GENERAL STRENGTH TRAINING
HowMuchisRecommended?
2–3 sessions per week on non-consecutive days
At least 48 hours of rest between working the same muscle group
8–10 exercises targeting all major muscle groups: legs, hips, arms, back, chest, shoulders, and core
WorkoutDesign
Warm Up: 5–10 minutes cardio and dynamic stretches
Strength Training: 8–10 exercises
Cool Down: 5–10 minutes light movement
Stretching/Flexibility: static stretches
1.ExerciseSelection
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Pick one to two exercises from each of these categories to target the major muscle groups.
Legs (Quads & Glutes)
Goblet squat
Back squat
Reverse lunge
Step up
Split squat
Back
Three-point row
Bent over high row
Inverted row
Reverse flye
Hips
(Hamstrings & Glutes)
Romanian deadlift
Single leg deadlift
Good morning
Glute bridge
Lateral lunge
Lat pullover Chest
Bench press Incline bench press Push-up Chest flye Alternating floor press
Shoulders
Arms (Biceps & Triceps)
Triceps dips
Bicep curl
Lying triceps extension
Overhead triceps extension
Isometric bicep hold
Overhead press
Push press
Lateral raise
Front raise
Upright row
Core
Plank
Side plank
Shoulder taps
Dead bug
Tuck-ups
2.ChooseYourOrder
Circuit Style: Perform one set of each exercise back-to-back, then repeat
Traditional Sets: Complete all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next exercise
Supersets/Tri-Sets: Alternate between 2 or 3 different exercises without resting in between sets
Ex. a set of squats followed by a set of push-ups
Avoid pairing “competing” exercises (like two back exercises) because it will tax your muscles and make it harder to perform each exercise to your full potential
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3.ChooseYourReps&Sets
Reps: number of times you do a movement in a row
Strength: 8–12 reps
Endurance: 12–20 reps
Sets: group of reps done without stopping 2–4 sets are recommended for most adults
Rest
Strength workouts: rest 2–3 minutes between sets
Endurance workouts: rest 60 seconds between sets
Recovery
48 hours of rest between same muscle groups
Sets
If you're new to strength training:
Start with 1 set of 10–15 reps per exercise
Focus on form and technique before increasing resistance
Gradually increase to 2–4 sets of 8–12 reps as strength improves
ProgressingSafely
Start with bodyweight, resistance bands, or light weight
Prioritize form before adding weight
When exercises become easy, increase weight or reps gradually (5–10% at a time)
Keep a training log to track progress
PlanningYourWeek
Depending on how many days you plan to strength train, you can customize your routine to fit your schedule . 2–3 days per week: full body workouts
3–4 days per week: upper/lower body splits (e.g., upper on Mon/Thurs, lower on Tues/Fri)
SampleWeeklyWorkoutPlan
Let’s
Monday(LowerBody)
3 sets of 10 reps
Goblet squat
Single leg deadlift
Reverse lunge
Glute bridge
Plank
Wednesday(UpperBody)
3 sets of 10 reps
Bench press
Push press
Inverted row
Lying triceps extension
Shoulder taps
Friday(FullBody)
3 sets of 10 reps
Back squat
Incline bench press
Romanian deadlift
Bent over row
Biceps curl
Deadbug