An Introduction To Strength Training

This post is aimed towards those who are uneducated about the compound lifts, as well as how to program them for a strength training routine.

A beginner (or novice) needs to only be concerned about three main movements:

• A squat (e.g back squats, front squats)
  
• A press (e.g bench press, overhead press, dips)
  
• A pull (e.g. barbell row, deadlift, chin-ups, pull-ups)
  

Following a training program that incorporates a squat, press and pull in each session will ensure that the beginner's time in the gym is spent productively. However for a beginner, proficiency has not yet been developed on the main compound lifts so it is better to stay in the lower rep range in order to prevent technique breakdown due to fatigue. Training using 5 reps ensures a balance between an increase in muscle size as well as strength.

Two very common and popular routines for beginners are:

• Stronglifts 5 x 5
• Starting Strength

The main difference between these two programs is that Stronglifts 5x5 uses 5 sets of 5 reps (5x5) whilst Starting Strength uses 3x5 (3 sets of 5 reps). Another difference is that Stronglifts 5x5 uses barbell rows, whereas Starting Strength uses Power Cleans instead. Note that the 5x5 and 3x5 that these programs refer to do not include warmup sets, these are the work sets.

I will leave it up to you to learn the proper technique on the main compound lifts. I recommend getting Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe; it is a great resource for people who want to learn the proper technique on the main lifts. I must also emphasize that these are barbell lifts, no dumbbell variation is to be used on this program. The use of a barbell allows for small consistent increases in weight, and also allows for more weight to be used than is possible with dumbbells.

The next post will cover:

• common mistakes made by beginners on the main compound lifts
• how to ensure the best progress possible on Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength