Strength Training for Beginners

ldw5490

I'm looking to start switching up my workout routine. For the past year, my focus has been on weight loss and I've stuck mainly to cardio. I've lost about 50+ pounds and I'm happy with that. Now, I'm looking to gain lean muscle. I started strength training yesterday, and am a bit sore, but it's tolerable. I'm usually in the gym 4-5 times a week and I'm wondering if I need to change this. For those who strength train, do you do it everyday? Should I start going to the gym every other day?

jacksonpt

Every other day is good for new lifters. Some of the best boxed routines recommend full body 3x week, which is probably perfect for you. On off days you can do things like stretch, mobility work, or steady state cardio... just make sure you are giving your body a chance to repair/recover.

tatasmagik

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

JGFreeh

Look into Starting Strength if you're truly a beginner. I found the Stronglifts 5x5 program a little too tough (too many reps) when I was starting out).

You only have to remember two workouts, and you alternate between them every other day. Easy peasy lemon squeezey.

MisterDerpington

Strength training with a full body routine 3x a week is pretty good for a beginner. You want to stick with compound exercises (this means the exercise uses multiple muscle groups). This is as opposed to isolation exercises. An example of these two would be a pushup or bench press (compound) as opposed to a bicep curl (isolation). A good way to make a program is using these following types of exercise: 

A Lower Body Press. Examples are Squats (you can start from body weight and move to dumbbell then barbell). Leg Press can work too, but some have knee problems with this machine (myself included). 

A Lower Body Pull. This means a pulling type of lift that uses your lower body. Specifically your posterior chain (the posterior chain is the backside of your lower body: lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and other smaller muscles). Deadlifts are something many people recommend, but for some people this may not be doable. Rack Pulls are a good substitution. i If you don't have a track thigh, Google Romanian Deadlift. It's sort of like a Deadlift from the top down, and only going as deep as you can handle with good form. 

An Upper Body Horizontal Press. Pushups and Bench Press are the best two exercises for this. 

An Upper Body Vertical Press. All the different variations of Overhead Press. There's also Handstand Pushups.. 

An Upper Body Horizontal Pull. This means all sorts of Row movements with weights where you're bent over and hitting your middle back. 

An Upper Body Vertical Pull. Pullups, Chinups or the Lat Pulldown machine. If you don't have access to a Lat Pulldown machine, you could try starting with dead hangs from a pull up bar. Once those are easy, try starting from the top of a pullup or chinup, standing on a chair. Slowly lower yourself down to the bottom of the movement, trying to keep controlled and fighting gravity. 

This may seem like a lot, but you can break it up into an A and B workout. It would look like this. 

Workout A: 
Lower Body Push
 Lower Body Pull 
Upper Body Vertical Push 
Upper Body Vertical Pull 

Workout B:

 Lower Body Push 
Lower Body Pull 
Upper Body Horizontal Push
 Upper Body Horizontal Pull 

You would alternate these workouts each day you strength train. You want to start with a weight that you can do with proper form, but isn't too easy. You will increase the resistance as you continue through the weeks. Some people increase weight every day. Some every other day. Just make you're progressin