How to Build Up to Strength Training

Losing weight involves consistent work in many areas of your life, one of the main ones being how you move. When you start your journey, the main goal is to get moving. Daily walks can get your body accustomed to moving while helping your body function, which leads to feeling better overall. Eventually, you’ll get stronger, and you’ll be ready for the next step in achieving sustained weight loss: strength training. 

Walk, then run (both metaphorically and literally).

If exercise is not part of your daily routine, going straight to the weight rack won’t benefit you. Your first step will be incorporating movement into your life. Make time for a daily walk, whether it’s in the morning before you get ready for work or in the evening after dinner. Start with 10-15 minute walks, and work your way up to 30 minutes of walking a day. When you come back home from a 30-minute walk feeling like you want to move more, you’ll be ready for the next step. 

Fuel your workouts.

Before you head to the gym, make sure that you’ll have the strength to get through your workout. This means eating plenty of protein and carbohydrates to fuel your exercise routine. Ask your doctor if working out fasted in the morning is an option for you; if not, always ensure you’re fueling properly. Eating something small an hour and a half before your workout will give you the fuel you need without making you feel sick. 

Start short and simple.

You may know people who go to the gym 5 days a week and do strenuous activities on their “rest” days. Remember, they didn’t start out that way. Just like they did, you have to start out somewhere. Start by working strength training into your routine twice a week, alternating which parts of your body you work out each time. Spread these days apart as much as possible in the beginning so you’ll have plenty of time to rest, recover and build muscle before you go back. 

Here are some tips for getting started: 

• Focus on form. If you’re not sure how a machine works or how to do the lift you were encouraged to try, ask someone who works at the gym. They are there to help you work out safely, and proper form goes a long way. 
• Choose the right amount of weight. This is an amount of weight that feels slightly strenuous after a small number of repetitions. Starting off too light won’t help you build muscle, and starting out too heavy can cause injury. 
• Warm up every time. A 10-15 minute walk before you move into weights, as well as stretching the part of your body you’ll be working on, will prepare your body and allow you to get the most out of your workout.

Give yourself time to rest.

Your body needs to rest. Even if you’re riding high on the endorphins from your workouts, it’s important to take time for recovery between sessions. As you work your way up from 2 days to 3, and so on, make sure you set time aside for rest. When you rest and refuel, your muscles will get stronger, and you’ll be ready to do it all over again next time. 

Everyone is at a different phase of their workout journey. If you’re at a point now where you don’t see yourself ever entering a gym, that’s OK — you’ll get there at your own pace. This is your life, not anyone else’s. Make sure to get your body moving, and keep challenging yourself to reach your goals.