Strength Training 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Strength

Strength training is less popular than you think - only 1 in 20 people in England do it.

This can make it quite hard to find some good strength-building advice that is actually useful.

However, if you are lucky enough to have stumbled across this strength-building guide, you don't need to worry about finding a good coach.

This article will cover everything about gaining muscle strength, such as the basics of strength training, how to develop your strength training workout plan, a good nutritious diet for gaining strength, and other valuable muscle and strength tips.

Table of contents:

• Understanding Strength Training Basics

• Creating a Strength Training Program

• Essential Nutrition for Strength

• Rest & Recovery

• Tracking Progress & Setting Goals

• Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Supplements for Strength Training

Understanding Strength Training Basics

Before you start trying to get stronger, understanding the fundamentals of strength training is important because it will help you develop a better plan for gaining this strength.

Firstly, what is strength training?

Strength or resistance training means performing exercises designed to improve physical strength.

Strength training is most commonly done via resistance exercises like weightlifting, bodyweight training or cable machines.

One thing that strength training utilises a lot is progressive overload. But what is progressive overload?

What Is Progressive Overload?

Progressive overload is the gradual increase of reps, sets or weight in your workouts each week or over two weeks.

For example, if you were squatting 70kg one week, and then the next week you increased your squat by 1kg, that would be progressive overload.

Another example could be doing 10 reps of an exercise one week, and then the next week doing 11 reps, and then the week after doing 12 reps.

Progressive overload allows you to gradually build up strength over time and is an excellent method for progressing your strength.

The Difference Between Strength & Hypertrophy

Strength training and hypertrophy training are quite different and both produce different results.

Strength training tends to focus on lifting heavier weights with a lower rep range as this is better for muscle strength gains.

However, hypertrophy training uses lower weight with higher rep ranges as this is better for aesthetics, not for strength.

Therefore, if your goal is to gain strength, then you should be using heavier weights with a lower rep range.

Creating a Strength Training Program

You must produce a good strength training workout that is suited to YOUR needs. You shouldn't just use someone else's program. It works for them, but it may not work for you.

But how can you create an effective personalised strength training program?

Focus On Compound Lifts

The first thing you should ensure that you include in your strength training program is compound lifts, which are exercises that target multiple muscle groups at once.

These are very good for helping you build muscle strength and should be completed at the start of each workout session.

Some examples of compound lifts are bench presses, squats, deadlifts, or shoulder presses.

Although they are extremely effective for strength, it is also good to involve a few isolation (single-muscle) exercises in each session as well so that you can focus on areas that need more improvement than others.

Sets & Rep Ranges for Strength Building

When it comes to how many reps you should be doing per set to gain muscle strength, it is recommended that you keep it low for the best results.

It is also suggested that you keep your rep ranges between 2-6 reps per set.

You should also be completing 3-5 sets per exercise if your goal is to get stronger.

Workout Splits

There are a bunch of good resistance training routines out there that you can utilise for gaining muscle strength, however, you may be wondering which is the best.

Our experts have come together and have discovered that the best split is only 3 days per week of training, and includes:

• Day 1: Chests & triceps

• Day 2: Back & biceps

• Day 3: Legs, shoulders & abs

There are of course other exercise splits out there that are good for strength-building, however we have found that this one is the best.

Rest Periods & Days

You should train 3-4 days per week as this has been proven to be best for strength results.

This means that you will have at least 3 rest days per week, On these rest days, I would recommend engaging in some active recovery such as light jogging or brisk walking.

Another thing that is highly suggested is that you stretch your entire body on your rest days to help your muscles recover faster.

The amount of time you rest between sets is also important - you should aim to leave 2-5 minutes between each set if you want the best strength gain results.

Essential Nutrition for Strength

Another thing that is extremely important for growing strength is nutrition - some would even say that what you eat is more important than the exercise you do.

For gaining strength, a good diet is important because it provides you with all of the nutrients you need for your muscles to grow stronger.

How Many Calories Should You Be Consuming?

Calories will fuel your muscles during your workouts by giving them the energy they need to move resistance such as weights.

Therefore, consuming enough calories is important.

You may think that you should just consume more calories than you burn each day, however, that is not necessarily true.

For strength training, you should aim to consume 43 calories per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 70kg, then you should be eating at least 3,010 calories every day.

