How to start strength training: guidance, progression and a first-week plan

How often should a beginner do strength training?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, second edition, set the target for adults. Do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.¹ The CDC repeats the same minimum: at least 2 days a week, working the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.²

That is a target to work toward, not a day-one demand. The guidelines say people who are not yet active should increase gradually. Muscle strengthening can start on just 1 day a week at a light or moderate level of effort. Over time the days can rise to 2, and then possibly more, and the effort can go up a little each week until it becomes moderate or greater.¹

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stand on progression in resistance training gives a similar frame for novices. It recommends loads that correspond to 8 to 12 repetitions to the point of fatigue, and training 2 to 3 days a week.⁴ A companion ACSM position stand also advises resistance exercises for each major muscle group on 2 to 3 days a week.⁵

Do you need to see a doctor before you start?

For many healthy adults, no. The Physical Activity Guidelines say healthy men and women who plan gradual increases in their weekly activity do not generally need to consult a health care provider first.¹ They add that people without diagnosed chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or osteoarthritis, and without symptoms such as chest pain or pressure, dizziness or joint pain, most likely do not need to consult one.¹

That changes in some cases. Adults with chronic conditions or symptoms should be under the care of a health care provider, and can consult a professional about the types and amounts of activity that suit them.¹ Women who are pregnant should be under the care of a health care provider.¹ People who develop new symptoms as they raise their activity should consult a provider.¹

ACSM’s position stand on exercise prescription says consultation with a medical professional is useful when clinically indicated, but it does not recommend it as universal screening to make exercise safer.⁵ It names two things that may lower risk: knowing the signs and symptoms of coronary heart disease, and raising intensity and volume gradually.⁵

If you are unsure about a particular movement, the National Institute on Aging suggests seeking guidance from your doctor or physical therapist.³ The list near the end of this page repeats the situations the sources name.

How to start: a first-week plan, step by step

The plan below is an example built from the rules in the sources. It is not a prescription and it makes no promise about results. Adjust it to your health, your equipment and what a professional has told you.

1. Decide whether to check with a professional first. Read the list of situations on this page. If any apply, talk to a health care provider before you begin.¹
2. Choose what you will lift. NIA lists resistance bands, weight machines, hand-held weights and body-weight exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups and planks as muscle-strengthening options.³ Beginners can start with no added weight until the movements feel comfortable.³
3. Pick one move for each major muscle group. The guidelines name the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.¹ The table below gives seven example moves.
4. Warm up with lighter versions. Both the guidelines and NIA describe warming up for muscle strengthening by doing exercises with lighter weight.¹³
5. Do one set of about 10 repetitions of each move, at light to moderate effort. The guidelines say strengthening can start at a light or moderate level of effort on 1 day a week.¹ One set of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise is effective, according to NIA.³
6. Breathe out on the effort and in as you relax. NIA advises against holding your breath during strength exercises.³
7. Rest, then write down what you did. NIA advises not working the same muscle group on two days in a row, to allow recovery.³ A written note makes it easy to add days and effort gradually in the weeks that follow.

How to add days, sets and weight without overdoing it

The guidelines explain why gradual matters. Injury risk to bones, muscles and joints relates to the gap between your usual level of activity and the new one, so a small increase followed by time to adapt lowers the risk.¹ Older adults appear to need more time to adapt to a new level, in the range of 2 to 4 weeks.¹

For muscle strengthening, the guidelines give the order: begin on 1 day a week at light or moderate effort, move to 2 days, then possibly more, and raise the effort slightly each week until it is moderate or greater.¹ They also say to increase duration and frequency first and intensity later.¹

Counting a four-week ramp

After the ramp, ACSM allows 1 to 3 sets per exercise for novices.⁴ Adding a second set to every move would double 14 weekly sets to 28, an increase of 100%. The guidelines show why the size of a weekly jump matters, using aerobic minutes: a 20-minute rise is a 10% increase for someone doing 200 minutes and a 50% increase for someone doing 40.¹ They do not give a percentage for strength work, so the next calculation is only an illustration of the idea.

Adding a second set to 2 moves each week raises the weekly sets from 14 to 16 (a rise of 14.3%), then to 18 (12.5%), then to 20 (11.1%). It takes 7 weeks to reach 28 sets. That is slower, and the size of each step is much smaller.

Raising the weight

ACSM recommends a 2% to 10% increase in load once you can do one or two repetitions more than your target at the current weight.⁴ On a 10 lb dumbbell, 2% is 0.2 lb and 10% is 1 lb. A jump from a 10 lb to a 15 lb dumbbell is 5 lb, which is 50% and well above that range. Adjustable weights, bands and machines that change in small steps make a gradual rise easier.

Common mistakes, and what the sources say instead

• Starting too heavy. The guidelines advise starting with relatively moderate-intensity activity, and say adults with low fitness may need to start with light activity.¹
• Adding too much, too soon. Pay attention to the relative size of each weekly increase, because it relates to injury risk.¹
• Skipping the warm-up. A warm-up for strengthening commonly means doing the exercises with lighter weight.¹
• Holding your breath. Breathe out during the effort and in as you relax.³
• Training the same muscles two days in a row. Leave a day between sessions for the same muscle group.³
• Training only the muscles you like. The effects are limited to the muscles doing the work, so cover legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.¹
• Pushing through new symptoms. People who develop new symptoms as they raise activity should consult a health care provider.¹
• Never raising the load. Increases in weight or in days a week lead to stronger muscles, and improvements are progressive over time.¹

For the next step, read the guide to sets and reps, the one on progressive overload, and the guide to strength training at home for the room and kit side.

Choosing your first equipment

You can start with body weight. NIA lists body-weight exercises, resistance bands, weight machines and hand-held weights, so a first week needs no purchase.³

ACSM notes that weight machines have been regarded as safer to use and easy to learn.⁴ For healthy older adults, the NSCA position statement says beginners and people with functional limitations benefit from machine-based training, bands and isometric training, while high-functioning older adults gain added benefit from free weights.⁶ That statement covers older adults only, so apply it with care to younger beginners.

If you are comparing kinds of kit, see cable machine vs free weights and the guide to home gym equipment. If you are older, the guide to strength training for seniors covers the extra guidance for that age group.

Frequently asked questions