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So you want to get in shape and start getting fit, but you’re not sure what the perfect workout is?

Not only that, but you want a workout program that you’ll ACTUALLY do?

Great. This is what we do, and we’re pretty dang good at it.

We create personalized workout programs for our Online Coaching Clients, and this guide walks you through the exact 9 steps we follow to create each program:

What’s the perfect workout program for your goals? Let us build it for you!

 

This may seem like a lot, but ALL of the steps are important!

In our step-by-step guide to picking the best workout plan and getting fit, we’ll cover:

• Step #1: What Are Your Workout Goals?
• Step #2: What Workout Is Best for Weight Loss?
• Step #3: Finding a Workout Routine You Enjoy.
• Step #4: What Is the Best Workout Routine? (An Introduction to Strength Training).
• Step #5: Creating a Strength Training Workout Plan.
• Step #6: Focus Your Workout Plan on Specific Goals.
• Step #7: Have Healthy Expectations for Your Workout Plan.
• Step #8: How Do I Pick a Sustainable Workout Routine? (Exercise with Others)
• Step #9: Tracking the Results of Your Workout Plan.

Let’s jump right into #1!

Step #1: What Are Your Workout Goals?

You’re reading this guide, which means you likely have SOME goals around getting fit.

Those goals will likely fall into one of three categories:

1. Feel great and look good naked – You want to lose weight (and/or build muscle) and feel comfortable in your own skin.
2. Get Healthy – Your doctor told you that you need to change your ways or you’ll die an early death. Yikes.
3. Be Happy – You are on the hunt for an exercise program that you don’t hate.

I like to refer to these three goals as the Triforce of Awesome.

Because I’m a dork, and because you’ll remember it.

Happy, healthy, look good naked.

(There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good naked, by the way. It’s why I started training all those years ago!)

MY goal for you is to have you satisfy all three conditions to become healthy, happy, and look damn good.

It starts by identifying why you’re here in the first place.

Because let’s be honest:

This journey is gonna be tough.

You don’t just want to “lose weight” and “get fit.”

You want to “lose weight” and “get fit” so that you can “start dating again after a messy breakup.”

Or because “your dad passed away from health issues at a young age and you want to be around for many more decades to raise your children.”

The more specific and DEEP you can get with your reasoning, the more likely you’ll be to push through when you’re struggling to stay consistent!

I also want you to be realistic about how much time you think you can dedicate to this journey:

• 3 days a week for 30 minutes?
• 5 days for 15 minutes each day?
• Only on weekends?

That’s cool – just be up-front with yourself.

Here’s how to put it all together:

PART A – IDENTIFY A GOAL THAT YOU’RE FOCUSED ON:

1. “I want to lose 50 pounds.”
2. “I want to build 30 pounds of muscle.”
3. “I want to fit into my favorite dresses I haven’t been able to wear for years.”

PART B – WRITE DOWN WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS:

1. What is your “Big Why?” “I’ll lose this weight and I can start dating again!”
2. What would getting in shape mean to you? “A better life not full of pain.”
3. Who are you doing this for? Your family? Yourself? Your wife?

PART C – BE REALISTIC WITH HOW OFTEN YOU CAN TRAIN:

1. “I’m a broke college kid with lots of time. I can train 4 days per week no problem for an hour.” Great!
2. “I’m a single mom working two jobs, so I can train once per week at a gym and the rest will have to happen at home.” Amazing!
3. “I’m a Robot with unlimited energy and I have been sent to conquer earth.” Ruh-roh. Email me.

Be specific with your answers above.

STEP #1 TAKEAWAY: Pick your goals, pick your “Big Why”

We’re going to pick goals that work for us, and then build on top of that foundation.

Have you written down your goals yet?:

• “My goal is to lose/gain X amount of weight by X date.”
• “My Big Why is I want to start dating again/my wife to look at me like she used to/be an inspiration to my family.”
• “My plan is to train once per week and then find time elsewhere.”

We make EVERY coaching client in our online coaching program pick their Big Why too.

It’s what keeps us on target when life gets too busy and we want to quit!

Now that we have a foundation, we can start to build on top of that. Like Fornite. #UnnecessaryButTopicalNerdReference

Step #2: What Workout Is Best for Weight Loss?

You can lose all the weight you need to lose without doing a single minute of “exercise.”

I shit you not.

(What a funny expression by the way, it makes me happy every time I use it.)

If your ONLY goal is weight loss in any way, then exercise is not necessary.

No treadmills. No gym memberships. No bootcamps.

No feeling bad about yourself training in public.

No hating exercise.

“Steve, you sorcerer, what madness is this?” You exclaim!

When it comes to weight loss, how you eat will be responsible for 90+% of your success or failure.

If you are only trying to lose weight, ALL of your effort can go into fixing your nutrition.

As we say here in the Nerd Fitness Rebellion, “You can’t outrun your fork.”

Yes, this means if you can’t lose weight, you are eating too many calories compared to how many calories you burn every day. I can almost guarantee it’s not your metabolism or genetics.

It’s because you eat too much food.

I’ve covered nutrition and weight loss EXTENSIVELY here on Nerd Fitness, so read these to help determine the best eating strategies for you:

• The beginner’s guide to healthy eating
• How to determine the perfect diet for you
• The beginner’s guide to Intermittent Fasting

As we have laid out in our Start Eating Healthy Guide, if you are trying to lose weight it comes down to making slightly better choices, slightly more frequently:

Story time! Nerd Fitness Rebel Tim was told he couldn’t exercise due to an injury. He joined our NF Academy (now a part of Nerd Fitness Prime), and focused on the 3 things he could control:

• He fixed his nutrition.
• He adjusted his mindset.
• He built the habit of short walks.

6 months and 50+ pounds of weight loss later, Tim is a changed man! You can read his whole story by clicking on the image below:

So yes, exercise burns calories and will help you get fit. 

(If you’re curious: strength training is the calorie-burning victor when it comes to efficient weight loss.) 

Exercise of any kind will also make your heart stronger and you will FEEL better.

But maybe most importantly, exercise reminds us that we’re trying to be healthier.

Which means exercise can also remind us to make better food choices.

Just instead of doing this: “Well I exercised today so I can eat 5000 calories!”

Instead, do this: “Well I exercised today, so I’m going to stick with my eating strategy so I don’t backslide!”

STEP #2 TAKEAWAY: Pick a food strategy you can stick with!

Pick a strategy that speaks your language, and that results in you consuming fewer calories.

Nutrition is the most important thing, so your time is best spent understanding this stuff!

If you are trying to lose more weight or build more muscle FASTER, your nutrition needs to be even MORE dialed in.

Here’s how to start eating healthy:

1. Learn how many calories you actually need on a daily basis.
2. Start tracking how many calories you eat, education for the win!
3. Eat fewer calories than you burn each day.
4. Cut back on liquid calories, especially sugary beverages.
5. Eat mostly real food: meat, veggies, fruit, nuts.
6. Track your progress and see how your body changes.

If you are a noob on nutrition, check out our free 10-level Nutritional System that simplifies the entire process! It’s free when you sign up in the box below:

Step #3: Finding a Workout Routine You Enjoy

If your goal is to look good enough and feel good about yourself, there’s only ONE solution when it comes to the perfect workout program:

Any exercise you actually enjoy and will do regularly.

Full stop.

Exercise is only a 10% piece of the “how to get in shape” formula, which means if your goal is “look pretty good, feel pretty good,” ANY exercise is a bonus.

And that means you might as well ENJOY what you are spending your time on!

Here are some suggestions for fun exercise you can do:

Running, cycling, powerlifting, yoga, parkour, gymnastics, weight training, LARPing, capoeira, jazzercise, swing dancing, Beat Saber, walking, hiking, geocache, Pokémon GO, hashing, ballet, CrossFit, bootcamps, martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Ninja Warrior, Dance Dance Revolution, aerial silks, acro yoga, and anything else you can think of.

This is me giving you permission to attend Jazzercise classes regularly, if you enjoy them.

Seriously.

This is me also giving you permission to never run on a treadmill ever again, unless you actually enjoy running on a treadmill.

Don’t suffer through a particular type of exercise if you hate it.

There are plenty of ways to get your heart racing and your body moving.

Think of it this way: You’re always a work in progress.

You never get to “be done.”

So suffering unnecessarily to reach a goal just so you can lose some weight, and then stopping won’t work.

Here’s another phrase to internalize:

“Temporary changes create temporary results.”

Stop trying to get to the finish line as quickly as possible – that’s why you failed in the past.

Instead…

STEP #3 TAKEAWAY: Do an activity that you enjoy. Do it frequently.

Write down a list of “exercise” activities you love. Write down a list of “exercise” you hate. And then do things on the first list frequently, and don’t ever do things on the second list!

You don’t need to suffer.

Nutrition is 90% of the battle, so if you want to lose weight, get healthier, and be happier, pick a form of exercise that you actually enjoy.

Don’t worry about how many calories it burns.

Instead, keep the focus on your nutrition and THEN do fun exercise.

To answer your next questions:

“But Steve I don’t like exercise.” You haven’t tried enough things! I too hate “exercise,” so I ONLY do things I enjoy. Here are 40 fun exercises to try.

“I have always wanted to try (activity) but I’m afraid to try it.” Use 20 Seconds of Courage – it works. I promise 🙂

“Steve I have very specific physique goals and I’m willing to suffer a bit to hit those goals.” Sounds good. You’re going to want to focus on calorie restriction, strength training, and moving more. Keep reading.

Step #4: What Is the Best Workout Routine? (An Introduction to Strength Training)

Okay, now we’re getting down to the good stuff: 

Yup, eating better can help you lose weight.

Yup, any exercise is better than no exercise.

HOWEVER, if you want to keep yourself injury-free, build a physique you’re proud of (aka that “fit toned” look that everybody is after), AND get better at whatever fun activities you picked in Step #3,…

There’s a component that needs to be incorporated into your life:

Strength training. 

There are so many benefits to strength training, it’s ridiculous.

100% of people, no matter their age, gender, or size should be doing SOME kind of strength training in some capacity.

And please don’t worry – you will NOT get too bulky – unless that’s what you want.

Here are 4 reasons why strength training makes every part of life better and will help you get in shape:

1. Your body is forced to burn extra calories to rebuild muscle. This ‘afterburner’ effect of increased calorie burning lasts for 24-48 hours, which means 30 minutes of strength training will burn significantly more calories than 30 minutes of steady cardio. Efficiency ftw.
2. You teach your muscles to become more resilient and “antifragile.” From giving your kids a piggyback ride to playing frisbee to carrying groceries to walking up stairs, strength training makes you safer when doing everything.
3. Strength training will make you better at any activity you picked in the above section for fun exercise. Yes, even THAT activity. Let’s just say your significant other wants you to strength train.
4. Strength training builds the physique you want. It’s the best way to lose weight, it’s how to build muscle, and how to keep the muscle you have while burning the fat on top of the muscle.

So hopefully at this point, you’re all:

“Steve you sly devil, I am INTRIGUED. But strength training doesn’t seem fun, and gyms intimidate me.”

We cover this extensively in our “Beginner’s guide to strength training,” but I’ll cover it here too:

When I say “strength training,” I simply mean “moving your body in a way that your muscles must respond by getting stronger:”

Your muscles are introduced to outside stimuli (you pick up your kid, you do push-ups, you carry groceries, you do a squat, etc.), and they get “broken down” through use.

Over the next few days, they rebuild themselves stronger to prepare for more stimulus (a greater challenge).

By building up strength over time, it allows you to become more functionally strong and avoid situations like Mr. Potato Head here:

“Strength training” can take place in a gym or at your home, with your body’s weight or with free weights, in a box or with a fox. The ways to strength train are endless.

HATE gyms? You never have to go into one. Ever. Christina lost 50 lbs without a gym.

AFRAID of weight training? You can train with just your body weight!

WANT to learn how to train in a gym? Check out our 6-level gym workout guide.

NOT SURE how to strength train and want guidance? Check out our online coaching program!

This does not need to be overcomplicated!

Start with two basic movements that you can do literally right now, even in your cubicle:

• Desk Push-Ups: 3 sets of 8

• Bodyweight Squats: 3 sets of 8

 

Boom, look at that! You just did strength training.

I promise you: get stronger with push-ups, squats, and learn how to do a pull-up, and you will be in better shape, and look better, than ever before.

So how do you get stronger? Simple: “progressive overload.” 

This might sound complicated, but it just means increasing the challenge by a tiny amount with each workout so your body has to work harder and adapt more each time.

And then one day, you’ll look in the mirror and say: “WHOA I HAVE MUSCLES WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!?”

Coach Jim breaks down 8 different strategies for progressive overload in this video:

I have one final person I want to address: “But Steve, you nincompoop, I hate strength training.”

That’s not a nice name to call me, but fair enough!

Consider getting bit by a radioactive spider or finding a super-serum.

Otherwise, these five alternatives might pique your interest:

1. Aerial silks.
2. Gymnastics and Parkour.
3. Handstands.
4. Acro Yoga.
5. Hiking with your kids.

Let us build a strength-training program that you’ll ACTUALLY do! Learn more about NF Coaching here:

STEP #4 TAKEAWAY: Start strength training today.

Pick a workout that doesn’t intimidate you and give it a shot! You can start TODAY.

• Brand new to strength training? No Gym? Do our Beginner Bodyweight Workout.
• Have a gym membership and want to train there? Read our “how to train in a commerical gym!”
• Excited to try barbells and dumbbells? Check out our Strength 101 serious.

You don’t HAVE to strength train, you GET to strength train.

Every time you work out, do ONE more repetition, one more push-up, or lift ONE pound heavier than last time.

What’s the best way to do more than last time?

Write down what you do! Keep it simple. Write down your sets, reps, and weights. And then do one better next time.

If you’re wondering how many reps and sets you should start with, Coach Jim answers that right here:

Step #5: Creating a Strength Training Workout Plan

Alright alright, you read the previous section, and you’re thinking:

• “Steve I heard training individual body parts like a bodybuilder is the best for muscle building.”
• “What about Stronglifts 5×5 or Starting Strength or CrossFit?”
• “I hear I should ONLY do free weights, and machines are the devil!”

My thoughts: I don’t care HOW you strength train when you get started, or which beginning strength training program you pick:

If you want to follow a bodybuilder routine that uses lots of machines and isolation exercises, great!

If you want to train your left bicep and right butt muscle on Tuesdays and right tricep and left shoulder on Wednesdays and so on, go for it!

If you want to follow a workout DVD or follow bootcamp style stuff on YouTube, great.

Whatever gets you manipulating your body and learning the fundamentals of strength training, I’m for it.

As long as you’re enjoying it and getting results, keep doing what you’re doing.

And if you want a Beginner Strength Routine to follow, that’s cool too.

Here are the foundational philosophies we teach our online coaching clients:

#1 You’ll be healthier and see more well-rounded results training with free weights and bodyweight exercises compared to machines.

Machines can be used when you’re rehabbing an injury or there’s no other options (you’re at a hotel gym, for example).

If you only want to train with machines? You do you. Here’s how to switch from machines to weights.

#2 Full compound movements will help you get strong and healthy in the most efficient manner:

• Barbell squats
• Deadlifts
• Push-ups
• Pull-ups
• Bodyweight dips
• Overhead presses
• Bodyweight rows

Your body is a complex machine that uses all of your muscles in unison when you do physical activity.

Thus, it’s safer and more efficient to train with compound movements instead of isolated movements.

Here are 15 Circuit Training Routines that use these exercises.

#3 Keep it simple. If you make progress every week by picking up more weight or doing more reps, your body WILL transform like Optimus Prime.

But like, into a better version of you, not a robot:

#4 Barbell squats and deadlifts can change your life, like they changed Coach Staci:

#5 If you have more fun with a bodybuilder-style workout, or you like boot camp classes instead of weight training, that’s great!

If you’re healthy and happy and getting results, stick with it.

#6 Muscle confusion is totally not a thing.

STEP #5 TAKEAWAY: Pick A Strength Training Program! 

Here’s how to level up your strength training:

1. Read our Strength 101 series, and learn to do squats, deadlifts, and presses.
2. Afraid to train in a gym? Read this gym guide and follow the beginner gym workouts (or here’s how to build your own).
3. Pick a program: Learn about the best strength training routines and exercises.
4. Want form checks, guidance, and a custom workout each morning? Get a coach!

What’s that? You want to BUILD your own workout program?

Great! Here’s how to build your own workout routine.

If you want us to do the heavy lifting for you (HEYO), we have a killer online coaching program where we build the exact workout for you, including nutritional guidance, support, and accountability.

Let our online coaches build you the perfect workout program! It’s like having a Jedi Master in your pocket. Learn more:

Step #6: Focus Your Workout Plan on Specific Goals

Okay, now we’re getting down to the secret sauce that has transformed thousands upon thousands of lives at Nerd Fitness.

Don’t worry our secret sauce is low calorie, low carb, and keto-friendly. 

Here’s the scenario: you have a goal of losing 50 pounds, and after eating better and moving more…you actually start to lose some weight!

I’m so proud of you.

In fact, I just called your mom to tell her what a swell person you are. Nice lady.

Anyways, things are going well until you start to approach your goal weight (woo!) and encounter a divergent path:

• Path A: “I’m about to reach my goal weight! I can be done soon!”
• Path B: “I’m approaching my goal weight. What is my new body capable of?”

People who pick Path A always backslide and usually put the weight back on over the next few months and years. This is why most people are doomed to fail at losing weight permanently:

Temporary action = temporary results.

Now let’s talk about Path B? It’s the reason our coaching clients keep the weight off and continue to transform.

Consistent effort + progressive challenge = permanent improvement.

People on Path B ask themselves, “Now that I’ve lost this weight, what am I capable of? Let’s train for that!”

This is a distinct mental shift.

Exercise is no longer a means to an end.

There is no end.

Just like…

We encourage our Rebels to shift from weight loss goals to physical challenges (Like Double Dare, but with less Gak):

1. “I’ve always wanted to do a handstand, let’s start training to get better at those.”
2. “I’ve always want to do train with gymnastic rings! Let’s try that!”
3. “I’ve always wanted to run a 5k, I will adjust my routine to become a stronger runner.”
4. “I want to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I will sign up for a class!”
5. “I’m gonna sign up for Swing Dancing so I can crush the dance floor at the next wedding I attend.”

WHY THIS WORKS: By training to get better at a particular activity, you are triggering the same processes in your brain that makes us hooked on progressing in video games:

It’s why we say, “just one more level!” or “I bet I can do one more rep!” or “I can climb this new path that’s tougher than any path I’ve attempted before!”

STEP #6 TAKEAWAY: Shift from weight loss goals to physical challenges.

