Fitness: Strength Training Exercises

  • Young men's version of this guide

girl lifting weights

Strength training can get a bad rap, especially for people who are worried about becoming “too muscular”. They avoid strength training altogether, but what a lot of people don’t realize is how important it is because of all the benefits. Strength training can improve your metabolism (the way your body uses energy from food), reduce the risk of future osteoporosis (weak bones), and help the body release stress. Try the workouts below for your upper, middle (core), and lower body!

Helpful Tips:

  • While doing these exercises, focus on your breathing (deep inhales and exhales)
  • Check out the My Muscles guide as a reference for what muscles you are working.

 

Workout 1: Lower Body

How to: Start with the first exercise on this list. Perform the exercise 8-12 times (if you are a beginner, aim to complete 5 repetitions of the exercise). Once you finish, move on to the next exercise, until you finish all 6 exercises. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions with good form.

 

Workout 2: Upper Body

How to: Start with the first exercise on this list. Perform the exercise 8-12 times (if you are a beginner, aim to complete 5 repetitions of the exercise). Once you finish, move on to the next exercise, until you finish all 6 exercises. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions with good form.

 

Workout 3: Core (Middle body)

How to: Start with the first exercise on this list. Perform the exercise 10-15 times OR hold the position for 20-30 seconds. Once you finish, move on to the next exercise, until you finish all 6 exercises.  Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions with good form.