A Beginner’s Guide to Resistance Training:

Define Your Goals; Design The Process

This article will discuss the variables of resistance training, and will help you understand how to manipulate them to achieve your goals. As always, we would like to acknowledge and emphasize that this information, although supported by scientific evidence and health professionals, should not be taken as medical advice or recommendations. Individuals should always consult with their own doctor before initiating any exercise program. For the sake of simplicity and the fact that it tends to be the most commonly practiced form of resistance training, weight lifting will be used to exemplify all points throughout this article. 

The most important thing to understand is this: You get out what you put in. No more, no less. Your body adapts and improves itself in response to training only if it is pushed to. If it is not pushed to its limits – whatever limits that may be – there is no physiological reason for it to adapt. As such, when training, it is absolutely crucial that you push yourself until ‘failure’. That is, that you do the most your body can tolerate in any given set or exercise. This will be emphasized and clarified further in the Training Load & Repetitions section, later in this article.

The traditional design variables of resistance training (in order of how you should address them) are as follows:

1. Needs Analysis: Where are you now, physically, and what are your goals?  What do you need to work on to get there?
2. Exercise Selection: What exercises are most appropriate for your experience level? Which exercises will help to improve the physical aspects that you determined you were lacking in “Needs Analysis”?
3. Training Frequency: How often should you ideally be training, given your experience level?
4. Exercise Order: Based on your above answers, how should you prioritize your exercises?
5. Training Load & Repetitions: How much weight, and how many reps are best for your goal(s)?
6. Volume: Considering your experience, training frequency and goals, how much total ‘work’ is recommended for you?
7. Rest Periods: What effect do rest periods have? How much or how little time should I be giving myself between sets to maximize the desired effects?

For ALL Individuals

For beginners (0-2 months experience)

For Intermediate (2-6 months experience)

For Advanced (at least 1 year of experience

Step 1: Needs Analysis

This is the first step to designing a training regiment tailored to fit your goals. It must include identifying your ideal goal(s), as well as taking a look at where your body currently is. Then, you must compare the two and decide what you need to focus on improving (in other words, what are your “needs”).

Address the first part; what is your goal? Do you want to be strong, or do you want to be lean and ‘cut’? Do you want to be fast and powerful (shorter distances), or do you want to have better endurance so that you still have ‘gas in the tank’ when it’s time to ‘kick it into gear’ in the last mile of a marathon? Some of your goals may overlap, too. For example, let’s say your goal is to be strong. Does it matter to you whether you are ‘lean’ and strong, or are you ok with having a bit of extra weight (more to love, right?)? These are all important details that you need to acknowledge and differentiate, before then comparing that to where your level of fitness lies at the moment.

Step 2: Exercise Selection

            Once you know what your goals and needs are, selecting your exercises is the next step.  How should do you chose your exercises? Well, simply put, your only body adapts to better handle and perform the stresses you put on it. This means that you should choose exercises that align with your goals and mimic the movements that you hope to functionally improve. For example: let’s say that your goal – determined in step 1, above – is to improve your vertical jump. When you jump, your hip and knee both extend (resulting in the leg moving ‘backwards’ to become in-line with your back/body), and your ankle plantar-flexes (toes pointing down). A movement that would mimic this, at least at the hip and knee joints, could be a power clean or squat exercise. To further train for this task, calf-raises would likely also be included in order to replicate the ‘toe-pointing’ part of a vertical jump. Assuming that everything is performed correctly, this would be overall more beneficial to improving your jump than an exercise program that worked on each of these movements individually, or in different positions (such as seated leg/knee extension machine, ‘glute’ bridges, seated calf raises, etc.). Are you with me?

Because your body is not accustomed to handling the stresses of this mode of exercise, caution should be taken by easing into the new exercise routine so as to avoid over-training or injury. This means that simpler movements should be chosen over more advanced ones, which would otherwise require more training experience to perform safely and/or correctly (e.g. barbell bench press (simple) versus cable-based chest flies (advanced – very unstable)). In very generalized terms, fixed-axis machines (one arc of motion, such as on a leg-extension machine) are probably going to be a better choice than any standing dumbbell or cable- based exercise. This is because the nervous system (which controls your muscles) in beginners is not yet well adapted to coordinate and handle complex movements under additional resistance. As such, it is a good idea to start simple and allow for these changes to occur before moving on to more advanced exercises.