As you start to get in shape, updating your mindset can be a HUGE game-changer.

You spent all this work building a new body – take it out for a test drive and find out what you’re capable of!

Counterintuitively, the less you worry about your weight and the more you worry about your performance, the more likely you’ll be to build a body you’re proud of, that’s functional, and that you can keep, permanently.

As they say, “Appearance is a consequence of fitness.” 

If you want to dig more into skills and advanced physique stuff, read our post here: “The ultimate guide to building any physique.”

Pick a skill, pick somebody farther along (more fit) than you to model yourself after, and adjust your training and nutrition to get better at that skill.

When you get better and better at these physical skills, your physique will start to improve as a side effect.

Want a workout program that grows with you and keeps you happy and challenged? Learn more:

Step #7: Have Healthy Expectations for Your Workout Plan

As we’re talking about physique and physical goals, I want to address something that is a major challenge for many people:

“Steve, I want to lose some weight, build some muscle, and also build up more endurance. I want to get strong and run a marathon but also look like a model.

Oh and get a six-pack. But I don’t want to be too bulky.

Can I do this in 6 weeks please?”

Here’s the truth: your body can only do so many things at once, and the three goals above will pull your body in three completely separate directions. 

If you’re not sure what are realistic goals, I have answers for you on BOTH questions (click each to learn more):

• “How fast can I get fit and lose weight?” 1-2 pounds per week of weight loss is a safe pace. Could be more or less depending on your starting weight, how you eat, and how you train.
• “How fast can I build muscle naturally?” 1-2 pounds of muscle gain per month is possible under optimal conditions for most. This could be more or less depending on your level of experience, how you eat, and how you train.
• “Can I do both at the same time?” As we point out in our article on “gaining muscle and losing weight at the same time,” it IS possible – but requires you to be really dialed in with eating enough protein, maintaining a slight calorie deficit, and heavy strength training.

Are those numbers in line with your expectations? Do you wish you could get in shape faster?

Of course you do. So do I!

For example, it took me 7 months of focused effort to lose 22 pounds safely and sustainably.

Surprisingly, by changing our timeline to be more realistic, we can make better progress than at any point in the past:

KEY TAKEAWAY #7: Have realistic expectations!

Have the right expectations, and put your focus on the process.

You’ll get there when you get there – so just focus on what you can do today.

If you’re not sure if you should build muscle first or lose weight first, here’s my humble advice:

1. Eat a SLIGHT caloric deficit. Strength train and move a lot.
2. Eat enough protein and train heavy to lose fat and keep your muscle.
3. Do this until you get down to a low enough body fat percentage (10-11% for men, 17-18% for women).
4. Now, increase your caloric intake slightly. Build strength and muscle until you’re at your desired size.
5. Decide now if you want to reintroduce cardio, cut more fat, or keep getting bigger.
6. Repeat!

Step #8: How Do I Pick a Sustainable Workout Routine? (Exercise with Others)

I love sharing stories on Nerd Fitness of REAL people, with real struggles, that found the perfect program that fit THEIR lifestyle, like Christina above. 

These are not people with superior genetics. They’re not on steroids, nor are they choking down supplements (Most supplements are a waste of money).

The success stories in our community work full-time jobs, have kids, friends, and nerdy hobbies.

Some are single moms.

But they found a workout program that works for their life situation:

Some of them are powerlifters.

Some of them train at home with no equipment.

Some of them run 5ks.

As you are starting to get yourself into better shape, who you associate with is almost as important as how you train.

Sounds ludicrous (did I just make you yell, “Luda!”?), but it can be the difference between long term success and long term floundering. And not the cute kind.

They say you are an average of the 5 people you associate most with.

Think about your roommates, significant other, friends, and coworkers:

Are they people who have succeeded in the way you want to succeed, support you on your journey, can answer questions you might have, and make you want to continue being better?

Or are they people who ask you to skip your workouts, make fun of you for waking up early to train on a Saturday morning, and enable you rather than support you?

The more time you can spend with Group A people, the more likely you’ll be to stay on target and make progress.

As you are getting better at a skill, do whatever you can to hang out with people who are good at that skill!

1. Like running and want to get better at running? Join or start a running group!
2. Want to take powerlifting more seriously? Hire a personal trainer or join a powerlifting club.
3. Want to be better at handstands? Try joining an adult gymnast class!
4. Want to look like CrossFit athletes? Great! Join the cult! I kid, CFers, you’re good in my book 🙂

If you don’t have people in your life that are making you better, consider hiring a coach or instructor or joining a class to help you push yourself even farther and stay accountable!

And I’m not telling you to fire your friends, but you might need to make sacrifices like Katniss until you’re better equipped to stand up for your new healthy lifestyle when they want you to come back to the dark side!

Nerd Fitness helps people with workouts and eating better, sure.

But I believe we get permanent results for people because we do our best to foster the most supportive community on the internet.

Many of our success stories have 1-on-1 instruction from our Online Coaching Program, while some come from our self-paced courses in NF Prime.

And others? They read the free articles on Nerd Fitness and helped themselves stay on target!

It comes down to learning from and interacting people who are just like you, or who are people that you want to be like when you “grow up” (get in shape)!

Click on each image to learn their full story:

STACI THE POWERLIFTER:

ANTHONY THE IT PROFESSIONAL:

LESLIE THE SINGLE MOM:
JOE THE IT DEVELOPER WHO TRAVELS 2 WEEKS PER MONTH:

SAINT THE APP DEVELOPER WHO LOST 60 POUNDS AND GAINED 6 PACK ABS:

And me? I started with karate as a kid. Then cross country running in high school. Then bodybuilder style training in college. Then it was bodyweight training.

And now? Powerlifting and gymnastics! It’s how I went from Steve Rogers to Captain America, and then leaned out.

STEP #8 TAKEAWAY: Surround yourself with people that push you to be better.

You need people in your life that are pushing you to be better.

If you don’t have those people already, consider joining a club or class in your community. You might just make new lifelong friends!

And if you want to be at the top of your game in a particular skill or activity, you might need to hire a trainer, coach, or an online personal trainer that knows your situation specifically.

In addition to our paid private communities, we ALSO have a free Message Board community that is thriving!

We’d love to have you be part of OUR online community!

Step 9: Tracking the Results of Your Workout Plan

“Thanks Steve, but that was a lot. What do I do now?”

Let me recap Steps #1-#8:

• Step #1: What Are Your Workout Goals?
• Step #2: What Workout Is Best for Weight Loss?
• Step #3: Finding a Workout Routine You Enjoy
• Step #4: What Is the Best Workout Routine? (An Introduction to Strength Training)
• Step #5: Creating a Strength Training Workout Plan
• Step #6: Focus Your Workout Plan on Specific Goals
• Step #7: Have Healthy Expectations for Your Workout Plan
• Step #8: How Do I Pick a Sustainable Workout Routine? (Exercise with Others)

Depending on where you’re at in life, and how much weight you need to lose, you might be satisfied with just Steps 1, 2, and 3 for the next few years.

That’s awesome!

And if you’re ready to do more than that, we’re here for ya too.

If you’re looking for me to actually tell you what to do, I would suggest the following:

Here’s a strategy optimized for effortless awesomeness, happiness, and look-good nakedness:

1. Strength train twice per week: squats, pushups, and pull-ups.
2. Do fun activity 1-2x per week.
3. Walk when you can.
4. Focus on your nutrition.

I would start there, and then do two things after 30 days:

#1) Track your compliance to see if you actually did the workouts!

Did you go for walks, strength train twice per week, and do a fun activity? You can track this on your calendar or in a notebook.

• Yes? Great! Move on to question 2.
• No? Great! You learned you tried to do too much. Do less and repeat for another 30 days.

#2) Measure if you got closer to your goal weight/skills/physique?

Are you healthier, happier, and more confident?

• Yes? Great! Keep doing what you’re doing!
• No? Great! That strategy didn’t work. Track your food intake, adjust your diet. Repeat.

“Steve that’s still not specific enough. I want you to tell me, for my exact situation, what to do every single day to reach my goals. Oh and hold me accountable. K thanks.”

I’m not clairvoyant or omniscient (…yet), so in the meantime, you can check out our really fun 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.

Your Coach (a member of Team NF we’ll match you with based on your needs) will get to know you, your goals, and your challenges, and develop a workout plan that’s specific to not only your body type, but also to your schedule and life.

Click the image below to schedule a free call to see if we’re a good fit for each other!

Our coaching program is like having Yoda in your pocket (not literally, of course)! Learn how we can help:

I don’t care whatever path you pick, be it our coaching, NF Prime, or if you just read the free stuff on Nerd Fitness and never buy anything!

I just want to help you get results, feel better about yourself, and stop struggling to make exercise consistent.

So let’s hear it. Where are you on your path to finding your perfect workout program!?

Tell me what your goals are. I’d love to hear about what you’re working on.

Which step are you on? Stuck on Level 3? What are the activities you LOVE/HATE?

What program are you following? Do you have a question on what to pick?

What have you found works for you, and what DIDN’T work for you?

Leave a comment and share your story with your fellow rebels!

-Steve

PS: If you want a blueprint for your own “perfect workout” – one that customizes to your own experience level – check out NF Journey.

Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

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photo sources: Reiterlied Biking on the Lake, Reiterlied To The Lofoten Islands and Back Again 8/16 – Hooray for the blue sea!, clement127 Amazing playground: bicycles and football, clement127 Eurobasket 2015, Legozilla treadmill, themofoit: Stormtrooper Pushups, beach, road split, egg, runner

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If you’ve ever asked yourself “Am I doing too little or too many reps and sets?” then this guide is for you.

This article is part of our Strength 101 series, and we’ll show you exactly how to determine the number of repetitions and sets for specific exercises, so you can build your own workout routine.

It sounds easy, but depending on your goals, the answer to “How many reps and sets should I do?” can vary greatly.

We work hand-in-hand with our Online Coaching Clients to create the correct workout program that suits their goals, needs, and available equipment

Never wonder how many sets and reps again! Let us build a program that fits YOU. Learn more:

In today’s guide on workout programing, we’ll cover (click each to get right to that answer):

• What’s the correct number of reps and sets for a workout?
• How many reps should I do?
• How many sets should I do?
• How to build a workout routine.

The Correct Number of Reps and Sets for a Workout

As Coach Jim mentions above, “Rep” stands for “repetition” and defines one complete motion of an exercise.

And one “set” is a consecutive number of reps without stopping.

And one “smorgasbord” is a buffet of food.

This has nothing to do with this article, but it’s a fun word to say.

As we mentioned throughout our Strength Training 101 series, how many reps and sets you should do is really going to be dependent on your goals.

Oh, you’re just starting your strength training journey?

Well, make sure you grab our free guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know.  I’ll send it to you for free when you join the Rebellion (that’s us!). 

Alright, let’s break down reps and sets for you, because I can see you still have questions.

How Many Reps Should I Do?

Remember, “Rep” stands for “repetition” and is more or less one complete exercise.

Like a push-up:

So “2 sets of 5 reps of push-ups” means, “5 consecutive push-ups, a rest, then another 5 consecutive push-ups.”

Cool?

Cool.

When deciding on how many sets and reps to do, it begins by asking “What am I trying to get out of this workout?!“

We’ll group different rep ranges into different goals, for:

• Muscular endurance
• Muscle size
• Overall strength

I’m going to share with you the commonly accepted answers, but they ALL come with a HUGE caveat that I’ll share at the end of this article.

I’m going to start with the “widely accepted numbers here.”

Let’s chat about the following:

1) MUSCULAR ENDURANCE (long-lasting muscle) – Endurance means encouraging and training your muscles to perform for an extended period of time. This means doing a LOT of repetitions. 

People targeting muscular endurance will aim for a range from 12 to 20+ reps.

Obviously, you won’t be able to lift heavy amounts of weight for 20+ reps, so you’ll be lifting lighter loads.

Also, because you’re targeting endurance improvements, you want to decrease the amount of rest between sets: 30 seconds to a minute.

If you are a runner or cyclist, strength training with higher repetitions can help your muscles develop more endurance as well!

Reps for increased muscular endurance: 12+

2) MUSCLE SIZE (“sarcoplasmic hypertrophy”) – This is for guys or gals looking to build larger muscles.

The scientific term here is “sarcoplasmic hypertrophy,” as it focuses on increasing the amount of sarcoplasm, the non-contractile fluid found in your muscle.

Up to 30% of your muscle’s size is attributed to the sarcoplasm, so focusing on this type of hypertrophy helps build overall size.

If you’re looking to get bigger:

• Target a rep range of 6 – 12 reps per set.
• Aim for 3-5 sets.
• Rest time between sets should be short, about 60 to 90 seconds.

Reps for increased muscle size: 6-12

3) STRENGTH AND POWER (“myofibril hypertrophy”) – If you’re training for specific sports and just want to get stronger with more power – but not necessarily get bigger, this is the strategy for you.

This type of training focuses on strengthening the myofibril, the contractile part of the muscle, hence the name “myofibril hypertrophy.”

For this, target reps in the 1-5 range. And yep, that means you’re going to be picking up heavy weights, focusing all that concentrated effort into just one or a few reps.

Something to note: not only are you shocking your muscles, but you’re also putting a lot of pressure on your body’s central nervous system.

Here’s that caveat I was discussing:

A 2015 study ^[1] called into question the best rep strategy for building muscle or size:

“It appears that high-intensity resistance (sets of 3-5 reps) training stimulates greater improvements in some measures of strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men during a short-term training period [compared to sets of 8-10 reps].”

What this means: Do not freak yourself out by worrying if you should do 4 sets or 5 sets of 8 reps or 10 reps. 

Our advice would be to START with lighter weight, with more reps as you learn the movement for safety’s sake. Then decide if you want to stay at higher reps and lower weight or vice versa.

You do you, because either one will get you results!

What this means: Don’t overthink it. 

1. Pick up heavy stuff for 3-4 sets of 5 reps. Pick up a weight that is heavy enough that you can only complete your specified number of reps.
2. Challenge yourself on bodyweight exercises, either by making them more difficult, adding weight, or doing high reps to failure.
3. And then do more next time.

This forces it too to adapt and become stronger, which is critical for strength and power.^[2]

This is how powerlifters train:

• Low reps
• High weight
• Long time between sets

You need to increase your rest period because lifting this heavy fatigues the central nervous system and you’ll need longer to recover.

You might be waiting 3-5 minutes between sets when training in this fashion.

TO RECAP, these are the rep ranges you should be considering:

• Reps in the 1-5 range build super dense muscle and strength.
• Reps in the 6-12 range build equal amounts of muscular power, strength, and size.
• Reps in the 12+ range primarily build muscular endurance and size and also cardiovascular health.

I realize this is a lot to figure out, so if you are somebody – like me – who just wants to be told what to do and outsource all the worry of “am I doing the right workout for my goals?” I got you covered!

I’d love to learn your story, and then build a custom program that fits your goals. We’ll help you with your nutrition, your workouts, and even check in regularly to keep you accountable!

Let us answer all of your training questions and create a program just for you. Details here!

How Many Sets Should I Do?

As explained above, a “set” describes a group of repetitions performed for an exercise without stopping.

For example, if you do 10 squats right now, you just did 1 SET of 10 reps of squats.

So let’s talk about the “correct” number of sets per exercise.

Here’s the simple answer “3-5 work sets of a given exercise.”^[3]

Why 3 to 5, and why not 6 or 10 sets?

This answer of “3 to 5” has a story behind it.

3 sets became popular in 1948 when the physician Thomas L. DeLorme suggested 3 sets of 10 reps to be an effective form of weight training.

Delorme came to his conclusion after prescribing strength training to his injured patients, as a way for them to rebuild muscle and rehabilitate.

He recorded and analyzed their improvements. When Delorme published his findings, it was one of the first academic looks on how to strength train.

As one of the pioneers, Delorme’s recommendations stuck and became “permanently etched into the collective subconscious of the fitness community.”^[4]

And THAT’S the history of 3 sets at 10 repetitions…

I do want to point out that more volume (more sets of exercises) per week resulted in more mass compared to less volume (fewer sets of exercises) in this study^[5].

Anyways!

Don’t stress yourself out by worrying if you should do 5 sets or 4 sets or 3 sets. 

The correct answer is: however many sets you can do, with your target rep range, without compromising your form.

“STEVE, JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO.”

FINE! Pick a weight that feels light to you, and then do 3 sets of 10 reps.

(Learn how much weight should I be lifting”).

And then next time?

Do more than last time:

• Did 3 sets of 10 reps of a 65 lb bench press? Do 3 sets of 8 at 75 lbs this week!
• Did 3 sets of 5 pull-ups last week? Go for 3 sets of 6 this week.

This is a great place to start as you start to figure out your weight training routine and goals:

There is evidence of 3 or 5 sets performed leading to more gains in endurance, size, and strength when compared to just doing 1 set per workout.^[6] If you are trying to bulk up quickly, or just build more muscle, volume is the name of the game.

This makes sense. You are forcing your muscles to do more work overall.

So, if after your third set you feel like you can do a fourth, go for it. And if you have the energy, get that 5th set.

Any more than that, and you should be thinking about increasing your weight instead. 6+ sets of an exercise with lots of rest makes for a LONG workout, and we are trying to be efficient here.^[7]

If you’re not sure if “3 sets of 10” or “5 sets of 5” is right for you, we got you covered.

We’ll build a program that fits your goals, and then adjust it each month based on your progress. Never guess or wonder what you should be doing again.

No more guesswork. Just results. And accountability. And nerd humor. Learn about our Coaching Program:

How to Build a Workout Routine!

Now that you have “edumacated” yourself on how your specific goals influence the number of reps per set, and what sets actually are, you can build your workout program around this info.

TO RECAP, aim for 3-5 sets in the following rep rangers per exercise based on your goals:

1. Endurance: 12+ reps per set.
2. Hypertrophy (bigger muscles): 6-12 reps per set.
3. Strength (dense, powerful muscle): 1-5 reps per set.

Oh, remember that “caveat to all of this” I mentioned above? 

• A recent study showed that heavier weight for low reps created more muscle mass than a higher volume (lower weight for more reps).^[8]
• Studies show that bodyweight training exercises can build muscle, but require a LARGE number of sets per rep, and pushing oneself to absolute failure.^[9]

What this means: studies suggest targeting heavier weight with fewer reps for big lifts like squats and deadlifts to build muscle, while targeting high reps to absolute failure with bodyweight exercises for muscle building.

Oh, and Nutrition is still 90% of the equation!

Your rep range doesn’t matter nearly as much as you think, so don’t overthink it!

