Ah, weight training. We all know we should be doing it, but how often are you really lifting weights or squatting with a resistance band? According to new ClassPass stats, 60% of the app's users now include strength training in their routines, making it the most popular workout of 2023. That said, it's key to know where to look for the best strength training workouts (some shared by influencers online can be, ahem, questionable).
Ever wondered, what is strength training? Also known as weight or resistance training, it describes a workout that makes your muscles contract as a result of outside resistance, which can come in the form of bodyweight, resistance bands, or weights. Whether you're keen to opt for strength training at home or in-gym weightlifting, strength training is a core tenant of any fitness routine - so much so, that the NHS actually recommends strength training for a minimum of two sessions a week.
Keen to give it a go but want to make sure you're opting for the workouts that are actually a good use of your time? You're in the right place. I'm a Health and Fitness Editor who writes about strength training almost every single day, but I’m also a qualified fitness instructor who teaches people how to safely and effectively lift weights and grow more confident with strength training.
My main aim is to make sure that you avoid the workouts from influencers or YouTubers who don't have the right qualifications - a lot of information and videos out there that are wrong, especially when it comes to content about growing muscle and strength.
Ready to get stuck in? Keep scrolling - and don't forget to check out our strength training for beginners guide if you're new to the workout, plus find out everything you need to know about low-impact strength training if you're injured, pregnant or want a less intense workout.
Best strength training workouts: your expert-led guide
What is strength training?
While we've covered it briefly above, there’s not exactly a simple answer here. You see, strength training is technically any form of workout that helps you build strength.
You can do that in a number of ways - by using your body against resistance (think a resistance band) and putting your muscles under tension (think bodyweight moves or weighted workouts).
What's the best way to strength train?
There are a lot of "rules" online about the best way to strength train - for instance, some people believe that you have to lift very heavy weights for one to five reps to effectively build strength. While that is true, it’s also true that high rep exercises with smaller weights will make you stronger too.
Take it from me - the best way to strength train is to progressively overload. This means continuously lifting more as your fitness progresses. Regardless of whether you lift 5kg for 20 reps or 50kg for one rep, you need to progress that movement - an example would be lifting 6kg for 20 reps or 50kg for two reps the next week or month.
MC UK Senior Health Editor Ally Head has been strength training every other day for months now and working on progressively overloading her muscles. Her take? "I love seeing my strength grow week on week, even if it's only a few more reps or seconds in a particular hold," she shares.
What are the benefits of strength training?
Strength training has so many benefits, but some of the most important are:
1. Builds muscle strength
The clue is in the name with this one, but it’s important not to overlook the fact that strength training builds stronger muscles. That means you can lift more, move more and protect yourself from injury while in the gym or playing sports, but also in everyday life. You’ll notice you struggle less when up against lifting your suitcase into an overhead locker or picking up your child.
2. Builds bone strength
Stats show that osteoporosis impacts 50% of women over 50, and strength training is the most effective way to ward that off and protect yourself from brittle and broken bones. A 2022 paper reported that postmenopausal women increased their bone mineral density after following a 12-week strength training programme. That’s vital to maintaining quality of life and independence as we age, too.
3. Builds muscle size
Hypertrophy means growing the size of a muscle. While it’s similar to building the strength of a muscle, building more muscle improves your lean mass which studies have proven to be associated with reduced insulin resistance, better glucose control, improved metabolism, better cardiovascular health and even improved mental health.
4. Improved mental health
Coming up against resistance in the gym can help you when you’re up against mental and emotional battles in the real world too. Strength training can build a sense of resilience: it takes focus and self-belief to lift heavy weights, lessons which can translate to other areas of your life.
The endorphins you get from moving can also help reduce anxiety and depression: a 2018 paper published in JAMA that reviewed 33 clinical trials reported that resistance exercise training was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms, regardless of how long, intensely and often people trained.
10 best strength training workouts to try
Ready to give strength training a try? Here are some of my favourite workouts - including follow-along videos you can play at home (or in a hotel) and step-by-step workouts that you can write down and take to the gym.
1. Full body strength workout by Esmee Gummer
What? A full body workout with weights that you can adapt to bodyweight if you need to.
Why? I went back to this workout by PT Esmee Gummer time and time again during lockdown - it's high intensity, which is good for a short workout, and her energy is infectious.
2. Low-impact workout by Shona Vertue
What? A low-impact workout that uses a short resistance band and chair to help beginners and those returning to exercise build strength.
Why? Shona is a brilliant teacher and her focus is on functional strength that will help you avoid pain - something we all need more of.
3. Lower-body strength workout by Whitney Simmons
What? A glute-focused lower back workout you can save and take to the gym with you.
Why? Consisting of just four simple exercises, this workout is simple but very effective, using compound moves that target multiple muscles and allow you to lift heavy to challenge your body.
4. Strength circuit by Alice Liveing
What? A live workout from PT-extraordinaire that you can follow along with from home.
Why? It's a fun, effective workout that will target every muscle group while working on mobility and stability.
5. Full body strength with Growingannanas
What? A 30-minute strength workout using two dumbbells that you can do anywhere.
Why? There's no chat - just a PT demonstrating moves like deadlifts and side planks that will build a strong body.
6. 30-minute gym workout by Krissy Cela
What? A super speedy gym session you can take to your workout. Perform 10 reps of all the moves back-to-back and repeat the circuit three times.
Why? It's packed full of compound exercises that will build strength and muscle - simple.
7. Dumbbell workout by Fit Doc Folu
What? A dumbbell-only workout you can do in the gym, from home or anywhere else you can get your hands on a weight.
Why? Sometimes we only have access to limited kit (looking at you, gym rush hour) so it's good to have dumbbell-only exercises in your back pocket.
8. Pilates strength workout by Alexa Idama
What? A workout that combines two of the best strength-building techniques: Pilates and weight training.
Why? If you prefer your stretching to your strengthening, then this is a good intro into the world of building muscles using dumbbells.
9. No equipment upper body and abs by Shaina Fata
What? A no-equipment upper-body builder.
Why? Your upper-body strength is so important for overall health, fitness and functioning, and having no kit is absolutely not a reason to skip it.
10. 20-minute dumbbell workout with Joe Wicks
What? The king of home workouts, Joe Wicks, takes you through a strength-focused workout.
Why? The focus is on building controlled strength with resistance, rather than getting the heart rate up, but still features Joe's signature charm and motivation.
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Is 30 minutes of strength training a day enough?
This will totally depend on your current fitness levels, goals, and lifestyle. Current NHS guidelines advise you to aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, five days a week, as well as two separate strength training workouts.
The personal trainers we spoke to for this piece all confirmed that thirty minutes is more than enough time to work your muscles and boost your strength.
