When your goal is to build strength, the types of exercises and the amount of exercise necessary to be successful can be overwhelming. Fortunately, when you are just starting you can cultivate a simple program that allows you to achieve maximum results.

Establish A Schedule

You need to start by figuring out how often you want to train. Usually, three to five days per week is recommended. It is also recommended that you give your muscle groups a rest by not training the same muscles multiple days in a row. Some people will have upper-body versus lower-body days or do a push/pull split. Also, specific characteristics about you might dictate how frequently you train. Generally smaller people and women can train more frequently and at higher volumes than larger people and men, while still managing to recover between workout days. Of course, everyone is different, and you can adjust your training schedule as you learn more about your body and how long it takes to recover.

Do Compound Movements

Compound movements are ideal for general strength-building because you can work multiple muscle groups with a single exercise. Additionally, if time or motivation are factors, you will find minimizing isolation movements allows you to complete a workout faster. If you do not know where to start, look to competitive strength sports, such as powerlifting and weightlifting. Many of the lifts they do are compound movements. For example, squats are a good exercise to incorporate into your lower-body days because they work some of the largest muscle groups, and you can simultaneously work your upper body by doing an overhead press. Other compound movements include the deadlift because it requires both back and leg strength to complete the movement.

Consider Supersets

Supersets are groups of exercises that you do with little or no rest between them. Not only does this make your strength-building workout faster and more productive, but it adds a cardio aspect to traditionally anaerobic activities. For example, you might superset the bench press, push-ups, and pull-ups on your upper-body day. This way you are targeting many of the major muscle groups in the upper body, such as the arms, chest, shoulders, and back, in rapid succession. A good lower-body superset could include sprinting, squats, and walking lunges. In the beginning, you might do a specific exercise for a minute and give yourself a 30-second break between exercises to either rest or set up for the next exercise. Supersets also work well if you want to work out at home with minimal equipment.

Fortunately, starting a muscle-building fitness program does not require hours in the gym. When you are just starting your fitness journey, you will see dramatic improvements in your body composition with a basic program. Learn more about fitness programs today.