The beginner’s guide to weight training, according to a certified personal trainer

Want to improve your health by going to the gym? Not knowing where to start can put a damper on taking that first step. Weightlifting and cardio are the most common forms of exercise when it comes to losing weight and gaining muscle, but how do you know which forms are best for you?

Whether you want to lose love handles, exercise in 20 minutes, train for an ultra-marathon or endurance event, or simply take better care of yourself, making a consistent habit out of exercising is the first step. Weight training creates a solid foundation that sets you up to achieve your fitness goals, but it can feel overwhelming for beginners. After you pick up a set of dumbbells, what’s next?

“On a physical level, weight training can improve strength, endurance, and balance, and it also helps keep your bones healthy,” said Kenta Seki, ACE-certified personal trainer and FitOn App trainer. “On a mental level, exercise and weight training can improve your mood and sleep patterns and even boost your self-confidence.”

We worked with Kenta to create a beginners’ workout guide to help you execute these exercises so you can start seeing results. You don’t need a ton of workout equipment to see results quickly — you just need a basic understanding of the weight training principles. Before you start throwing heavy weights around in your home or your local gym, Seki has a few pieces of advice for weight training safely. Read on for your ultimate beginner’s guide to weight training.

What is weight training?

Weight training is a type of strength training where you lift weights. Using weights as a form of external resistance helps you develop strength, endurance, and muscle definition over time as you continue to challenge and stress your muscles. Weight training might also be called resistance training. You might use dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, or weights connected to a machine or cable system to complete your exercise. 

What are the benefits of weight training?

The research is clear that weight training provides a multitude of benefits, including:

• Increasing strength and muscle mass, which can also increase your metabolic rate
• Stronger bones and lower risk of osteoporosis
• Better brain function.
• Better mental health.
• Improved sleep quality.
• Lower risk of injury.
• Enhanced athletic performance.
• Enhanced ability to perform your everyday functional activities.

You can build strength and muscle mass just by using your own body weight as the resistance with exercises like pushups and planks. That being said, weightlifting can take you beyond the plateau and generate serious muscle-boosting results.

How long until you see results?

The length of time it takes for you to see results depends on your fitness level starting off, your general health and nutrition, and other factors. Building muscle takes time, and while people want to see fast results within a month, it takes longer to develop your strength. However, you’ll notice your physical fitness and coordination improve just a few weeks after beginning weight training as you work on your technique and stay consistent.

Safety tips and considerations

Safety should always be a top priority when you begin a weight training program. Here are some top safety tips to keep in mind:

• Work at a slow and controlled pace and focus on perfecting your technique before trying to lift a heavier weight or complete more reps. 
• Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water as needed.
• Don’t hold your breath while lifting weights; always remember to inhale and exhale.
• Use a spotter when you need to, especially when lifting weights above your head.
• Wear suitable clothing, such as closed-toe shoes and weightlifting gloves if needed.
• Stop working out immediately if you feel any sharp pain. Your muscles should feel challenged, but they shouldn’t hurt.
• Always start with lighter or moderate weights that allow you to maintain your proper form.

How do you choose the right weight?

You should always start with a lighter weight until your strength improves and you’ve mastered your technique to safely perform the movement. The weight you choose should challenge your muscles without compromising your form. The right weight depends on your size, current strength, and fitness level.

If you have a clear understanding of the proper form and you finish the set feeling like you could still knock out a few more reps, you can use a heavier weight. On the other hand, if you’re losing your form and becoming exasperated before you finish the set, you need to go for lighter weights. Researchers suggest that when you can easily complete the recommended number of sets and reps, you can increase your weight by 2% to 10%. 

Top tips for getting started with weight training

If you’re unsure about weight training or if you have any questions or concerns, it’s best to speak to your healthcare provider, doctor, or physical therapist. Here are top tips for getting started with weight training:

• You could always try starting with a personal training session or an introductory session at your local gym for more guidance.
• If you’re starting at home, a spotter can help you maintain optimal safety and form.
• Familiarize yourself with the different types of weight training equipment, including the weight machines, cable machines, kettlebells, and dumbbells. 
• Warm up with some aerobic activity and stretching; even just a brisk 5-minute walk can get your blood flowing to your muscles and your heart rate up.
• Make sure you’ve chosen the right weight before jumping into your full workout routine.
• Rest for at least 60 seconds between sets to stop your muscles from becoming too fatigued to complete your routine.
• Rest for at least one or two days between workout sessions to give your muscles sufficient time to recover.
• Gently stretch your muscles after working out with a quick cooldown.

What are the different types of weight training equipment?

Here are the different types of weight training equipment:

• Kettlebells – Kettlebells are weighted balls with handles. You can hold one weight in one hand and work on one arm at a time, or you can hold one dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand and work both arms at the same time.
• Dumbbells –  Dumbbells are small bars with equal weights on either side that can weigh as little as 2 pounds or over 100 pounds.
• Barbell – A barbell is a long bar with weights or weight plates attached at each end. 

You can also work with resistance bands, which are color-coded elastic stretchy bands that provide various degrees of resistance when you pull them. Resistance bands are an excellent choice for traveling because they can easily fit in your suitcase.

Why you shouldn’t skip a warmup

“Don’t skip your warm-up,” says Kenta. A light cardio exercise, like a 5-minute run or jog, and light stretching will help your body prepare for the work it’s about to do and increase circulation. Another tip is to remember to breathe. Try to avoid holding your breath during any of the exercises below. Exhale while you’re putting forth the most effort on an exercise, and inhale as you’re coming back to your starting position.

