Empower Your Fitness Journey: A Handbook to Starting Strength Training in 2023

Are you ready to kickstart your fitness journey in 2023? Achieve your strongest self by learning about the world of strength training, a powerful and transformative approach to improving your physical and mental health. Whether you’re new to the gym or looking to refresh your fitness routine, this handbook is your compass to navigating the exciting realm of strength training. 

Let’s start by understanding what strength training is. Strength training helps you enhance your muscles’ power and physical strength by doing exercises targeting specific muscle groups. As stated in the American College of Sports Medicines journal, strength training was ranked as the second-most trending fitness trend in 2023. (Wearable fitness technology takes first place.) 

What’s so great about Strength Training? 

Strength training is mainly thought of as a way to increase muscle size. Although this is true, strength training not only brings attention to muscles. Strength training has various advantages: 

Our 5 + 5 rule

Strength training includes 5 basic principles and follows 5 basic strength exercises. Every training program must follow a few principles to understand what you will be able to track and consider. Strength training follows the mentioned principles: 

• Follow a specific goal to work towards. 
• Ensure your training is around you, which means looking into factors such as age, gender, health issues, etc. 
• Adjust variables such as repetitions, sets, tempo, and weight to stress your neuromuscular system sufficiently, prompting it to adapt and grow stronger.
• Throughout your training program, be sure to do progression overload.
• Between your workout sessions, rest and recovery are mandatory. 

Once the principles are understood, you must know the 5 basic strength exercises. These strength training exercises are basic movement patterns that should be understood and followed. 

1. Squats: Squats encompass a variety of movements, ranging from bodyweight squats to different loaded squat variations such as back squats, sumo squats, and front squats, including lunges. In strength training programs, back squats are consistently favored.

2. Hinges: This category involves movements that require a hip hinge, whether from a vertical position, as seen in deadlifts or a horizontal position, exemplified by glute bridges.

3. Pushes: These movements focus on the upper body pushing muscles and can be executed in vertical positions, like overhead presses, and horizontal positions, including bench presses or push-ups.

4. Pulls: Pulls encompass exercises targeting the upper body’s pulling muscles. These exercises can be performed from vertical positions, like pull-ups, or horizontal positions, as in bent-over rows.

5. Core: Core exercises engage movements across all three planes of motion, targeting muscles in the abdomen, obliques, lower back, and the smaller muscles in between. Practical core exercises for strength programs include hanging leg raises, planks, side planks, and rotational/anti-rotational exercises such as woodchoppers.

What’s the best strength training program?

Here are five well-established strength training programs, progressing from novice to advanced levels.

• Starting Strength (Beginner)
• Strong Lifts 5×5 (Beginner)
• Texas Method (Intermediate)
• Wendler 5/3/1 (Intermediate)
• Madcow 5×5 (Intermediate Version & Advanced Version)

Each of the programs mentioned has its own strengths and characteristics, so let’s briefly discuss each one:

• Starting strength focuses on fundamental compound lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, and power cleans) and offers a straightforward linear progression model.
• Strong Lifts 5×5 is similar to Starting Strength, emphasizing five core exercises and a 5×5 rep scheme. It suits beginners and offers a simple, practical approach to building strength.
• The Texas Method is ideal for intermediate lifters who have progressed beyond beginner programs and want to continue making strength gains. It involves a mix of volume and intensity days, allowing for more customization.
• Wendler’s 5/3/1 is a highly customizable program suitable for many lifters. It focuses on the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press, providing flexibility in exercise selection and progression.
• Madcow 5×5 is designed for those looking to break through plateaus. It employs a linear progression model with built-in periodization to help prevent stagnation.

The “best” program depends on factors such as your current fitness level, specific goals (e.g strength, powerlifting, general fitness) and available time for training. It’s also essential to consider your strengths and weaknesses and any limitations or injuries.

Strength training is not limited to bodybuilders or athletes; it’s a valuable fitness tool for people of all backgrounds and fitness levels. It empowers you to build a stronger, healthier, more resilient body to improve your quality of life and overall well-being. So, whether lifting weights in the gym or doing bodyweight exercises at home, strength training can be a transformative and empowering journey toward a better you!

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotele

Reference:

https://www.setforset.com/blogs/news/best-strength-training-programs https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/strength-training-popular-health-benefits-rcna94678

https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/fulltext/2023/01000/worldwide_survey_of_fitness_trends_for_2023.6.aspx https://www.setforset.com/blogs/news/best-strength-training-programs