TrainingQuick answer5 min read
Quick start to training
The short answers to the six questions every beginner asks, in one page.
Training · 20 pages
Training and programming
How to put a week of training together: how often to train, how much to do, and how to make it harder over time.
Also covers Recovery.
Start here
If you read one thing first
Part 1
The four decisions that shape a week
How often, how much, how hard, and how it gets harder over time.
TrainingGuide7 min read
How many days a week should you train as a beginner?
The training frequency that builds strength without burning you out.
TrainingGuide
Sets, reps and how much weight to actually lift
How many sets, which rep ranges, how hard to push and when to add load.
TrainingGuide7 min readAll levels
What is progressive overload and how do you apply it?
The principle behind every strength and muscle gain you'll make.
Part 2
Putting it into a programme
Structures you can actually run, and how to pick between them.
TrainingGuide8 min readAll levels
Which workout split should you choose as a beginner?
How full body, upper/lower and push-pull-legs compare for beginners.
TrainingProgramme
A beginner gym workout plan that actually fits your week
Three full-body sessions a week with sets, reps, rest and when to add weight.
Part 3
Specific questions
Narrower answers that sit under the foundations above.
TrainingQuick answer5 min read
How long should a workout be?
What really decides session length, and how to train well in 30 minutes.
TrainingGuide7 min readAll levels
Free weights or machines: what beginners should know
How dumbbells, barbells and machines compare, and how to mix them.
TrainingGuide7 min read
How rest days and recovery actually work for beginners
Why rest days, sleep and soreness matter as much as the workout itself.
Work it out
Tools for this subject
Everything else in this section
11 more pages
Not featured above, and just as complete.
Starting the gym for the first time, step by step
A practical first-month plan for anyone who has never trained before.
TrainingGuide8 min read
Feeling less intimidated by the gym
Practical ways through gym self-consciousness, no diagnosis, just tactics.
TrainingGuide7 min read
Gym machines worth learning first
The core machines beginners should learn first, with setup steps for each.
TrainingGuide8 min read
A short warm-up to do before lifting
A quick, repeatable warm-up to do before every weights session.
TrainingGuide6 min read
A beginner dumbbell workout plan you can run with one pair of weights
A full-body dumbbell plan for beginners with sets, reps and progression built in.
TrainingProgramme8 min read
A no-equipment home workout plan for beginners
A full bodyweight routine you can run at home with nothing more than floor space.
TrainingProgramme7 min read
How to track your progress and measurements properly
What to measure, how often, and how to read the trend rather than day-to-day noise.
TrainingGuide7 min read
Push pull legs for beginners
How the PPL split works, a full routine, and when full-body training suits you better.
TrainingGuide8 min readAll levels
Your first day gym workout, exercise by exercise
Six exercises, the sets and reps, and what to do when you walk in.
TrainingGuide7 min read
A diet and exercise plan for your first month
The training week and the eating targets that go with it, in one plan.
TrainingProgramme8 min read
Your first gym session, step by step
What to take, what to do in the first ten minutes, and how to finish.
TrainingGuide
Subjects this section covers
- training frequency
- volume
- intensity and proximity to failure
- progressive overload
- programme structure and splits
- exercise selection
- warm-ups
- session length
- technique