Strength Training for Beginners: The Only 5 Moves You Really Need

September 4, 2024

Tired of hopping from one workout plan to the next? You’re not alone. In this episode of Nacho Fitness Coach, we talk about ditching the fitness overwhelm and finally sticking with a simple, effective strength training routine—one that’s beginner-friendly, time-efficient, and doesn't involve a leg day that wrecks your week.

From FitBod to DIY: The Workout Journey So Far

After trying various programs like FitBod and Caroline Girvan’s 30-day challenges, our host realized something important: there’s no one-size-fits-all plan—but you can absolutely make your own. Inspired by a free PDF by strength coach Daniel Rosenthal, she started piecing together a strength training program that finally clicked.

What Makes a Good Beginner Strength Routine?

Rosenthal’s approach breaks workouts into five essential movement patterns:

Hip Hinge
Squat or Lunge
Upper Push
Upper Pull
Core

Sound familiar? It’s the same structure Sarah's been preaching—just packaged in a clean, no-BS PDF that makes it feel official. 😄

Rather than prescribing specific exercises, the guide encourages you to pick movements within each category and customize based on your fitness level, equipment, or goals.

Creating a Weekly Plan (That You’ll Actually Stick To)

Instead of bouncing from random workouts, she built a consistent three-day routine:

Workout A: Monday
Workout B: Wednesday
Workout C: Friday

Each workout includes one movement from each category, keeping it simple but balanced. The flexibility allows for scaling up or down, whether you’re doing Romanian deadlifts at home or taking your goblet squats to the gym.

Pro Tip: Consistency > Complexity

Forget “leg day” or “back and bis.” For most beginners (and honestly, even intermediates), full-body workouts 2–3x/week are more effective and sustainable.

Yes, You Are a Beginner (And That’s a Good Thing)

Rosenthal defines a beginner not as someone weak or inexperienced—but someone who hasn’t followed a consistent, progressive strength routine for at least 3 months. If you’re only doing group fitness, yoga, or random YouTube workouts? You probably count.

Why that’s great: Beginners have the most room for quick strength gains! 💪

Progressive Overload Without the Burnout

You don’t need to keep adding more weight every week. You can build strength by:

Increasing reps with the same weight
Reducing rest time between sets
Slowing down the movement tempo
Adding volume strategically (like a bonus glute set)

Basically, there are multiple ways to apply progressive overload without wrecking your body—or your motivation.

Warm-ups, Carries, and Shoulder Health—Oh My!

He even touches on often-overlooked aspects of training like:

Dynamic warm-ups (like the World’s Greatest Stretch)
Farmer’s carries (great for core and grip strength)
Shoulder mobility and injury prevention (hello, wall alphabets!)

Why This DIY Plan Works

This wasn’t just a one-week trial. She’s been following her self-made plan for over six months, adapting it based on progress, mood, and even some occasional boredom. It’s flexible, empowering, and easy to take on the road—or just across the living room.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a fancy app or a gym membership to get strong. You just need:

✅ A plan based on movement patterns
✅ A simple 3-day schedule
✅ A basic understanding of progressive overload
✅ Permission to adjust based on your life

Strength training doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with what works, be consistent, and build from there.

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