into the FITT principle. Below, we explain what it is and how to use it to reach your fitness goals.

The FIIT principle is a straightforward guideline for revising and improving any workout plan. FIIT stands for frequency , intensity , time , and type of exercise . You need to think about these four elements to create workouts that fit your goals and fitness level. 

For instance, working out 3 to 5 days a week with a mixture of low, medium, and high-intensity exercise for 30 to 60 minutes per session, and performing cardio and strength training. Working out these details and progressing them over time helps create an effective program.

Watch Now: How to Use FIIT In Your Workouts

The first thing to set up with your workout plan is frequency— how often you will exercise . Frequency often depends on various factors, including the type of workout you're doing, how hard you're working, your fitness level, and your exercise goals.

In general, the exercise guidelines set out by the American College of Sports Medicine give you a place to start when figuring out how often to work out for both cardio and strength training.

Cardio Workouts

Cardio workouts are usually scheduled more often. Depending on your goal, guidelines recommend moderate cardio exercise five or more days a week or intense cardio three days a week to improve your health. By allowing you to easily adjust the exercise intensity level, these top-rated treadmills provide excellent and convenient cardio workouts.

If you want to lose weight, you may want to work up to more frequent workouts, up to six or more days a week. Just remember that more is not always better, and recovery time is essential .

Strength Training

The recommended frequency for strength training is two to three non-consecutive days a week. You should have at least one to two days between sessions.

Your frequency, however, will often depend on the type of training sessions you perform as well as your goals. You want to work each muscle group at least two times a week if your goal is to build bigger muscles, for example. If you do a split routine , like upper body one day and lower body the next, your workouts can be more frequent than total body workouts.

Intensity has to do with how hard you work during exercise. How you increase or decrease intensity depends on the type of workout you're doing.

For cardio, you will usually monitor workout intensity by heart rate , perceived exertion , the talk test , a heart rate monitor , or a combination of those measures.

The general recommendation is to work at a moderate intensity for steady-state workouts. Interval training  is done at a higher intensity for a shorter period. It's a good idea to have a mixture of low, medium, and high-intensity cardio exercises, so you stimulate different energy systems and avoid overtraining .

Monitoring the intensity of strength training involves a different set of parameters. Your intensity comprises the amount of weight you lift, and the number of reps and sets you do. The intensity can change based on your goals.

• If you are a beginner looking to build muscle, stability, and endurance, use a lighter weight and do fewer sets with high repetitions: two or three sets of 12 to 20 reps.
• If your goal is to grow muscle , do more sets with a moderate amount of repetitions (for instance, four sets of 10 to 12 reps each). You can build muscle with a wide range of repetitions and weights, but volume (total number of repetitions), is often higher than for other goals.
• If you want to build strength , use heavy weights to do more sets with fewer reps (five sets of three reps each, for example).

The next element of your workout plan is how long you exercise during each session. There isn't one set rule for how long you should exercise, and it will typically depend on your fitness level and the type of workout you're doing.

The exercise guidelines suggest 30 to 60 minutes of cardio, but the duration of your workout will depend on your fitness level and what type of exercise you're doing.

If you're a beginner, you might start with a 15- to 20-minute workout . If you have some experience and are doing steady-state cardio, such as going for a run or using a cardio machine, you might exercise for 30 to 60 minutes. If you're doing interval training and working at very high intensity, your workout will be shorter, around 10 to 15 minutes for all-out effort-based interval training .

Having a variety of workouts of different intensities and durations will give you a solid, balanced cardio program.

How long you lift weights will also depend on the type of workout you're doing and your schedule. For example, a total body workout could take over an hour, whereas a split routine could take less time because you're working fewer muscle groups in one session.

The type of exercise you do is the last part of the FIIT principle. It is easy to manipulate to avoid overuse injuries or weight loss plateaus.

Cardio is easy to change since any activity that gets your heart rate up counts. Running, walking, cycling, dancing, swimming, and the elliptical trainer are some of the wide variety of activities you can choose. Having more than one go-to cardio activity is the best way to reduce boredom and increase variability.

Strength training workouts can also offer variety. They include any exercise where you're using some type of resistance (bands, dumbbells, machines, etc.) to work your muscles. Bodyweight exercises can also be considered a form of strength training.

You can easily change the strength workouts you do, from total body training to adding things like supersets or pyramid training , to liven things up. Incorporating new exercises for each body part is another way to vary the type of workouts you do.

You may wish to spend a few weeks working on functional strength-based movements, then move to hypertrophy or strength-based programming. Each of these modalities includes various alternative types of strength-based exercises to try.

The FIIT principle outlines how to manipulate your program to get in shape and get better results. It also helps you figure out how to change your workouts to avoid boredom, overuse injuries , and plateaus .

For example, walking three times a week for 30 minutes at a moderate pace might be a great place for a beginner to start out with a workout program. After a few weeks, however, your body adapts to these workouts. As a result, you notice that you burn fewer calories, that you get bored, or your weight management efforts stall. It's at this point you want to manipulate one or more of the FIIT principles. For example, you might:

• Change frequency by adding another day of walking
• Change intensity by walking faster or adding some hills or running intervals
• Change time by walking for a longer time each workout day
• Change the type of workout by swapping one or more of your walks for swimming or cycling

Even just changing one of these elements can make a big difference in your workout and in how your body responds to exercise. It's important to change things up on a regular basis to keep your body healthy and your mind engaged.

