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How To Create A Solid Strength Training Workout In Just 4 Simple Steps
Working out at home can be a bit stifling—especially if you're limited on space and equipment—so it’s no surprise that more involved exercises, like weight lifting, might not always make the cut. But as people look for ways to shake up their fitness routine or challenge themselves with something new, strength training is a great place to start.
"If it's been a minute since you've been to the gym, figuring out where to begin again might feel daunting," personal trainer Kristie Larson writes on her Instagram. To help you ease into the process, she shares a four-step starter kit to take the guesswork out of strength training.
4 steps to a solid strength training workout:
Pull
Start with some sort of pull (think rows, pullups, rear shoulder fly, or biceps curl).
Hinge
After you complete your pulls, move on to hinges. This can include deadlifts, kettlebell swings, hip thrusts, and good mornings.
Squat
Squats are a pretty standard move, but if you want to add variation to your glute exercise, Larson recommends front squats (squatting with the barbell in front of your chest) or back squats (squatting with the barbell behind your shoulders), split squats, or sumo squats.
Press
Last but not least, add in a press. Think strict presses (aka shoulder presses), chest presses, pushups, and military presses, Larson suggests.
How to do it
To actually put it into practice, choose one exercise from each of the four categories. Complete 5, 10, or 15 reps (whatever feels comfortable for you), then move on to the next exercise. Continue this pattern until you've worked through all four exercises.
You can take a break after each exercise, or you can "superset them if ya like," Larson writes. (Superset just means you do two or more exercises back to back, without taking a break in between.)
The biggest piece of advice, though, is to keep it simple and go slowly. According to Larson, you should only be extending 60 to 70% effort for the first couple of weeks.
"Gains like a long, slow courtship," she writes. "Try to rush it, and progress will run in the other direction." Think like the tortoise: slow and steady.