In addition to all this, beginners should opt for performing exercises in a left-right, side-alternating manner (if possible). For example, if performing a free-weight rowing exercise, a beginner should perform this with a dumbbell first with the left arm and then with the right – or visa versa – rather than choosing to perform the exercise with a barbell, which would require the motion be performed with both arms simultaneously. Once again, this is due to the neural differences between beginner and well-trained (with resistance) individuals. A very interesting observation has been made in studies comparing these two populations; individuals with no history of resistance training can typically lift more total weight by performing exercises with one side of the body at a time (e.g. weight lifted with left arm + weight with right arm). This is in contrast to individuals with lots of previous resistance training experience, who can lift a greater total amount of weight when performed with both sides of the body at the same time [1].

Step 3: Training Frequency

            The generally accepted definitions of beginner, intermediate and advanced experience levels correspond to the following ranges, with the recommended workout schemas for each:

• Beginner (0-2 months lifting experience): do full-body workouts, 1-2 times per week (x/wk).
• Intermediate (2-6 months lifting experience): do full-body or 2-day splits over 2-4 workouts/wk.
• Advanced (≥1 year lifting experience): do 2- or 3-day splits over 4-6 sessions per week.

Special attention should be placed on a recommended frequency of 2-3 training sessions per week per muscle group in order to ensure continual improvement. The above recommendations for beginners, intermediate and advanced lifters take this into consideration (further explanation below) [2]. Although the scientific evidence that has specifically investigated frequency varies greatly, most studies employ training frequencies of 2 or more sessions per week [3].

Beginners will experience much more soreness than intermediate or advanced lifters, which is generally representative of the amount of adaptation/recovery is required following a workout. This is the reason why beginners should not overtax their full-body system by asking it to fill this relatively higher adaptation demand more than 1-2 times per week. Meanwhile, advanced lifters’ bodies can theoretically better handle and recover from more total work per week because the imposed demands are not as foreign, and typically require less widespread adaptation.  Finally, when you then consider that each muscle should be ideally worked 2-3 times per week, then you arrive at our conclusion that beginners should do full body workouts (for their 1-2 sessions per week), intermediates should do either full body workouts or 2 different split routines (for their 3-4 sessions per week), and advanced lifters should do 2 or 3 different split-day routines (for their 5-6 sessions per week).

The most important thing is this:  something is better than nothing. If you can only squeeze in 1 day of training per week, then that’s better than nothing at all. Even if you’ve trained on and off, and consider yourself an “intermediate” or “advanced” lifter and you can’t seem to fit in 3-4 workouts in your busy schedule throughout the week, then going 2 times per week is still beneficial. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and throw in a full body workout! Do what you can and work your butt off!

Step 4: Exercise Order

            Exercises should be completed in order of decreasing difficulty and complexity: Agility before power; power before strength; strength before hypertrophy/volume; hypertrophy before endurance.  This order is recommended by the majority of professionals, and furthermore, is in agreement with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

To understand this well, you need to understand the physiology, which we will describe in this paragraph. If you don't care to understand this - skip to the next paragraph. On a very basic and simplified level, muscles are made up of several different fiber types. These different types can contract and generate force at different speeds: slow, medium or fast. They are able to generate different amounts of force as well, with the slow fibers producing the least, and the fast-contracting fibers producing the most force. The fibers also fatigue at different rates: the slow fatigue slowly, the medium fatigue at a middle-rate, and the fast fatigue very quickly. This is why if you jump as high as you can repeatedly, you will end up jumping less and less high – even if you take a short breather in between. Jumping requires lots of force, very quickly – so those fibers fatigue rather quickly and start to ‘fail’ on you pretty soon. Rather cleverly, the human body hierarchically recruits muscles in a small-to-large force-producing order, referred to as The Size Principle, so that only the smaller force-producing muscle fibers are activated first. Then, as the demand put on the muscle increases (more and more resistance added), more and more of the medium and higher force-producing fibers are recruited. This trend will continue until eventually (if a high enough demand is placed) nearly all of the muscle fibers are recruited, thus producing the greatest forces. The smaller force-producing fibers will be activated before, and stay on longer than the high force, fast ones – but they also won’t fatigue as quickly.