One of the best things about using FIIT is that it allows you to monitor the length and intensity of your workouts. When you are working out too frequently or not getting enough rest, you run the risk of overuse injuries, burnout, and muscle strains.

What's more, the FIIT principle encourages you to add variety to your workouts. When you do this, you allow your body to rest and recover. Plus, you are not working the same muscle groups over and over again, which in the end will produce better results.

If you notice that you are starting to have less energy, experience more aches and pains, or are feeling fatigued, you may want to make some changes to your exercise regimen. And if your symptoms persist, be sure to consult with a healthcare provider. They can help you pinpoint the root cause of your symptoms.

A Word From Verywell

The FIIT principle is a well-established way of modifying and adapting exercise programming to fit your unique goals, lifestyle, preferences, and progress. You can change and adapt each of the factors to suit these needs. Incorporating changes to frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise helps to stave off boredom while also providing a framework for continued progress.

The main components of fitness are cardiovascular training, resistance training, and mobility, stretching, and recovery work. Each are important for a healthy, functional body and lifestyle.

If you have one hour per workout day to train, this is usually plenty, depending on what your goals are and how many days per week you are training.

One-hour workouts three to four times per week with a mixture of cardiovascular and strength training can be effective, depending on your effort, workout structure, and other aspects of your lifestyle. Even 10 minutes of exercise each day can make a huge difference to your health.

Using the FIIT principle if you are a beginner to exercise does not have to be complicated. Simply review each of the four aspects and decide on what to start with. For example, how many days of the week can you commit to? What type of exercise do you want to try? After a month or so, you can revisit the FIIT guidelines and choose one or two to modify.

Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: Guidance for prescribing exercise . Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(7):1334-59. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb

McCall P.  8 reasons to take a rest day . American Council on Exercise.

National Strength and Conditioning Association. Determination of resistance training frequency .

Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis . Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697. doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8

Cardoos N.  Overtraining syndrome .  Curr Sports Med Reports . 2015;14(3):157-158. doi:10.1249/JSR.0000000000000145

By Paige Waehner, CPT Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer," and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness."

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BASICS OF STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT

by ACE Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Institute

Tid Bits of Info

• Strength training requires at least one day rest between training sessions.
• 1 RM : maximum amount of force that can be generated in  one  maximal contraction.
• Most people will benefit from lifting approximately 70% of their 1RM for 12-15 reps and perform 2-3 sets.
• Strength training requires an “over-load” to the muscle, therefore you should “struggle” to complete your repetitions but have good form and no joint pain.
• Seek the advice and help of a Physical Therapist or certified personal trainer to develop and implement your strength building exercise routine.

Every day we use our muscles to do simple chores, move around the house, go into town, and even for fun and relaxing activites. Our functional capabilities depend upon muscular strength. Having strength enables good posture, ease of movement, and the ability to perform work or recreational activities safely. Strength also decreases the chance of falling or suffering an injury. We’re never told that we are too strong for everyday life. Unfortunately, many people don’t exercise at all and in many instances exercise routines are implemented that don’t include a strength development aspect to them.

Building strength is vital because muscles generate force and move the joints of the body.  The muscle helps to protect the joints of the body by supporting them dynamically and absorbing the stress and strain applied to the joint by the external forces associated with life’s events.  If the joint is not supported well or the muscle is too weak to absorb the stress and strain applied to the joint, the structure of the joint will begin to be adversely affected.  The instability of the joint due to lack of dynamic support can lead to abnormal movements and “break-down” of the articular cartilage which is the first sign of osteoarthritis of that joint.  If the joint is left unprotected by weakened muscles, the osteoarthritis can worsen and lead to pain and functional loss.

What is considered effective strength development? The ability to generate maximal force for one repetition is a widely-accepted definition of muscular strength. A well-designed exercise routine should include exercises to address the cardiovascular, muscular and nervous systems.  These systems have to “work” together to get the most out of someone’s body.   When the muscular system is exercised, the blood flow to the muscle will help to nourish it with oxygen or remove the by product that is produced when the muscle contracts.  The nervous system controls the way the muscle contracts.

A skeletal muscle is capable of getting stronger as long as it is “over-loaded” with resistance during a workout. There are differing theories as to the exact mechanism of muscle cell growth (hypertrophy)  that is directly related to strength development but it is getting more clear that the need to perform different types of workout to accomplish hypertrophy might not be as important as once believed.  There was a belief that muscle size increased one of two ways. The muscle could increase in size when the sarcoplasmic volume increased (the “pump”) or myofibrillar growth occurred with an increase in the myofibrils or actual contractual proteins of the muscle.  The theory required different ways to stress the muscle.

Building a stronger muscle relies on developing and maintaining tension within the muscle during a workout.  If the tension is maintained, the damage to the muscle cell occurs and when the healing process occurs it produces a bigger and stronger muscle. Many exercises can be performed and the tension is applied to the tendons, ligaments and joint structures but the muscle is not taxed to its maximum.  The number of repetitions and the range of motion can determine the amount of tension that the muscle develops during an exercise.  Lifting through a range of motion that does not allow the resistance to be “released from the muscle” and a conscience effort to think about keeping the tension in the muscle will help to stimulate it very effectively.

Developing a sound program can be difficult if you are not sure what you are doing.  Seek the help of a Physical Therapist or personal trainer.  These healthcare professionals can help you develop and implement your program.  When putting it together, remember some basic facts about muscle strength development.

