Free Strength Workouts

There are many free strength workouts that you can use to develop stronger muscles. In general, training for strength means using lower repetitions, three to six reps per set, for example. Training for power and strength, however, does not mean hoisting heavy weights with no control. Strength training does favor heavy training over form, but maintaining basic exercise form is important to your long-term strength goals and to preventing unwanted injuries.

5X5 Strength Training

This workout is a time-tested staple of bodybuilders, weight-lifters and strength coaches, according to "Up Your Strength With a 5X5 Program" by Shannon Clark. The 5X5 protocol means doing five sets of five repetitions on heavy compound exercises that target overall gains in strength, with a side effect of increased muscle size. For this program, you train three days per week--Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for example. On Monday, you start with five sets of squats for five repetitions. Next, do five five-rep sets of bench press and then do five five-rep sets of bent-over rows. Finish by training supporting muscles, the triceps and abs, for two to three sets of five to eight reps. Wednesday, you begin with five five-rep sets of front squats, a variation of the squat where the bar rests on your front deltoids, rather than your upper back (see Exercise Guide in Resources). Then, do military presses, deadlifts and pull-ups in the 5X5 style as well. Finish with two to three sets of supporting work for biceps and abs in the five-to-eight-rep range. Friday's workout is the same as Monday's, except you should try to increase the weights slightly by adding 2.5 to 5 lb. on each side of the barbell.

Low-Rep German Volume Training

German volume training is another old-school strength workout that utilizes high volume, meaning a lot of sets and reps, traditionally 10X10. In this variation, however, you do 10 six-rep sets. The training split breaks down like this: arms on the first day, legs on the second, rest on third, and chest and back on the fourth. After this, you rest one to two days and repeat the cycle. During each workout, you use one compound movement for each target muscle group, for example, weighted dips for triceps, incline dumbbell curls for biceps, squats for quadriceps, leg curls for hamstrings, bench press for chest and pull-ups for back. The shoulders receive no direct training because they are heavily involved in the bench press movement. On arms-training day, for example, you do a set of weighted dips for six reps, rest 90 seconds and do a set of incline curls for six reps. Repeat the cycle for 10 total sets of each exercise. Pick a weight you could do for eight to 10 reps maximum and do not go to total muscle failure on any set. Try to increase the weight slightly at each workout.

Rest/Pause Strength Training

Rest/pause training with low reps is an effective strength-building workout. It takes advantage of the way your muscles make energy or ATP, adenosine trisphosphate, by allowing small rest periods between sets done in quick succession. For instance if you take a weight with which you could only do eight to 10 repetitions and do 15 mini-sets of only one or two reps, you will have instantly doubled your volume with that same poundage. Moreover, by strategically reducing your rest times, you can progress toward moving heavier weights. On the first day, you do clean and presses, followed by chin-ups for 15 sets of two repetitions each. Follow that with a 10-rep set of bench presses and a 20-rep set of deadlifts. Finish with two or three sets of an abs exercise for 10 to 15 reps. On the second day, you do 12 sets of three reps on dips, 20 two-rep sets of squats, 12 two-rep sets of bent-over rows, six four-rep sets of barbell curls and two or three sets of abdominal work. Take one day off and then repeat this two-day cycle. Start with 30- to 60-second rests between sets and gradually decrease to 20 seconds or less.