I started with Stronglifts 5x5. It's a good starter program if you haven't lifted before, because it'll give you the opportunity to drill and learn the movements, and the program is simple, and there's an app that holds your hand.
In terms of programming, it has some deficiencies, but most people just need a structured program to start with. You can probably run it for 12-18 weeks and then have a strong foundation to switch to another program. People argue its deficiencies, but if it gets you started and gets you structure to build a routine with, that's what you need, IMO.
For the last couple of years, I've been training with Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program, and it's fantastic. I keep getting stronger and can probably happily train on it for many years to come. I've competed in a couple of local powerlifting meets, and have a routine that I feel like I can sustain forever. There is a 531 for Beginners program, too, but it's less hand-holdy than Stronglifts.
I'm a big fan of both programs (I built a lot of my current strength with 5/3/1), but I just want to add a couple things for anyone starting out:
1. If you're new, realize that your muscles will get stronger faster than your connective tissue. Be patient with your progression and be mindful of joint problems.
2. Most of the powerlifting/strength training programs are a bit light on pulling. Add in pullups and rows if the program doesn't call for it and your posture will thank you.
3. Strength training isn't cardio. It should (eventually) be hard. If you're taking one minute set breaks on big lifts you're doing it wrong.
4. Learn to eat. High protein and adequate calories. If you don't eat well you'll struggle to progress after a while and you're likely to get injured becasue your body can't recover adequately.
I was going to reply to GP but you beat me to some of my points:
> realize that your muscles will get stronger faster than your connective tissue
The author, or another prominent advocate on YouTube, emphasizes the ability to get a workout done in under an hour. In my opinion this is rushing it.
There's a joke that you should add 5 minutes to your warm-up for every year over 30 (exact numbers vary). The point remains: always warm up thoroughly, especially the older you are.
I take a lot of time between sets to recharge my ATP. I also do days where I'm not trying to add the 2.5 kg, but instead focus power. Or even just do it with good form at a slightly lighter weight if I'm not feeling 100%. The newer you are to lifting, go slow and focus on technique. (Perhaps 20 year olds can add 2.5 kg every session ad infinitum but I can't.)
Heads up for Wendler 5/3/1: the program is fantastic, but if you buy the books, you'll find some pretty blatant misogyny in them. I was really disappointed, and disappointed that I had endorsed that content with my purchases. There are a lot of good beginner programs. Check out the r/Fitness wiki for alternatives, specifically this page: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-bu...
The good thing about 5x5 is that you start with minimal weights - like an empty bar - and spend your first couple of weeks training with "easy" weight. This time is really for you to learn the movements. There's a wealth of information out there on how to do these movements properly. Injury is always a possibility, but if you start light and progress steadily, the risk of it is substantially diminished.
A coach is a great resource, but a) most trainers in gyms are not strength coaches, and range from actively harmful to wonderful, and there's not really any way for the novice to know which they are, and b) legit strength coaches are expensive. I'd recommend self-study and starting lightly before a coach, personally, but if having a coach is the difference between you lifting and not lifting, get the coach.
Alan Thrall has 3 really good beginner videos on the S/B/D movements:
There's also https://www.reddit.com/r/formcheck (and r/fitness and r/stronglifts5x5) which can be valuable resources for getting help fixing particular problems.
Valid concern, but at the same time, if you start slowly, watch videos, record yourself and review your form, and listen to your body you'll be fine. Barbells are psychologically scary, but nobody worries about hiring a coach when they start running or playing rec soccer or whatever, even though those things tend to be more injury prone than lifting. Not to discourage you from getting coaching, but if you want to start just start.
It's kind of funny. I've seen people afraid to try lifting a 20kg barbell in a controlled, slow movement, even though they don't have any fear at all about picking up their nephew or lifting a bag of dogfood.
If you can find a coach and that will help alleviate your fears, do it.
I work out in a "group personal training" setup where there are generally 5-8 folks lifting at a time, usually performing the same lifts on the same days, but all at different paces and levels. And we have a coach that helps with programming and offers assistance, critique, and timely doses of motivation or ridicule.
Valid concern but with preparation and also with a coach and also listening to your body, it shouldn’t be a fear. Injury is going to happen, you could be walking down the street and hurt your ankle.
The most important thing is working on form, which you don’t have to do with heavy weights. But for this a coach totally helps because they can pin point exactly where you’re messing up.
My two biggest complaints about it are too little deadlift volume (and always deadlifting after you've squatted, which is just suicidal at higher working weights), and no periodization. The latter is really the biggest issue with it as anything beyond an introductory program - the benefits of periodization are well-established, and while linear progression is great as an "on ramp", the human body just can't sustain that style of progression indefinitely. When you hit the point that you stop regularly progressing linearly, it's time to stop and switch to a periodized program.