• The first 3-4 weeks of any program stimulates the nervous system and enhances the neuromuscular “connection” between the muscles and nerves. The muscles need the nerves to “tell” them what and when to contract.  Bio chemistry changes that indicate a true strength gain will occur approximately 5-6 weeks from the beginning of hard workouts
• There are 3 types of muscle contraction, isometric, concentric and eccentric. The isometric contraction is utilized by the body to stabilize. Concentric contractions enable the muscle to shorten and accelerate body movements.  Lastly eccentric contractions occur when the body is decelerating and the muscle is under a tremendous amount of strain.  This type of contraction is thought to produce strength gains more quickly than the others
• The burn that occurs during the lifting routine (actual set) is caused primarily by lactic acid build up in the muscle. Muscle soreness that occurs the next day or two following a hard workout is due to muscle cell swelling and not lactic acid therefore a reduced intensity workout will make the muscle feel better
• There are two primary muscle cell types (I and II). Both of these cell types can be strength trained but type II will respond better to heavy loads and are thought to be the main reason for muscle growth
• Different workouts will help to develop muscle strength. Performing full body exercises are a great way to develop strength throughout the entire body.  These exercises are very popular because they are very functional and help to facilitate “normal” function in the body
• For most people, performing a regimen that requires 8-15 repetitions of any exercise will produce positive results. Lifting heavier weight and performing fewer repetitions will develop strength more quickly than lifting lighter weight for higher repetitions.  Focusing on producing muscle tension is the key!

Developing muscle strength requires hard work.  There is no easy way to develop strength and there is a science behind the best way to develop it. Seeking the advice and guidance of a trained healthcare professional (Physical Therapist or certified personal trainer) will enable you to perform a routine that is safe and effective.

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The New Approach to Training Volume

• by Nathan Jones
• Articles , Programming

What you’re getting yourself into:

~3500 words

12-24 minute read time

1. Studies across a variety of populations have demonstrated that muscles grow in a very broad variety of rep ranges.

2. When training protocols are matched for number of sets, even with very different training volumes, they generally result in similar levels of muscle growth.

3. Gains in strength and muscular endurance are still very much tied to the rep range used.

4. At least when talking about hypertrophy-based training, it’s more useful to think of “training volume” as “total number of hard sets per muscle” than “sets x reps x load.”

Greg’s Note: I’m really glad Nathan wrote this article – this is a subject we’ve been chatting about for quite some time now, and this article agrees strongly with my own thoughts on the matter.  There are some major drawbacks to the way people usually calculate training volume (sets x reps x weight): 1) Inherently heavier exercises seem necessarily better than lighter ones (i.e. you can accumulate more volume doing leg press than you could squatting, and more squatting than you could front squatting). 2) Training with a lower percentage of your 1rm almost always seems superior to training with a higher percentage (3×10 with a challenging load will mean a lot more volume than 3×3 with a challenging load). Simply counting hard sets is a much simpler way of accomplishing the same purpose, without unnecessarily biasing some exercises or loading schemes over others.  For strength + size, it’s a simple issue of the number of heavy (80-85ish%+) sets you do, for size + muscular endurance, it’s a matter of the number of relatively light (65% and below) sets you do, and for a blend of the two, it’s just about the number of hard sets you do in the intermediate intensity range. Enter Nathan

D isclaimer:  I’d like to start this article with a disclaimer. What I have written about here are the patterns I have personally seen both in recent strength training literature and in real world strength training. However, I am by no means the most knowledgeable person about physiology or research interpretation, nor am I especially strong or experienced compared to many competitive strength athletes. The patterns I see also seem to be a little bit at odds with what many very smart, very educated people in the strength world seem to see, so it’s possible I am incredibly, horribly wrong about all this. I don’t believe I am, or I wouldn’t be writing this article, but it would be arrogant to not have some doubts. The following is probably best considered as a potentially flawed, but useful model.

Introduction

For as long as I’ve been lifting, I’ve heard the recommendation that 1-5 reps is for building strength, 8-12 reps is for increasing muscle size, and 15-20 reps is for increasing muscular endurance. Several variations on this theme exist.

The concepts of myofibrillar hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, usually used to explain strength and size differences between strength athletes and bodybuilders, say that the heavier weights build actual contractile proteins in muscles (myofibrillar hypertrophy), and higher rep ranges (8-12) create more of a focus on increasing sarcoplasm, or the fluid, in muscles. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, however, is completely unsupported by any sort of scientific literature (unless Supertraining counts as scientific literature or you count transient increases in fluid as hypertrophy), and strength differences are much more easily explained through other ideas the evidence actually supports.

The American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendations for hypertrophy are that novice trainees perform 8-12RM for 1-3 sets per body part, resting for 1-2 minutes and training 2-3 times/week; whereas, advanced trainees are directed to use 70%-100% of their 1RM for 3-6 sets, with varying rest periods depending on goals, and a 4-6 days/week frequency. (1) Strength training recommendations are similar. However, research over the last few years (and decades of successful methods seen in strength athletes and bodybuilders through time) has demonstrated that while these recommendations likely work, they are only a small part of the total picture.

