The ultimate beginner’s guide to strength training to boost weight loss AND slash risk of early death

ONCE upon a time lifting weights was reserved for bodybuilders and gym bunnies.

Now the health world is clear — we should ALL be strength training.

But picking up a pair of dumbbells can be pretty scary, let alone a barbell.

Personal trainer Laura Hoggins (@laurabiceps), an ambassador for sports healthcare retailer Physique Management, says: “With strength and weight ­training comes with ­nervousness around, ‘Am I doing it right?

“Am I going to hurt myself?’.”

But lifting can be fun, and the physical and mental benefits can be incredible.

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We start losing muscle mass in our thirties, and low muscle mass contributes to frailty, osteoporosis and sarcopenia, which is linked to higher death rates.

So being strong is important all round, says Laura.

She adds: “Weight training supports bone health and improves metabolism, posture and joint stability.”

“It’s also great for preventing falls, burning fat, keeping your heart healthy and boosting mood and self-confidence.

“You’re focusing so hard on the movement, you’re not ­thinking about anything else, and it can feel very empowering,”.

Remember to consult your doctor before embarking on any fitness plan.
Then, if you get the all-clear, you can try

Then, if you get the all-clear, you can try our beginner’s guide to getting strong and building muscle . . . 

THE RIGHT SUPPORT

BEFORE you even pick up a dumbbell, Laura suggests investing in a personal trainer for three to five sessions.

This will help you get to grips with basic core movements, such as squats and deadlifts.

Not financially possible?

Laura says: “There are some fantastic group sessions at gyms which will come at a slightly smaller cost.”

Check with your local gym or leisure centre to find out what’s on.

Alternatively, you can try apps like 12Reps and Fiit, which features Laura as one of the trainers.

Just make sure the videos you follow are led by professionals.

Laura says: “Pick out someone who is describing, ‘This is how this should feel like’, or says to you, ‘When you’re doing this, don’t be afraid to do X’.”

WARM UP AND DOWN

“PREPARING the body to ­exercise and work out is really important,” says Laura.

That’s especially the case if you’ve been stuck at a desk for eight hours.

Your muscles need a warm up, or you’ll be more prone to twanging something.

“Give yourself five to ten ­minutes to do some core stretches,” says Laura.

She recommends the “world’s greatest stretch” and “cat/cow” to get your spine moving (check out videos on YouTube).

Then you can raise your heart rate by jogging on the spot or skipping to get blood flow going.

Cooling down is just as vital. Laura says: “Give your body the opportunity to decompress.”

KEY MOVES

SOCIAL media might be full of influencers talking about #legday and #glutesofsteel, but don’t zone in on specific body parts.

“Focus on a full-body approach,” says Laura. You can do that by . . . 

1) Pushing movements: “A vertical push, standing or seated and doing an overhead press, ­targets your shoulders,” says Laura.

“Then you’ve got a horizontal push, lying down doing a bench press or a push-up.”

Dips and tricep extensions work too. And, of course, squats.

2) Pulling movements: “We often do too many squats and push-ups, which focus mainly on the anterior, the front of your body,” says Laura.

“We need to do more pulling and hinging movements, which focus on the posterior, working our back, lats (lower back), core, glutes and our hamstrings.”

Think deadlifts, rows and bicep curls.

3) Core movements: “There is nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned plank,” says Laura.

“It’s not the sexiest, but it’s challenging, and it’s actually easy to monitor your progress.

“Can I hold a plank for 20 seconds? Cool, I’m going to try five more seconds next week.”

Crunches, bear crawls and Russian twists will make your abs burn in a good way.

NO KIT NECESSARY

YOU don’t need to splash out on dumbbells. Your own bodyweight is enough to start with.

Take a body weight squat, for instance. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then sit back down into an imaginary chair, then stand back up, without holding a weight of any kind.

Laura explains: “Strength training is providing a stimulus to your muscles in a progressively overloaded fashion.

“How would you progressively overload a body weight squat? Slow the lowering phase right down.

“You could pause at the bottom and come up slowly — that keeps the muscle under tension for longer and creates an overloaded stimulus.”

If that feels easy and you need more, then you could bring in weights.

Cans of beans or bags of rice will do the trick. Once you ­outgrow these, you could order some dumbbells.

At the gym, don’t load up the barbell either.

Jade Millner, a Level 3 PT and founder of nutrition business EmpowerMe, says: “I’d start out with an empty bar.

“Let your body get used to the form first. Your form and safety must come first­ — let the weight come second.”

REPS TO AIM FOR

GYM bros might brag about their rep count (how many times in a row they do a move), but it should not be quantity over quality.

“As a beginner, focus on three to four sets of ten to 12 reps,” says Laura. And take your time.

“Strength training should be slow and controlled,” she adds.

WEEKLY TARGET

“IF you can strength train for 30 minutes, two or three times a week, you are doing amazing,” says Laura.

She recommends stretching on the days in between, or going for a brisk walk to help manage any DOMs — delayed onset of muscle soreness — aka achiness.

DON’T PUSH THROUGH PAIN

LISTEN to your body. “You want it to feel challenging, but you don’t want to feel pain,” says Laura.

“If you’re doing a lunge for example and get knee pain, reduce the range, and don’t go down as deep in your squat.

“If there is significant or shooting pain, I would refer to a qualified physio.”

UP THE INTENSITY THREE MONTHS IN

FEEL like you’ve got the hang of the basics?

“Now it’s about starting to appropriately overload the amount, frequency and weight,” says Laura.

That’s where targeting multiple muscle groups simultaneously (compound moves) comes in.

Jade recommends focusing on three compound lifts a week.

“Start with a back squat, a deadlift and maybe an overhead press in the eight to 12 rep range,” she says — using a ­barbell or dumbbells. Repeat those lifts for six weeks in a row and see strength improve.

“After those six weeks, say you want to mix it up and see what else is out there. Try a box squat, a landmine press and then a sumo deadlift.”

SIX MONTHS IN: KEEP GOING

“AS your confidence builds, you can start getting involved in more power movements, explosive movements and plyometrics (jumping alongside lifting weights),” says Laura.

“These are really good for joint and ligament health.”

Jade adds: “I’d say that at around six months, you can really learn what your body can do.”

IT’S WORTH IT

“PROGRESS takes time, and patience is the thing I’ve seen people don’t have when it comes to getting results,” says Laura.

“Focus on the effort you put into each session, and I promise you in two, three, six months, a year down the line, you’ll look back and be like, ‘I’m so glad I started. I feel amazing’.”

Jade agrees: “Once you look past the aesthetics when it comes to training, and you realise it’s more for your mindset, suddenly you realise you want to be the strongest person you possibly can be — and then naturally the aesthetics will come.”