Setting strength goals when starting resistance training can be challenging because without training experience to understand your capabilities, it’s hard to set SMART goals or even establish the right timeframe for your goals.
This differs from body composition goals where estimating energy intake and expenditure to quantify timeframes to achieve different outcomes is often part of the goal-setting process.
The biggest mistake you can make is picking a strength goal that utilises an exercise you shouldn’t be doing. For example, many people want to bench press 100kg at some point in the future. They know they can’t do it now, so they set a target of 6 months and aim to start with 40kg and increase by 10kg per month.
While this might work for an intermediate-level trainee, it’s not a good approach for someone starting. Simply trying to lift X plus 10kg each month looks excellent in a spreadsheet, but it often does work out in real life.
I will walk you through how I would take a new client to a 100kg bench press if that were their goal. The objective is to map the process, so don’t worry about the outcome. Benching 100kg or any particular weight might not even be on your radar. However, exercise selection, technique development and loading are important for achieving any strength goal.
Get Exercise Selection Right
Someone new to training with me will not start with a barbell bench press - we will work through a series of exercises progressions and potentially regressions until we reach the optimal barbell bench press.
The initial movement for most is a dumbbell bench press. This allows them to get familiar with the position and movement, use appropriate weight and control wrist position. Many people start with push-ups and then progress to dumbbell press, which can work well, but I see benefits to adjusting wrist position while getting comfortable with the movement.
Once the dumbbell press technique is solid and consistent for three sets of 8-10 reps at an appropriate weight (10-15kg), we transition to push-ups.
To begin with, I use incline push-ups on a box or push-ups from the knee. Previously, knee push-ups were preferred, but now I lean toward elevated push-ups because they promote tension through the core and legs, which is required for full push-ups and handy for bench presses. The aim here is three sets of anywhere from 6 to 10+ reps, depending on the individual.
I’m not expecting perfect form, but it does need to be consistent. My focus is on being in control, particularly during the eccentric phase when lowering to the ground.
Now we transition to the barbell bench press and get comfortable with the technique.
Higher Reps to Refine Technique
Doing more repetitions is the best way to engrain the technique. Most people think the only way to do more repetitions is to increase the number of repetitions per set. While this is true if the number of sets is fixed, that’s rarely the case.
Most of my clients do 4-5 sets of their key exercises each session, and they will do these exercises twice weekly. This means they get 8-10 sets across various rep schemes to improve their strength and technique.
The most overlooked aspect of strength training is that it is a skill. While it’s not a fine motor movement such as throwing a dart, there is the time required to learn how to move the weight and develop a consistent technique.
The exact sets, reps and weights rarely matter for beginners. So long as they are doing repetitions across the week at an appropriate load, they will improve.
Regarding how heavy to lift, you should have at least two reps left at the end of each set. This looks like the weight is slowing a bit, but your technique is not breaking down.
Increase Load
So the technique is solid and it’s time to start loading the bar. Now the focus switches from learning and improving the skill to training the movement with different loads. This is where most people start.
You can pick any combination of sets and reps, but my favourites are five sets of 3 or 5 reps and four sets of 6 or 8 reps. I rarely go higher or lower.
You don’t need to worry about the programming, but it might be 5 x 3/5 (session 1) and 4 x 6/8 (session 2) each week or we might alter each weekly. Altering between 3s and 5s allows heavier weights to be used. The choice between 6 and 8 doesn’t make a huge difference for beginner and intermediate-level trainees - results will come from good technique and training consistency.
My approach with weight is to adjust based on what’s feeling good. If you do 40kg for all sets in week one, start at 45kg in week two. If the first set feels easy, add more weight. Likewise, if it feels hard, reduce the weight.
This dynamic approach allows you to lift appropriate weights and progress quicker than a rigid approach. However, you must be aware of the technique and ensure the weight is moving well.
I used to be very rigid when programming weights for clients and myself. Typically it was to add 2.5kg every two to three weeks to ensure continual progression. But sometimes external factors influence your training performance, be it work, illness, stress or anything else, which can impact your training capacity.
Having rigid goals is motivating when you are ticking them off, but it can become an issue when you fall behind. A dynamic training program also takes advantage of when you are feeling good, which can expose you to heavier weights earlier than the program dictated.
The loading phase becomes a game of good technique, consistent training and progressive overload. The time it takes to reach your goal will be a product of these three factors and your starting point.
While these might seem obvious, it’s essential to maintain all three when the rapid results slow down after 6-10 weeks of initial training, which is typical for those starting.
Review
Now is a great time to review your training goals. You will understand your current strength capabilities and a clearer picture of how much progress you need to make to achieve your goals.
If the target is fixed, such as bench pressing 100kg, maybe it’s time to adjust the timeframe.
If that initial target no longer motivates you, maybe change the focus of your strength training to something else.
Everyone has different motivations for their strength training. Some people want to hit a specific weight target, while others use this training to prepare them for a fitness test or something else.
Aside from the bench press, here are five common goals I’ve helped clients work towards many times over the years. If you’re struggling to find your initial training goal, maybe one of these will help:
Do one pull up
Do a deadlift or squat with their bodyweight
Do 20 push-ups
Do a 60-second plank
Do a 50m farmers walk holding 20kg in each hand
Summary
Resistance training is an integral part of a strategy to enhance health and wellbeing, fitness or body composition. While it can be daunting to get started, the sooner you do, the quicker results will come.
Strength gains carry over to other training areas, such as improving running economy or making swimming easier. It also has health benefits independent of cardiovascular training, such as increasing bone mineral density, particularly in the upper body.
So if you’re postponing resistance training, use this guide to develop some initial goals and start the process.