So, going back to exercise order: you need to perform agility, power and strength exercises first because the muscle fibers needed to perform that kind of work will fatigue pretty quickly. If you perform other, slower and more endurance-based exercises first, then by the time you get to your more intense exercises (power and strength) you won’t be able to perform at the same level or train those faster, greater force-producing fibers as well as you would have if you had started with them, simply due to fatigue.

The point is this: perform agility exercises first, then power, then strength, then hypertrophy, then endurance.

Step 5: Training Load and Repetitions

           ‘Training load’ is also known as intensity, and refers to the amount of weight or resistance being used to challenge the body. It can be either absolute (a numerical amount of weight, listed in pounds (lbs.) or kilograms (kg)), or relative (expressed as a percentage of the amount that you can maximally lift). For example, if you can only perform a biceps curl for a single repetition using a 25-pound dumbbell, your absolute load would be 25-pounds. This would be of your 1-repetition maximum (1RM) for biceps curl. As a relative load (AKA relative intensity), this could be expressed as 100% 1RM.

 As you saw at the beginning of this article in the table labeled “Load-Repetition Relationship for Training Effect”, certain repetition ranges are recommended at different relative intensities (amounts of weight, relative to your 1RM), based on what the intended effect of training is. Due to fatigue (neural and muscular) within a given set, you will only be able to lift a given amount of weight a certain amount of times. The ranges given within the above-referenced chart are well-established estimates of the number of repetitions that an individual should be able to perform at the corresponding relative intensity. This is why it is emphasized that you push yourself to absolute failure each set. You should not be able to do anymore!

Wrapping this full circle back to the example given at the beginning of this section, if your goal was to hypertrophy your biceps (make them grow), you would want to perform between 6-12 repetitions. This correlates to an estimated relative load of between 67-80% of your 1RM, which would work out to be between roughly 16-20 lbs. Because 67% is an ugly number after calculations, and because you won’t be able to find a 16.75 lb. dumbbell anywhere in the real world, let’s go with the 80% 1RM number of 20 lbs. If you grab your 20 lb. dumbbells and start performing bicep curls, you will find that you probably won’t be able to do anymore after between 6-8 repetitions. This is what these estimates are all about. If you fail around 4 reps, then ok – decrease the weight so that you can appropriately ‘fail’ between 6-12 repetitions on the next set. If you miraculously end up doing more than 12 at that weight, then increase the weight for the next set. Fail within the repetitions range that corresponds to your training goal.

Last thing: understand that these estimated load-repetitions correlations and each one’s training effects lie on a continuum.  If you perform (and ‘fail’ after) 7 repetitions each set, with the goal effect being hypertrophy, then yes – obviously your muscles are going to grow. However, seeing how 1-6 repetitions correlate to “strength” training, isn’t it also obvious that you are going to get stronger too? This occurs visa versa. If you train for strength or endurance with weights (according to the repetition ranges and intensities), you probably will also experience some level of muscle growth. It’s normal because these training effects overlap. Thus, the recommendations given in the chart are based on the repetition/load ranges that most correlate to the stated training effect goals.

            PS: There is some debate whether Load-Repetition relationships directly drive the training effects, or whether it is only due to their effect on volume that drives the adaptations (more on this in the next section about volume). Nevertheless, the load-repetition relationships’ correlations to various training effects are still a widely accepted belief. Plus, it just makes sense! If your body adapts to the demands put upon it, then if you want to train for strength, you should consistently push yourself to life the heaviest weights. There’s also the fact that the world’s strongest men and women train using the heaviest weights for very few repetitions, and the biggest body builders use medium-range repetitions with corresponding loads until failure… it would be a mighty big and unlikely coincidence if they were all successfully achieving these goals while training by the wrong ideology! Just saying…

Step 6: Volume

            Another way to think of ‘volume’ is ‘work’.  It is how much “work” you perform over the course of a given workout and it is quantified by the total amount of weight lifted. Therefore, it is impacted by several factors such as the amount of weight lifted per repetition, the number of repetitions performed per set, the number of sets performed per exercise, and the number of exercises performed overall. Increasing or decreasing any of these factors will affect the volume of your workout to varying extents.

