Where do I begin?

It is time to exercise. Should I run or go to the gym and lift weights? Nine times out of ten I would choose running. It is easier to do and much more convenient. While that may be the case, deep down I think we all want to feel strong and would like to be a little bit like those people we see in the gym lifting more weight than we could ever imagine lifting.

You don't have to be a power lifter to gain strength, that is why this blog is designed to meet the needs of those who would consider themselves a beginner when it comes to resistance and strength training.

TRAINING FREQUENCY
You may want to just jump into things fast, but it is important for beginners to make sure and allow their bodies to get use to these changes in exercise gradually. The recommended training frequency for those considered to be a "Beginner" is 2-3 resistance exercise sessions per week. You won't always be at a beginner lever. As you adapt to this kind of training and become better conditioned it is appropriate to consider increases the number of sessions per week at a gradual pace, but this frequency is a great place to start. Starting at this frequency will give you sufficient days to rest between sessions. This is important so you are able to train at the level you desire for every session, and are not hindered by your body being sore.

TRAINING LOAD & REPETITIONS
As a beginner it should be a pretty safe guess that you won't be able to start by lifting a ton of weight. There are guidelines set for many different types of resistance training. You can train for muscular strength, muscular power, muscle hypertrophy (increase size of skeletal muscle) and muscle endurance. These guidelines are based off of a % of your 1 repetition max (1RM). So before you begin your training it would be beneficial to first test your 1RM for both your upper and lower body. You can find different ways to test these online. Once you have found your 1RM for both your upper and lower body you can incorporate these guidelines. You will want to start with the guidelines for gaining muscular endurance because this requires the lowest amount of weight or load. For muscular endurance you will be lifting 2-3 sets with greater than or equal to 12 repetitions per set with a load of less than or equal to 67% of your 1RM.It is also important to keep the rest periods between each set less than or equal to 30 seconds. Following these guidelines will allow you to have a good starting point as you begin resistance training.