Hydration

Ensuring that you are adequately hydrated each day is essential for strength-gaining because it allows for proper muscle function and helps avoid muscle cramps during your workouts.

Water is also a great source of vitamins and minerals that can provide you with plenty of energy during your workouts.

So drinking enough water can help you receive better strength results.

It is recommended that you should be drinking at least 20-30ml per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 100kg, then drinking 2-3 litres of water daily is best.

What Nutrients Should You Be Focusing On?

There are three key nutrients that you should be focusing on when strength training:

• Protein

• Complex carbs

• Healthy fats

Protein

Firstly, protein is vital for building muscle strength because it is needed to repair muscle that is damaged during exercise, allowing it to grow and get stronger.

You should aim to consume 1.2-1.7g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight daily (or 0.5-0.8g per pound of bodyweight) for strength training.

Some protein-rich foods include:

• Eggs

• Almonds

• Chicken breast

• Cottage cheese

• Fish

• Lean beef

• Quinoa

• Shellfish

• Pumpkin seeds

• Turkey breast

• Lentils

Complex Carbs

The next important nutrient we will cover is complex carbs, which are similar to carbohydrates but are a more stable source of energy.

Complex carbs are important for strength training because they provide you with the energy you need in the form of glucose, which is then stored in the muscle as glycogen for your workouts. This allows you to train more intensely.

You should aim to consume 4-7g of complex carbs per kilogram of body weight every single day.

A few foods that are high in complex carbs include:

• Beans

• Lentils

• Bananas

• Apples

• Starchy vegetables

• Bread

• Rice

• Pasta

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are essential for strength building because they are crucial for the maintenance of testosterone levels, which is a hormone that plays an important role in muscle strength.

You should be eating 0.8-1g of healthy fats per kilogram of body weight daily.

Some foods that are rich in healthy fats are:

• Fatty fish

• Chia seeds

• Dark chocolate

• Eggs

• Avocados

• Nuts

• Cheddar cheese

Other Important Nutrients

While protein, complex carbs and healthy fats are highly important for building muscle strength, there are also a few other nutrients that are important and can help a lot.

These nutrients include:

• Calcium

• Iron

• Magnesium

• Creatine

• Potassium

• Beta-alanine

• Omega-3

Rest & Recovery

Ensuring that you get plenty of rest after your workout is vital for not only giving yourself the best results by allowing your muscles to repair themselves but also for preventing injuries in your next workout.

Sleep should be a priority for you because that is when growth hormone is released the most (which is important for strength) and your muscles repair themselves the most during sleep.

Getting around 7-9 hours of high-quality sleep every night is best for strength-building.

How Many Rest Days Should You Have Per Week?

When it comes to strength building, getting at least 1 rest day per week is a necessity. However, taking up to 3 rest days per week is best as it gives your muscles time to recover after workouts.

This will give you about 4-6 training days per week.

Recovery Techniques

Other than giving your muscles time to recover themselves, there are some techniques you can implement into your routine that can speed up this recovery process.

Some good recovery activities you could engage in on your rest days or after your workouts are:

• Active recovery - this means engaging in low-intensity activities on your rest days such as brisk walking or light jogging

• Foam rolling - this can help release stress and tension in the muscle

• Stretching - this can increase the blood flow to the muscle, which aids in recovery

• Massage - a Shiatsu massage is best, which applies pressure to targeted muscles to release tension and promote relaxation

• Ice bath - this can help repair microtears in the muscle faster

• Cooldown - this helps dispurse lactic acid from your muscles, which reduces post-workout muscle stiffness

Tracking Progress & Setting Goals

Tracking progress can help you understand what you need to work on, and can also show you what you're doing well on.

Seeing how you're progressing can also keep you motivated.

Additionally, setting goals for yourself can give you reasonable objectives to meet each day and allow you to advance your progress even further.

Tracking Progress

During each workout, you should jot down in a notebook or on your phone how much weight you are lifting in each exercise, and how many reps and sets you should be doing.

You can also note how many workouts you do each week and what you do on your rest days.

This can show you how much strength you are gaining, which in turn can keep you motivated to keep going.

SMART Goals

SMART goals are a good way to set achievable goals for yourself. But what are SMART goals?