More recently, Fisher et al wrote a position stand that recommended maximal intensity of effort (lifting to momentary muscular failure) for each set, using a load and frequency that corresponds to the trainee’s goals, and performing a single set per exercise. (2)

Finally, Brad Schoenfeld, my current favorite exercise researcher, published a meta-analysis (a paper that combines the results of multiple studies to find larger patterns in the literature) on the effects of different rep ranges on strength and hypertrophy. The meta analysis compared low loads (<60% 1RM) to high loads (>65% 1RM) and found that there was a greater effect size for hypertrophy in the high loads than the low loads, and that strength improvements were much higher in the high load groups. (3) However, a closer examination of the included studies shows that 6 of the 8 studies examining hypertrophy had the high load groups performing more sets than the low load groups. If you’ve kept up with Strengtheory at all, then you probably know that more sets stimulates more strength and size gains , so this is an obvious confounding variable.

The Size Principle

Before we can dig into the real meat of the subject, it’s important to understand some basic physiology of muscle recruitment. During any set in which you lift a weight to failure, your nervous system will first recruit small/slow motor units and then begin to recruit larger and faster motor units until the force demands are met (or cannot be met). (4) For example (and I’m just making these numbers up to facilitate understanding of the concept), let’s say I can curl a 50 lb. dumbbell 10 times. During the first 3 reps, I might only be using small/slow motor units and muscle fibers. By the 6th rep, the smaller fibers have fatigued a little and can no longer produce enough force to move the weight, and I begin recruiting larger muscle fibers. By the 10th rep, all the muscle fibers in my biceps have been recruited and have experienced enough fatigue that they can no longer produce enough force to move the weight, and I fail the 11th rep. The size principle is more complex than this in actual practice, but this explains the basic concept.

Now, what happens if instead of a 50 lb. dumbbell, I pick up a 25 lb. dumbbell and lift to failure at 20 reps? The exact same pattern repeats. The same basic thing also happens if I pick up a 75 lb. dumbbell and lift to failure at 3 reps. As far as the muscle knows, the same thing has happened each time: All the muscle fibers were recruited and eventually something happened to make them less able to produce force.

Now, there is some recent EMG evidence that calls into doubt whether the biggest/fastest motor units are recruited during high rep sets to failure in trained lifters, but there are several possible explanations for the lower EMG readings with low loads, (5) and the size principle has thus far stood the test of time. It could be that while the largest fibers were indeed recruited during low load lifting to failure, less fibers were being recruited simultaneously, so the peak EMG was lower. It could also be that trained lifters who have been lifting in a certain rep range for a long time are able to put forth more effort in that rep range (typically a heavier load), and if they had trained for a few weeks with the lighter load, they would have learned to put forth equivalent effort.

What causes the muscles to fatigue?

Fatigue during resistance training is still a very slippery concept. However, we do know that when a muscle contracts, metabolic byproducts are created. In addition, during a contraction or any time a muscle is under tension, blood flow to and from the muscle is restricted, and the metabolites are cleared more slowly. When the metabolite production is greater than the cardiovascular system’s ability to remove them, the concentration increases and begins to interfere with muscle contraction. It is also likely that they stimulate the sensation of pain, and your brain might take that pain and decide to put less effort into motor unit recruitment. Whatever is happening is almost certainly a combination of effects at the muscle and the central nervous system.

This concept is probably best exemplified by a technique called blood flow restriction training. In it, a tourniquet is applied to a limb in order to reduce blood flow for the duration of a set. Significantly less weight and fewer reps can be done with this method, but it has been shown to produce the same muscle growth as heavier weights without blood flow restriction. (6)

So why is this concept important? Because, at least at this point, it seems as if muscle fibers must be recruited and experience at least some fatigue in order to grow larger. Something about the fatiguing process signals hypertrophy to begin. I like to envision each instance of fatigue as stimulating a small amount of hypertrophy, so multiple instances of fatigue – multiple sets to failure – builds up a large amount of hypertrophy stimulation.

Effect of Different Rep Ranges on Hypertrophy

Now that we have an understanding of some general background information, we can examine the effects of different rep ranges on muscle growth.

First, we need to find studies that control for the effort per set so that we don’t have a group doing sets only halfway to failure (and thus not recruiting and fatiguing all available fibers) versus a group doing sets all the way to failure.

Next, we need studies that control for training volume (weight x reps) or number of sets. If one study has a group do a single set to failure and another group doing 10 sets to failure, we won’t be able to tell if differences in strength and hypertrophy are due to the rep ranges used or due to the difference in number of sets.

Luckily, we have a decent number of studies available that have done what we need. I’ve summarized the results in the following table. All sets in all of these studies were performed to failure.

Digging into these studies, several patterns appear.  In the Campos study, the light loads did not produce as much (if any) hypertrophy as the heavier loads. However, the light load group also did fewer sets than the groups with heavier loads in an attempt to match volume-load. Assuming the loads don’t make a difference (possibly a dangerous assumption, but safer when the whole body of literature is considered), this seems to indicate that number of sets might be what determines hypertrophy. However, in the Schoenfeld 2014 study, one group did exercises for 3 sets of ~10 reps and the other group did exercises for 7 sets of ~3 reps (again, matching volume-load). If number of sets is what matters, the 7×3 group should have had more hypertrophy, but they didn’t. Digging deeper, though, the lighter load group actually did 9 sets to failure per week per body part, and the heavier group did 21 sets to failure per body part per week. When the total number of sets that stimulated each muscle are taken into account, it seems possible that 9 sets to failure per week or less may have stimulated the maximum amount of hypertrophy in this specific training population, and the additional 18 sets per week done by the heavier group contributed little if anything to extra hypertrophy.

The Van Roie study also used volume-load rather than number of sets, but saw no differences in hypertrophy.

