Fitness
Strength Training Basics
No gym needed: learn the basic moves, build up over eight weeks and make strength a habit that fits around work and whānau.
NZ$24.99Buy
Beginner fitness courses that meet you where you are
Build activity into your week at your own pace, following the physical activity advice in New Zealand's adult guidelines, with a strength plan you can do at home.
- 2 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
The physical activity part of the Eating and Activity Guidelines for New Zealand Adults starts with a simple message: sit less, move more. Break up long periods of sitting, and know that any activity is better than none. Adults are encouraged to do at least 2½ hours of moderate activity, or 1¼ hours of vigorous activity, spread through each week, or a mix of the two. Doing more brings extra benefits. The guidelines also recommend muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week.
Moderate activity makes you breathe harder but still lets you talk, such as a brisk walk, gardening, cycling on the flat or a kapa haka practice. Vigorous activity leaves you too puffed to say more than a few words, such as running, waka ama training or a fast game of touch. Strength work does not need a gym: bodyweight exercises, resistance bands and even carrying the shopping all count.
Our fitness course, written by Dr Aqsa Mukhtiar, PhD in Nutrition, teaches the basics of strength training safely, with clear form checks and a gradual plan. If you have a health condition or have not been active for a long time, check with your GP first, and ask whether a Green Prescription could help you get started.
All fitness courses
Fitness
Strength Training Basics
No gym needed: learn the basic moves, build up over eight weeks and make strength a habit that fits around work and whānau.
NZ$24.99Buy
Choosing a starting point
Strength Training Basics is our beginner course. It explains how muscles get stronger, how to warm up, how many sets and repetitions to start with and how to progress over eight weeks, using exercises you can do at home or in a gym.
If you are in midlife and dealing with menopause changes, or over 65 and want to work on balance as well as strength, the menopause and healthy ageing topics include strength courses written for those stages.
What the fitness tools do
- Exercise card library: each move with set-up, the key points of good form and an easier and harder version.
- 8-week plan: two or three short sessions a week that build up gradually.
- Workout log: record exercises, repetitions and how hard each session felt so you can see progress.
- Form checklist: a quick self-check for posture, breathing and range of movement before you add load.
Stop and get advice if
Stop exercising and seek advice if you have:
- chest pain, pressure or tightness, or pain spreading to your arm, neck or jaw
- dizziness, fainting or a racing or irregular heartbeat
- breathlessness that is far worse than you would expect
- joint or muscle pain that is sharp, or that lasts more than a few days
Call 111 for chest pain or signs of a heart attack. Check with your GP before starting if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, recent surgery or an injury, or if you are pregnant or have recently given birth.
Fitness courses: your questions
How much activity do New Zealand guidelines recommend for adults?
At least 2½ hours of moderate or 1¼ hours of vigorous activity across the week, or a mix, plus muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days. If that sounds like a lot, start with ten minutes at a time and build up.
Do I need a gym membership or equipment?
No. The course is built around bodyweight exercises, with optional resistance bands or household items such as water bottles. Gym versions are included if you already go to one.
Is strength training safe for beginners?
For most healthy adults, yes, when you start light, focus on form and progress slowly. The course includes a form checklist for every exercise. If you have a health condition, check with your GP first.
I am over 65. Is this course right for me?
You can use it, but you may prefer the strength and balance courses in our healthy ageing topic, which include chair-based options. Live Stronger for Longer also lists community strength and balance classes across New Zealand.
Can I exercise while pregnant?
Many people can stay active in pregnancy, but this course is not written for it. Talk to your LMC midwife about what is safe for you, and avoid contact sports and activities with a risk of falling.
Official sources
Your first session takes 20 minutes
Pick three exercises from the card library, log them, and you have started your 8-week plan.