'SMART' stands for:

• Specific - set goals for yourself that suit YOUR needs

• Measurable - don't go too overboard with your goals, make them small

• Achievable - make sure it is a goal you can achieve

• Relevant - make sure the small goals you set are relevant to your target

• Time-bound - set yourself deadlines for each small goal

By utilising SMART goals, you can speed up your progress and keep yourself motivated by providing a good plan.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

People make many mistakes when it comes to strength training, and avoiding these mistakes is crucial to achieving the desired results.

But what are these errors?

Lifting Too Heavy Too Soon, Risking Injury

Lifting weight that is too heavy for you to handle can have many consequences. The biggest one is that you are highly at risk of injuring yourself.

This risk of injury is because when you lift something too heavy for you, it can become extremely difficult to maintain the proper form, therefore resulting in a bigger chance of injury.

You should always make sure to lift a weight that is suitable for you, don't go too overboard.

Since you're resistance training, you will lift heavier when exercising to build strength, however, you should make sure to not go too heavy.

Neglecting Proper Form or Skipping Warm-Ups

Similarly to lifting too heavy, neglecting your technique can result in injury because you won't be doing the exercise right.

Maintaining the proper technique is crucial, and before lifting heavier during an exercise, you should make sure to spend some time mastering the form with a lighter weight.

Additionally, skipping warm-ups can result in injury since you won't be preparing your muscles for a workout.

A warm-up is designed to get the blood and oxygen pumping through your muscles so they can engage in exercise.

Not performing an adequate warm-up can not only result in injury but can also decrease your performance.

Not Prioritising Recovery & Sleep

Another big mistake that strength training beginners make is focusing too much on their training and not placing a priority on recovery and sleep, which are essential for strength growth.

The recovery stage is when muscles repair and grow stronger, so you mustn't neglect it.

Sleep is also important as this is when your muscles repair themselves the most, so make sure to get between 7-9 hours of shut-eye every single night.

This will also give you more energy during your workouts, therefore improving your physical performance.

Over-reliance on Machines Instead of Free Weights

Machines are excellent at giving you a good burn in your muscles, however, free weights are much better for strength as they allow for a full range of motion through the joints.

This activates stabilising muscles, which can help with strength growth.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't use machines at all, but if you are then you should use them at the end of your session so that you have more energy for the free weights at the beginning of your training.

Supplements for Strength Training

SUPPLEMENTS ARE NOT STEROIDS!

Whenever most people hear the word supplement, they automatically assume it means steroids, however, supplements are just vitamins and nutrients put together for a specific purpose (such as to help increase muscle strength).

And, they are safe (unless you abuse them excessively).

While they are not necessary for your training, they can help propel your progress.

The top two supplements that I would recommend consuming are creatine and protein powder.

Firstly, creatine is extremely beneficial for not only your physical health, but also your mental health, and is advantageous for gaining strength. Creatine is especially helpful for drawing energy to your muscles, which is handy when you are sleep-deprived.

Also, protein powder can help largely with muscle repair and growth after your workout, which can therefore help bolster strength gains.

There are also other supplements out there that you can take, including but not limited to:

• Beta-alanine - improves performance during high-intensity workouts by delaying muscle fatigue

• BCAAs - reduce muscle soreness and promote recovery

• Omega-3 fatty acids - reduce inflammation, improve recovery and support joint health

• Citrulline malate - improves blood flow, enhances endurance and reduces muscle soreness

• Vitamin D - supports muscle function, bone strength and testosterone levels

Remember to research into supplements yourself as well, and make sure to take note of how much is too much to consume per day.

Strength-Building Guide Summary

Strength training focuses on building muscle strength through compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats and bench presses.

This style of training involves low rep ranges of 2-6 reps per set using heavier weights while also incorporating progressive overload consistently.

Proper nutrition is essential for fueling workouts and recovery, making nutrients like protein and carbohydrates vital. Additionally, sleep and rest allow for muscles to be repaired and grow stronger.

Making sure that you track your progress allows for steady improvement while avoiding rookie mistakes helps prevent injury during training.

While they aren't needed, supplements such as creatine and protein can help a bunch with your training and recovery, supporting your strength-building goals when paired with a nutritious diet.

With dedication and consistency with the right approach, building strength is achievable for anyone, including you.

Now you know how to grow strength, get started on your journey today, and remember that if you need help, then you can always check out our programs or other articles like this.

I hope this strength-building guide has helped. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us using the chat box.