Some people have argued (and several studies supported) that volume may be the real underlying determinant of the training effect rather than the load-repetition schema followed. To further cloud the topic, it has been observed that plateaus – or even declines in strength may occur after a certain amount of volume is reached. Some of the authors of these studies have hypothesized that there may be a ‘ceiling effect’ in terms of volume, wherein volume is advantageous to strength increases and muscle growth only up until a certain point. After that point, any added volume will not speed the process of muscle growth, but may even lead to a slight muscular decline. What is less questioned is that there appears to be a minimum intensity (relative load) threshold that must be reached in order to promote any sort of consistent muscle growth.

Training volume should be kept low when beginning a weightlifting exercise program and then increased as the individual becomes more experienced – something that may occur gradually over a period of years. In our opinion, the reality is probably that both load-repetition (per set) and the overall volume of a workout determine the ultimate effect it has on the body. Until proven one way or another, stick to the understanding that the load-repetition continuum determines the training effect, and plan these parameters accordingly for your desired goal. Start off training with 1-2 sets per exercise (not including ‘warm up’, if performed), and monitor how your body feels. Once you begin to adapt and no longer feel sore over the days following workouts, then increase to 2-3 sets per exercise. Again, monitor how you feel. Rinse. And. Repeat.

Step 7: Rest Periods

            Rest periods are the amount of time that is spent “resting” (as in, not performing any exercise) between sets, and the duration and frequency of them is the last step to consider when designing your personalized program. Modifying rest periods is a great way to customize the difficulty and overall physiological effect of training for beginners and advanced weightlifters alike.

The body uses rest intervals to recover after one set of exercise and prepare for the next. It does this by clearing metabolic waste produced by the working muscles and replenishes any fallen oxygen levels in muscles that may have occurred during exercise. Assuming that you are performing your exercise repetitions until near-failure or failure itself, rest will be needed if you expect to perform another successful set at the same intensity. The higher the relative intensity/load you are lifting (i.e. higher %1RM), the more rest you will need to recover between each set.

Generally speaking, short rest periods will mean a lesser extent of recovery by the time you begin your next set. This will mean that your body is less prepared for the next set, and is essentially closer to “failure” from the very first repetition of that set. As a result, it is likely that you will not be able to perform as many repetitions – at least at the intensity – during that and subsequent sets (compared to if you had given yourself more rest between sets). So what effects do rest periods have?

It is very well supported that increases in strength are significantly less if rest periods are not sufficiently long enough (on the scale of several minutes) [4,5,2]. But, how much? Several authors and studies have argued for a whole spectrum of time periods. Much of the disagreement in evidence over exactly how much time is required for recovery between sets to perform optimally is due to the inconsistencies in study design and the participant populations used. For example, while several studies have examined individuals with a history of recreational weight lifting experience, others have examined collegiate athletes, and still others have examined complete beginners that had no experience. Furthermore, the exercises used in the studies have varied, as have the parameters. Despite all of the differences and contradictions in hard numbers, the research does agree on some, more general points of application.

Overall, the research supports the trend that relatively long rest periods of at least 2 minutes – and up to 5 (or more) – are recommended for maximal strength improvements, where intensity is generally ≥85% 1RM. Moderate loads-repetitions schemas (think hypertrophy: 67-85% 1RM) can tolerate relatively shorter rest periods, usually within the range of 30 seconds to 1.5 or 2 minutes.  Lastly, the training with lighter loads (≤67% 1RM) associated with endurance training can handle rest periods as little as 30 seconds [4]. Rest intervals of <30 seconds with resistance training is considered the general basis for circuit training, and has been shown to have the potential to cause small, but statistically significant improvements in aerobic capacity (a measurement of cardiovascular fitness) [2]. These are the rest intervals typically considered to be most appropriate for the above stated, corresponding training effects (strength, hypertrophy and endurance).

The body will adapt to repetitive bouts of exercise, and will be able to tolerate shorter rest periods in general. Thus, it is important to realize that beginners will likely require more rest time while advanced or experienced individuals will require less.