If you wanted to get really picky, it lacks lacks arm (bicep and rear deltoid, primarily) and oblique accessory work, but I don't really consider those too big of a problem since most beginners need something straightforward that isn't too overwhelming.
5x5 is a simple and effective program. It's gone the route of marketing and sales but the principle is the same. A few big lifts a few times a week produces a lot of strength. You'll be surprised. You don't need to do 50 exercises.
5x5 has already been brought up a bunch of times. Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training was a good book for me to cement each lift and I picked up 5x5 later for the routine. SS is a bit long-winded, it only covers a handful of basic lifts but dedicates a chapter to each one. Proper form is really important in not hurting yourself and maximizing your time in the gym. Being thoughtful about which muscles are getting activated and getting comfortable on how to position yourself really helps when the weight goes up.
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (Arnold Schwarzenegger) I remember half was life story and theory on bodybuilding and the latter part was a good reference of a bunch of variations on exercises to mix things up.
Both of those books have been around forever and are generally well regarded. Your library probably has a copy you can borrow.
You beat me by 1 minute! 5x5 is an excellent starter program. I've lifted for about 10 years and while I'm more in the advanced and intermediate lifting programs, 5x5 is my goto when I have a long hiatus in lifting. I'm definitely doing it once the COVID lockdowns are over.
Seems like this requires both physical space and equipment. Being stuck at home right now, what would be good enough alternatives for the exercises other than squats (perhaps with smaller dumbbells or with body weight)?
My opinion is the best strength training routine is the one you can stick to. Sometimes you get into a routine because someone told you it's the way to do things. You try to force yourself to do it even though you don't like it. Eventually you stop doing it because you're not motivated to do something you don't like. At that point you might think, "if this is the way I'm 'supposed to' workout, but I don't like it, then I've failed and just won't workout because anything else is not the way you're 'supposed to' do it". Don't listen to anyone who says you have to do one thing or another. Do what you like because you'll be more motivated and stick to it.
This has been my experience...
Personally, I don't like going to a gym. I'm not a fan of the atmosphere. I've tried several gym-based workout routines and I just never enjoyed doing them. When I say gym-based, I mean routines that really require gym equipment and access to heavier weights.
I also don't like workouts that waste a lot of time. I found with gym-based workouts I always had to keep looking up each exercise because I would forget exactly how to do them and that wasted a lot of time. There also seemed to be a greater risk of injuring yourself doing certain exercises, especially those requiring heavier weight. I also found exercise routines advertised as being "simple" or "basic" would have several exercises requiring equipment my gym didn't have, so I always had to figure out alternative exercises for that muscle group, which also wasted time.
I ended up doing P90X for a few years, which was great for someone like me that always has other things occupying my mind because I didn't have to think about what exercises to do. It was all laid out for me. Also, I could do it at home and it incorporates HIIT, which allows you to get in some cardio. As I got older, I found P90X felt like it was over-training and I couldn't keep up with the intense hour-long exercises. I switched to P90X3, which has 30-minute routines. That was good for a while, but personally not enough strength training for me. It had a variety of exercises (because variety is kind of the P90 way), but a lot of the exercises didn't really feel like they required enough exertion. P90X3 is probably good for someone starting out though if you need to get a basic level of physical fitness before moving on to more intense stuff.
After P90X3, I purchased RIPT90 Fit, which is very similar to P90X3 (30-minute home workouts) but is cheaper and has fewer, simpler, and more impactful exercises that I think maximize your 30-minutes. I still occasionally mix in some P90X3 routines, like yoga and core workouts.
Routines like 5x5 can be ok for some but I'm not sure it is a good idea to put most beginners in low rep range workouts before they can learn the movements. Probably best to work on the 8-12 rep range and machines in the beginning.
I'm a fan of two weekly full-body workouts in a mix of machines and free weights, or 2-way splits (upper/lower, push/pull) 3 times a week. I've seen far too many times beginners being put on a 3-way split with workouts that take 1 hour or more just too quit the gym the next month.
Seek help to build a simple routine (bodyweight exercises work too) that works the whole body and doesn't too much time and then build up from there.
This is right on the money. SL5x5 was the thing that "stuck" for me, but the best program is always the one that you stick with. Us kinds of people who are prone to read HN probably have a tendency to want to micro-optimize everything and pick the best most perfect program ever, and the truth is that the best program is the one that you do, even if it's not technically perfect. If one thing doesn't take, rather than giving up, look for another approach. The benefits are worth it.