Here are some examples:

1. If you’re trying to build muscle and get bigger, doing sets of 3 or sets of 5 or sets of 10 will ALL help you get bigger, if you’re eating enough to get bigger!
2. If you’re trying to lose weight, it doesn’t matter if you do sets of 15 or sets of 5 if you are consistently overeating by 1,000 calories a day. You need to eat the right number of calories.
3. It doesn’t matter if you train like a bodybuilder, you ALSO need to eat enough food to provide your muscles with enough calories to rebuild themselves bigger and stronger! This is the biggest mistake I see skinny people make when trying to bulk.

This brings me to my final point: because nutrition is 90% of the equation, your sets and reps don’t matter nearly as much as you think they do!

All that matters? Doing MORE this workout than the last workout.

That’s how you build muscle and strength and burn fat: “progressive overload.”

One more rep than last time.

Doing one more set than last time.

Picking up a weight that’s 5 lbs. heavier than last week.

Progressive overload is a concept that Coach Jim explains in this video:

So get out of your own head, and START TODAY:

1) GET HELP: If you want expert guidance and accountability so you don’t have to figure out all of this stuff on your own, I got you. 

Click the red button below to get the details about our amazing online coaching program:

Put an expert in your pocket. Wait, that came out wrong. Learn about our Online Coaching App:

2) FIGURING IT OUT OUT ON YOUR OWN!

Download our free Strength Training 101 Guide! You get it free when you join our Rebellion (the name of our awesome free online community). Sign up in the box below:

3) WORKOUTS YOU CAN DO NOW:

• New to strength training? Read our entire Strength 101 series.
• Starting barbell training? Go to our “beginner weight training” workouts.
• BRAND new to any training? Start with this bodyweight routine, and aim for 3 sets of 10. Work on your form!

Remember: the goal should be to get stronger each workout.

Write down what you did last time, and then do MORE this time.

By continually challenging your muscles to do more, they’ll have to adapt by getting bigger, stronger, burning more calories, etc.

There’s a lot of different truths and fallacies on plateaus and how your muscles can get “used” to working out and stop growing.

If that’s something you’re battling, here’s a way to continue making progress:

Spend a week in a different rep range with different amounts of weight to throw them off.

This will introduce a little chaos into the system, which could be a good thing…unless you’re Batman.

After a week of mixing it up, go back to your regularly scheduled routine and you’ll be right back on track.

Make sure you know what you want, and then design a plan to get there.

-Steve

PS: If you want a nice shiny app to tell you EXACTLY how many seps and reps to do, our shiny new app will do just that!

You can sign-up for a free 7-day trial to Nerd Fitness Journey, which will build a workout around your experience level!

Jump in right here:

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All photo citations: Evel Knievel, Me riding a bicycle, Bicylelifter, Project Story 1/3

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So you’re a woman who wants to start strength training? 

Well you’ve come to the right place! 

We help women just like you grow strong, and today we’ll get you started on your strength training journey.

Nerd Fitness Coaches help women become superheros! Learn more here.

Here’s what we’ll cover in our strength training guide for women:

• Should women lift weights? (Why you should start strength training)
• Is strength training different for women?
• Strength Training Level 1: Bodyweight Workouts
• Strength Training Level 2: Dumbbell Workouts
• Strength Training Level 3: The Wide World of Barbells
• How much weight should women lift?
• Can strength training help with weight loss?
• The best strength training exercises for women
• A meal plan for strength training (Healthy Eating 101)
• The top frequently asked strength training questions for women
• How to begin lifting weights as a woman (Next Steps)

After today’s guide, you’ll know exactly how to transform yourself into a superhero! 

What makes me so confident? How do I know so much about women growing strong? 

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Staci Ardison.

This is me deadlifting 455 pounds:

I’m currently the Senior Coach here in the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program.

And no, I wasn’t born this strong (that would be strangely awesome). It’s only after discovering a love of strength training that I learned how to handle weight like this.

Obviously, we won’t start you out lifting that much at first. But we will set you up on a path that if you want to, one day you’ll be able to.

Before we get to it, if you’re in a hurry, I want you to know we’ve compiled all our strength training material into a friendly guide so you can read it at your leisure (I’m picturing you reading the guide poolside, sipping a lemonade).

Download Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you enlist in the Rebellion (that’s us!) below:

Should Women Lift Weights? (Why You Should Start Strength Training)

Everyone should start strength training: people of every sex and gender, the young, the old…everyone.^[1] 

We discuss the benefits heavily in our introduction to strength training, but I’ll highlight some examples now.^[2]    

#1) When you’re stronger – life is easier. No need to call for help to get that 50lb bag of dog food off the top shelf, or carrying an air conditioner unit up a flight of stairs. LIFE is easier when you’re stronger. 

#2) Less injury risk – when you build strong muscles, you’re also building stronger bones, ligaments, and tendons, making you less prone to injury doing things you love (like playing in a quidditch league).^[3]

#3) Helps combat age-related muscle loss,^[4] allowing us to remain independent longer as we age:

#4) Muscle is harder to maintain, which means you need to eat more just to hold on to it.^[5]

#5) Reduce pain – having a strong body makes living easier on your joints, as well as allows you to hold a better posture and reduce back / hip pain.^[6]

#6) Appearance – this is a personal preference! Some women like to have a lot of muscle, and some don’t. While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can choose to build more muscle in specific areas, changing your body shape. Growing up, I was an extreme pear shape, but due to strength training, I now have more of an hourglass shape. 

#7) Live longer – want to spend more time on Earth? Strength training and growing muscle will help you do just that.^[7]

Although strength training is one of the best things you can do for your health, it’s estimated that only about 20% of women do it, far below that of our male counterparts.^[8] 

That sucks. 

It’s part of my life’s work to reverse this trend and to do so, I’m going to need your help.

You in?

Perfect!

Follow a step-by-step plan to grow strong under the guidance of a Nerd Fitness Coach!

Is Strength Training Different for Women?

Here’s something that may shock you: there’s no reason everybody – of any gender or sex –  shouldn’t strength train the same way!

Yep, you don’t need 3-pound pink dumbbells, unless you like 3-pound pink dumbbells!  You can train with free weights and barbells just like everybody else at the gym.

Yes, there are biological differences between the sexes. For example when strength training, people with typical male anatomy will produce more type IIa fibers than people with typical female anatomy, who will in turn produce more type I fibers than men.^[9] 

Don’t worry about any of this though. 

We don’t need to get you lost in the weeds.^[10]

The American College of Sports Medicine doesn’t differentiate between sexes in their strength training recommendation.^[11] So neither shall we. 

So what exactly is strength training, you may be asking?

“Strength training” of any kind can be explained by two things:

#1) Movement of any weight (including your body weight) – Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.

#2) Progressive overload: exerting slightly more effort than last time (lift a heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will constantly have to adapt and will constantly be rebuilding themselves to get stronger.

Coach Jim walks you through different strategies for progressive overload in this video:

Before we get into the ins and outs of strength training, I need to address a question we get over and over from the women in our coaching clients:

Will I get bulky if I lift weights?

If you see a woman who is incredibly muscular and at an extremely low body fat percentage, I guarantee she has been working her butt off for a very long time with the very specific goal of building muscle and looking that way.

It’s not something that happens overnight, or by mistake.

We simply don’t have the same amount of testosterone as people with male anatomy to get there easily.^[12] It’s something we cover in great detail in our guide on How to Build Muscle as a Woman.

If you’d like to build muscle, but not as much as a professional bodybuilder – don’t worry, it’s not something that happens by accident. 

So strike “I don’t want to get bulky” from your vernacular. 

Alright, let’s talk about how to actually get started strength training. 

Strength Training Level 1: Bodyweight Workouts

If you’re just starting your strength training journey, our first stop will be a bodyweight workout.

Bodyweight training is simply doing an exercise in which your own body is the “weight” you are “lifting.”

Duh.

This is the BEST place for anybody – regardless of weight or age – to start their strength training journey.

Why is this the best place to start?

Here are two big reasons to do bodyweight training:

#1) You always have your body with you (unless you are a ghost, in which case, this is awkward). This means you can work out ANYWHERE with bodyweight training:

• Our Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine in your living room.
• Our Hotel Workout in a hotel (obvi).
• Our Park Workout in a…well, you get the point.

#2) Using your body for resistance training is the most “human” thing ever! By learning to push and pull and hang and squat and lunge, you are doing what your body is literally designed to do.

By getting strong with bodyweight movements, you’re making yourself antifragile and less injury-prone.

Bodyweight training isn’t as easy to ‘scale’ the difficulty as some of the other strength training methods (“put more weight on barbell”), but you can get REALLY strong with just bodyweight training.

For example, you can start with knee push-ups:

Then go to regular push-ups: 

Then elevated push-ups: 

Then even up to things like handstands: 

And even handstand push-ups:

You just have to know HOW and WHEN to scale up (we can help there too).

Let us create a bodyweight training program for you!

Want a sample bodyweight workout you can try? You got it:

This is the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (3 Circuits): 

• 20 Bodyweight squats.
• 10 Push-ups.
• 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
• 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
• 15 Second plank.
• 30 Jumping jacks.

Want some variety? Try 8 other “at-home workouts.”  

You can also create your own “no equipment workout” by reading the 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises.

Strength Training Level 2: Dumbbell Workouts

The next stop on our strength training journey includes lifting some actual weights!

Woot.

Dumbbells are a great first step into the world of weight training and strength training:

• Most gyms will have dumbbells, even if it’s a basic gym in your apartment complex.
• A set of dumbbells doesn’t take up a lot of room, which means you can have a pair at home without a large footprint.
• Dumbbells make it easy to add difficulty to a bodyweight movement: holding dumbbells while doing lunges, for example.
• Dumbbell exercises can be less intimidating than barbell training for some, and are a step towards barbell training.
• Dumbbells have an added stabilization challenge, and will point out muscle imbalances pretty easily (“oh my right arm is stronger than my left arm.”).
• You can scale easily. Once the 10 pound weights become too easy, pick up the 15 pound ones!

Here’s a beginner workout that you can, taken from our Level 4 Gym Workout, “Dumbbell Division”: 

• 10 goblet squats
• 10 push-ups
• 10 dumbbell rows per side

Here’s how to perform a goblet squat:

This is a push-up done in proper form (in case you skipped the last section^[13]): 

And here is how to do a dumbbell row:

If you’re following along at home, you just did your first full-body workout using weights!

Want a custom-built dumbbell workout? Something designed for the weights in your apartment’s gym?

Our Nerd Fitness Coaches can do just that! Plus they’ll scale your workouts as you grow stronger, turning you into a superhero!

A Nerd Fitness Coach can build you a dumbbell workout and guide your strength training!

Strength Training Level 3: The Wide World of Barbells

You made it! It’s now time to start training with barbells! 

This is going to help you become ultra-powerful and strong.

It’s how I transformed myself into the person I am today.

The reason barbell training is so important is that it allows you to pick up heavy weights and do movements that recruit every muscle in your body. This is great for building powerful, strong muscles in your core, legs, glutes, and so on. 

We’re talking about exercises like the Back squat:

And the Barbell Deadlift:

Show me somebody that’s strong at both of these movements, and I’ll show you somebody that’s in better shape than most of the human population.

But wait!

Even an empty barbell can be heavy (normally 45 pounds or 20Kg), so before we jump into the deep end, let’s make sure you are strong enough to proceed.

You’ll need to be able to complete a goblet squat with a 45 pound dumbbell (shown earlier) and the Romanian deadlift with 20 pound dumbbells.

Here’s how to perform the Romanian deadlift with dumbbells: 

Our test to see if you can handle barbell training will be the Level 4 Gym Workout: Dumbbell Division C (taken from our Beginner’s Guide to the Gym).

You’ll need to be able to go through the following before you start training with barbells: 

• 10 goblet squats – 45 lbs (20Kg dumbbell), 
• 10 Romanian deadlifts with 20 lbs dumbbells (9-10 Kg)
• 10 push-ups (on knees or regular)
• 10 dumbbell rows with each arm  – at least a 20 lb dumbbell

Can’t do those movements at that weight? Stick to the Level 4 Gym Workouts until you build up the strength to progress to barbells.

Once you CAN do the above, the real fun is going to start! 

We’re gonna replace the goblet squat with a back squat and the RDL with a barbell deadlift.

Here’s a video demonstration on how to perform the barbell back squat:

I would also encourage you to read How to Squat Properly for a full tutorial, especially if you’re just learning how to squat.

Here’s a step-by-step video on how to do the deadlift:

Again, make sure you read How to Deadlift Safely With Proper Form if you’re just starting your deadlifting journey. 

Once you get the handle of these two moves, it’s time for a full-body workout using barbells!

We’ll give you two different days to alternate between.

NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY A

Do 3 rounds of:

• 10 barbell squats
• 10 push-ups
• 10 bodyweight rows

NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY B

Do 3 rounds of:

• 5 barbell Romanian deadlifts
• 10 push-ups
• 10 dumbbell rows per arm

That’s it! Do each of these once a week and you’ll be rocking an awesome strength training practice.

Are you doing the workouts correctly?

A good way to tell would be to record yourself doing the movement and then match them against the gifs and videos in this guide. If they look close you’re doing great!

We also provide form checks in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. Through our snazzy app, a Nerd Fitness Coach (like me!) will review your movement to make sure you are training correctly and safely!

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach review your exercises and guide your training!

How Much Weight Should Women Lift?

We have a FULL resource on how to determine your starting weight for lifting, but I’ll give you the gist here.

The simple to learn but tough to implement answer: lift enough so that you can get through the set, but not too much that you have NO fuel left in the tank at the end.

And then, try to lift sliiiightly more than last time.

How much weight should I start with?

• If you are using dumbbells or a kettlebell, always err on the side of “too light” versus “too heavy.” You want to learn the movement correctly and build correct form.
• If you are training with a barbell, ALWAYS start with JUST the bar, no matter the exercise (as a reminder, a standard barbell weighs 45 pounds).

“How fast should I add weight to the bar?”

Here’s what we teach all of our coaching clients: add the minimum amount of weight each week you can, even if you THINK you can lift more. It’s better to finish a workout full of momentum and say “I can do more!” than defeated and saying “that was too much, crapola.”

Think of it this way, even if you are adding just 5 pounds per week to the bar, within a year you would be lifting 300+ pounds!

So go SLOW. Team NF’s Steve even bought little half-pound weights and increases many of his lifts by just 1 pound per week. It’s a big part of how he transformed (jokingly) from Steve Rogers to Captain America.

And if you are looking for this content in an easily digestible form, make sure you download our free Strength 101 Guide when you join the Rebellion below:

Can Strength Training Help with Weight Loss?

We get questions relating to weight loss and strength training all the time, and it’s something we cover throughout our Strength Training 101 series. 

Let me quickly address it here:

Fat and muscle are two different things – one can’t transform into the other.

We all have plenty of muscle right now (otherwise we wouldn’t be able to move, walk, sit upright, etc.), the muscle is just hiding underneath a layer of body fat.

In order for us to lose weight and look better, we want to do two things:

• Build our muscles stronger and tighter.
• Reduce the fat covering those muscles!

And luckily, both of those things happen simultaneously through strength training!

So NO, you don’t need to lose weight first before you start strength training.  

You will lose weight BY strength training (and keep the muscle you have).

You do NOT need to do hours of cardio for weight loss – weight loss is 90% a result of your nutrition. So honestly, you don’t need to ever set foot on a treadmill again (unless you WANT to).

Strength training will help you lose weight and look better IF you do two key things for effective weight loss:

• Calorie restriction: eat fewer calories than you burn every day.
• Strength train with progressive overload (picking up heavier stuff).

As we cover in our “Why can’t I lose weight” article (full of fun Harry Potter references), combining a caloric deficit and strength training is magic:

• You’re not consuming enough calories to carry out your body’s daily functions.
• Your body needs to use lots of calories to rebuild the muscle that was broken down during the strength training workout.
• Your body has no choice BUT to pull from fat stores to get stuff done!

Just by doing those two things (get strong, reduce calories), all sorts of wizardry and witchcraft takes place in your body:

• Get stronger and keep the muscle you have.
• Build tight dense muscle.
• A revved up metabolism while rebuilding muscle.
• Burning of body fat to get things done.

Yeah, you’re hearing me correctly.

Lose the body fat that sits on top of your muscles and you’ll make your muscles tighter and denser = look better without clothes on.

So how do you put this into practice?

1. Pick one of the strength workouts we covered earlier (start at the Beginner Bodyweight Workout if you feel unsure where to begin).
2. Calculate your daily caloric needs.
3. Learn which diet is best for you and make a small change.

Oh, what’s that? You just want somebody to tell you exactly how to train for your body, and how to eat for your goals?

Fine!

Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program – it’s helped hundreds of women lose weight through strength training – and proper nutrition. We work with you on habit building and lifestyle design to actually get stuff done!

Let us build a weight loss program for you that sticks! Learn more here.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Women

Great news: 

The best strength training exercises are universal. No matter your size, shape, sex, gender, age, or whether you love Star Trek more than Star Wars, these are the best exercises to build a great physique. 

I’m going to share with you the 9 best strength training exercises that every beginner should master (scroll down for full video and explanations!):

1. Push-up: uses every push muscle in your body (chest, shoulders, triceps)
2. Bodyweight squat: uses every muscle in the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, core)
3. Bodyweight row: works every “pull” muscle and helps prepare you for a pull-up!
4. Pull-up or chin-up: the best “pull” exercise in history! Everybody should have a goal to get their first pull-up.
5. Bodyweight dip: advanced “push” movement that targets your push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) in a different way than push-ups.
6. Barbell squat: the best bang for your buck on muscle building. Recruits nearly every push muscle in your whole body, and a great core workout.
7. Barbell deadlift: the favorite exercise of every coach at Nerd Fitness. Uses every “pull,” leg, and core muscle in your body.
8. Barbell benchpress: as basic and powerful as they come. Uses every “push” movement in your upper body and can get you strong as heck!
9. Barbell press: press the bar above your head! Targets shoulders and triceps more than chest.

Click on any of these exercises to get a FULL explanation of the movement, step-by-step:

1) The Push-Up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):

2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose as it’s the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!

3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength (back, biceps, and forearms).

4) The Pull-Up and Chin-Up: Once you can support your bodyweight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you can’t do a pull-up or chin-up yet?)

5) The Bodyweight Dip: As you start to get stronger with push-ups and need to find a way to increase the challenge, consider doing dips. Warning: these are very advanced, but incredible strength-building exercises.

And now we’re into the best weight training exercises:

6) The Barbell Squat: Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:

7) The Barbell Deadlift: Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”

This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to do it with proper form:

8) The Barbell Press: Press a barbell above your head. This recruits all of the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms in order for you to lift the weight over your head.

