Top 7 Weight Training Exercises for Beginners

Beginner-friendly weight lifting exercises can end up burning more calories, stimulating muscle growth and increasing overall strength if you add them to a bodyweight exercise routine. Instead of jumping into new year’s resolutions about losing weight, start doing it now. Here is a list of beginner-friendly weight training exercises that might kickstart your fitness journey. Keep scrolling!

To begin with the training, you can hit the gym or buy pieces of equipment according to your preference. Here is a list of the exercises you can try. However, remember to follow proper techniques and maintain proper posture to avoid any injuries.

1. One-arm Dumbbell Row

In this exercise, the muscles exercised are upper back muscles.  It is a great upper body exercise which targets your lats, traps and upper back while also involving movements of the shoulders and biceps.

2. Dumbbell Chest Press

This is another weight training exercise for beginners. This exercise is beneficial as it exercises the chest, triceps and shoulders.

3. Squat

If you are looking to grow your glutes, this weight training exercise for beginners is for you. This exercise works best for the legs and butt muscles.

However, keep in mind that safety is a must while performing this exercise as it can cause heavy injury to your lower back area. If you are new to exercise or returning to exercise, it would be best to start with only your body weight.

4. Front Lunge

Front lunge exercise primarily focuses on the legs and butt muscles.

5. Triceps Extension

As the name suggests, this is a weight training exercise for beginners which only focuses on the triceps.

6. Lat Pulldown

This exercise is recommended if you cannot perform pull-ups. It is a great starting option to build some back muscles. This pulldown exercise mainly works latissimus dorsi or lats. To perform this, you need to use a cable pulley machine which is available at most gyms. This exercise can be used to achieve a V-shaped back.

7. Deadlift

This exercise primarily focuses on your full body muscles, quadriceps, lower back, quadriceps and trapezius. The deadlift is the best weight training exercise for beginners and is an excellent way to bulk up your legs and backside. It is traditionally done with a bar and plates or a stationary barbell, but it can also be done with dumbbells. Make the deadlift a component of your strength training programmes to gain muscle and functional fitness.

Before beginning any exercise, you should remember to take certain safety precautions. If not, it can cause severe injuries to your body. Here are a few safety precautions you can take.

1. Do Not Forget to Warm Up

Cold muscles are more susceptible to injury than warm muscles. Warm up with five to ten minutes of aerobic activities or vigorous walking before lifting weights.

2. Take Your Time

Move the weight in a slow, controlled manner. Slowing down allows you to isolate the muscles on which you wish to work and avoids relying on momentum to lift the weight. Don’t forget to take a one-minute break in between exercises.

3. Do Not Go Overboard

For most people, a single set of exercises to their point of exhaustion is generally sufficient. Extra sets may contribute to overload injury and consume more time. However, the number of sets you perform will vary based on your fitness goals.

4. Do Not Ignore Pain

Stop exercising if it causes you pain. Retry the exercise in a few days, perhaps with less weight.

5. Do Not Forget to Wear Proper Shoes

Shoes with sufficient traction and protection for your feet might keep you from slipping and damaging your feet while lifting weights.

One can get a number of benefits from weight training. A few of them are given below.

1. Keeps Your Bones Strong and Healthy

Resistance training puts strain on the bone and helps it maintain its strength. Your bones, like your brain, need to be pushed in order to stay sharp.

2. Prevents Diseases

The stronger you are, the more resistant you are to disease and the lower your overall chance of death. Running is said to be healthy for your heart, brain, waistline, and mental health. That also applies to weight training.

3. Lowers Inflammation and Regulates Insulin

Strength exercise, besides preventing chronic diseases, burns off glucose, which is good news for people with Type 2 diabetes who must constantly monitor blood sugar levels. Lifting weights can even help you battle inflammation, which is linked to a variety of ailments.

Regular strength training sessions, usually twice a week, have been shown in studies to reduce inflammation in overweight women.

4. Improves Sleep, Energy Levels and Mood

Aside from the visual, physiological, and strength benefits, weight training has an impact on how we feel and think. Weight training has been shown to improve a person's sleep quality, thereby improving mood and energy levels.

5. Improves Strength and Endurance

If your legs develop stronger, you'll be able to spend more time on a walking challenge, a treadmill, or a hike. Weight training helps even the best runners enhance their running efficiency. Moreover, it also improves body balance and prevents falls and injuries related to it.

That is all for beginner-friendly weight training exercises. Understand your capabilities and endurance, and only then start with the exercises. It would be even better to consult an expert or trainer so that you can get a proper guide for doing these exercises.