8 Tips for Getting Started With Strength Training — No Gym Required

Strength training is one of the best things you can do for your health and fitness. And it's not just good for building muscle mass and strength. It can also boost metabolism, increase bone density, and relieve anxiety. Muscle-strengthening workouts may even help you live longer. They've been shown to improve heart health and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. 

But you might not know where to begin with strength training. The good news is that you don't need an expensive gym membership to develop an effective routine. You can start strength training at home with little to no equipment. 

8 tips for building an effective strength training routine at home

An at-home strength training plan is a great way to learn key exercises and build foundational strength. All you need is a designated space and a few tips to get started.  

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1. Warm up first 

A successful strength training workout should start with an active, 5- to 10-minute warmup. This increases blood flow to the muscles, enhancing flexibility and reducing the risk of injury. You can do light cardio, like jumping jacks or jogging, to prepare for your muscle-strengthening activity. 

After a few minutes of cardio, switch to dynamic stretches. These active stretches continue to warm your muscles while taking them through a complete range of motion. They should include moves similar to the exercises you'll do during your workout. Examples include hip circles, arm circles, leg swings, and spinal rotations. 

2. Start with body weight exercises   

Your muscles get stronger when they encounter mechanical tension or resistance. In a gym, you can use exercise machines or barbells to provide that resistance. But those tools aren't necessary. 

"Resistance can come in many different forms," says educator and sports performance coach Korey Van Wyk. "It doesn't need to be from a specific piece of equipment. As long as your muscles work against more resistance than normal, they will adapt accordingly." 

Body weight exercises are an equipment-free way to increase muscle mass, flexibility, and coordination. These moves –– such as squats, lunges, and push-ups –– use your body weight as resistance. And they can help you build functional strength as a beginner. Functional strength improves your ability to do everyday activities. For example, practicing bodyweight squats can make it easier to sit, stand, or lift heavy items. 

3. Try new strength training moves regularly  

When your muscles adapt to resistance, they may stop getting stronger. Eventually, your body adjusts to the challenge, and your muscles hit a plateau. An exercise plateau often occurs when you do the same exercise over and over for long periods. So it's important to keep challenging your muscles with different movements. 

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"A helpful tip for body weight training at home is to switch up your routine," says certified strength and conditioning specialist Josh Schlottman. You can do this by adding new exercises to your strength training workouts every 8 to 12 sessions. This gives you time to perfect various moves and build strength without hitting a plateau. 

Pay attention to how your body responds to your strength training plan. When the exercises stop feeling like a challenge, it's time to mix things up with new moves. 

4. Add weight or intensity gradually 

Another way to avoid the dreaded strength training plateau? 

"Add weight or intensity gradually," says Schlottman. 

Say you're a beginner and you want to master the push-up. "You could start by doing modified push-ups on the edge of a table or counter," Schlottman continues. "If you perfect the move after several workouts, you can shift to half push-ups and then standard push-ups on the floor." 

He adds that "finding ways to vary the exercise while increasing difficulty will help you progress and keep things fresh." 

But the key is to increase weight and intensity little by little over time. This progressive overload training involves gradually adjusting your strength training frequency, duration, intensity, and load. It can boost your endurance, exercise performance, and overall fitness. And it may reduce your risk of injury and the severity of delayed-onset muscle soreness.

5. Use household items if you don't have free weights

You can use household items when you're ready to advance to training with free weights. Get creative by adding resistance with plastic bottles, cans, or books. Here are a few examples: 

• Bent-over Ts with a soup can in each hand

• Wood chops with a bottle of laundry detergent 

• Goblet squats with a 0.5 to 1.0 gallon jug of water 

• Lunges with a small water bottle in each hand

6. Aim for two strength-training workouts each week to start

The CDC recommends that adults do strength-training activities 2 or more days a week. Strengthening workouts should work all major muscle groups. You can break it up any way you want. For example, you can do one upper-body workout and one lower-body workout each week.

When you start strength training, it might be easiest to aim for two full-body workouts each week. "The best bang-for-your-buck exercises to build strength are ones that involve multiple muscle groups and joints at the same time," says Van Wyck. These compound exercises may be more effective for increasing strength than isolation exercises that target a single muscle, such as biceps curls. 

"Compound exercises will mimic movements you make every day such as pushing, pulling, and getting up or down," says Van Wyck. They don't have to be long or particularly intense. 

Remember, take it slow and keep it simple. A beginner workout might include: 

• Push-ups 

• Body weight rows 

• Wall planks 

• Squats 

• Lunges 

The number of repetitions (reps) and sets you do may depend on your fitness goal. Reps refer to one complete exercise, and sets refer to the total number of reps you do. Let's use burpees as an example: If you do two sets of 10 reps, you'll complete 20 total burpees. Aim for two to three sets of 10 to 20 reps of each exercise to improve your overall fitness. 

7. Set strength training goals and track your progress

Setting specific, long- and short-term goals can help you stay motivated to make strength training a habit. Here are a few example goals for beginners: 

• Hold a plank for 60 seconds after 6 to 8 weeks of training.

• Increase core muscle endurance by doing 12 to 15 sit-up reps once a week for 4 to 8 weeks. 

• Do 10 squat jumps with proper form after 4 to 6 weeks of training.

Write your goals down and track your progress to keep yourself accountable. For example, you could make one of your goals to finish two weekly strength training workouts. Each time you complete a workout, check it off on your calendar. You can also use fitness trackers to monitor your progress along the way. 

At the end of each month, if you complete all of your scheduled workouts –– or achieve other short-term goals ––  give yourself a little reward.

8. Remember to cool down after training and rest between workouts

It might be tempting to plop down on the couch after your strength training session. But give yourself a few minutes to cool down. Gentle static stretching can help lengthen and relax the muscles you use in your training.

And make sure to take rest days –– experts recommend at least 2 days –– between strength training sessions. You can try lower-intensity workouts like yoga or swimming on your rest days. These forms of active recovery can ease muscle tension and soreness and help your body reset after challenging exercise. 

What precautions should you take when strength training at home? 

Strength training exercises should be challenging but not painful. Stop the activity immediately and talk to a healthcare provider if you have aches or pains during a session. Keep these helpful safety tips in mind for injury-free workouts: 

• Focus on proper form with each exercise to prevent injury. 

• Lift and lower weights slowly. Control your movements to avoid jerking, swinging, or dropping weights. 

• Exhale as you lift, push, or pull during strength training sessions. And inhale as you relax your muscles. Do not hold your breath. 

• Rest for 2 to 3 minutes between strength training sets. 

• Allow at least 2 days between strength training workouts. 

What strength training equipment should you invest in as a beginner?

You don't need any equipment for muscle-strengthening workouts. But if you decide to purchase some, it doesn't have to be complicated or costly. "An investment that will allow you to work your entire body and add resistance to almost any movement is a set of adjustable dumbbells," says Van Wyck.

If weights aren't in your budget, you can opt for a set of resistance bands. "Resistance bands are a great way to get a full-body workout without using weightlifting machines," says Schlottman. "You can slowly increase the resistance you add to your training, which will help you build more strength."

Van Wyck adds another option: a stability ball. You can use this budget-friendly inflatable ball in various ways. "Stability balls allow for more core training options and can serve as a bench for movements such as a dumbbell bench press," explains Van Wyck. 

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Written by:

Jody Braverman, CPT, RYT

Jody Braverman has worked in the health and fitness industry –– as a trainer, yoga teacher, nutrition and lifestyle coach, writer, and editor –– for more than two decades. She graduated with a B.A. from the University of Maryland and maintains several accredited certifications.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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