As a bonus, you need to really flex and brace your core, which gets those muscles working too.

9) The Barbell Bench Press. Lie on a bench, and lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and then press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.

And if you want somebody to help you put these into a workout program, teach you HOW to do these movements properly, and have the confidence to know you’re training correctly for your goals…

Let us create a workout program that fits your busy life!

A Meal Plan for Strength Training (Healthy Eating 101)

So far, we’ve been more or less just talking about exercises when it comes to strength training.

This is logical, because this is in fact a guide on how to perform certain exercises to grow strong.

However, we constantly remind our coaching clients that 90% of their success or failure on their fitness journey will come down to what they eat.

“Success” in this context really comes down to your goals.

• Are you looking to bulk up? You’ll need to eat more calories than you burn.
• Are you looking to slim down? You’ll need to eat fewer calories than you burn.

At this point, you might be thinking “Staci, how many calories do I need?”

To answer that question, it’s time for the Nerd Fitness Calorie Calculator!

(Click here for our Metric calculator)

(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! ^[14]).

• If you want to bulk up and gain weight, take your TDEE and add 250 calories to it to get our daily goal. This should result in gaining half a pound per week.
• Want to lose weight? Take your TDEE and subtract 250 calories to receive your daily goal. This should result in losing about a half-pound a week.

The other piece of the equation outside of a caloric surplus/deficit is protein.

Since you will be strength training and building muscle, you’ll need to make sure you are eating protein at every meal. It’s the number one macronutrient for creating new muscle tissue.^[15]

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

• Meat (steak, bison, pork).
• Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
• Eggs!^[16]
• Cheese and dairy.
• Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
• Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
• Other vegetarian protein sources here.

As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein required for muscle growth vary wildly from source to source (and woman to woman).^[17]

Here is our recommendation:

• If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g per pound of bodyweight (2.2 g/kg).
• If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.

Let me simplify it for you:

“To build muscle, target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 grams per kg).”

If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:

Here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

• 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
• 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
• 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes. Rebel Leader Steve and I both supplement with shakes daily to meet our protein goals.

Whatever you do, make sure you’re getting enough!

Whenever we speak with new Online Coaching Clients, protein is the macronutrient we begin every discussion with! It’s THAT important when it comes to either weight loss or building muscle. I’m not kidding when I say it should make up a portion of every meal you eat. 

A Nerd Fitness Coach can guide your nutrition and create custom workouts for strength training!

The Top Frequently Asked Strength Training Questions for Women

Here are some of the most common questions we receive from women beginning their strength training practice in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program.

#1) Will I get bulky lifting weights? I really don’t want to.

I have GREAT NEWS! 

Strength training will not make you bulky, UNLESS you want it to!

And if you want to bulk up? That’s AWESOME!

Here’s how to build muscle correctly.

You get to pick how you want to look, so you do you.

Just remember that women who compete as bodybuilders didn’t start looking like overnight:

• They have eaten, trained, and potentially taken supplements specifically so they can look like that! Which is great. Good for them.
• They’ve been working towards that goal for years, probably decades.

Here’s the truth: when you pick up heavy things (like barbell training), your muscles get STRONGER (but not necessarily bigger).

If you actively eat for the goal of building muscle and getting bigger, you CAN build muscle and size. 

Again, if you want bigger arms or stronger glutes, AWESOME. You do you.

Let’s talk about the reverse: If you pick up heavy things and eat a caloric deficit, your muscles will get stronger and denser; you will burn the fat on top of your muscle, and you will lose weight and get that “toned” look that many women are after.

Jump back to our healthy eating section for more on caloric deficits and surpluses. 

#2) Can I spot reduce fat with certain exercises?

Sir Mix-A-Lot was wrong. Don’t do side bends and sit-ups, because you’re wasting your time!

• Side bends don’t get rid of love handles. They will simply strengthen your side muscles without actually reducing any fat there, potentially making you bigger around the waist unless you change your diet as well.
• Sit-ups will not remove belly fat. They can also wreak havoc on your lower back, and are an incomplete exercise.

Your body cannot spot reduce fat in specific locations. If you have flabby arms or a big stomach, doing thousands of bicep curls and thousands of crunches won’t help.

Your body is genetically predisposed to storing fat in certain locations in a certain order.

When you start to lose weight, your body will lose the fat you currently have in a certain order as well – it might come off your arms first, then your legs, then your belly, then your chest, and THEN your butt.

Or in a different order, depending on your personal genetic makeup.

No amount of targeted exercise will change how that fat disappears.

Want to lose weight? Reduce your caloric intake in a way that doesn’t make you miserable:

• For some people, that’s counting calories.
• For others, it’s following a Paleo Diet.
• For a rare few, it’s doing a Ketogenic Diet.

We cover ALL the popular diets, and why they will ALL work…temporarily in our article on “which diet is right for you?” (Just don’t do the Military Diet!)

Here’s the truth: your diet – specifically how MUCH you eat – will be responsible for 80-90% of that fat-loss equation.

The other 10%-20% can come from strength training and fun exercises.

Big compound movements that recruit lots of muscle (and thus force your body to rebuild lots of muscle, which requires extra calories burned, even after the workout is done). Our section on the best strength training exercises for women would be good examples of compound movements. 

#3) How many days a week should a woman lift weights?

Unless you’ve been strength training for years and know what you’re doing, we recommend that you pick a full-body routine that you can do 2-3 times a week.

You build muscles while resting, not working out, so you generally want 48 hours before engaging the same muscle group again.

If you made it up to our “The Wide World of Barbells” section, you can do the DAY A workout on Monday and the DAY B workout on Thursday. That’ll give you plenty of time to recover. 

Want more? Maybe on the weekend, you sneak away for a short hike. 

Read “Exercise Without Realizing It” for more ideas on how to keep your body moving!

Don’t worry if this doesn’t seem like a lot at first. We are interested in building the habit of strength training initially. We can up the frequency once you’re rocking and rolling. 

Learning to meal prep would also be a good use of your time between training sessions. 

4) Can I do strength training at home?

You sure can!

Many of our coaching clients have gotten in great shape simply by doing bodyweight exercises at home. 

Here are a few resources to get you strength training in your living room:

• Beginner Bodyweight Workout: many a Rebel have started their fitness journey here, and you can do it right in your own living room (if your dog will let you). 
• Advanced Bodyweight Workout: crushed the Beginner Bodyweight Workout? Then try this advanced circuit on for size. 
• 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises: want to get your hands dirty? Use this guide to create your own bodyweight workout you can do anywhere!
• 20-Min Kettlebell Workout: own a kettlebell? Want one? With one single piece of equipment you can get in a great workout.

We can also build you a custom workout for your exact situation, whether you’re stuck at home or in an office, we can create a solution that fits your busy life!

Too busy to work out? Let us create you a tailor-made solution for your life!

How to Begin Lifting Weights as a Woman (Next Steps)

Since 2009, Team Nerd Fitness has learned a tremendous amount about how to best serve the ladies of this community.

I want to share with you my favorite success story.

Meet Leslie, a very sedentary single mom who works long hours that managed to lose 100+ lbs with the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program:

What spurred her epic transformation?

In two words: strength training.

Leslie learned to train the right way, picked up a barbell, fixed her diet, and now does crazy things like handstands and ring work!

So if you’re tired of the same ole same ole and you’re ready to start strength training, you’re in the right place!

Not sure what to do or how to get started?

1) Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program! Our philosophies help women like Leslie above and they can be the philosophies that help you become strong inside and out.

Click on the image below to schedule a call and see if we’re a good fit for each other!

2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts at the gym (or at home), check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion! Our free community numbers in the hundreds of thousands scattered throughout the globe, and we need good people like you!

You can join by signing up in the awesome yellow box below, and I’ll send you a bunch of free guides and printable workouts, including our Strength 101 guide!

4) Do a strength training workout this week! The most important step you can do is to actually start. 

• Training at home? Perfect. Try our Beginner Bodyweight Workout. 
• Heading to the gym? Great! Read our “How to Train in a Gym” and go from Level 1 to 6 in the next month.

You got this. You can do it. I know because we’ve seen it countless times here at Nerd Fitness.

Enough from me though, now it’s your turn:

Are you just starting your strength training journey?

Do you strength train at home or the gym?

Any weight lifting tips or tricks we missed?

Let us know in the comments!

-Staci

PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our Strength Training 101 series:

• Strength Training 101: Finding the Right Gym
• Strength Training 101: Where do I start?
• Strength Training 101: How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting?
• How to Build Muscle as a Woman
• How to Hire a Personal Trainer

###

Photo source: Women’s day 2015, Goodbye Batman, Scenes from an empty lot in Brooklyn, DSC_0254, tonobalaguer © 123RF.com, Pirate girl, The Breakfast of Jedi, Cecaelia has come, Lance Cpl. Tayler P. Schwamb.

GIF source: Thumbs up, Emma Stone Yes, Bird Delete, Lisa Simpson, Duh, Ninja Turtles, hiking. 

 

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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So you’re a woman who wants to start strength training? 

Well you’ve come to the right place! 

We help women just like you grow strong, and today we’ll get you started on your strength training journey.

Nerd Fitness Coaches help women become superheros! Learn more here.

Here’s what we’ll cover in our strength training guide for women:

• Should women lift weights? (Why you should start strength training)
• Is strength training different for women?
• Strength Training Level 1: Bodyweight Workouts
• Strength Training Level 2: Dumbbell Workouts
• Strength Training Level 3: The Wide World of Barbells
• How much weight should women lift?
• Can strength training help with weight loss?
• The best strength training exercises for women
• A meal plan for strength training (Healthy Eating 101)
• The top frequently asked strength training questions for women
• How to begin lifting weights as a woman (Next Steps)

After today’s guide, you’ll know exactly how to transform yourself into a superhero! 

What makes me so confident? How do I know so much about women growing strong? 

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Staci Ardison.

This is me deadlifting 455 pounds:

I’m currently the Senior Coach here in the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program.

And no, I wasn’t born this strong (that would be strangely awesome). It’s only after discovering a love of strength training that I learned how to handle weight like this.

Obviously, we won’t start you out lifting that much at first. But we will set you up on a path that if you want to, one day you’ll be able to.

Before we get to it, if you’re in a hurry, I want you to know we’ve compiled all our strength training material into a friendly guide so you can read it at your leisure (I’m picturing you reading the guide poolside, sipping a lemonade).

Download Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you enlist in the Rebellion (that’s us!) below:

Should Women Lift Weights? (Why You Should Start Strength Training)

Everyone should start strength training: people of every sex and gender, the young, the old…everyone.^[1] 

We discuss the benefits heavily in our introduction to strength training, but I’ll highlight some examples now.^[2]    

#1) When you’re stronger – life is easier. No need to call for help to get that 50lb bag of dog food off the top shelf, or carrying an air conditioner unit up a flight of stairs. LIFE is easier when you’re stronger. 

#2) Less injury risk – when you build strong muscles, you’re also building stronger bones, ligaments, and tendons, making you less prone to injury doing things you love (like playing in a quidditch league).^[3]

#3) Helps combat age-related muscle loss,^[4] allowing us to remain independent longer as we age:

#4) Muscle is harder to maintain, which means you need to eat more just to hold on to it.^[5]

#5) Reduce pain – having a strong body makes living easier on your joints, as well as allows you to hold a better posture and reduce back / hip pain.^[6]

#6) Appearance – this is a personal preference! Some women like to have a lot of muscle, and some don’t. While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can choose to build more muscle in specific areas, changing your body shape. Growing up, I was an extreme pear shape, but due to strength training, I now have more of an hourglass shape. 

#7) Live longer – want to spend more time on Earth? Strength training and growing muscle will help you do just that.^[7]

Although strength training is one of the best things you can do for your health, it’s estimated that only about 20% of women do it, far below that of our male counterparts.^[8] 

That sucks. 

It’s part of my life’s work to reverse this trend and to do so, I’m going to need your help.

You in?

Perfect!

Follow a step-by-step plan to grow strong under the guidance of a Nerd Fitness Coach!

Is Strength Training Different for Women?

Here’s something that may shock you: there’s no reason everybody – of any gender or sex –  shouldn’t strength train the same way!

Yep, you don’t need 3-pound pink dumbbells, unless you like 3-pound pink dumbbells!  You can train with free weights and barbells just like everybody else at the gym.

Yes, there are biological differences between the sexes. For example when strength training, people with typical male anatomy will produce more type IIa fibers than people with typical female anatomy, who will in turn produce more type I fibers than men.^[9] 

Don’t worry about any of this though. 

We don’t need to get you lost in the weeds.^[10]

The American College of Sports Medicine doesn’t differentiate between sexes in their strength training recommendation.^[11] So neither shall we. 

So what exactly is strength training, you may be asking?

“Strength training” of any kind can be explained by two things:

#1) Movement of any weight (including your body weight) – Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.

#2) Progressive overload: exerting slightly more effort than last time (lift a heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will constantly have to adapt and will constantly be rebuilding themselves to get stronger.

Coach Jim walks you through different strategies for progressive overload in this video:

Before we get into the ins and outs of strength training, I need to address a question we get over and over from the women in our coaching clients:

Will I get bulky if I lift weights?

If you see a woman who is incredibly muscular and at an extremely low body fat percentage, I guarantee she has been working her butt off for a very long time with the very specific goal of building muscle and looking that way.

It’s not something that happens overnight, or by mistake.

We simply don’t have the same amount of testosterone as people with male anatomy to get there easily.^[12] It’s something we cover in great detail in our guide on How to Build Muscle as a Woman.

If you’d like to build muscle, but not as much as a professional bodybuilder – don’t worry, it’s not something that happens by accident. 

So strike “I don’t want to get bulky” from your vernacular. 

Alright, let’s talk about how to actually get started strength training. 

Strength Training Level 1: Bodyweight Workouts

If you’re just starting your strength training journey, our first stop will be a bodyweight workout.

Bodyweight training is simply doing an exercise in which your own body is the “weight” you are “lifting.”

Duh.

This is the BEST place for anybody – regardless of weight or age – to start their strength training journey.

Why is this the best place to start?

Here are two big reasons to do bodyweight training:

#1) You always have your body with you (unless you are a ghost, in which case, this is awkward). This means you can work out ANYWHERE with bodyweight training:

• Our Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine in your living room.
• Our Hotel Workout in a hotel (obvi).
• Our Park Workout in a…well, you get the point.

#2) Using your body for resistance training is the most “human” thing ever! By learning to push and pull and hang and squat and lunge, you are doing what your body is literally designed to do.

By getting strong with bodyweight movements, you’re making yourself antifragile and less injury-prone.

Bodyweight training isn’t as easy to ‘scale’ the difficulty as some of the other strength training methods (“put more weight on barbell”), but you can get REALLY strong with just bodyweight training.

For example, you can start with knee push-ups:

Then go to regular push-ups: 

Then elevated push-ups: 

Then even up to things like handstands: 

And even handstand push-ups:

You just have to know HOW and WHEN to scale up (we can help there too).

Let us create a bodyweight training program for you!

Want a sample bodyweight workout you can try? You got it:

This is the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (3 Circuits): 

• 20 Bodyweight squats.
• 10 Push-ups.
• 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
• 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
• 15 Second plank.
• 30 Jumping jacks.

Want some variety? Try 8 other “at-home workouts.”  

You can also create your own “no equipment workout” by reading the 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises.

Strength Training Level 2: Dumbbell Workouts

The next stop on our strength training journey includes lifting some actual weights!

Woot.

Dumbbells are a great first step into the world of weight training and strength training:

• Most gyms will have dumbbells, even if it’s a basic gym in your apartment complex.
• A set of dumbbells doesn’t take up a lot of room, which means you can have a pair at home without a large footprint.
• Dumbbells make it easy to add difficulty to a bodyweight movement: holding dumbbells while doing lunges, for example.
• Dumbbell exercises can be less intimidating than barbell training for some, and are a step towards barbell training.
• Dumbbells have an added stabilization challenge, and will point out muscle imbalances pretty easily (“oh my right arm is stronger than my left arm.”).
• You can scale easily. Once the 10 pound weights become too easy, pick up the 15 pound ones!

Here’s a beginner workout that you can, taken from our Level 4 Gym Workout, “Dumbbell Division”: 

• 10 goblet squats
• 10 push-ups
• 10 dumbbell rows per side

Here’s how to perform a goblet squat:

This is a push-up done in proper form (in case you skipped the last section^[13]): 

And here is how to do a dumbbell row:

If you’re following along at home, you just did your first full-body workout using weights!

Want a custom-built dumbbell workout? Something designed for the weights in your apartment’s gym?

Our Nerd Fitness Coaches can do just that! Plus they’ll scale your workouts as you grow stronger, turning you into a superhero!

A Nerd Fitness Coach can build you a dumbbell workout and guide your strength training!

Strength Training Level 3: The Wide World of Barbells

You made it! It’s now time to start training with barbells! 

This is going to help you become ultra-powerful and strong.

It’s how I transformed myself into the person I am today.

The reason barbell training is so important is that it allows you to pick up heavy weights and do movements that recruit every muscle in your body. This is great for building powerful, strong muscles in your core, legs, glutes, and so on. 

We’re talking about exercises like the Back squat:

And the Barbell Deadlift:

Show me somebody that’s strong at both of these movements, and I’ll show you somebody that’s in better shape than most of the human population.

But wait!

Even an empty barbell can be heavy (normally 45 pounds or 20Kg), so before we jump into the deep end, let’s make sure you are strong enough to proceed.

You’ll need to be able to complete a goblet squat with a 45 pound dumbbell (shown earlier) and the Romanian deadlift with 20 pound dumbbells.

Here’s how to perform the Romanian deadlift with dumbbells: 

Our test to see if you can handle barbell training will be the Level 4 Gym Workout: Dumbbell Division C (taken from our Beginner’s Guide to the Gym).

You’ll need to be able to go through the following before you start training with barbells: 

• 10 goblet squats – 45 lbs (20Kg dumbbell), 
• 10 Romanian deadlifts with 20 lbs dumbbells (9-10 Kg)
• 10 push-ups (on knees or regular)
• 10 dumbbell rows with each arm  – at least a 20 lb dumbbell

Can’t do those movements at that weight? Stick to the Level 4 Gym Workouts until you build up the strength to progress to barbells.

Once you CAN do the above, the real fun is going to start! 

We’re gonna replace the goblet squat with a back squat and the RDL with a barbell deadlift.

Here’s a video demonstration on how to perform the barbell back squat:

I would also encourage you to read How to Squat Properly for a full tutorial, especially if you’re just learning how to squat.

Here’s a step-by-step video on how to do the deadlift:

Again, make sure you read How to Deadlift Safely With Proper Form if you’re just starting your deadlifting journey. 