The rest of the studies generally matched the number of sets between groups, and they help to fill out the pattern: Different rep ranges seem to have the exact same effect on hypertrophy. Not only that, but these studies represent untrained, well trained, and even elderly populations, so the similarities in hypertrophy hold true wherever we look.

The next pattern that appears is that heavier weights make the participants better at lifting heavier weights, and lighter weights make the participants better at lifting lighter weights, even though muscle growth is the same. This could be due to a variety of factors that as of yet are unexplored in the literature: neural adaptations to specific loads, fiber type specific hypertrophy, aerobic/anaerobic adaptations in muscle fibers, and so on. I personally lean toward the effect being mostly neural in nature, with actual differences in muscle adaptation being minimal, but that’s abject speculation on my part and it remains to be seen what the real answer is. I’ll believe that lighter loads preferentially stimulate type I fiber hypertrophy when I see actual measurements of individual fibers like in the Campos study. There are a couple of studies looking at muscle fiber types in drug-free competitive weightlifters (15) and powerlifters, (16) and the fiber type ratios are very similar. A few more studies have looked at bodybuilder fiber types and found a very high ratio of type I fibers, (17,18) but they were done on high-level, untested competitors and had exceedingly small sample sizes, so the likely drug use and other factors such as different muscle groups in the different studies make it difficult to draw conclusions. In addition, none of the studies examining fiber types are training studies, so the actual effect of certain rep ranges on the fiber types would be impossible to know anyway.

The third pattern that emerges, at least to me (and this is mostly based off studies not included in the table) is that a higher number of sets increases the effects on strength and hypertrophy. (19) In the Campos study, for example, the two heavier groups did more sets than the lighter group because they attempted to control for volume-load, and there was no hypertrophy seen in the lighter group. However, in several of the other studies, we can see that the lighter loads do actually stimulate hypertrophy when more sets are done.

Main Takeaways

So what does this all mean? I believe there are several main principles that can be derived from these patterns.

• From the size principle, we know that sets must be high effort to recruit and fatigue all fibers. We don’t know the exact threshold for the effort needed to stimulate hypertrophy, and there are plenty of people who experience considerable muscle growth never lifting to failure, but generally it’s probably necessary to push sets within a few reps of failure.
• Rep range does not matter for hypertrophy (at least up to 30 reps/set for trained lifters and 100 reps/set for untrained old people), so long as the effort per set is equal. Muscles seem to grow the same whether you lift 3 reps to failure or 100 reps to failure. It remains to be seen whether muscles grow the same with something like 70% effort matched between groups rather than lifting to failure, but I believe they would.
• Strength increases are highly specific to the rep ranges used. If you want to get better at one-rep max attempts, you need to lift loads that are close to that. If you want to get better at high reps, you need to lift lighter loads. You can likely get better at both by doing both rep ranges. Think of the strength increases as studying specific material for an exam.
• Doing more sets or volume (it’s still a little unclear which better predicts gains, although I lean toward more sets) gives you more results.

With this information, it’s easy to answer a question from earlier in this article: Why is there a strength and size difference between strength athletes and bodybuilders? The answer to the strength difference lies in the rep ranges used. Strength athletes generally include heavier rep ranges, and many bodybuilders stay in a less injury-prone rep range. However, many bodybuilders compete successfully in powerlifting by adding in heavier work.

The size difference is a little trickier; I do not actually believe there is a muscle size difference between bodybuilders and strength athletes at similar levels. The difference is an illusion caused by different levels of body fat and a focus on muscles that primarily enhance aesthetics versus muscles that enhance strength. Muscles that both groups work hard, such as legs, back, and chest (I’m generalizing in order to get the concept across) should be similar in size.

To put it more simply, strength training is bodybuilding, and bodybuilding is strength training for whatever rep range you are using.

Holes In This Boat

There are a few concepts that the literature has yet to examine satisfactorily. The first, as mentioned earlier, is what causes the strength adaptations to specific rep ranges. Do type I fibers get stimulated more with high rep ranges? Do more aerobic adaptations occur with higher rep ranges? Is the difference entirely due to neural adaptations and motor learning? We just don’t know yet.

The second is the degree of effort necessary per set to maximally stimulate hypertrophy; do we actually need to lift to failure, can we stop short of failure, or can even very low-effort sets stimulate some hypertrophy? In the real world, it looks as if even very low effort can cause some muscle growth, but the matter is yet unresolved. In addition, adding more lower effort sets might decrease any differences.

Finally, and this is likely the biggest and most important question, but what exactly stimulates hypertrophy? There are hypotheses out there, some of which are supported by evidence, but in my opinion, it is still inconclusive. (20) Tension on muscles themselves might be enough to stimulate hypertrophy, but when you get tension, you also get ischemia and increased metabolite build-up. The pump you get from lifting weights might contribute, but heavy weight/low rep sets tend not to elicit much of a pump, and hypertrophy has been shown to be the same as for higher rep sets. Metabolic byproduct concentration might be the main stimulator, but there isn’t much evidence examining the idea yet. At this point, we can only conclusively look at muscle growth on a large scale and say that picking things up and putting them down a lot makes muscles get bigger.

Upon examining the history of strength and physique sports, a nearly infinite number of strategies can be seen to have been successful. However, the most successful strategies appear to follow a few basic rules very similar to the takeaway principles mentioned earlier. Keep effort high, keep number of sets high, and tailor your rep ranges to your goals or whatever keeps you motivated, and progress shouldn’t be a problem.