The best weight training exercises for beginners

Kenta underscores the importance of form above all else. “Don’t sacrifice form to lift heavier weights,” he warns. If your form is suffering due to the amount of weight you’re lifting, take it down a notch and work toward that heavier weight over time. Having goals to strive for is important in fitness, like anything else. You’ll feel better when you can lift that heavier weight confidently and properly than if you exhaust and possibly injure yourself in the process. Read on for the best weight training exercises for beginners explained.

Squats

Squats certainly help build muscle in your legs, but the squatting movement also creates an anabolic environment, which promotes body-wide muscle building. Squats can help you improve both your upper and lower body strength when done correctly, so nailing this exercise will set you up for success in future moves.

Execution

1. Start with your legs hip-distance apart.
2. Hinge at the hips as you drive your butt backward.
3. Lower your butt until it’s parallel to the knees, keeping your toes and heels firmly planted on the ground.
4. If you don’t have a squat rack at home, take a dumbbell in each hand while performing this exercise, or dangle a kettlebell between your legs.
5. Do two sets of 15 repetitions.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts sound easy. At first glance, it just looks like you’re picking up a heavy object and setting it down. It might look simple, but this movement is incredibly complex and easy to do incorrectly, resulting in injury if you’re not careful. This exercise strengthens your legs, back, and the rest of your posterior chain, which helps take the stress off your lower back. 

Execution

1. Grab the bar or dumbbells with an overhand grip, meaning your knuckles are facing away from you.
2. Lift the weight, keeping it close to your legs, focusing on taking the weight back into your heels.
3. Look straight ahead, not down.
4. Check your posture and make sure you’re standing up straight with your shoulders back, squeezing your shoulder blades, imagining you’re holding a pencil between them.
5. Lift the weight to thigh level, pause, and then return to your starting position.
6. Rest the weight between reps, and remember to correct your form before starting another. Do two sets of 15.

Chest presses

Chest presses will help develop your upper body strength by toning your pectorals in your chest, deltoid muscles in your shoulders, and your triceps and biceps for thicker arms. This foundational arm workout is an effective and straightforward way to work out your upper body and develop that wide chest most men covet. You can do this exercise with dumbbells if you’re working out at home.

Execution

1. Lie back on a bench with your arms straight out in front of you and slightly bent. The weights should align with your shoulders.
2. Brace your abs, keeping your feet on the floor and your lower back slightly arched as you lower the weights to shoulder level.
3. Do two sets of 15 reps.

Rows

Rows are another upper body workout that carves and sculpts your back muscles. This exercise is especially important because it’s a movement that we don’t typically do in our daily lives, so it’s activating and building a muscle that rarely gets any attention. It also helps strengthen your posterior chain, which can reduce back pain. Dumbbell rows give you a better range of motion than other row variations.

Execution

1. Place one hand and one knee on the bench, grabbing a dumbbell in the other hand.
2. Let your arm hang down, keeping your spine aligned, and then row the weight back, squeezing your shoulder blades.
3. Think about pulling with your back, not your biceps, keeping the weight close to your body.
4. Do two sets of 15 reps with both arms, switching in between sets.

Shoulder presses

The shoulder press engages your shoulders and core, which can improve muscle definition as well as stability. Your shoulders get activated in nearly every upper body strength workout, so strong shoulders can improve your performance in other exercises. Using dumbbells in this exercise helps activate the anterior (front) deltoid muscle in your shoulder more than when using a barbell.

Execution

1. To perform the shoulder press, start by holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level.
2. Don’t go wide. Try to rotate your elbows forward a few degrees to be in front of your shoulders slightly.
3. Brace your abs, avoid arching your back, and press the weights straight overhead while squeezing your shoulder blades.
4. Do two sets of 15 reps.

Overhead tricep extensions

The triceps are the muscles in the back of your arm, but they often tend to be overlooked in favor of bicep workouts that give you those bulging muscles in the front. If you want balanced, tank-top-worthy arms by summer, you need to make sure you’re working those triceps, too. The overhead triceps extension is an isolation exercise that focuses on the tricep muscle alone. You can do overhead tricep extensions with one or two dumbbells, either standing or sitting on a bench.

Execution

1. Start with the weight behind your head.
2. Lift the dumbbell until your arms are fully extended, keeping your elbows close to your head and pointing forward. Your palms should be facing the sky.
3. Bend at the elbows to lower the weight behind your head.
4. Repeat until you complete the set. 

Bicep curls

The classic bicep curl is perhaps the most recognizable weight training exercise. The bicep muscle plays an important role in most pulling exercises, like deadlifts and rows, so focusing on beefing up your biceps will certainly pay off and help you unlock your full fitness potential.

Execution

1. Start with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Keeping your upper arms glued to your sides, curl the weights up until they reach your shoulder.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat 15 times over two sets.

How often should you exercise?

Especially when starting out, it’s important you don’t overwhelm yourself with a big commitment. Lifting weights every day will actually increase your risk of overuse injuries. People will often start by saying they’ll work out five days a week, and then they only have time to get in three. You don’t want to feel disappointed in yourself and risk giving up and missing out on your full potential.

Be honest and realistic about how much time you have every week to dedicate to exercise and plan out the days and times ahead of time. Everyone has to start somewhere. Twice a week is a great place to start, and then work your way up. Ideally, you want to exercise four to five times per week, focusing on different muscle groups. Research shows that you can still increase muscle mass by staying consistent and performing as few as two brief weight training sessions of about 12 to 20 exercises every week.