Once you get the handle of these two moves, it’s time for a full-body workout using barbells!

We’ll give you two different days to alternate between.

NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY A

Do 3 rounds of:

• 10 barbell squats
• 10 push-ups
• 10 bodyweight rows

NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY B

Do 3 rounds of:

• 5 barbell Romanian deadlifts
• 10 push-ups
• 10 dumbbell rows per arm

That’s it! Do each of these once a week and you’ll be rocking an awesome strength training practice.

Are you doing the workouts correctly?

A good way to tell would be to record yourself doing the movement and then match them against the gifs and videos in this guide. If they look close you’re doing great!

We also provide form checks in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. Through our snazzy app, a Nerd Fitness Coach (like me!) will review your movement to make sure you are training correctly and safely!

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach review your exercises and guide your training!

How Much Weight Should Women Lift?

We have a FULL resource on how to determine your starting weight for lifting, but I’ll give you the gist here.

The simple to learn but tough to implement answer: lift enough so that you can get through the set, but not too much that you have NO fuel left in the tank at the end.

And then, try to lift sliiiightly more than last time.

How much weight should I start with?

• If you are using dumbbells or a kettlebell, always err on the side of “too light” versus “too heavy.” You want to learn the movement correctly and build correct form.
• If you are training with a barbell, ALWAYS start with JUST the bar, no matter the exercise (as a reminder, a standard barbell weighs 45 pounds).

“How fast should I add weight to the bar?”

Here’s what we teach all of our coaching clients: add the minimum amount of weight each week you can, even if you THINK you can lift more. It’s better to finish a workout full of momentum and say “I can do more!” than defeated and saying “that was too much, crapola.”

Think of it this way, even if you are adding just 5 pounds per week to the bar, within a year you would be lifting 300+ pounds!

So go SLOW. Team NF’s Steve even bought little half-pound weights and increases many of his lifts by just 1 pound per week. It’s a big part of how he transformed (jokingly) from Steve Rogers to Captain America.

And if you are looking for this content in an easily digestible form, make sure you download our free Strength 101 Guide when you join the Rebellion below:

Can Strength Training Help with Weight Loss?

We get questions relating to weight loss and strength training all the time, and it’s something we cover throughout our Strength Training 101 series. 

Let me quickly address it here:

Fat and muscle are two different things – one can’t transform into the other.

We all have plenty of muscle right now (otherwise we wouldn’t be able to move, walk, sit upright, etc.), the muscle is just hiding underneath a layer of body fat.

In order for us to lose weight and look better, we want to do two things:

• Build our muscles stronger and tighter.
• Reduce the fat covering those muscles!

And luckily, both of those things happen simultaneously through strength training!

So NO, you don’t need to lose weight first before you start strength training.  

You will lose weight BY strength training (and keep the muscle you have).

You do NOT need to do hours of cardio for weight loss – weight loss is 90% a result of your nutrition. So honestly, you don’t need to ever set foot on a treadmill again (unless you WANT to).

Strength training will help you lose weight and look better IF you do two key things for effective weight loss:

• Calorie restriction: eat fewer calories than you burn every day.
• Strength train with progressive overload (picking up heavier stuff).

As we cover in our “Why can’t I lose weight” article (full of fun Harry Potter references), combining a caloric deficit and strength training is magic:

• You’re not consuming enough calories to carry out your body’s daily functions.
• Your body needs to use lots of calories to rebuild the muscle that was broken down during the strength training workout.
• Your body has no choice BUT to pull from fat stores to get stuff done!

Just by doing those two things (get strong, reduce calories), all sorts of wizardry and witchcraft takes place in your body:

• Get stronger and keep the muscle you have.
• Build tight dense muscle.
• A revved up metabolism while rebuilding muscle.
• Burning of body fat to get things done.

Yeah, you’re hearing me correctly.

Lose the body fat that sits on top of your muscles and you’ll make your muscles tighter and denser = look better without clothes on.

So how do you put this into practice?

1. Pick one of the strength workouts we covered earlier (start at the Beginner Bodyweight Workout if you feel unsure where to begin).
2. Calculate your daily caloric needs.
3. Learn which diet is best for you and make a small change.

Oh, what’s that? You just want somebody to tell you exactly how to train for your body, and how to eat for your goals?

Fine!

Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program – it’s helped hundreds of women lose weight through strength training – and proper nutrition. We work with you on habit building and lifestyle design to actually get stuff done!

Let us build a weight loss program for you that sticks! Learn more here.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Women

Great news: 

The best strength training exercises are universal. No matter your size, shape, sex, gender, age, or whether you love Star Trek more than Star Wars, these are the best exercises to build a great physique. 

I’m going to share with you the 9 best strength training exercises that every beginner should master (scroll down for full video and explanations!):

1. Push-up: uses every push muscle in your body (chest, shoulders, triceps)
2. Bodyweight squat: uses every muscle in the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, core)
3. Bodyweight row: works every “pull” muscle and helps prepare you for a pull-up!
4. Pull-up or chin-up: the best “pull” exercise in history! Everybody should have a goal to get their first pull-up.
5. Bodyweight dip: advanced “push” movement that targets your push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) in a different way than push-ups.
6. Barbell squat: the best bang for your buck on muscle building. Recruits nearly every push muscle in your whole body, and a great core workout.
7. Barbell deadlift: the favorite exercise of every coach at Nerd Fitness. Uses every “pull,” leg, and core muscle in your body.
8. Barbell benchpress: as basic and powerful as they come. Uses every “push” movement in your upper body and can get you strong as heck!
9. Barbell press: press the bar above your head! Targets shoulders and triceps more than chest.

Click on any of these exercises to get a FULL explanation of the movement, step-by-step:

1) The Push-Up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):

2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose as it’s the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!

3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength (back, biceps, and forearms).

4) The Pull-Up and Chin-Up: Once you can support your bodyweight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you can’t do a pull-up or chin-up yet?)

5) The Bodyweight Dip: As you start to get stronger with push-ups and need to find a way to increase the challenge, consider doing dips. Warning: these are very advanced, but incredible strength-building exercises.

And now we’re into the best weight training exercises:

6) The Barbell Squat: Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:

7) The Barbell Deadlift: Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”

This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to do it with proper form:

8) The Barbell Press: Press a barbell above your head. This recruits all of the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms in order for you to lift the weight over your head.

As a bonus, you need to really flex and brace your core, which gets those muscles working too.

9) The Barbell Bench Press. Lie on a bench, and lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and then press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.

And if you want somebody to help you put these into a workout program, teach you HOW to do these movements properly, and have the confidence to know you’re training correctly for your goals…

Let us create a workout program that fits your busy life!

A Meal Plan for Strength Training (Healthy Eating 101)

So far, we’ve been more or less just talking about exercises when it comes to strength training.

This is logical, because this is in fact a guide on how to perform certain exercises to grow strong.

However, we constantly remind our coaching clients that 90% of their success or failure on their fitness journey will come down to what they eat.

“Success” in this context really comes down to your goals.

• Are you looking to bulk up? You’ll need to eat more calories than you burn.
• Are you looking to slim down? You’ll need to eat fewer calories than you burn.

At this point, you might be thinking “Staci, how many calories do I need?”

To answer that question, it’s time for the Nerd Fitness Calorie Calculator!

(Click here for our Metric calculator)

(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! ^[14]).

• If you want to bulk up and gain weight, take your TDEE and add 250 calories to it to get our daily goal. This should result in gaining half a pound per week.
• Want to lose weight? Take your TDEE and subtract 250 calories to receive your daily goal. This should result in losing about a half-pound a week.

The other piece of the equation outside of a caloric surplus/deficit is protein.

Since you will be strength training and building muscle, you’ll need to make sure you are eating protein at every meal. It’s the number one macronutrient for creating new muscle tissue.^[15]

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

• Meat (steak, bison, pork).
• Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
• Eggs!^[16]
• Cheese and dairy.
• Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
• Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
• Other vegetarian protein sources here.

As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein required for muscle growth vary wildly from source to source (and woman to woman).^[17]

Here is our recommendation:

• If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g per pound of bodyweight (2.2 g/kg).
• If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.

Let me simplify it for you:

“To build muscle, target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 grams per kg).”

If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:

Here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

• 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
• 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
• 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes. Rebel Leader Steve and I both supplement with shakes daily to meet our protein goals.

Whatever you do, make sure you’re getting enough!

Whenever we speak with new Online Coaching Clients, protein is the macronutrient we begin every discussion with! It’s THAT important when it comes to either weight loss or building muscle. I’m not kidding when I say it should make up a portion of every meal you eat. 

A Nerd Fitness Coach can guide your nutrition and create custom workouts for strength training!

The Top Frequently Asked Strength Training Questions for Women

Here are some of the most common questions we receive from women beginning their strength training practice in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program.

#1) Will I get bulky lifting weights? I really don’t want to.

I have GREAT NEWS! 

Strength training will not make you bulky, UNLESS you want it to!

And if you want to bulk up? That’s AWESOME!

Here’s how to build muscle correctly.

You get to pick how you want to look, so you do you.

Just remember that women who compete as bodybuilders didn’t start looking like overnight:

• They have eaten, trained, and potentially taken supplements specifically so they can look like that! Which is great. Good for them.
• They’ve been working towards that goal for years, probably decades.

Here’s the truth: when you pick up heavy things (like barbell training), your muscles get STRONGER (but not necessarily bigger).

If you actively eat for the goal of building muscle and getting bigger, you CAN build muscle and size. 

Again, if you want bigger arms or stronger glutes, AWESOME. You do you.

Let’s talk about the reverse: If you pick up heavy things and eat a caloric deficit, your muscles will get stronger and denser; you will burn the fat on top of your muscle, and you will lose weight and get that “toned” look that many women are after.

Jump back to our healthy eating section for more on caloric deficits and surpluses. 

#2) Can I spot reduce fat with certain exercises?

Sir Mix-A-Lot was wrong. Don’t do side bends and sit-ups, because you’re wasting your time!

• Side bends don’t get rid of love handles. They will simply strengthen your side muscles without actually reducing any fat there, potentially making you bigger around the waist unless you change your diet as well.
• Sit-ups will not remove belly fat. They can also wreak havoc on your lower back, and are an incomplete exercise.

Your body cannot spot reduce fat in specific locations. If you have flabby arms or a big stomach, doing thousands of bicep curls and thousands of crunches won’t help.

Your body is genetically predisposed to storing fat in certain locations in a certain order.

When you start to lose weight, your body will lose the fat you currently have in a certain order as well – it might come off your arms first, then your legs, then your belly, then your chest, and THEN your butt.

Or in a different order, depending on your personal genetic makeup.

No amount of targeted exercise will change how that fat disappears.

Want to lose weight? Reduce your caloric intake in a way that doesn’t make you miserable:

• For some people, that’s counting calories.
• For others, it’s following a Paleo Diet.
• For a rare few, it’s doing a Ketogenic Diet.

We cover ALL the popular diets, and why they will ALL work…temporarily in our article on “which diet is right for you?” (Just don’t do the Military Diet!)

Here’s the truth: your diet – specifically how MUCH you eat – will be responsible for 80-90% of that fat-loss equation.

The other 10%-20% can come from strength training and fun exercises.

Big compound movements that recruit lots of muscle (and thus force your body to rebuild lots of muscle, which requires extra calories burned, even after the workout is done). Our section on the best strength training exercises for women would be good examples of compound movements. 

#3) How many days a week should a woman lift weights?

Unless you’ve been strength training for years and know what you’re doing, we recommend that you pick a full-body routine that you can do 2-3 times a week.

You build muscles while resting, not working out, so you generally want 48 hours before engaging the same muscle group again.

If you made it up to our “The Wide World of Barbells” section, you can do the DAY A workout on Monday and the DAY B workout on Thursday. That’ll give you plenty of time to recover. 

Want more? Maybe on the weekend, you sneak away for a short hike. 

Read “Exercise Without Realizing It” for more ideas on how to keep your body moving!

Don’t worry if this doesn’t seem like a lot at first. We are interested in building the habit of strength training initially. We can up the frequency once you’re rocking and rolling. 

Learning to meal prep would also be a good use of your time between training sessions. 

4) Can I do strength training at home?

You sure can!

Many of our coaching clients have gotten in great shape simply by doing bodyweight exercises at home. 

Here are a few resources to get you strength training in your living room:

• Beginner Bodyweight Workout: many a Rebel have started their fitness journey here, and you can do it right in your own living room (if your dog will let you). 
• Advanced Bodyweight Workout: crushed the Beginner Bodyweight Workout? Then try this advanced circuit on for size. 
• 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises: want to get your hands dirty? Use this guide to create your own bodyweight workout you can do anywhere!
• 20-Min Kettlebell Workout: own a kettlebell? Want one? With one single piece of equipment you can get in a great workout.

We can also build you a custom workout for your exact situation, whether you’re stuck at home or in an office, we can create a solution that fits your busy life!

Too busy to work out? Let us create you a tailor-made solution for your life!

How to Begin Lifting Weights as a Woman (Next Steps)

Since 2009, Team Nerd Fitness has learned a tremendous amount about how to best serve the ladies of this community.

I want to share with you my favorite success story.

Meet Leslie, a very sedentary single mom who works long hours that managed to lose 100+ lbs with the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program:

What spurred her epic transformation?

In two words: strength training.

Leslie learned to train the right way, picked up a barbell, fixed her diet, and now does crazy things like handstands and ring work!

So if you’re tired of the same ole same ole and you’re ready to start strength training, you’re in the right place!

Not sure what to do or how to get started?

1) Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program! Our philosophies help women like Leslie above and they can be the philosophies that help you become strong inside and out.

Click on the image below to schedule a call and see if we’re a good fit for each other!

2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts at the gym (or at home), check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion! Our free community numbers in the hundreds of thousands scattered throughout the globe, and we need good people like you!

You can join by signing up in the awesome yellow box below, and I’ll send you a bunch of free guides and printable workouts, including our Strength 101 guide!

4) Do a strength training workout this week! The most important step you can do is to actually start. 

• Training at home? Perfect. Try our Beginner Bodyweight Workout. 
• Heading to the gym? Great! Read our “How to Train in a Gym” and go from Level 1 to 6 in the next month.

You got this. You can do it. I know because we’ve seen it countless times here at Nerd Fitness.

Enough from me though, now it’s your turn:

Are you just starting your strength training journey?

Do you strength train at home or the gym?

Any weight lifting tips or tricks we missed?

Let us know in the comments!

-Staci

PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our Strength Training 101 series:

• Strength Training 101: Finding the Right Gym
• Strength Training 101: Where do I start?
• Strength Training 101: How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting?
• How to Build Muscle as a Woman
• How to Hire a Personal Trainer

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Photo source: Women’s day 2015, Goodbye Batman, Scenes from an empty lot in Brooklyn, DSC_0254, tonobalaguer © 123RF.com, Pirate girl, The Breakfast of Jedi, Cecaelia has come, Lance Cpl. Tayler P. Schwamb.

GIF source: Thumbs up, Emma Stone Yes, Bird Delete, Lisa Simpson, Duh, Ninja Turtles, hiking. 

 

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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So you’re a woman who wants to start strength training? 

Well you’ve come to the right place! 

We help women just like you grow strong, and today we’ll get you started on your strength training journey.

Nerd Fitness Coaches help women become superheros! Learn more here.

Here’s what we’ll cover in our strength training guide for women:

• Should women lift weights? (Why you should start strength training)
• Is strength training different for women?
• Strength Training Level 1: Bodyweight Workouts
• Strength Training Level 2: Dumbbell Workouts
• Strength Training Level 3: The Wide World of Barbells
• How much weight should women lift?
• Can strength training help with weight loss?
• The best strength training exercises for women
• A meal plan for strength training (Healthy Eating 101)
• The top frequently asked strength training questions for women
• How to begin lifting weights as a woman (Next Steps)

After today’s guide, you’ll know exactly how to transform yourself into a superhero! 

What makes me so confident? How do I know so much about women growing strong? 

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Staci Ardison.

This is me deadlifting 455 pounds:

I’m currently the Senior Coach here in the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program.

And no, I wasn’t born this strong (that would be strangely awesome). It’s only after discovering a love of strength training that I learned how to handle weight like this.

Obviously, we won’t start you out lifting that much at first. But we will set you up on a path that if you want to, one day you’ll be able to.

Before we get to it, if you’re in a hurry, I want you to know we’ve compiled all our strength training material into a friendly guide so you can read it at your leisure (I’m picturing you reading the guide poolside, sipping a lemonade).

Download Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you enlist in the Rebellion (that’s us!) below:

Should Women Lift Weights? (Why You Should Start Strength Training)

Everyone should start strength training: people of every sex and gender, the young, the old…everyone.^[1] 

We discuss the benefits heavily in our introduction to strength training, but I’ll highlight some examples now.^[2]    

#1) When you’re stronger – life is easier. No need to call for help to get that 50lb bag of dog food off the top shelf, or carrying an air conditioner unit up a flight of stairs. LIFE is easier when you’re stronger. 

#2) Less injury risk – when you build strong muscles, you’re also building stronger bones, ligaments, and tendons, making you less prone to injury doing things you love (like playing in a quidditch league).^[3]

#3) Helps combat age-related muscle loss,^[4] allowing us to remain independent longer as we age:

#4) Muscle is harder to maintain, which means you need to eat more just to hold on to it.^[5]

#5) Reduce pain – having a strong body makes living easier on your joints, as well as allows you to hold a better posture and reduce back / hip pain.^[6]

#6) Appearance – this is a personal preference! Some women like to have a lot of muscle, and some don’t. While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can choose to build more muscle in specific areas, changing your body shape. Growing up, I was an extreme pear shape, but due to strength training, I now have more of an hourglass shape. 

#7) Live longer – want to spend more time on Earth? Strength training and growing muscle will help you do just that.^[7]

Although strength training is one of the best things you can do for your health, it’s estimated that only about 20% of women do it, far below that of our male counterparts.^[8] 

That sucks. 

It’s part of my life’s work to reverse this trend and to do so, I’m going to need your help.

You in?

Perfect!

Follow a step-by-step plan to grow strong under the guidance of a Nerd Fitness Coach!

Is Strength Training Different for Women?

Here’s something that may shock you: there’s no reason everybody – of any gender or sex –  shouldn’t strength train the same way!

Yep, you don’t need 3-pound pink dumbbells, unless you like 3-pound pink dumbbells!  You can train with free weights and barbells just like everybody else at the gym.

Yes, there are biological differences between the sexes. For example when strength training, people with typical male anatomy will produce more type IIa fibers than people with typical female anatomy, who will in turn produce more type I fibers than men.^[9] 

Don’t worry about any of this though. 