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• American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
• Fisher J, Steele J, Smith D. Evidence-based resistance training recommendations for muscular hypertrophy. Med Sport. 2013;17(4):217-235.
• Schoenfeld BJ, Wilson JM, Lowery RP, Krieger JW. Muscular adaptations in low- versus high-load resistance training: A meta-analysis. Eur J Sport Sci. 2014;:1-10.
• Carpinelli, RN. The size principle and a critical analysis of the unsubstantiated heavier-is-better recommendation for resistance training. J Exerc Sci Fit. 2008;6(2)67-86.
• Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Willardson JM, Fontana F, Tiryaki-sonmez G. Muscle activation during low- versus high-load resistance training in well-trained men. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2014;114(12):2491-7
• Loenneke JP, Wilson JM, Marín PJ, Zourdos MC, Bemben MG. Low intensity blood flow restriction training: a meta-analysis. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2012;112(5):1849-59.
• Weiss, LW, Coney HD, Clark FC. Gross measures of exercise-induced muscular hypertrophy. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2000;30(3):143-148.
• Weiss LW, Coney HD, Clark FC. Differential functional adaptations to short-term low-, moderate-, and high-repetition weight training. J Strength Cond Res. 1999;13(3):236-241.
• Campos GE, Luecke TJ, Wendeln HK, Toma K, Hagerman FC, Murray TF, Ragg KE, Ratamess NA, Kraemer WJ, Staron RS. Muscular adaptations in response to three different resistance-training regimens: specificity of repetition maximum training zones. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002;88:50-60.
• Alcaraz PE, Gomze PJ, Chavarrias M, Blazevich AJ. Similarity in adaptations to high-resistance circuit vs. traditional strength training in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25(9):2519-27.
• Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, West DW, Burd NA, Breen L, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. J Appl Physiol. 2012;113:71-77.
• Schoenfeld BJ, Ratamess NA, Peterson MD, Contreras B, Sonmez GT, Alvar BA. Effects of different volume-equated resistance training loading strategies on muscular adaptations in well-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28(10):2909-18.
• Van Roie E, Delecluse C, Coudyzer W, Boonen S, Bautmans I. Strength training at high versus low external resistance in older adults: effects on muscle volume, muscle strength, and force-velocity characteristics. Exp Gerontol. 2013;48(11):1351-61.
• Schoenfeld BJ, Peterson MD, Ogborn D, Contreras B, Sonmez GT. Effects of Low- Versus High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2015.
• Fry AC, Schilling BK, Staron RS, Hagerman FC, Hikida RS, Thrush JT. Muscle fiber characteristics and performance correlates of male Olympic-style weightlifters. J Strength Cond Res. 2003;17(4):746-54.
• Fry AC, Webber JM, Weiss LW, Harber MP, Vaczi M, Pattison NA. Muscle fiber characteristics of competitive power lifters. J Strength Cond Res. 2003;17(2):402-10.
• Macdougall JD, Sale DG, Elder GC, Sutton JR. Muscle ultrastructural characteristics of elite powerlifters and bodybuilders. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1982;48(1):117-26.
• Tesch PA, Larsson L. Muscle hypertrophy in bodybuilders. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1982;49(3):301-6.
• Krieger JW. Single vs. multiple sets of resistance exercise for muscle hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(4):1150-9.
• Schoenfeld BJ. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(10):2857-72.

Nathan Jones

Overshooting, Undershooting, Or Just Right? How To Perfect Your Ability To Predict Repetitions In Reserve.

Do Lengthened Partials Really Stimulate Stretch-Mediated Hypertrophy?

When to Use Specific Progressive Overload Strategies

Copyright © 2023 Stronger by Science

Functional strength training is one of the best workouts for people over 50: What it is, and how to get started

This article is reprinted by permission from  NextAvenue.org .

Scientists have known for decades that  strength training is the best intervention  for people over 50 to fight bone and muscle loss, increase longevity, prevent falls, boost metabolism , regulate blood sugar and maintain function.

A groundbreaking new study in the  British Journal of Sports Medicine  also shows that regular exercise, such as strength training, is up to 1½ times more effective than medication or therapy at treating depression, anxiety and stress. 

There is one type of strength training, in particular, that offers a host of benefits for older adults and that is functional strength training. I spoke with a strength coach for older adults, Ren Collier, NASM, CPT, about his experience using functional strength training to help his clients achieve incredible results at all ages. 

Collier talked about how this strength training workout can help build muscle, prevent injuries, and keep you moving longer. 

Why strength training is crucial over 50

“There was a time not so long ago when we thought strength training was dangerous for athletes,” Collier says. “And now, there is not a college or pro athlete anywhere who isn’t using weightlifting to support their sports performance. I believe we will look at strength training for people over 50 similarly in the future.”

The research supports this thought as a growing body of evidence shows immense benefits of strength training for people of all ages, especially older adults. One aspect of health considerably improved with regular strength training is grip strength.

Grip strength so reliably correlates with overall  physical strength and many longevity metrics  that scientists want to use as a biomarker (a way to measure overall health). As we age, if we do not regularly participate in load-bearing and resistance exercises such as strength training, we lose  3-5% of our muscle  every decade after age 50. 

These cumulative losses can result in  injury, disability, and a loss of independence , so building and maintaining muscle and bone density throughout the lifespan is critical. 

Read : At 65, I thought I could eat whatever I wanted—until I woke up in an ICU

What is functional strength training? 

Functional strength training takes many benefits of other resistance training forms and turns them up a notch. 

