A Full Beginners Guide To Strength Training

It is never too late to start strength training. You don’t need prior experience in the gym. In fact you do not need to go to the gym you can do all your strength training with these three tools, a suspension trainer, resistance bands and exercise sliders.
In this article I will explain how to use all of these pieces of equipment to perform strength training exercises at home or on the go.
If you have never done any strength training before it may be a good idea to hire a personal trainer to ensure your form is correct and set you up on a plan.
A suspension trainer runs about $79-$250 and is lightweight, portable and easy to use. A set of resistance bands runs about $20-$40 and can fit in a pocket of your gym bag. Exercise sliders run about $10-$29, lightweight and easy to carry. Personal trainers costs vary usually by levels of certification, experience or demand. Costs between $50-$100 a session, some sessions are 30 minutes while others are 1 hour. Some trainers will offer group training at a discounted rate.
If you decide to give it a go on your own make sure you remember these following steps before starting.

1. Warm up- Never begin a workout without at least 5 to 10 minutes of

   cardiovascular exercise. A brisk walk, a light jog, jumping jacks or

   skipping rope are good warm-up options.

2. Make a schedule where you rest one day in between allowing your

   muscles to recover. At the beginning you may need to take two days in

   between, listen to your body.

3. Begin your training with light weight and higher repetition and gradually

   work your way up. Take time between your sets to rest and hydrate.

4. 20 to 30 minutes is recommended for beginners after your warm-up.

   You will work your way up as you gain strength and endurance.

Okay, let’s get started but first let me clarify what reps are versus sets,
A rep is a repetition of one exercise movement and should be performed repeatedly for 12-15 times before resting.
A set is the sum of how many times you perform the 12-15 reps.
So beginners, you want to start with 1-2 sets of 12-15 reps!

Suspension trainer can be used alone or in conjunction with the resistance bands and/or sliders. Strength training can be broken down into body parts, push, pull and legs or total body.

Written by Christina Widmark