Beginner strength workout

From the women and muscle deep dive

Post summary

• I received many requests for a simple muscle-building workout after publishing the Women and Muscle Deep Dive.

• Ask and you shall receive:

  • This workout is designed for people new to strength training, regardless of their age or ability level.

  • It requires no special equipment and you can do it at home.

  • I’ve included videos and written instructions of each exercise, plus ways to make each exercise easier or harder.

  • It takes less than 30 minutes.

  • It works the five fundamental human movement patterns and allows you to meet the Federal Exercise Guidelines.

  • I often do it when I’m time-crunched or traveling.

Housekeeping

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• ICYMI, the Two Percent Shop is back up after we paused it while I was off the grid.

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The post

It’s a rare fifth Friday of the month. I call these All Killer, No Filler Fridays. The posts are quick and to the point, featuring one really useful thing—all killer, no filler.

This fifth Friday, we’re featuring a muscle-building workout for beginners.

Ask and you shall receive

I recently published a deep dive on women and muscle.

Muscle is critical. But today, women are losing it—and it’s quietly driving worse health outcomes and shorter lifespans (read the deep dive here if you missed it). Some evidence suggests not having enough muscle is actually worse for your longevity and daily function than excess fat.

After publishing the story, I received numerous emails from people seeking strength training advice.

• Many didn’t have equipment or the time or desire to go to the gym.

• Others hadn’t done strength exercises in years and wanted to know where to start.

The good news: You don’t need a gym or special equipment to build functional strength—and the best time to start is now.

I created this workout with my mom in mind—it’s something anyone can do, no matter their age or ability level.

That said, even people who have been strength training for years can get significant benefits from this workout (do it when time-crunched or traveling).

The workout

Here’s what you’ll find below.

• Written instructions and videos of each of the five exercises in the workout.

• Variations to make each exercise easier or harder.

• Specific sets and reps you should do.

• Information about why each exercise works.

Here’s how to to the workout:

Start with a warmup: stretch areas that feel tight, shuffle or hop side to side a bit, or jump rope or walk.

Then do the following five exercises. You’ll do two sets of each exercise for the designated number of repetitions.

Rest as needed (aim for 60-120 seconds between exercises, if you want a specific time recommendation).

You’ll be done quickly—and you’ll be better for it. Do this workout twice each week to meet the Federal Exercise guidelines.