As a personal trainer for over 10 years who also coaches people over 50, I can enthusiastically tell you that functional strength movements are the center of every one of my client’s programming, and for good reason. 

But what is functional strength training? And what makes it superior? In truth, functional strength training is merely a descriptive term without a singular definition. However, most strength coaches agree that functional strength training has the following hallmarks:

• It incorporates all seven of the natural human movement patterns: push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge, twist, carry
• It uses a full range of motion
• It emphasizes unilateral and anti-rotational movements
• It’s tailored to prepare the individual for the demands of their daily life

“Functional training is a term that’s been hijacked throughout the years, but at its core, it’s about preparing people for the activities they will face daily. So functional training will look different for everyone,” Collier says. 

Human beings are built to move, and we perform many of the same movement patterns throughout the day, even if we don’t realize it. 

You squat when you get up from a chair and hinge when you bend over to pick something up off the floor at your feet. You carry groceries, children or baskets. And you twist to grab an item off to the side.

Functional strength training prepares you better for your daily work and keeps you moving longer. This means opting for heavy compound movements using free weights — think squats, deadlifts, farmer carries and lunges — over static machines and light weights. 

Also see:  Can you run after age 50? These coaches and runners and a physical therapist say you can and should. Here’s how to do it safely.

Collier says that in his experience, most people over 50 – and especially women – dramatically underestimate their capabilities. While you may see some progress using light weights in the beginning, you will need to continue to increase the difficulty of your workouts to see results and build muscle. 

“Progressive overload rules, regardless of age, gender or anything else. This means we must keep increasing our training stimulus over time. Keep training hard, and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve,” Collier says. 

Throughout his almost 15 years of coaching, Collier has seen people over 50 achieve impressive feats like performing their first strict push-up or pull-up, deadlifting and squatting hundreds of pounds, and even competing in grueling competitions such as the  Spartan Race . 

A few functional strength training exercises

• Bench press
• Overhead press
• Farmer carries
• Pallof press
• Cossack squat
• 90/90 hip opener
• Turkish get-up

Risks vs. benefits of functional strength training

Collier knows many may feel skeptical about starting a strength training program as an older adult. Still, he says that the risks and outcomes are much worse for sedentary people than people who regularly participate in structured exercise — even those with previous injuries or chronic pain. 

“You may think you can’t squat because of knee pain. But so often, in my experience, a tailored and careful strength program is exactly what you need to eliminate that knee pain and improve your quality of life, ” Collier says. 

He says the key is working with an experienced coach who will perform a thorough assessment and give you a specialized program that supports you where you are currently but also gets you where you want to go. 

You might like: How to keep cycling into your 50s, 60s and 70s

Getting started with functional strength training

If you want to start enjoying the incredible benefits of functional strength training today, Collier shared the following tips for getting started and staying safe. 

Talk with your healthcare provider first

If you have injuries or take multiple medications, it’s always best to speak with your doctor to see if you have any limitations. 

They may want you to see another allied health professional, such as a physical therapist, before you are cleared for exercise. 

Find an experienced strength coach

Not everyone knows how to coach functional movement patterns or work with people over 50, especially those with unique training needs. 

Ensure they are certified, comfortable coaching functional exercises, and have a proven record with people over 50. 

Start where you are 

No matter your current fitness or function level, you can and should move however your body allows. 

Beginners can see significant progress with body weight exercises and walking, so get moving and find an exercise professional who can guide your progress. 

Embrace strength at every age

When it comes to strength, age truly is just a number. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish and what your body is capable of. 

Getting started is the hardest part, so find a community that supports you and get moving.

Plus: Is it safe to ski after 50? Here are some tips from trainers so you can keep hitting the slopes well into old age

Meg Lambrych has 14 years of experience as a registered nurse and personal trainer and now uses that expertise as a health reporter in the digital space. Lambrych received a bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science from Syracuse University and her Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Rochester. She believes all conversations around health and fitness must be rooted in an understanding of the complex and nuanced reality of accessing food and healthcare and how those limitations impact our health.

This article is reprinted by permission from  NextAvenue.org , ©2024 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved.

More from Next Avenue:

• Wherefore and ‘The Y’
• Fitness Influencer Joan MacDonald: It’s Not Too Late to Embrace a Healthier Life
• Improve Your Mobility for Better Fitness

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How to Increase Stamina and Endurance for Running

Sports & activity.

Run longer distances by building stamina and endurance. Here’s how you can adjust your training plan to keep you going for longer.

Having great stamina and endurance is a valuable asset in running. Runners who build up stamina and endurance can run for longer distances without getting fatigued. Their bodies and minds have been conditioned to push past the voice in their head saying, “Quit.” As a result, they’re able to keep running.

Running involves repeated movement , sustained for long periods of time. Without sufficient stamina or endurance, you’ll get tired and give up soon after you start. Luckily, you can work on building stamina and endurance by adjusting your training plan.

What’s the Difference Between Stamina and Endurance?

Stamina and endurance are terms that both refer to how long you can sustain physical activity. They’re often used interchangeably, but to be precise they’re not exactly interchangeable.

Stamina is how long an activity can be performed at maximum capacity. It considers both the physical and mental burden of work.

Endurance is how long an activity can be performed in total. It refers to cardiovascular efficiency. This is how well your heart, lungs and muscles work together to distribute blood and oxygen around your body to sustain activity.

Sports that require stamina include anything high-intensity . That might be football, triathlons, rowing, martial arts, tennis and basketball. These sports involve bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by active recovery, and going again. Having stamina allows you to keep up, mentally and physically.

