How long until I see results?

Most beginners get noticeably stronger in the first few weeks, much of it from learning the movements. Visible changes in muscle and body composition take a few months of steady training and eating.

How often should a beginner lift?

Two or three full-body sessions a week, on non-consecutive days.

Should I use machines or free weights?

Both work. Free weights teach you to control the weight and build the lifts you'll use for years. Machines are useful for extra work and while you learn a movement.

Am I too old to start?

No. Strength training helps at any age. Start lighter, add weight steadily, and have a coach check your form if you're unsure.

How to start strength training.

Your first month: which lifts to learn, a simple three-day plan, how to add weight, and what to skip.

Broward Strength & Performance · October 19, 2026 · 6 min read

Starting is the hardest part. The good news is that a beginner's plan doesn't need to be complicated. A handful of big lifts, done two or three times a week with a little more weight over time, gets almost everyone stronger fast.

Learn these lifts

Squat: the base for your legs and hips. Start with a goblet squat if the barbell feels awkward.
Deadlift: picking a weight up off the floor, for your whole back side. Start with a trap bar or a light barbell.
Bench press or push-ups: the main upper-body push.
Overhead press: pressing a barbell or dumbbells from your shoulders to overhead.
Rows and pull-downs: the pulling that balances out all the pushing.
Carries: walking with heavy dumbbells or handles. Simple, and great for grip and core.

A simple three-day plan

Train three non-consecutive days, like Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Alternate two workouts: A, B, A one week, then B, A, B the next. Warm up for 5–10 minutes first, then do a few light sets of each lift before your working sets.

Workout A: squat 3×8, bench press 3×8, row 3×10, farmers carry 3 trips
Workout B: deadlift 3×5, overhead press 3×8, pull-down 3×10, plank 3×30 seconds

Rest 2–3 minutes between sets of the big lifts and about a minute on the rest. End each set with one or two good reps left in the tank.

How to add weight

Pick starting weights that feel easy, almost too easy. Each session, add a little: about 5 lb to the squat and deadlift and 2.5–5 lb to the bench and press, as long as every rep looks like the first one. When a lift stalls two sessions in a row, stay at that weight until it moves, or drop back about 10% and build up again.

Mistakes to skip

Going too heavy too soon. Form first, weight second.
Changing programs every week. Stick with one plan for at least a month.
Skipping the warm-up sets.
Training to failure on every set. Leave a rep or two in the tank.
Ignoring sleep and protein. That's where the progress actually happens.

When to get a coach

If you're not sure your form is right, if something hurts, or if you'd rather not guess, a few sessions with a coach saves months of trial and error. A coach sets up each lift with you, picks your weights and writes your next steps.

At Broward Strength in Davie, one-on-one sessions are 5 for $400 ($80 each), and coaching with a custom plan in the Training Portal app is $100 a month, in the gym or online.