When it comes to starting a weightlifting regimen, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question ‘what are the best weightlifting exercises for beginners?’ It depends on various factors, and each individual needs to evaluate their own situation, not the least of which is whether or not they will get a gym membership or will be lifting at home. With that being said, here are some basic principles and lifts that should work in most situations.
Lifting At Home
If you have the space to create a small weightlifting gym at home I highly recommend doing so. When you are first starting, having to drive to a gym, find parking, find a locker, and lift in front of complete strangers using equipment that may or may not get taken by another gym member in the middle of your sets creates mental hurdles that often lead to excuses for not going at all. That all gets eliminated when you have a gym in your own home.
A home gym does not have to be fancy. In fact, it can just be a pair of dumbbells and some resistance bands, or for that matter, just a place in your home where you can do some simple bodyweight lifts. When people ask me for advice on which home lifts to start with, I tell them to simply do pushups, squats, and ab crunches, aiming for 3-5 sets of equal reps of each. Those particular bodyweight lifts work multiple major muscle groups. As time goes by, you can add more lifts that focus on specific muscle groups (curls for arms, shoulder presses for shoulders, calf raises for calves, etc.).
Pushups, air squats, and crunches can be done on any flat surface, and don’t require any equipment. Pick one day a week to do pushups (day 1), and one day a week to do air squats and crunches (day 2). Pushups can be tough for some people when they are starting out, and if that is you, do modified pushups until you build your arm strength to be able to do non-modified pushups. When two days a week becomes second nature, bump it up to two upper body days a week, and two abs/lower body days a week. Below is a great YouTube video for boosting your ability to do pushups if you need to.
Lifting At A Gym
For some people, going to a gym is preferred for any number of reasons. For example, people have told me that going to a gym helps them get in the right mindset and that they like using free weights and/or weightlifting machines instead of bodyweight exercises. Some people do not mind working out in a public gym and even prefer the social aspect of being in a facility with other people.
If you do choose to lift in a gym, the same principle of ‘progressive discipline’ applies, in that you need to try to not do too much too soon. Part of that is because you want to avoid injury, which is always a possibility when you are over 40, but also you want to win ‘the mental game’ of lifting. If you try to do too much at first, the likelihood of getting overwhelmed and burned out increases and you will get discouraged. As I always say, the best exercises are the ones that you will actually do, so go slow at first and build on your momentum over time (‘progressive discipline’).
Similar to the at-home approach, start off doing two days a week at the gym, with one day being dedicated to upper body lifts and the second day dedicated to abs and legs. Below are a couple of flyers that I made to send to friends and family who are first getting started, one containing upper body lifts (flat bench dumbbell presses, dumbbell military presses, and upright rows), and another containing a few ab workouts and leg workouts (air squats and hamstring curls). They are a great starting point for beginning lifters or lifters who are coming back after a long layoff. You can always substitute these recommended lifts with machines that do the same motions.
Day 1 – Upper Body:
Day 2 – Abs and Legs:
Additional Tips
If possible, have a home gym to couple with a gym membership to ensure that you never miss a workout. Life will inevitably get busy. Between having a career, having children/grandchildren, the weather, celebrations, family functions, holidays, season premieres of your favorite show(s), and/or any other number of things, stuff will pop up and create potential excuses for skipping a workout. If you have home gym options and gym membership options, it eliminates those excuses.
Go to the gym when you can, and when you can’t, work out at home. Value progress over perfection, and recognize that doing some lifting will always be better than doing no lifting at all. Strive to never miss a lifting session, because ‘only missing one session’ often turns into outright abandonment of your lifting schedule. Even if your lifting session is not as robust as you typically do, sticking to it and doing something will help ensure that you stick with it over the long haul.
Avoid the temptation to ‘ego lift’ and keep adding more and more weight. You will eventually add more weight to your lifts and increase the different types of lifts but do it slowly over time. It only takes one time of overdoing it to get injured. Instead of trying to constantly add more weight, focus on executing perfect form, and doing your reps slowly and under control. Studies have found that resting 30-60 seconds in between sets is optimal. Now that you have a basic idea of what to do, go do it. Make it enjoyable. Wear headphones while lifting and listen to your favorite music. Wear a kick ass shirt or socks. Make the most of every rep in every session. You got this!
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Disclaimer: The contents of this article and this website are not meant to substitute for the professional advice of a doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer. This content is provided as an educational tool to help people on their fitness journeys. While we strive to research topics as much as possible and provide useful and accurate information to the best of our abilities, we also strongly recommend talking to your doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer before starting any workout, therapeutic, or nutritional regimen, as each individual’s needs and situations vary depending on the person.