The start of your strength training journey is an exciting time because you’ll never make greater gains in strength and muscularity than when you first get started. That’s why it’s so important to get off on the right track.
But many of us stumble out of the gate by trying to figure things out on our own. Sure, there’s some value in trial and error, but with the availability of expert coaching and quality training routines, there’s no reason to waste this crucial period of your training career.
Here are 10 commandments a beginner lifter should follow to maximize the early stages of their training.
Thou Shalt Be Consistent
Consistency is THE most important thing, period. You have to build momentum so training becomes a regular part of your life. This sets you up for long-term training success.
Also, beginners detrain (i.e., go back to their baseline fitness levels) very quickly. Missing even just a week of training in the early stages could set you back to square one.
Thou Shalt Start Too Easy
In order to be consistent, you have to start with workouts that are too easy. Why? Because if you run yourself into the ground right off the bat, you won’t stick with it. If you’re too sore or too tired from yesterday’s crushing workout, you’re more likely to skip today’s workout.
Starting too easy is also a psychological trick. It makes you crave a greater challenge so you start putting out better efforts. Better to ramp up your effort steadily than go all-in and burn out.
Thou Shalt Create Progressive Overload
Another reason to start too easy? Progressive overload. It’s the governing principle of fitness. In order to keep getting stronger or building muscle, you have to do a little more than you did before to force your body to adapt. Lift a little more weight, do a few more reps, do a little more work overall.
There are tons of ways to create progressive overload, but the simple rule is don’t do the same thing over and over. Otherwise, you won’t change.
Thou Shalt Do a Little a Lot
It’s far better to do a little a lot than a lot a little. Frequent, shorter workouts are better than long, sporadic workouts. This helps build the consistency we talked about earlier. Aim for 3-5 workouts at 30-60 minutes a piece rather than 1-2 marathon workouts.
Again, beginners detrain quickly, so taking more than a day or two between workouts may actually cause detraining in newer lifters.
Thou Shalt Not Worry About the Weight on the Bar
When you’re a beginner, the weight on the bar literally does not matter. You’ll get stronger with very, VERY light weights. As long as you’re consistent and lifting with good technique, the gains will come. There’s absolutely no reason for a beginner to crush themselves with heavy weights early on. Just learn proper technique and keep showing up.
Thou Shalt Not Let Perfect Get in the Way of Good Enough
Expecting yourself to be perfect with your lifting technique right away is unfair. Remember, strength is a skill. You’re learning brand new things, so of course you’re going to struggle at first. At this stage in the game, good is better than perfect.
A good coach will make sure that your technique is safe and that you’re using an appropriate weight for your strength level. That way, even if you mess up, you’re not going to hurt yourself.
Thou Shalt Write Everything Down
The first piece of lifting gear you should buy is a notebook so you can write everything down. What gets measured gets managed. Keep track of the exercises you learn and technique pointers your coach gives you. Write down the sets, reps and weights so you can refer back to them. Remember progressive overload? It’s a lot easier to do more than you did last time if you write it down.
Thou Shalt Not Compare Yourself to Others
Comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t get caught up in comparing your first chapter to someone’s epilogue. Someone you admire for their strength or physique may seem lightyears ahead of you, but they were a beginner at one point too.
The only person worth comparing yourself to is yourself yesterday. That’s why you write everything down. Beat the numbers in the notebook consistently and you’ll get incredible results.
Thou Shalt Master the Basics of Nutrition
Even though working out gets most of the glory when it comes to fitness, nutrition has the best return on investment. Small nutritional changes can lead to dramatic results, especially when you nail the basics.
For starters, drink more water and eat more protein. Get yourself a large refillable water bottle and drink half your bodyweight in ounces per day (e.g., if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces per day). Eat a palm-sized serving of protein (e.g., chicken, beef, fish, tofu, etc.) at each meal. These first two steps can be life-changing and supercharge your workouts.
Thou Shalt Invest in Yourself
There’s way too much bad fitness info out there to try to sift through it yourself. And there are far too many great coaches to not hire one. You probably don’t cut your own hair, fix your own car or manage your own investment accounts. Why try to design your own workouts and coach yourself through them when you could hire a pro?
The early stages of your lifting career are so precious because of how rapidly you can make progress, so compound that progress by investing in yourself. Hire a coach and/or join a group that will guide and support you along the way.
BONUS: Thou Shalt Get Started Today
We at Bonvec Strength are psyched to announce our 8-week Strength 101 beginner’s program. It’s specifically designed to help anyone learn to lift for the first time. Any age, any background, any walk of life. We’ve built an inclusive community of hard-working people who support each other to reach our goals.
In 8 weeks, you will:
- Build confidence so you know what you’re doing in the gym
- Learn to lift with proper form
- Gain full body strength
- Feel more energy
- Improve mobility
All for just $299 (That’s less than $13 a class!).
Strength 101 is backed by our 100% money-back guarantee. If you don’t love training with us, you’ll get your money back – no questions asked.
Classes start Saturday, September 17 in West Boylston!
But don’t wait, this early bird price won’t last. The price goes up to $399 on September 9, so sign up today!
And for those of you who aren’t local to Massachusetts, we’ve got an online version of Strength 101 designed to be done at home with minimal equipment. It’s on sale for 50% off when you use the code LEVELUP50 at checkout!
