I tried to exercise somewhat regularly for most of my adult life. I mainly focused on running and bodyweight routines. Occasional visits to the gym ended up mostly on the treadmill as I had no idea how to use the gym equipment.
Then few years ago I discovered the benefits of strength training. After reading on the topic and meeting a few new friends who trained regularly, I was sold on the effectiveness.
But I still didn’t know what to do in the gym. My son was very young and I was balancing between spending time with him and a busy job. There was no space or time in my life for a personal trainer.
If you are motivated to start but feel lost, don’t be overwhelmed, it is completely normal. Here is a list of the most useful self-learning resources I used to help you on your strength training beginner journey.
Best for: exercise demonstration
After weeks of research, this was hands down the best and most useful website I found.
Their database of exercises is super thorough and every muscle function and correct form are very well demonstrated.
There is also a lot of useful advice on training and nutrition in the articles section.
You need to have an account to access the resources on the website. While they do have many options for workout plans to purchase, above resources are completely free after you sign up.
Best for: daily motivation
She posts daily and her focus is on exercises for different muscle groups (especially lower body), as well as correct form and technique.
I also just find her very genuine and motivating. She is very open about her imperfections and doesn’t create any false, filtered illusions that are so common on social media.
She stated out as an overweight mom of two with zero experience in the gym and is totally crushing it now. Just watching her squat 90 kilos is enough to make me put on my workout clothes and head to the gym.
Best for: ideas on what exercises to include in workouts for different muscle groups
Once I learnt how to perform the individual exercises, the next challenge was how do I combine them to create effective workouts. This is where Lisafitworkouts account came in very handy.
Her posts usually include 4 to 5 exercises for a muscle group. When performed in 3-4 sets with 12-15 repetitions each, this is more than plenty to fill in a full gym session.
Bonus: she has many videos with at home workouts with minimal equipment such as bands or light dumbbells. Perfect for busy moms that can’t always make it to the gym.
If you are a strength training beginner, it is normal to feel intimidated to walk into a gym. Luckily there are plenty of useful resources to help you learn more about the best exercises, form and workouts. Speaking out of personal experience, once you see the way strength training will change your body, you will fall in love with it forever.
