Strength training at home: what the guidelines recommend and a simple plan

What do US guidelines recommend for strength training?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the US Department of Health and Human Services, say adults should do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity, involving all major muscle groups, on 2 or more days a week.¹ The CDC lists those groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.³

The guideline sits alongside aerobic activity. For adults, the CDC gives 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent mix.³ Strength work is in addition to that, not a replacement.

Nothing in these guidelines says the work has to happen in a gym. What matters is the muscle groups worked, the days per week and the effort.

If you are an older adult, the guidelines add that you should do multicomponent activity that includes balance training as well as aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, and that you should set your effort relative to your own fitness.¹ See strength training for seniors for that audience.

What counts as muscle-strengthening at home?

The CDC’s page for older adults gives examples of muscle-strengthening activity: lifting weights, using resistance bands, body-weight exercises such as push-ups or sit-ups, digging in a garden and some yoga postures.⁵ The guidelines add that muscle strength is specific to the muscles used, so a variety of activities is necessary for balanced strength.²

Nothing in the guidelines requires a rack, a bench or a machine. A pair of weights, a set of bands and a sturdy chair can cover every row of the table. A larger setup is a convenience. For options, see home gym equipment.

What equipment to buy first

If you have nothing yet, start with items the CDC already counts: a resistance band, and one or two pairs of weights you can handle for the whole set. Buying more before you have kept a routine for a few weeks is the usual way people end up with unused equipment. That is an observation, not a finding, but it follows from the guidelines: the benefit comes from doing the work on 2 or more days a week, not from the kit.

A simple two-day plan

The guidelines say no specific amount of time is recommended for muscle strengthening. They do say each exercise should be done to the point at which another repetition would be difficult, and that one set of 8 to 12 repetitions is effective, with 2 or 3 sets possibly more effective.² The CDC states the same range for older adults.⁵

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stand for healthy adults recommends, for novices, loads that match 8 to 12 repetitions to the limit, and training 2 to 3 days a week.⁶ The plan below follows those ranges.

Start on the low end. Week one: one set of each movement, a load you can control for the whole set, and a couple of repetitions in reserve. Over the next weeks, add a second set, then a third, then think about load. Progressive overload explains how to change one variable at a time, and sets and reps explains the numbers.

A beginner’s first week has its own guide: how to start strength training.

How to stay safe when training alone at home

The Physical Activity Guidelines give a short list of safety rules. People should choose types of activity appropriate for their current fitness level and goals, increase activity gradually over time, protect themselves with appropriate gear, choose safe environments and make sensible choices about when, where and how to be active.¹ Inactive people are told to “start low and go slow.”¹

The same guidelines say people with chronic conditions or symptoms should be under the care of a health care provider, and can consult a health care professional or physical activity specialist about the types and amounts of activity appropriate for them.¹ If you are unsure whether strength work is right for you, ask before you start.

• Clear the floor and check that nothing is in your way before you begin.
• Use a sturdy, stable chair or wall for movements that need support.
• Choose a load you can control for the whole set. A load that forces your form to break down is too heavy for now.
• Anchor bands only to a fixed point that cannot move or break.
• Stop the exercise if it hurts, and ask a health professional before trying it again.

The guidelines also say that older adults appear to need 2 to 4 weeks to adapt to a new level of activity.² That suggests holding each step of your plan for at least that long, instead of changing load every session.

Home equipment: what a device can and cannot do for you

A band, a set of weights or a body-weight routine all deliver the same thing: resistance your muscles must work against. A connected machine adds convenience, such as storing loads and repetitions or changing resistance without swapping plates. It does not change the guideline, which is expressed in days, muscle groups and effort.

What a device does not do is decide for you. It cannot tell whether a movement is right for your health, replace advice from a health professional or make a plan safe. The sections above remain the same with or without equipment.

If you like the idea of a fixed setup, read about a wall-mounted cable machine or compare the options in home gym equipment before buying. Muscle changes with age are covered in muscle loss after 50.

Frequently asked questions