Any activity that needs to be sustained for long periods requires endurance, like marathon running. Your cardiovascular system needs to be efficient at transporting oxygenated blood around your body to your working muscles to continue movement. The goal in endurance sports isn’t to max out on effort or work at maximum capacity; it’s to be physically capable of persistent activity.

1. Stay Consistent

You build endurance by running as regularly as you can. Be consistent with your schedule, running at least three to four times a week. The exact number of runs depends on your running experience and fitness levels. Beginner runners should start small with only one or two runs per week, allowing for your body to adapt. More experienced runners can increase the running volume. But remember: recovery is key! If you struggle to stay consistent, here are some tips for you:

• Set an alarm: Setting an alarm to workout can give you the cue you need to get going. Instead of coming back from work and collapsing on the couch, set an alarm to remind you of your goals and get those running shoes on!
• Get a running buddy: Running with friends can improve exercise adherence. You’re combining social time with physical activity time - perfect!
• Schedule it in advance: A busy schedule can cause running time to be pushed to the side. Schedule in runs in advance to hold yourself accountable.

2. Increase Your Mileage Gradually

Any experienced runner will tell you the 10 percent rule: Increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10 percent per week. Small mileage increases help to prevent injury and gives your body a chance to adapt without feeling overloaded.

So for example, if you run 10 miles total in one week, the next week, you should run 11 miles maximum.

3. Incorporate HIIT Into Your Training

High-intensity interval training ( HIIT ) is one of the best ways to boost your endurance. A September 2013 study in PLoS One found that interval training improved VO2 max (a marker of endurance) more than endurance training.

Interval training involves alternating between periods of max-effort exercise with rest periods. This might be a hill workout — running up the hill for 30 seconds and walking back down for 60 seconds.

This type of interval workout strengthens your heart and lungs to handle the demands of longer races. Training at a high intensity will also help your muscles better handle lactic acid, a chemical byproduct of anaerobic respiration. When lactic acid builds up in the muscles during intense exercise, you might experience a burning sensation which can be uncomfortable.

4. Practice Plyometrics

Plyometrics is a type of training that uses explosive exercises. Think: box jumps, squat jumps, clap push-ups and tuck jumps. Your muscles have to exert maximum force in a short period of time, which increases muscular power. This helps running stamina in a few ways:

• It improves your ability to store energy between eccentric and concentric muscle contractions. Concentric muscle contractions are the weakest muscle action for the majority of people . Plyometrics increases this, creating the greatest force during the concentric phase. This can transfer into speed as your body can produce force more efficiently.
• It makes your muscle fibers stronger. Working against a resistance with explosive movements puts your muscles under a new type of stress. This triggers the hypertrophic process in which muscle fibers get stronger and bigger in size.
• It makes your muscles more flexible. Plyometrics stretches your muscle fibers prior to contraction, over time, this leads to increased flexibility . For example, before performing a box jump, you bend down and stretch your quadriceps before exploding upwards.

This ultimately improves running mechanics and economy and may even help reduce the risk of injury, according to a 2019 study .

5. Manage Your Stress

An often forgotten component of stamina is how well you handle stress. This could be emotional stress (e.g., a hard day at work) or physical stress (e.g., a tough workout). Being stressed puts your body in a compromised state. Your immune function declines, hormone imbalance occurs due to elevated cortisol and adrenaline, your sleep gets interrupted, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, a September-October 2019 study in PAIN Reports found that stress impairs recovery. Your body isn’t able to focus on repairing damaged tissue because it’s in fight-or-flight mode. All the other processes are on pause.

Some of the best ways to manage stress are meditation, mindfulness and yoga. These modalities help to calm the nervous system, fight inflammation, and relieve muscle tension, according to a July-December 2011 study in the International Journal of Yoga .

Plus, an August 2020 study in Neural Plasticity that found that practicing mindfulness for five weeks increased participants' endurance.

6. Run 800-Meter Intervals

To increase endurance, add some 800s into your training plan. This training style can help runners improve their performance by running multiple shorter sprints interspersed with rest intervals. If you’re training for a marathon or half-marathon, this type of exercise can simulate the effort required for a longer run while helping you build endurance.

All you need to do is figure out your goal pace, then run it for 800 meters (two laps around a standard running track). So if your goal is 7:30/mile, your 800-meter goal time would be 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Run rounds of 800 meters until you can comfortably reach your goal time.

7. Don’t Skip Strength Training

Strength training should be a part of your training routine regardless of whether you’re an experienced or beginner runner. It’ll improve running economy, which will help you use less oxygen and keep your pace for longer, per a June 2010 study in Strength and Conditioning Journal .

It can also help you develop muscle and joint strength, allowing you to activate key muscle groups more easily. The better muscle recruitment, the better physical performance. This translates into running faster, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association .

Here are some strength training exercises to incorporate:

• Overhead press
• Bent over rows

Why Stamina and Endurance Are Important for Running

Running requires stamina and endurance so that you can run for longer without getting tired. That doesn’t mean running a marathon will suddenly be easy. But over time, distances that were once exhausting will become manageable. You’ll be able to run without stopping and maintain a lower heart rate throughout your workout.

Once you’ve mastered endurance, you can increase your pace. Your 5K race pace might become your training pace, as your cardiorespiratory system is better able to handle the demands of the work. Plus, through continued training, you’re mentally tougher and can push your body harder.

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Originally published: November 22, 2021

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