Regular weight training helps improve your bone density, muscle and tissue health, the ability to manage your weight and your quality of life, reports the American Council on Exercise. Beginning a program may be intimidating when you are presented with a gym floor teeming with barbells, dumbbells, cable machines and various other types of weight equipment. A certified fitness professional can help you design a program that best meets your goals.
Considerations
Before beginning a weight-training program, lay out some specific goals. Consider whether you want to lose weight, build strength, compete as a bodybuilder or simply improve your ability to function in day-to-day activities, such as carrying groceries or playing with your kids. Knowing your goals helps you devise an appropriate program. If you have specific injuries or health concerns, consult your doctor before starting a program.
Features
A beginning workout for weight training should primarily feature body-weight or machine-based exercises. These exercises are easier to execute with proper form and are less likely to cause injury than those performed with free weights. Beginners may have more success with selectorized machines---those adjusted with a pin---rather than cable- or plate-based machines, which require more coordination and skill.
Strategy
You may hear about training splits, super setting and other advanced training techniques. As a beginner, you want to focus simply on a whole-body weight-training routine that includes eight to 10 exercises with a minimum of eight to 12 repetitions, performed two times a week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Do not strength-train the same body part two days in a row. Leave at least 48 hours between strength-training workouts to give muscles a chance to grow and repair---this period is when the real benefits of training occur.
Warm Up
Warm up your body before performing your strength-training routine. Doing so increases blood flow to your muscles, making them less prone to injury. Try walking on a treadmill or marching in place for five to 10 minutes.
Sample Routine
You can structure a full-body weight training routine for beginners in multiple ways. One example would include a warm-up followed by performing 10 each of knee-based push-ups, squats and stationary lunges on each foot. Move on to selectorized machines to perform 10 back rows, 10 biceps curls, 10 triceps extensions and 10 military presses. Lie on a mat to do 12 abdominal crunches. Rest a minute or two between each exercise. When you complete the exercises, do about five minutes of static stretching for the legs and upper body.
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