We don’t need to get you lost in the weeds.^[10]

The American College of Sports Medicine doesn’t differentiate between sexes in their strength training recommendation.^[11] So neither shall we. 

So what exactly is strength training, you may be asking?

“Strength training” of any kind can be explained by two things:

#1) Movement of any weight (including your body weight) – Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.

#2) Progressive overload: exerting slightly more effort than last time (lift a heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will constantly have to adapt and will constantly be rebuilding themselves to get stronger.

Coach Jim walks you through different strategies for progressive overload in this video:

Before we get into the ins and outs of strength training, I need to address a question we get over and over from the women in our coaching clients:

Will I get bulky if I lift weights?

If you see a woman who is incredibly muscular and at an extremely low body fat percentage, I guarantee she has been working her butt off for a very long time with the very specific goal of building muscle and looking that way.

It’s not something that happens overnight, or by mistake.

We simply don’t have the same amount of testosterone as people with male anatomy to get there easily.^[12] It’s something we cover in great detail in our guide on How to Build Muscle as a Woman.

If you’d like to build muscle, but not as much as a professional bodybuilder – don’t worry, it’s not something that happens by accident. 

So strike “I don’t want to get bulky” from your vernacular. 

Alright, let’s talk about how to actually get started strength training. 

Strength Training Level 1: Bodyweight Workouts

If you’re just starting your strength training journey, our first stop will be a bodyweight workout.

Bodyweight training is simply doing an exercise in which your own body is the “weight” you are “lifting.”

Duh.

This is the BEST place for anybody – regardless of weight or age – to start their strength training journey.

Why is this the best place to start?

Here are two big reasons to do bodyweight training:

#1) You always have your body with you (unless you are a ghost, in which case, this is awkward). This means you can work out ANYWHERE with bodyweight training:

• Our Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine in your living room.
• Our Hotel Workout in a hotel (obvi).
• Our Park Workout in a…well, you get the point.

#2) Using your body for resistance training is the most “human” thing ever! By learning to push and pull and hang and squat and lunge, you are doing what your body is literally designed to do.

By getting strong with bodyweight movements, you’re making yourself antifragile and less injury-prone.

Bodyweight training isn’t as easy to ‘scale’ the difficulty as some of the other strength training methods (“put more weight on barbell”), but you can get REALLY strong with just bodyweight training.

For example, you can start with knee push-ups:

Then go to regular push-ups: 

Then elevated push-ups: 

Then even up to things like handstands: 

And even handstand push-ups:

You just have to know HOW and WHEN to scale up (we can help there too).

Let us create a bodyweight training program for you!

Want a sample bodyweight workout you can try? You got it:

This is the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (3 Circuits): 

• 20 Bodyweight squats.
• 10 Push-ups.
• 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
• 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
• 15 Second plank.
• 30 Jumping jacks.

Want some variety? Try 8 other “at-home workouts.”  

You can also create your own “no equipment workout” by reading the 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises.

Strength Training Level 2: Dumbbell Workouts

The next stop on our strength training journey includes lifting some actual weights!

Woot.

Dumbbells are a great first step into the world of weight training and strength training:

• Most gyms will have dumbbells, even if it’s a basic gym in your apartment complex.
• A set of dumbbells doesn’t take up a lot of room, which means you can have a pair at home without a large footprint.
• Dumbbells make it easy to add difficulty to a bodyweight movement: holding dumbbells while doing lunges, for example.
• Dumbbell exercises can be less intimidating than barbell training for some, and are a step towards barbell training.
• Dumbbells have an added stabilization challenge, and will point out muscle imbalances pretty easily (“oh my right arm is stronger than my left arm.”).
• You can scale easily. Once the 10 pound weights become too easy, pick up the 15 pound ones!

Here’s a beginner workout that you can, taken from our Level 4 Gym Workout, “Dumbbell Division”: 

• 10 goblet squats
• 10 push-ups
• 10 dumbbell rows per side

Here’s how to perform a goblet squat:

This is a push-up done in proper form (in case you skipped the last section^[13]): 

And here is how to do a dumbbell row:

If you’re following along at home, you just did your first full-body workout using weights!

Want a custom-built dumbbell workout? Something designed for the weights in your apartment’s gym?

Our Nerd Fitness Coaches can do just that! Plus they’ll scale your workouts as you grow stronger, turning you into a superhero!

A Nerd Fitness Coach can build you a dumbbell workout and guide your strength training!

Strength Training Level 3: The Wide World of Barbells

You made it! It’s now time to start training with barbells! 

This is going to help you become ultra-powerful and strong.

It’s how I transformed myself into the person I am today.

The reason barbell training is so important is that it allows you to pick up heavy weights and do movements that recruit every muscle in your body. This is great for building powerful, strong muscles in your core, legs, glutes, and so on. 

We’re talking about exercises like the Back squat:

And the Barbell Deadlift:

Show me somebody that’s strong at both of these movements, and I’ll show you somebody that’s in better shape than most of the human population.

But wait!

Even an empty barbell can be heavy (normally 45 pounds or 20Kg), so before we jump into the deep end, let’s make sure you are strong enough to proceed.

You’ll need to be able to complete a goblet squat with a 45 pound dumbbell (shown earlier) and the Romanian deadlift with 20 pound dumbbells.

Here’s how to perform the Romanian deadlift with dumbbells: 

Our test to see if you can handle barbell training will be the Level 4 Gym Workout: Dumbbell Division C (taken from our Beginner’s Guide to the Gym).

You’ll need to be able to go through the following before you start training with barbells: 

• 10 goblet squats – 45 lbs (20Kg dumbbell), 
• 10 Romanian deadlifts with 20 lbs dumbbells (9-10 Kg)
• 10 push-ups (on knees or regular)
• 10 dumbbell rows with each arm  – at least a 20 lb dumbbell

Can’t do those movements at that weight? Stick to the Level 4 Gym Workouts until you build up the strength to progress to barbells.

Once you CAN do the above, the real fun is going to start! 

We’re gonna replace the goblet squat with a back squat and the RDL with a barbell deadlift.

Here’s a video demonstration on how to perform the barbell back squat:

I would also encourage you to read How to Squat Properly for a full tutorial, especially if you’re just learning how to squat.

Here’s a step-by-step video on how to do the deadlift:

Again, make sure you read How to Deadlift Safely With Proper Form if you’re just starting your deadlifting journey. 

Once you get the handle of these two moves, it’s time for a full-body workout using barbells!

We’ll give you two different days to alternate between.

NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY A

Do 3 rounds of:

• 10 barbell squats
• 10 push-ups
• 10 bodyweight rows

NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY B

Do 3 rounds of:

• 5 barbell Romanian deadlifts
• 10 push-ups
• 10 dumbbell rows per arm

That’s it! Do each of these once a week and you’ll be rocking an awesome strength training practice.

Are you doing the workouts correctly?

A good way to tell would be to record yourself doing the movement and then match them against the gifs and videos in this guide. If they look close you’re doing great!

We also provide form checks in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. Through our snazzy app, a Nerd Fitness Coach (like me!) will review your movement to make sure you are training correctly and safely!

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach review your exercises and guide your training!

How Much Weight Should Women Lift?

We have a FULL resource on how to determine your starting weight for lifting, but I’ll give you the gist here.

The simple to learn but tough to implement answer: lift enough so that you can get through the set, but not too much that you have NO fuel left in the tank at the end.

And then, try to lift sliiiightly more than last time.

How much weight should I start with?

• If you are using dumbbells or a kettlebell, always err on the side of “too light” versus “too heavy.” You want to learn the movement correctly and build correct form.
• If you are training with a barbell, ALWAYS start with JUST the bar, no matter the exercise (as a reminder, a standard barbell weighs 45 pounds).

“How fast should I add weight to the bar?”

Here’s what we teach all of our coaching clients: add the minimum amount of weight each week you can, even if you THINK you can lift more. It’s better to finish a workout full of momentum and say “I can do more!” than defeated and saying “that was too much, crapola.”

Think of it this way, even if you are adding just 5 pounds per week to the bar, within a year you would be lifting 300+ pounds!

So go SLOW. Team NF’s Steve even bought little half-pound weights and increases many of his lifts by just 1 pound per week. It’s a big part of how he transformed (jokingly) from Steve Rogers to Captain America.

And if you are looking for this content in an easily digestible form, make sure you download our free Strength 101 Guide when you join the Rebellion below:

Can Strength Training Help with Weight Loss?

We get questions relating to weight loss and strength training all the time, and it’s something we cover throughout our Strength Training 101 series. 

Let me quickly address it here:

Fat and muscle are two different things – one can’t transform into the other.

We all have plenty of muscle right now (otherwise we wouldn’t be able to move, walk, sit upright, etc.), the muscle is just hiding underneath a layer of body fat.

In order for us to lose weight and look better, we want to do two things:

• Build our muscles stronger and tighter.
• Reduce the fat covering those muscles!

And luckily, both of those things happen simultaneously through strength training!

So NO, you don’t need to lose weight first before you start strength training.  

You will lose weight BY strength training (and keep the muscle you have).

You do NOT need to do hours of cardio for weight loss – weight loss is 90% a result of your nutrition. So honestly, you don’t need to ever set foot on a treadmill again (unless you WANT to).

Strength training will help you lose weight and look better IF you do two key things for effective weight loss:

• Calorie restriction: eat fewer calories than you burn every day.
• Strength train with progressive overload (picking up heavier stuff).

As we cover in our “Why can’t I lose weight” article (full of fun Harry Potter references), combining a caloric deficit and strength training is magic:

• You’re not consuming enough calories to carry out your body’s daily functions.
• Your body needs to use lots of calories to rebuild the muscle that was broken down during the strength training workout.
• Your body has no choice BUT to pull from fat stores to get stuff done!

Just by doing those two things (get strong, reduce calories), all sorts of wizardry and witchcraft takes place in your body:

• Get stronger and keep the muscle you have.
• Build tight dense muscle.
• A revved up metabolism while rebuilding muscle.
• Burning of body fat to get things done.

Yeah, you’re hearing me correctly.

Lose the body fat that sits on top of your muscles and you’ll make your muscles tighter and denser = look better without clothes on.

So how do you put this into practice?

1. Pick one of the strength workouts we covered earlier (start at the Beginner Bodyweight Workout if you feel unsure where to begin).
2. Calculate your daily caloric needs.
3. Learn which diet is best for you and make a small change.

Oh, what’s that? You just want somebody to tell you exactly how to train for your body, and how to eat for your goals?

Fine!

Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program – it’s helped hundreds of women lose weight through strength training – and proper nutrition. We work with you on habit building and lifestyle design to actually get stuff done!

Let us build a weight loss program for you that sticks! Learn more here.

The Best Strength Training Exercises for Women

Great news: 

The best strength training exercises are universal. No matter your size, shape, sex, gender, age, or whether you love Star Trek more than Star Wars, these are the best exercises to build a great physique. 

I’m going to share with you the 9 best strength training exercises that every beginner should master (scroll down for full video and explanations!):

1. Push-up: uses every push muscle in your body (chest, shoulders, triceps)
2. Bodyweight squat: uses every muscle in the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, core)
3. Bodyweight row: works every “pull” muscle and helps prepare you for a pull-up!
4. Pull-up or chin-up: the best “pull” exercise in history! Everybody should have a goal to get their first pull-up.
5. Bodyweight dip: advanced “push” movement that targets your push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) in a different way than push-ups.
6. Barbell squat: the best bang for your buck on muscle building. Recruits nearly every push muscle in your whole body, and a great core workout.
7. Barbell deadlift: the favorite exercise of every coach at Nerd Fitness. Uses every “pull,” leg, and core muscle in your body.
8. Barbell benchpress: as basic and powerful as they come. Uses every “push” movement in your upper body and can get you strong as heck!
9. Barbell press: press the bar above your head! Targets shoulders and triceps more than chest.

Click on any of these exercises to get a FULL explanation of the movement, step-by-step:

1) The Push-Up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):

2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose as it’s the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!

3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength (back, biceps, and forearms).

4) The Pull-Up and Chin-Up: Once you can support your bodyweight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you can’t do a pull-up or chin-up yet?)

5) The Bodyweight Dip: As you start to get stronger with push-ups and need to find a way to increase the challenge, consider doing dips. Warning: these are very advanced, but incredible strength-building exercises.

And now we’re into the best weight training exercises:

6) The Barbell Squat: Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:

7) The Barbell Deadlift: Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”

This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to do it with proper form:

8) The Barbell Press: Press a barbell above your head. This recruits all of the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms in order for you to lift the weight over your head.

As a bonus, you need to really flex and brace your core, which gets those muscles working too.

9) The Barbell Bench Press. Lie on a bench, and lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and then press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.

And if you want somebody to help you put these into a workout program, teach you HOW to do these movements properly, and have the confidence to know you’re training correctly for your goals…

Let us create a workout program that fits your busy life!

A Meal Plan for Strength Training (Healthy Eating 101)

So far, we’ve been more or less just talking about exercises when it comes to strength training.

This is logical, because this is in fact a guide on how to perform certain exercises to grow strong.

However, we constantly remind our coaching clients that 90% of their success or failure on their fitness journey will come down to what they eat.

“Success” in this context really comes down to your goals.

• Are you looking to bulk up? You’ll need to eat more calories than you burn.
• Are you looking to slim down? You’ll need to eat fewer calories than you burn.

At this point, you might be thinking “Staci, how many calories do I need?”

To answer that question, it’s time for the Nerd Fitness Calorie Calculator!

(Click here for our Metric calculator)

(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! ^[14]).

• If you want to bulk up and gain weight, take your TDEE and add 250 calories to it to get our daily goal. This should result in gaining half a pound per week.
• Want to lose weight? Take your TDEE and subtract 250 calories to receive your daily goal. This should result in losing about a half-pound a week.

The other piece of the equation outside of a caloric surplus/deficit is protein.

Since you will be strength training and building muscle, you’ll need to make sure you are eating protein at every meal. It’s the number one macronutrient for creating new muscle tissue.^[15]

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

• Meat (steak, bison, pork).
• Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
• Eggs!^[16]
• Cheese and dairy.
• Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
• Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
• Other vegetarian protein sources here.

As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein required for muscle growth vary wildly from source to source (and woman to woman).^[17]

Here is our recommendation:

• If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g per pound of bodyweight (2.2 g/kg).
• If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.

Let me simplify it for you:

“To build muscle, target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 grams per kg).”

If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:

Here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

• 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
• 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
• 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes. Rebel Leader Steve and I both supplement with shakes daily to meet our protein goals.

Whatever you do, make sure you’re getting enough!

Whenever we speak with new Online Coaching Clients, protein is the macronutrient we begin every discussion with! It’s THAT important when it comes to either weight loss or building muscle. I’m not kidding when I say it should make up a portion of every meal you eat. 

A Nerd Fitness Coach can guide your nutrition and create custom workouts for strength training!

The Top Frequently Asked Strength Training Questions for Women

Here are some of the most common questions we receive from women beginning their strength training practice in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program.

#1) Will I get bulky lifting weights? I really don’t want to.

I have GREAT NEWS! 

Strength training will not make you bulky, UNLESS you want it to!

And if you want to bulk up? That’s AWESOME!

Here’s how to build muscle correctly.

You get to pick how you want to look, so you do you.

Just remember that women who compete as bodybuilders didn’t start looking like overnight:

• They have eaten, trained, and potentially taken supplements specifically so they can look like that! Which is great. Good for them.
• They’ve been working towards that goal for years, probably decades.

Here’s the truth: when you pick up heavy things (like barbell training), your muscles get STRONGER (but not necessarily bigger).

If you actively eat for the goal of building muscle and getting bigger, you CAN build muscle and size. 

Again, if you want bigger arms or stronger glutes, AWESOME. You do you.

Let’s talk about the reverse: If you pick up heavy things and eat a caloric deficit, your muscles will get stronger and denser; you will burn the fat on top of your muscle, and you will lose weight and get that “toned” look that many women are after.

Jump back to our healthy eating section for more on caloric deficits and surpluses. 

#2) Can I spot reduce fat with certain exercises?

Sir Mix-A-Lot was wrong. Don’t do side bends and sit-ups, because you’re wasting your time!

• Side bends don’t get rid of love handles. They will simply strengthen your side muscles without actually reducing any fat there, potentially making you bigger around the waist unless you change your diet as well.
• Sit-ups will not remove belly fat. They can also wreak havoc on your lower back, and are an incomplete exercise.

Your body cannot spot reduce fat in specific locations. If you have flabby arms or a big stomach, doing thousands of bicep curls and thousands of crunches won’t help.

Your body is genetically predisposed to storing fat in certain locations in a certain order.

When you start to lose weight, your body will lose the fat you currently have in a certain order as well – it might come off your arms first, then your legs, then your belly, then your chest, and THEN your butt.

Or in a different order, depending on your personal genetic makeup.

No amount of targeted exercise will change how that fat disappears.

Want to lose weight? Reduce your caloric intake in a way that doesn’t make you miserable:

• For some people, that’s counting calories.
• For others, it’s following a Paleo Diet.
• For a rare few, it’s doing a Ketogenic Diet.

We cover ALL the popular diets, and why they will ALL work…temporarily in our article on “which diet is right for you?” (Just don’t do the Military Diet!)

Here’s the truth: your diet – specifically how MUCH you eat – will be responsible for 80-90% of that fat-loss equation.

The other 10%-20% can come from strength training and fun exercises.

Big compound movements that recruit lots of muscle (and thus force your body to rebuild lots of muscle, which requires extra calories burned, even after the workout is done). Our section on the best strength training exercises for women would be good examples of compound movements. 

#3) How many days a week should a woman lift weights?

Unless you’ve been strength training for years and know what you’re doing, we recommend that you pick a full-body routine that you can do 2-3 times a week.

You build muscles while resting, not working out, so you generally want 48 hours before engaging the same muscle group again.

If you made it up to our “The Wide World of Barbells” section, you can do the DAY A workout on Monday and the DAY B workout on Thursday. That’ll give you plenty of time to recover. 

Want more? Maybe on the weekend, you sneak away for a short hike. 

Read “Exercise Without Realizing It” for more ideas on how to keep your body moving!

Don’t worry if this doesn’t seem like a lot at first. We are interested in building the habit of strength training initially. We can up the frequency once you’re rocking and rolling. 

Learning to meal prep would also be a good use of your time between training sessions. 

4) Can I do strength training at home?

You sure can!

Many of our coaching clients have gotten in great shape simply by doing bodyweight exercises at home. 

