Fitness
Strength Training Basics
Your first 8 weeks of strength training at home: exercise cards, a good-form checklist and a workout log.
£12.99Buy
Beginner fitness courses that start where you are
Home-friendly courses that explain the UK activity guidelines and help you build strength and a weekly routine at a pace that suits you.
- 1 course
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
The UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines, published in 2019 and used in all four nations, ask adults to build up to at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, and to do muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days. They also make the point that some activity is good and more is better, so any step up from where you are now counts.
Strength is the part most people skip. Carrying shopping, climbing stairs and lifting children all rely on it, yet many adults have never been shown how to train safely. Our fitness courses begin there, with body-weight and simple home exercises, clear form cues and a plan that builds week by week.
If you have a heart or lung condition, joint problems or high blood pressure, are pregnant or have recently given birth, or have not been active for a long time, check with your GP or practice nurse before starting something new.
All fitness courses
Choosing a starting point
Strength Training Basics is the place to begin if you are new to resistance exercise or returning after a long break. It opens with a readiness checklist, teaches a small set of moves with good form and then follows an 8-week plan you can do at home.
Not sure how hard you are working? The guidelines give a simple check: during moderate activity you breathe faster but can still talk; during vigorous activity you can only say a few words before pausing for breath.
Older adults may prefer the chair-based plans in our healthy ageing courses, and women in midlife will find a menopause-specific strength plan among the menopause courses.
What the fitness tools do
- Readiness checklist: a short set of questions to work through before you start, with a prompt to see your GP if any of them apply to you.
- Exercise card library: each move with its set-up, steps, common mistakes and an easier or harder version.
- 8-week plan: sessions laid out week by week, so you always know what today's workout is.
- Workout log and form checklist: record sets and repetitions and check your technique, so progress is visible over time.
Stop and get advice if
Stop exercising straight away and get medical help if you have chest pain or tightness, feel faint or very dizzy, or become far more out of breath than the effort should cause. Call 999 if chest pain is severe or does not ease with rest.
See your GP or a physiotherapist about joint or muscle pain that lasts more than a few days or gets worse each time you train.
Fitness courses: your questions
Do I need a gym or equipment?
No. The beginner plan uses your own body weight, a sturdy chair and a wall. Some moves suggest optional household items, such as filled water bottles, once you are ready for more.
How often should I do strength exercises?
The UK guidelines suggest muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week, working the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. The 8-week plan is built around that.
I am over 65. Is a beginner fitness course suitable?
The adult guidelines still apply, with added activities for balance and flexibility. Many older adults prefer to start with the chair-based plan in our healthy ageing topic, and a quick word with your GP beforehand is sensible for anyone with a long-term condition.
Is it normal to feel sore after a session?
Some muscle stiffness a day or two after a new exercise is common and usually eases quickly. Sharp pain, or pain in a joint, is different: stop that exercise and get it checked if it continues.
Can I follow the plan while pregnant?
Strength Training Basics is not written for pregnancy. The NHS has separate advice on exercise in pregnancy, and your midwife can tell you what is suitable for you.
Official sources
Your first session can be ten minutes
Work through the readiness checklist, pick three moves from the card library and log them today.