Simple Strength Training Routines for all Fitness Levels

While it’s always best to work with a certified trainer or strength coach when you’re starting out on your strength training journey, not everyone has easy access to a professional. Creating your own resistance training plan is simpler than you think. With the right guidance, anyone can develop a routine that suits their fitness level and goals. 

What is resistance training?

Resistance training, also known as strength training or weight training, involves exercises designed to improve strength and endurance by working against some form of resistance, such as weights, resistance bands, or even your own body weight.

The benefits of strength training are profound and well-documented.

Strength training maintains muscle mass.

Research shows that regular resistance training is crucial for maintaining muscle mass and bone density as we age. A study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research highlights that strength training can help counteract the natural decline in bone density in older adults, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Strength training and metabolic health.

Additionally, resistance training plays a pivotal role in metabolic health. According to a review in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, it can improve insulin sensitivity, aid in weight management, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These benefits are especially significant for women, who may experience muscle and bone density loss more rapidly post-menopause.

Strength training for mental wellbeing.

Moreover, beyond physical health, strength training also supports mental wellbeing. A publication in JAMA Psychiatry found that resistance exercise training significantly reduces symptoms of depression, providing a non-pharmacological option to improve mental health. This underscores the holistic impact of incorporating strength training into your routine.

By integrating resistance exercises into your weekly schedule, you can enhance your quality of life, support healthy aging, and do more of what you love. You just have to follow a simple formula, and plug and play the exercises. Once you get the routine down (consistency is key), then you can start to add weight or change the sets and reps.

Design your own resistance program based on my favorite routines.

Below is a set of resistance exercises that I do regularly to stay strong by incorporating my body weight, machines, and free weights. It’s a super simple format that anyone can use. It’s a full-body program designed to rotate through exercises, which gives muscle groups a break while you’re doing something else. With this kind of efficiency, it should really only take 20-30 minutes! Here’s how this routine works: choose one exercise from each column (they are in order of difficulty/skill from top to bottom). Do ALL the explosive exercises first. Then, rotate through three exercises for set two, and then three for set three. Do this routine 2-3 times per week.

Here’s an example of how you might want to run through a routine:

Set One: Jump Squats (3x5)

Set Two: Push Ups, Bridge Holds, Seated Twist (3 x8)

Set Three: Lat Pull Down, Squats with Kettle Bell, Kneeling Cable Chops (3x8)

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