Here are a few resources to get you strength training in your living room:

• Beginner Bodyweight Workout: many a Rebel have started their fitness journey here, and you can do it right in your own living room (if your dog will let you). 
• Advanced Bodyweight Workout: crushed the Beginner Bodyweight Workout? Then try this advanced circuit on for size. 
• 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises: want to get your hands dirty? Use this guide to create your own bodyweight workout you can do anywhere!
• 20-Min Kettlebell Workout: own a kettlebell? Want one? With one single piece of equipment you can get in a great workout.

We can also build you a custom workout for your exact situation, whether you’re stuck at home or in an office, we can create a solution that fits your busy life!

Too busy to work out? Let us create you a tailor-made solution for your life!

How to Begin Lifting Weights as a Woman (Next Steps)

Since 2009, Team Nerd Fitness has learned a tremendous amount about how to best serve the ladies of this community.

I want to share with you my favorite success story.

Meet Leslie, a very sedentary single mom who works long hours that managed to lose 100+ lbs with the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program:

What spurred her epic transformation?

In two words: strength training.

Leslie learned to train the right way, picked up a barbell, fixed her diet, and now does crazy things like handstands and ring work!

So if you’re tired of the same ole same ole and you’re ready to start strength training, you’re in the right place!

Not sure what to do or how to get started?

1) Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program! Our philosophies help women like Leslie above and they can be the philosophies that help you become strong inside and out.

Click on the image below to schedule a call and see if we’re a good fit for each other!

2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts at the gym (or at home), check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion! Our free community numbers in the hundreds of thousands scattered throughout the globe, and we need good people like you!

You can join by signing up in the awesome yellow box below, and I’ll send you a bunch of free guides and printable workouts, including our Strength 101 guide!

4) Do a strength training workout this week! The most important step you can do is to actually start. 

• Training at home? Perfect. Try our Beginner Bodyweight Workout. 
• Heading to the gym? Great! Read our “How to Train in a Gym” and go from Level 1 to 6 in the next month.

You got this. You can do it. I know because we’ve seen it countless times here at Nerd Fitness.

Enough from me though, now it’s your turn:

Are you just starting your strength training journey?

Do you strength train at home or the gym?

Any weight lifting tips or tricks we missed?

Let us know in the comments!

-Staci

PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our Strength Training 101 series:

• Strength Training 101: Finding the Right Gym
• Strength Training 101: Where do I start?
• Strength Training 101: How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting?
• How to Build Muscle as a Woman
• How to Hire a Personal Trainer

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Photo source: Women’s day 2015, Goodbye Batman, Scenes from an empty lot in Brooklyn, DSC_0254, tonobalaguer © 123RF.com, Pirate girl, The Breakfast of Jedi, Cecaelia has come, Lance Cpl. Tayler P. Schwamb.

GIF source: Thumbs up, Emma Stone Yes, Bird Delete, Lisa Simpson, Duh, Ninja Turtles, hiking. 

 

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So you want answers to the question, “What is Progressive Overload?”

Well my friend, you’ve arrived at the perfect place.

Progressive overload is one of the key principles of strength training, which is why we focus on it extensively with our coaching clients. Today, we’ll share these same principles with you too.

Nerd Fitness Coaches help busy folks like you grow strong. Learn more here.

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

• What is progressive overload?
• How do I overload my muscles? (8 ways to progressive overload)
• How do I know when I’m ready for progressive overload?
• How much weight do you add to progressively overload?
• Is progressive overload bad for you?
• Do you always have to progressively overload?
• How to continue to grow strong (next steps)

Alright, let’s do this thang.

What Is Progressive Overload?

In the video above, I walk you through the ins and outs of progressive overload.

First, let’s give a definition:

For strength training, progressive overloading is doing slightly more than last time – like lifting a heavier weight or doing one more rep.

The name of the game is overloading our current capabilities, slowly but surely.

By doing this consistently, we get stronger – since our bodies adapt to the ever-increasing demands placed on them. 

Said another way, without overload, there is no adaptation by the body.

When you challenge your body through resistance training, it responds with:

• Neuromuscular adaptations and increased coordination. After some resistance training, the nerves in your muscles will fire better, making them more responsive. Plus, the more you do a movement, the better you’ll get at it (coordination).^[1]
• Increased muscle and bone mass. When you subject your muscles and bones to resistance training, they grow larger and stronger.^[2]
• Improvement in connective tissue strength. Not only will your muscles grow stronger after progressively overloading them, but so will all the connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, etc.).^[3]
• Increased lactic acid tolerance. When you exercise intensely, lactic acid will build up and eventually slow you down. But the more and more you progressively overload, the more of a tolerance you’ll build up to lactic acid.^[4]

Don’t worry about the terminology here. 

You can think of progressive overload much like a video game:

• When you start an RPG, the first bad guys you encounter will be weak. They only give you a little bit of XP for defeating them. They’re probably rats or slimes or something.
• Once you beat a bunch of these rats, you’ll accumulate enough XP that you can level up and fight something else (a goblin perhaps).
• As you keep fighting tougher and tougher enemies, eventually, you’ll be able to take down a dragon!

Working out is the same thing:

• At first, you might only be able to do push-ups against a wall. NBD! Knock out these wall push-ups until they start feeling easier, then begin doing push-ups on a counter-top (this is progressive overloading!). 
• Continue to put in the work and decrease the height of your push-ups until you’re doing them on the ground! Congrats, dragon slayed! 

So whenever you’re following a progressive overload strategy, just tell yourself “I am earning XP here to grow strong.”

How Do I Overload My Muscles? (8 Ways to Progressive Overload)

There are all sorts of ways for you to achieve progressive overload.

Here are eight strategies for increasing work and overloading your muscles:

#1) Increase the weight. This is the most common way to make a weighted exercise in the gym more challenging. We’ll talk a bit later about how to choose the correct weight.

#2) Increase the reps. This is the other most common way to make things more challenging. So instead of 10 push-ups, go for 11. Then 12 the next time. And so on.

#3) Increase the sets. So instead of doing 3 sets of 10 push-ups, you can do 4 sets of 10 push-ups, then 5 sets of 10 push-ups, etc.

#4) Increase the frequency of your workouts. Let’s say you work out twice a week, Monday and Thursday. Maybe we add an extra day, so Monday-Wednesday-Friday. That way we get more total work in for the week.

#5) Decrease rest time. Instead of increasing the weight, or reps, or sets – you simply decrease the time you rest between sets. This will tax your body more and might be a good option for some, based on their goals and schedule (especially if you are short on workout time already).

#6) Doing more difficult variations. This is relevant for bodyweight exercises in particular, where we’re not adding weight to anything.

You could go from assisted lunges:

To regular lunges:

Or back to the example of push-ups, you can do them against a wall, then a counter-top, then the floor.

Switches like that would make the movement more challenging, and thus an overload strategy.

#7) Slow down through the range of motion. Play around with the exercise tempo! If you take a longer time to do a push-up, you’ll increase the time your muscles are under tension and working.

#8) Hold the position. Just like slowing down, this will increase the time under tension for the muscles, and therefore more work. You could pause at the bottom of your squat:

Or at the top of a chin-up:

Boom!

For any given workout, there’s likely a way to make it more challenging, and thus, perfect for progressive overload.

Let’s now chat about when to make an exercise more difficult.

How Do I Know When I’m Ready for Progressive Overload?

The key to progressive overload is continuing to make a workout more and more challenging. 

How do you know when it’s time to move up?

Unfortunately, you won’t start glowing with stars after you’ve completed a certain number of workouts.

We’ll probably have to wait for the “singularity” for that.

However, you’ll know when you’re ready to increase weight or intensity when you complete the prescribed number of sets and reps for an exercise, and you still feel like you could do a few more reps.

This will happen MUCH more often for a beginner.

Here’s what’s going on:

When you just start working out, you’ll adapt and progress quickly. Much of this is just from improved coordination and comfort with the exercise.

That means you’ll be able to progressively overload at a faster rate – likely adding weight or intensity every workout or every week.

It’s important to understand that progressive overload won’t continue upwards forever.

For example: If you started benching 45 pounds, and added 5 pounds every week, after two years you’d be benching over 500 pounds.

Which would be insane…

But that’s not how it works.

After a while, progress will go slower and slower.

You may even plateau and sit at a certain intensity for several weeks or more. That’s ok.

It’s hard to say how long you’ll be at each stage.

How fast you can progressively overload depends on a lot of factors, such as:

• Your training
• Your nutrition
• Your recovery
• Your age

With that being said, don’t be afraid to test the waters with a more difficult exercise. You can always go back down if it doesn’t feel right.

But do move up from time to time. It might surprise you how much more you can handle!

How Much Weight Do You Add to Progressively Overload?

Normally, we recommend going up in small increments when adding weight to your exercises.

For barbell lifts, adding 5 pounds (or about 2.5 kilos) to each side is generally a good rule of thumb. 

That would be an increase of 10 pounds or 5 kilos for the entire lift.

So you might go from benching 75 to 85 lbs.

This rate of increase is an average recommendation but may differ based on what exercise you are doing.

• For upper body lifts, this may be too much of an increase for you.
  
  In that case, look to add 2.5 pounds or about 1 kilo – to each side of the bar.
  
  That would be an increase of 5 lbs or 2 kilos for the entire lift.
  
  If that’s too much of an increase, there are smaller fractional plates that allow you to increase weight in even smaller quantities than that.
  
  
• For lower body lifts, we may want to add more weight – so 10 pounds – or about 5 kilos to each side of the bar.
  
  That would be an increase of 20 lbs or 10 kilos for the entire lift.
  
  So you might go from deadlifting 135 lbs to 155 lbs.

For either case, if you are using dumbbells, increase the weight of the dumbbell by whatever amount you’d add to the side of the bar (e.g. 5 lbs per side = 5 lbs per dumbbell).

If you’d like more here, check out our guide How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting?

Is Progressive Overload Bad for You?

The biggest danger with progressive overload simply comes down to increasing faster than your body can adapt.

Are you ready for handstand push-ups? 

Is a 315-pound deadlift a big jump in weight for you?

There’s nothing inherently dangerous about those movements. BUT, I have seen plenty of folks rush to do more…then not be ready.

That’s how you can end up hurt. 

So start your training by doing less than you think, including lifting just the bar – or even a broomstick:


When you’re adding more weight or increasing the intensity of an exercise, go in small increments.

There’s no rush.

Do You Always Have to Progressively Overload?

Do you always have to keep increasing the weight or difficulty or reps that you’re doing?

No!

It’s perfectly fine and normal to hold steady at a certain level.

You are still moving around and getting a ton of great benefits, like:

• Improving your mood.^[5]
• Helping with weight loss.^[6]
• Keeping your bones strong.^[7]
• Making you more energetic.^[8] 
• Reducing your risk of chronic disease.^[9]

Don’t let the thought of “needing” to continuously work harder scare you off from exercise.

It’s up to you how far you push things, and there is no right decision for everyone. Do what works best for you. 

How to Continue to Grow Strong (Next Steps)

There you have it, my friend.

A step-by-step plan on how to progressively overload.

Let’s now leave you with some workouts, so you can get started TODAY.

After all, you can’t progress if you never get going. 

Here are three guides to help you start overloading your muscles:

• Beginner Bodyweight Workout. This 20-min routine can be done ANYWHERE. Yep, even there. If you don’t know how to start working out, start here. 
• The Best 8 At-Home Workouts. Once you get cozy with our beginner workout above, the funs just getting started. From there, you can learn moves designed for a Jedi Knight, train like Batman, or even just do push-ups against a wall. It’s all covered in this home workout guide. 
• The Beginner Guide to the Gym. If you’re heading to the gym for your path to overload, read this. Our guide will show you how to use everything from a treadmill to a weighted barbell. 

Alright my friend, you got this.

If you want any more help from us, here’s how to continue your journey with Nerd Fitness.

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: perfect for someone who wants an expert (like me!) to design the right path for progressive overload. We’re all different, so why not have a coach guide you through a program that’s custom-made for you?

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program would be a good fit. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts (that grow more and more challenging) check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

Next Step Number #3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. You’ll meet individuals from all different walks of life, all of whom are trying to level up their lives. 

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!

Alright, I want to hear from you:

What’s your plan for progressive overload?

Are there tips or tricks I’m missing?

Have you been stuck at a certain level for a while?

Let me know in the comments!

-Jim

PS: If you’re interested in growing strong, make sure you read Strength Training 101: Where Should I Start?

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Photo source: Him-Dude, Him-Dude II, LEGO VIDIYO minifigs, LEGO Bench Pressing, Hammer and forge yourself into the best artist you can be, Shower Guy, Mountain Biker

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“Why can’t I lose weight, Steve?”

This question breaks my heart every time I hear it. And I hear it multiple times per day from frustrated people like yourself.

Some of those people are our 1-on-1 coaching clients, who we work closely with to uncover the truth.

And that’s what we’re after: the truth on why weight loss is so tough to achieve.

Why “Eat less and move more” sounds nice in theory, but is insulting to those who KNOW this, try their best, and yet the scale just doesn’t budge.

We’ll tackle today’s topic with statistics, science, and plenty of Harry Potter analogies. This is Nerd Fitness after all.

We’ll go over:

• Why I hate the nutrition industry.
• How much exercise do I need to do to lose weight?
• How your metabolism responds to a calorie deficit.
• The science of fat loss.
• What to eat for weight loss.
• Which diet should you pick?
• The difference between strength training and exercise.
• How strength training assists weight loss.
• Small changes for successful weight loss.

Let’s jump in, Scuba Steve style, so you can start seeing results!

If you’re somebody that wants a Yoda in your corner to coach you through the ups and downs of your fitness journey, we’re here for you with our Online Coaching Program!

No shame or judgments – just a supportive person who works hard to help you succeed 🙂

WHY THE NUTRITION INDUSTRY MAKES ME SO ANGRY

I took this picture walking around Manhattan last week:

There is some SERIOUS psychological warfare going on here, and it hurts my soul.

For starters, they advertise as “THE” flat belly tea.

This means there are many other companies selling similar products, which would ALSO lead me to believe this is a lucrative product to sell!

They list every fitness buzzword and term every marketer uses when it comes to selling health and fitness: gluten-free, “removes waste,” organic, “burn fat,”

Including some real head-scratchers.

“Strengthen your colon?”

How the hell do you strengthen your colon?!

This reminds me of the brilliant Saturday Night Live skit about “Colon Blow” cereal:

But I digest digress…

People are buying this stuff, even if they know it probably won’t work.

Like buying a lottery ticket even when we know the odds of winning are 0% –  what we’re really buying is “hope”:

• Hope that this will actually work – unlike the last 10 attempts.
• Hope we can overcome 20 years of bad choices with a beverage.
• Hope that this product will give us the confidence and self-love we deserve.

Don’t get me wrong.

“Hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies.”

I just HATE when hope gets weaponized to sell you expensive snake oil and pretty-packaged fluff.

This is what we are rebelling against here in the NF Rebellion: marketers and companies who are crappy enough to prey on our hopes and fears and sell snake-oil in a bottle.

We’re also rebelling against that voice in our head that talks down to us, calls us failures for not getting in shape yet, and berates us every time we break down and eat a cookie.

I say no more.

Let’s fight fire with fire science.

How much exercise do I need to do to lose weight?

There are a few generally accepted truths when it comes to weight loss.

All of these come with baggage attached, and your results will vary depending on your

• Weight
• Level of activity
• Genetics
• Sex
• Medications
• Body fat percentage

Setting all of that aside, I’m going to try and keep things simple just to prove my point.

Let’s go with an (understandably) oversimplified look at weight loss: a pound of fat equals around 3,500 calories.

This would mean you’ll need to either eat 3,500 fewer calories, or burn an extra 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound.

So…how long does it take to burn 3,500 additional calories per week?

Let me answer a question with another question:

…How many hours do you have?

Studies show you’ll burn an extra 100 calories when walking or running a mile.

So, you would need to be running/walking an additional 5 miles per day, 7 days a week, to lose one pound per week.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to run an extra 5 miles a day.

Nor do I want to!

Not only that, but as you’ll see below – this idea of just burning an extra 500 calories per day to lose a pound a week only works early on.

You’ll quickly run into speed bumps and roadblocks – figurative ones, try to avoid the real ones on your run –  that slow down your progress significantly.

Simply put, exercising your way thin has been proven time and time again not to work.

Here are three such reports:

#1) Many people develop increased appetites as a result of exercise, which leads to no weight loss. Time Magazine got in trouble for pointing this out  – even though they were right!

#2) This 2011 study came to the conclusion:

“In overweight and obese populations… our results show that isolated aerobic exercise is not an effective weight loss therapy.”

#3) Another study compared people who dieted vs people who only exercised:

Body weight decreased by 10% in the diet group and by 9% in the diet–exercise group, but did not decrease in the exercise group or the control group.

What I’m trying to say, and a lesson we try to deeply understand at Nerd Fitness: “you can’t outrun your fork”

…and the bad news isn’t done.

How our metabolism responds to a caloric deficit (our bodies ruin everything!)

When you start to lose weight, your resting metabolism slows down.

You might think this is some sort of evil sorcery worthy of “He Who Must Not Be Named,” but unfortunately – it’s just 2nd-grade math.

When you start to lose weight, there is less of you that needs ‘fuel.’

In other words: your metabolism doesn’t have to work as hard to fuel all of your bodily functions, has less weight to carry, and thus it will burn significantly fewer calories compared to when you were much bigger.

Here is the estimated daily resting calorie burn (“sit on your ass all day”) of a 35-year old male nerd at 3 very different weights – which you can learn from our Calorie Calculator:

• 300 lbs: 2,600 calories.
• 250 lbs: 2,300 calories.
• 200 lbs: 2,000 calories.  

WHAT THIS MEANS: Unless you adjust your calorie intake as your weight decreases… your previous calorie intake amount becomes less and less effective at weight loss, until you hit an equilibrium.

Put a different way: this person could eat 2,300 calories per day and over time, lose 50 pounds (from 300 pounds to 250 pounds), but that’s where he’ll hit equilibrium: calories burned equals calories consumed.

In order for him to lose the next 50 pounds, he’ll need to decrease his caloric intake even more, and then STAY at that calorie consumption to keep the weight off.

And then it gets even worse!

There are buckets of anecdotal evidence of a bodily feature called “adaptive thermogenesis.”

Which has nothing to do with the band Genesis – though feel free to listen to “Invisible Touch” right now.

It might soften the blow while you learn about “adaptive thermogenesis.”

“Adaptive thermogenesis” refers to the process in which our bodies will adjust based on how many calories we burn – and do whatever it can to preserve the body fat we have.

