How to Start Strength Training (for complete beginners!)
- Kitana Tucker
- Jul 23
- 6 min read
Ok, so you’ve decided it’s time. You want to get strong, build muscle, feel confident in your own skin, and maybe finally stop Googling “Workouts to stop arm jiggle”.
But... there’s one tiny little problem.
You have no idea where to start with strength training.
Should I start with machines?
Should I jump right into the squat rack (or maybe: what is a squat rack?)
Should I just go to a class like body pump?
Let me stop you right there, friend.
You do NOT need to be a gym bro or memorize every exercise on TikTok to start strength training.
You can build strength, confidence, and muscle in a simple, strategic, and doable way-even if you have no experience at all.
I’m going to walk you through exactly how to start strength training step by step, so you can stop overthinking and start lifting.
Why Start Strength Training in the First Place?
Before we get into the how, let’s chat about the why-because there are so many benefits to strength training that go way beyond toned arms or a perkier booty.
(Though, yes, you can have those too.)
Here’s what happens when you start strength training:
You boost your metabolism (this means more calorie burn-even at rest!)
You protect your bone density (super important as we age)
You improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control
You feel stronger, both physically and mentally
You build muscle, which helps with fat loss (yes, really!)
You increase energy, confidence, and resilience
Basically, lifting weights turns you into a healthier, more capable version of yourself.
Plus, it makes your daily life wayyyy easier. Like carrying toddlers around.
Now let’s get into it...
Step 1: Get Over the Fear of the Weight Room
The weight room at the gym can feel intimidating, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.
There are people grunting. Machines you’ve never seen before. Huge men lifting 5000 pounds on barbells.
But here’s the thing: You belong there just as much as anyone else.
Everyone started somewhere-even the people who look like they were born bench pressing.
This is actually the first thing I work with my clients on. We need to accept the identity of a lifter (or athlete) otherwise we will severely limit our progress.
If you feel nervous, I’ve got you.
My No-Fear Weight Room Tour walks you through how to set up for the key compound lifts so you can strut in there with confidence (or at least fake it ‘til you make it). 🙃
🔗 Grab my free No-Fear Weight Room Tour here.
Step 2: Learn the Basic Movement Patterns
Here’s where a lot of beginners go sideways: they randomly pick exercises from Instagram with no real structure.
But when you're learning how to start strength training, you want to focus your efforts around movement patterns, not just muscle groups.
What does that mean?
Instead of trying to train “arms” or “legs,” focus on functional patterns your body uses in everyday life.
There are 5 primary movement patterns I focus on when designing workouts for my program:
Squat (think: sitting down, standing up)
Hinge (think: bending over to pick up a toy... or 32 toys)
Push (think: pushing a stroller uphill)
Pull (think: opening a heavy door or picking up your toddler)
Bracing (think: holding a toddler on your hip)
When you train these movements, you strengthen your entire body in a balanced way, and you set yourself up for better posture, less injury, and more muscle gain.
Some beginner-friendly exercises for each pattern:
Squat – Bodyweight squat, goblet squat with a dumbbell
Hinge – Romanian deadlift with dumbbells, hip thrust
Push – Push-ups, dumbbell bench press
Pull – Bent-over rows, pull ups
Bracing – Planks; balance work
Step 3: Focus on Compound Lifts First
Now that you know the movement patterns, let’s talk compound lifts.
Compound lifts are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, and they give you the biggest bang for your buck-especially if you don’t have hours to spend in the gym.
Here are the major compound lifts you’ll want to focus on:
Squat
Deadlift
Hip thrust
These are the main lifts I teach inside my programs because they are efficient, effective, and they build strength and muscle like nothing else.
If you’re brand new, start with the bodyweight version or use light dumbbells to get the form down first. Then slowly progress as your body adapts.
You will eventually progress to lifting “heavy”; but honestly, heavy is relative, right?
What’s heavy for you may not be for me. It’s all about challenging your body to signal to your muscles that they need to adapt (grow) to lift the load next time.
Step 4: Apply Progressive Overload (This Is Where the Magic Happens)
Once you’ve gotten comfortable with your lifts, it’s time to level up. T
his is where a lot of beginners stall-because they do the same 10 lb goblet squat every week and wonder why their body isn’t changing.
The secret to results? Progressive overload.
That’s just a fancy way of saying: Do a little more over time.
This can look like:
Adding weight
Doing more reps or sets
Slowing down the tempo
Taking shorter rest breaks
Improving your form or range of motion
If you’re doing the same thing week after week, your body has no reason to change. But when you challenge it just a little more each time?
That’s when the strength and muscle gains start rolling in.
It’s all about communicating to your body that it needs to adapt to its environment. We do this by challenging our muscles in some way every time we lift.
This sends an “adapt!” signal to our muscles and they grow (assuming the nutrition piece is in place too. You can find out more about nutrition for fat loss here).
Step 5: Make Strength Training a Habit (Without Burning Out)
One of the biggest questions I get is: “How many days a week do I need to lift?”
Here’s the deal: you don’t need to live in the gym.
You can see amazing progress with 3 full-body strength workouts per week. Or honestly, just 2 if that’s all you have capacity for.
That gives your body enough stimulus to grow, while giving you rest days (which are just as important, btw).
I recommend starting with something like this:
Day 1 – Full body
Day 2 – Rest or active recovery (walk, yoga, chase your kids at the park)
Day 3 – Full body
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Full body
Weekend – Rest or optional fun movement
And remember: consistency beats intensity.
It’s better to do 3 strength workouts a week for 6 months than go 5 days a week for 2 weeks and then ghost the gym entirely.
Bonus Tips for Beginners Starting Strength Training
A few extra golden nuggets for your strength training journey:
1. Don’t Skip the Warm-Up
No, you don’t need a 30-minute cardio sesh, but rolling out with a foam roller and doing some glute activation work is super helpful. Here’s my routine for rolling out and for glute activation.
2. Learn Proper Form
This is huge. Bad form = injuries + wasted time. Use mirrors, record yourself, or work with a coach if possible (hi! 👋).
3. Track Your Workouts
Use an app (I like Strong) or a notebook, but keep a log of your exercises, weights, and reps. This helps you track progress and apply progressive overload.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Eat
You’re building muscle now. That means you need fuel. Don’t try to eat like a bird and train like a beast-it won’t work. Prioritize protein, balanced meals, and enough calories to support your strength goals.
5. Trust the Process
Muscle gain takes time. Strength takes time. Confidence takes time. But it will come. Keep showing up.
Ready to Start Strength Training the Smart Way?
If you’re still thinking, “OK but I still don’t want to mess this up,” I’ve got something for you.
Inside my Fit Lifestyle in a Box program, I give you:
One-on-one accountability and support from someone who gets it (because I do!)
Easy-to-follow progressive overload strategies
Macro and nutrition support (because strength starts in the kitchen, too!)
Strength training workouts built around compound lifts
These are the things you are going to need to lose fat and get stronger. In a way that isn’t overwhelming.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect—Just Start
Here’s the thing: you’re not going to do this perfectly.
Your squat might feel wobbly at first. You might forget how many sets you’ve done. You might wear two different socks to the gym (same).
But every single rep counts.
The key is to start, stay consistent, and give yourself the grace to learn.
You are capable of being strong. You are allowed to take up space in the gym. And you can build a body you’re proud of-without starving yourself or spinning in circles on the elliptical.
So go grab those dumbbells, put on your favorite playlist, and start training like the strong woman you are becoming.
You’ve got this. 💪
-Rachel
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