From Zero to Strong: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Your Strength Training Program

Discover the essential components of strength training workouts to help you get started and stay committed to your fitness journey.

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Did you know that around 80% of people who resolve to incorporate exercise into their weekly routine will have already given up by the end of January? One major reason for this is a lack of understanding about how to build an effective workout program.

In this Substack, I’ll break down the essential components of a strength training workout, equipping you with the knowledge needed to not only get started but also stay committed. We’ll create a simple outline that allows you to easily structure your own workouts, offering flexibility whether you have just 10 minutes to spare or can dedicate up to 60 minutes.

Let’s dive in and make your strength training journey productive and enjoyable!

Structure of a Strength Training Workout:

Warm-Up + Power* + Strength + Metabolic Finisher* + Cool down

For our purposes in this Substack I added asterisks to two of the parts because many people don’t necessarily need to have these components in their workouts. But as a fitness professional in case I become wildly successful I don’t want trolls coming back to my January 6th Substack saying she didn’t even talk about power and a metabolic finisher when structuring a strength workout. I digress.

Let’s break down each component of why it’s important and a few examples.

Warm-Up

Your warm-up should be designed to support the workout at hand. Meaning since we are strength training, it should be mobility exercises that will help to warm up the joints you are going to use. And if we are getting picky, they should also help to reinforce good joint health in your daily life. Here are a few examples of warm-up exercises:

• Glute Bridge: warms up hips and glutes and stretches quads

• Prone Extension: warms up shoulders and lower back muscles

• World’s Greatest Stretch: warms up whole body really but gives you a rotational stretch through the torso

• Plank hold: warms up core and stretches calves and lower back

Power

This is the part of the workout that essentially jumpstarts your nervous system and helps to increase muscle activation and prepare the body for the workout. It’s especially important if you are going to embark on a workout that is more geared towards more difficult movements such as Olympic lifting or high volume workouts. So I program this in for some clients, while others (such as my clients over 70 or recovering from injury or are maybe newer to workout out) we skip this. A few examples are:

• Medicine Ball Slams

• Jumping Jacks

• Kettlebell Swings

• High Knees

Strength

I went into more detail in one of my other Substacks on this, but essentially your goal is to get in a push, pull, hinge and squat exercise. Here are a few examples:

• Push-up/Banded Row/Hip Thrust/Bodyweight Squat

• Chest Press/Pull-Up/Deadlift/Leg Press

Metabolic Finisher

This is done at the end of a strength training workout to burn fat and increase conditioning. If you are newer to working out, skip this for now OR do a very small amount of this. This can be super taxing on your system (hence the asterisk) so be mindful of how much you do. This can also be an entire workout on its own. Some examples:

• Fan Bike intervals of 10 seconds all out, with 30 seconds rest in between

• Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds all out with 30 seconds rest

• Jump Rope for 50 revolutions with 30 seconds rest

Cool Down

This is just a time for you to relax the body so that you’re not leaving the workout with your heart rate pumping and help to avoid injury. Just a note here; if you engaging in a longer workout and/or one that includes power and a metabolic finisher, you would benefit from a longer cool down. A few examples:

• 5 minutes of walking

• 3-5 minutes of seated meditation/focusing on your breathing

• Completing a few dynamic movements such as repeating the pelvic stability and world’s greatest stretch exercises from the beginning of the workout

And that’s it. So let’s say you want to do a 10-minute workout first thing in the morning in your home.

1. Warm-up: Complete 1 set of 10 reps of each warm-up exercise

2. Strength: Complete 1 set of 10 reps of a push, pull, hinge and squat

3. Cooldown: work on deep breathing for 3 minutes

Or let’s say you want to do a more full workout at the gym.

1. Warm-up: Complete 1 set of 15 reps of each warm-up exercise

2. Power: Complete 3 rounds of 15 seconds of ball slams with 30 seconds rest in between

3. Strength: Complete 3 sets of 15 reps of a push, pull, hinge and squat

4. Metabolic Finisher: Complete 4 rounds of 10 seconds on a fan bike with 30 seconds rest

5. Cool Down: walk for 10 minutes on the treadmill (or stay on the fan bike and ride for 10 minutes nice and slow)

Now that you have a structured approach to strength training, I encourage you to start implementing these workouts. Remember, it's not just about lifting weights—it's about lifting your spirits and building confidence! Don’t forget to share your progress and tag me in your workouts!

Not sure where to start with your health? Let’s fix that. In a 30-minute Wellness Clarity Call, I’ll help you get clear on what actually works and create a personalized roadmap to move you forward. Book it today!

Note: if you are engaging in a new workout routine I always recommend you meet with a certified fitness professional to help you get started, especially if you are struggling with injuries or other health issues.