Our bodies WANT to maintain the extra body fat we have (“I don’t know when I’ll need this, better save”), and are actively working in unison to preserve it – so even after a few pounds are lost from running, it’s going to be a persistent challenge to keep the weight off.

As pointed out in this article above:

“In long-term studies of weight-reduced children and adults, 80%-90% return to their previous weight percentiles, while studies of those successful at sustained weight loss indicate that the maintenance of a reduced degree of body fatness will probably require a lifetime of meticulous attention to energy intake and expenditure.”

This is why so many people can LOSE weight, but can’t seem to keep the weight off.

This is also not even factoring in all of the other issues around our bodies: environmental issues (you can smell Cinnabon minutes before you see it!), psychological challenges, menopause, various medication side effects, hormones, depression, anxiety, and other issues.

These things cause our bodies to crave food, to try and store food, and make it tough for us to keep our calorie intake under control, because chocolate cake.

To Recap:

• You can’t exercise your way to weight loss.
• Your metabolism slows down when you lose weight.
• Your environment and food scientists are trying to get you to overeat.
• Your body will try to keep its fat stores.
• Even when you lose weight, your body wants to keep the fat it has.
• If you lose weight, you have to keep working on it or you’ll put the weight back on.

This is all terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news.

And the toughest truth of all: Due to those factors above, it might not be your fault that you’re overweight…but it IS your responsibility to navigate!

I know, I know.

However, there is HOPE!

And here at Nerd Fitness – and in the Star Wars universe – rebellions are built on hope.

We have thousands of success stories from people who thought they couldn’t lose weight…until they did.

People HAVE lost weight, and kept it off.

People who are older, bigger, have more children, less money, more illnesses, and bigger hardships than you.

It’s a constant battle, but one that’s absolutely worth fighting.

And this means that you are not broken. You don’t have metabolic damage. You are not doomed.

Sure, you’re flawed.

But so are your heroes.

You might be playing life on “Legendary” difficulty, but people like you have succeeded.

It starts by using all of the tools at our disposal, because the forces working against us are doing the same.

Let’s get nerdy.

Want to lose weight and get strong like Leslie? Learn more about our Online Coaching Program!

The Science of Fat Loss

YES, it would be awesome if you could drink a tea, or wrap yourself in plastic, and it would somehow magically make you lose weight or fat.

YES, it would be amazing if a 30-minute bootcamp class was enough to still allow you to eat junk food all day every day and not gain a pound.

YES, it would be amazing if you could take a magic pill that reversed the past decade of damage you’ve done to your body.

It would also be cool if superheroes were real and I could fly.

Well, not like that.

Come on, Aquaman. People can see you.

We live in a world of science, physics, and thermodynamics.

This means we should ALWAYS look at life through the following lenses:

1. Occam’s Razor: The simplest explanation is PROBABLY the correct one.
2. Law of energy: Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed.
3. Reality: If it sounds TOO good to be true, it probably is.

Let’s apply this to our waistlines:

If we are overweight…

It’s not because we have “toxins” in our body that need to be flushed out.

It’s not because we didn’t spend enough time in the “fat-burning” zone during our “muscle confusion” bootcamp.

It’s not because we picked the wrong ‘fat burning’ product tea.

These are all pseudoscience buzz terms to sell products, and have no truth to their claims.

Occam’s Razor dictates the simplest solution is PROBABLY the right one.

So what’s the simple explanation to why we’re overweight?

Every day, we consume food that gets transformed into energy.

This food has three options once it enters our body:

1. Fuel our bodily functions: fuel our organs, regulate our body temperature, etc.
2. Pass through as waste: pee and poop.
3. Get stored as fat: saved for a rainy day.

If we are overweight, we are consuming more ‘energy’ than our bodies need every day. Because our body doesn’t need all of it, too much is being stored as fat.

This brings us to the main point of our nutritional focus:

If weight loss is our goal, we must consume FEWER calories than we burn on a consistent basis.

By doing so, our body HAS no choice but to dip into that “rainy day” fund of fat stores to still get all of its bodily tasks done each day.

Do this consistently, and that’s how we end up with a lower number on the scale and a smaller pants size.

“Steve I know I should eat less. It’s doing it consistently that’s the tough part. Have you tried CAKE?!”

Great point.

And yes, cake is awesome.

But we have to start somewhere!

And it starts here: we need to eat fewer calories, but it ALSO has to be sustainable and enjoyable, otherwise we’ll never stick with it.

And temporary changes produce temporary results. We want permanent weight loss!

Just saying “eat less” doesn’t factor the crazy biological, physiological, and/or emotional challenges we face every day:

We might eat when we’re stressed, depressed, or bored.

We might be on medication that is causing us to overeat without us realizing it.

We can’t eat just one potato chip without eating an entire bag.

We absentmindedly grab a handful of Peanut M&M’s when visiting Kevin in Accounting.

Not only that, but even when we pay attention to what we eat, studies show that we often underestimate our calorie consumption by 30+%.

Crap. This just keeps getting worse!

What’s a smart nerd like you supposed to do in this scenario!?

If we KNOW we overeat without realizing it, and we KNOW restricting calories is tough to stick with long term, then the only path forward is to attack the problem differently.

Not with fit tea.

Nor with body wraps.

Not with “muscle confusion.”

But with science, math, and psychology.

What to Eat For Weight Loss

If weight loss is the goal, we need to shift our food choices to foods that give us more “bang for our buck” – healthy, filling, nutritious foods that fill us up and makes us less likely to overeat calorie-bomb foods.

These foods allow us to feel full, but still keep us under our calorie goal for the day:

• Protein like meat, fish, eggs, and so on.  
• Fruit like apples, bananas, berries.
• Vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale.
• Quinoa, legumes, oats, rice, and potatoes.

These are foods that take up a lot of space in our stomach and make us feel full.

If we do this consistently, regularly, and without being miserable, we have a long term chance at losing weight and keeping it off.

Compare this to foods that don’t fill us up, but are loaded with calories – thus making it very easy to overeat without realizing it.

• High calorie, easy to overeat foods like bread, fries, pasta.
• Soda and juices and sugary coffee beverages.
• Candy, cookies, crackers, etc.

To really HAMMER this point home…

As we point out in “Can You Burn Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time?” here’s what 200 calories look like, thanks to WiseGEEK.

Which ones do you think will make you feel full, and which ones will make you eat more than you realize?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you get yourself to stop after 2/3rds of a bagel or a small handful of pasta?

Of course not!

One more example – here’s 200 calories of broccoli:

“Steve, that is an absurd amount of broccoli.”

Yup. It’s also the SAME number of calories as 2/3rds of a bagel (which doesn’t even include the calories from the cream cheese or butter).

Now, it’s insulting to say “You should eat more broccoli and less bagels. There’s yer problem.”

I’m merely pointing this out to emphasize the difference between energy (calories) and volume.

(Hate broccoli and vegetables? Read how to make vegetables taste good!)

Depending on what you eat, you could feel “OH SO FULL” after your meal or “Why am I already hungry again? NOM NOM NOM.”

Which means…

If you can start to make even SMALL changes, substituting nutrient-dense, calorically-light foods like protein, fruit, and veggies, for junk food – even occasionally, it’s going to shift the energy balance back in the right direction.

You’ll become more likely than not to eat fewer calories than you burn, moving you beneath your daily equilibrium.

Do that consistently, and you start to pull from those fat stores.

And we end up the holy grail:

Sustainable, non-miserable weight loss.

This is actually the secret sauce for ALL popular diets these days.

As we point out in our “What is the Perfect Diet” article, all the popular diets get you to eat more REAL food and less junk food.

They just all have their own unique marketing spin to sell cookbooks and courses and subscriptions. 

Let’s look at each of these diets in a nutshell:

• Paleo: cut out grains and dairy. Consume only meat, veggies, fruits, and nuts.
• Keto: cut out ALL carbs. Consume only meat, veggies, nuts, and fatty sauces.
• Intermittent Fasting: cut out an entire MEAL every day.
• Mediterranean Diet: focus on REAL foods, with whole grains. Cut out processed foods.
• Carnivore Diet: Only eat meat. Remove everything else.
• Military Diet: Nevermind. Please don’t do this diet.

ANY of the diets above will result in temporary weight loss if you strictly follow the rules, but not for the reason you’d think.

It’s not because we’re designed to eat like cave people (though we are), or that our bodies function differently on a Ketogenic Diet (it does), or even that fasting has plenty of health benefits (it does!).

Those things are like 2% of the reason why they work for weight loss. [2% is a statistic I made up to emphasize the smaller importance of any ancillary benefit compared to the bigger picture]

The other 98%: they make us more likely than not to consume fewer calories on average than we usually eat, which will lead to weight loss in the long term… if you can stick with it.

And each diet has rules and guidelines that speak to the specifics of individual people.

If you’re freaking out about how to eat and which diet to pick and you’re worried if you’ll even be able to stick with it, you’re not alone.

It’s why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program!

To help people like you change their habits around food to start seeing permanent weight loss results without being miserable!

No more confusion or frustration! Just a supportive coach to answer your questions and a plan to follow. Learn more:

WHICH DIET SHOULD I PICK To Lose Weight?

Nearly EVERY diet will work in the short term, because they all lead to temporary calorie restriction. Every diet above will fail you too in the long term, because you need to do the diet permanently to get the results permanently!

So in my opinion, you should only follow a strict diet like those above IF you can see yourself sticking with it consistently for the next 10 years.

“Steve, that’s melodramatic. Come on.”

That’s what I was going for.

If a diet sounds too restrictive to stick with permanently, then it’s too restrictive for you to devote weeks or months of your life to!

After all, temporary changes equal temporary results.

You’re better off picking a diet that you confidently feel like you can stick with permanently. You should be thinking in terms of “days and years,” not “weeks and months!”

Here’s the end goal we’re working towards:

Sustainable weight loss, weight maintenance, and actually enjoying life.

Looking in the mirror and being happy with what you see, and knowing that the weight stays off.

And most importantly, “normal” behavior that allows us to enjoy life, have great meals with friends and family, but also reach our goals.

Not temporary changes, but rather permanent small adjustments that adjust over time as we start to see results and build momentum.

Sound good?

Let’s get back to basics and start learning about the food we’re putting into our bodies.

Cool? Cool.

A PRIMER ON STRENGTH TRAINING

Conservatively speaking, strength training is the greatest thing ever invented in the history of the galaxy.

Okay, so maybe it’s third after electricity and Nintendo.

But I say this to make a point.

There’s a huge difference between “exercise” and strength training when it comes to body composition.

We cover this in a very in-depth manner in our “Can I Lose Weight and Build Muscle?” article  – which is one giant Harry Potter allegory that you’ll love – but I’ll share the basics right here.

If your goal is consistent, permanent, healthy weight loss and weight management, 80-90% of the battle will be nutrition,

When it comes to exercise, you really only have TWO things to focus on:

• What exercise do you love? Good. Do that.
• Strength train as often as you have time for.

I’ll touch on the first one quickly.

When you do exercise you love, you’re giving your heart and body a good workout. You’re reminding yourself “I am living healthy” and THUS you should be more likely than not to stick with your healthy eating strategy.

Notice I said “exercise you love.”

If you hate running, never run a mile again.

Hate going to the gym? Never set foot in one.

Hate bootcamps? Me too. Don’t do them.

Instead, go rock climbing, or hiking, or do yoga, or swing dancing, or LARPing.

Really, anything that gets you off your ass and moving. Cool? Cool.

Never do exercise you hate again. Let us build a fun workout program for you! Learn more:

How Strength Training Assists Weight Loss

Your body functions differently when you strength train, in all of the right ways.

We have a whole Strength Training 101 sequence that can you get you started, but I’ll whet your appetite with the nerdiest metaphor ever below.

You can find study after study after study that shows you the benefits of strength training for weight management when combined with “calorie restriction.”

Let me explain it here quickly, borrowing from Harry Potter:

(You know, the wizard.)

At the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when each student arrives they put on the “Sorting Hat,” an actual hat that determines which House (group) that child will join for his time at Hogwarts.

The hat acts almost like a traffic director:

“Harry, you will go to Gryffindor! Draco, you will go to Slytherin!”

Your body operates in a VERY similar fashion: every day, it receives new calories (when you eat), and it needs to decide what to do with them!

For example:

You eat a large Hawaiian pizza and 20 ounces of Mountain Dew. Your body has to do SOMETHING with all those calories.

To keep things simple, let’s look at the 3 most common results.

It’ll sort those calories into one of three Houses:

A: Burn for Fuel.
B: Rebuild Muscle.
C: Store as Fat.

Your body sorts most of those calories into “Burn for Fuel.” There’s a number of calories your body burns each day just existing: to keep your liver functioning, your heart pumping, your brain operating, and so on – it burns a good chunk of calories just keeping the lights on.

Here are two quick examples (from our TDEE calculator!):

• A 6’, 34-year old male weighing 250 pounds burns 2,300 calories a day just by existing.
• A 5’5”, 40-year old female weighing 140 pounds burns 1,350 calories a day just by existing.
  

Now, if you don’t do any exercise, and you consume MORE calories than the rate you burn each day, the “Sorting Hat” in your body needs to put those calories somewhere!

Where do you think it’ll sort them?

“C: Store as Fat.”

However, your body’s sorting behavior changes when you strength train.
Specifically, when you train in a way that really challenges your muscles. This is completely relative to where you are at in your life right now:

• HEAVY weight training might be a 500 lb deadlift or a 5 pound dumbbell curl.
• INTENSE bodyweight training might be a handstand push-up or a knee push-up.

When you strength train – by picking up something heavy – your muscles are “broken down” during the exercise itself, and then they rebuild themselves stronger over the next 24-48 hours.

Guess what happens during those 24-48 hours?

Your body will divert as many calories as possible to “Rebuild Muscle!”

It also diverts additional calories to “Burn as Fuel” to handle this increased “muscle rebuilding” activity.

This means two amazing things:

• Your metabolism is revved up for this time period, burning more calories than normal.
• Rebuilding muscle is a calorie taxing activity!

There are significantly fewer calories available for “Store as Fat.”

AND IT GETS BETTER.

When you consume fewer calories than your body burns each day, continuing to strength train will cause your body to get even more clever.

Let’s imagine a scenario where you’re eating fewer calories than you burn every day:

• You strength train regularly, and your muscles break down and need to be rebuilt.
• You don’t consume enough calories compared to how many calories your body needs to both rebuild muscle and fuel itself…
• So does your body just shut down?

NOPE!

Your body has been preparing for this, by storing any excess calories over the years in the “Store as Fat” house.

This is the moment your body has been saving up for.

This means your body can pull from “Store as Fat” to make sure all the work still gets done, including your daily functions as a human, and rebuilding the muscle.

This is the Tri-wizard cup^[1] of physical transformation victory:

• You get stronger and keep the muscle you have.
• You burn through the fat you’re trying to get rid of.
• You’re decreasing your body fat percent and keeping your muscle = look good naked.

This would be a “win-win-win” according to Michael Scott, Regional Manager, Dunder Mifflin Scranton.

Want help learning how to strength train? You can absolutely build your own workout, or you can work with one of our coaches who can create a custom program that’s specific to your goals and lifestyle.

We’ll even make sure you’re doing the movements correctly via video, because we’re nice like that 🙂

Learn how to get strong with our Online Coaching Program! Learn more:

BACK TO BASICS: How To Guarantee Successful Weight Loss

If you’re still reading, then there is hope for you yet.

You can do this – but you have to be smart and diligent about it! Stop trying to exercise your way thin, and stop trying to find ‘get fit quick’ solutions.

Instead, take this one day at a time. We’re here for you!

We talk about proper nutrition in our big “Healthy Eaters” guide, and we go more in-depth into the specific foods that we recommend, but it starts here:

• You have to eat fewer calories than you eat now to lose weight, and do so permanently.
• The best way to do that is to substitute more protein and veggies onto your plate.
• Strength training will supercharge your results, building muscle and burning extra fat.

Understand you’re overeating, and forgive yourself for doing so – most foods have been designed for you to overeat!

YOUR MISSIONS, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THEM:

#1) Pledge to stop buying snake oil. If you’re not sure, ask yourself “Does this sound too good to be true?” and “What would Steve do?”

In addition: stop doing exercises you hate just to lose weight. Pick exercises you enjoy, and put all of your focus on slowly adjusting your nutrition instead!

Shun the Dark Side and come back to the Light!

#2) Be deliberate in your decisions. Every calorie counts. Every decision counts. So make ONE different decision as a result of you being more aware of what you put in your body.

Drinking water instead of soda or juice.

Swapping out a salad for fries once per week. It all counts, but make your decision deliberate.

You’re a smart person. You know what foods should be daily staples, and what foods should be occasional treats. It all counts. So make ONE decision differently to prove to yourself that you can change.

#3) Educate yourself on the serving size of ONE food that you eat regularly. Google it. Find out if what you THINK is a serving and what’s actually in a serving is anywhere close to accurate.

You might be surprised to find out:

• A serving of pasta is HALF the size of what you normally eat with your meal.
• How much peanut butter is considered a serving (hint: it ain’t much).
• There are 2.5 servings in that one bottle of Green Machine Naked Juice.

I don’t want you to change the food or the portions yet. I just want you to educate yourself on what you’re eating, and compare it to how much you thought you were eating.

NEXT STEPS IF YOU WANT TO GO FARTHER! 

If you are looking for more hands-on guidance, we have three options for ya!

1) 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program! If that sounds like you, and you’re looking for nutritional guidance, custom strength training routines just for your situation, and expert accountability, we’d love to hear your story!

No more dieting. No more shame. Just results and a supportive coach! Learn more:

2) If you want a roadmap for sustainable weight loss, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion! Join our free email list and community – I send out two fun emails a week – and I’ll send you our free 10-level Nutrition Guide along with a bunch of other free bonuses. Get them when you sign up in the box below:

#4) Do a strength training routine! We have so many awesome free options for you here on Nerd Fitness. Pick the ones that jump out at you!

• 15 free circuit training routines: for either the gym or home! 
• Our Beginner Bodyweight Routine is super popular.
• Pick one of our Beginner Strength Workouts to learn about strength!
• Try our 6-Level Gym Workout!

“What is the biggest question you have around nutrition, strength training, and weight loss?”

Oh and please, go eat a vegetable 🙂

-Steve

PS: I know this HOPEFULLY goes without saying, but this is the internet: I totally get that this issue is very complicated to begin with. If you have a hormonal imbalance, PCOS, are on medication for any number of reasons, it could also be affecting your weight.

PLEASE speak with your doctor about your weight and any changes you are looking to make!

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Photo source: A good Sunday to you, Can I have your bicycle, Speed!, Swimming pool, Pizza lab, Dinner is set, Happy monday!, Speed.

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