A strength training plan for beginners: why getting started is easier than you think
Monday evening, 6:30 p.m. You are standing in the gym for the first time, between weight benches and cable machines, wondering: where do I even start? Thousands of people in Switzerland know this feeling – and it is no reason to turn round again. On the contrary. A well-thought-out strength training plan for beginners makes the difference between frustration and real progress. And getting started is simpler than most people suspect.
According to the Swiss Health Survey 2022 by the FSO, around 76 % of the Swiss population aged 15 and over are sufficiently active. That sounds good – until you look more closely. Because a considerable share do not meet the specific recommendations for muscle-strengthening activities. Hiking, cycling, swimming: yes. But targeted strength training? That remains a blind spot for many.
Yet both the WHO and the FOPH recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week. Not as a nice extra – as a firm part of a healthy lifestyle.
Whole-body training or a split – what works for beginners?
What many people underestimate: to start with you need no complicated split plan with five different training days. Quite the opposite. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends beginners 2–3 strength training sessions a week with 1–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions per exercise for the large muscle groups. That is doable, even with a full diary.
A whole-body plan has one decisive advantage: you train every muscle group several times a week. And that is exactly what brings results. A meta-analysis by Schoenfeld et al. (2016, Journal of Sports Sciences) showed that training each muscle group at least twice a week brings significantly more muscle growth than once a week.
A simple whole-body plan could look like this:
- Squats – the basis for leg and core strength, effective with your own body weight too
- Bench presses or press-ups – trains chest, shoulders and triceps in one movement
- Dumbbell rows – strengthens the upper back and balances out all the sitting in everyday life
- Planks – short, intensive, ideal for core stability
Three sets per exercise. Two to three times a week. That is enough to start with.
The role of nutrition – and where most people fail
The real problem is frequently not the training itself, but what lands on the plate afterwards. Or does not land there.
The EFSA recommends a daily protein intake for adults of at least 0.83 g per kg of body weight. According to the scientific literature, anyone doing strength training regularly benefits from 1.2–2.0 g/kg of body weight. For a person weighing 70 kg that means at least 84 g of protein a day – and with physical activity rather 100 g or more.
The Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE) also stresses the importance of a balanced nutrient supply with enough protein, carbohydrates and micronutrients for physically active people. And this is exactly where a gap shows: according to the 1st Swiss Nutrition Bulletin (FOPH/FSVO), certain population groups – among them people new to sport – tend to consume too little protein while eating too much saturated fat and sugar.
A high-protein breakfast can make a real difference here. Anyone who drinks only a coffee in the morning and reaches for quick pasta at midday will barely make progress in training. Practical additions such as the Herbalife Protein Drink Mix can be built into everyday life without fuss and provide an extra portion of protein from whey and casein – especially on days when a complete meal is hard to plan.
Recovery: the underestimated success factor
Muscles do not grow during training. They grow in the recovery phase afterwards.
Beginners often make the mistake of training too often, because motivation is high at the start. But without enough recovery, progress stagnates – or worse, the risk of injury rises. Plan at least 48 hours' rest for the same muscle group between strength training sessions. Sleep, fluid intake and the right nutrient supply after training play a central role.
Straight after an intensive training session, Herbalife H24 Rebuild Strength can support the recovery phase – with casein protein, L-glutamine and iron, matched specifically to your needs after sport. And if you would like to stay hydrated during training, CR7 Drive Acai Berry is an isotonic sports drink that provides carbohydrates and electrolytes for physical exertion.
Your plan for the first 8 weeks – step by step
In the first weeks, concentrate not on heavy weights but on clean technique. What works in practice:
- Weeks 1–3: Two whole-body sessions a week, light weights, focus on technique and range of movement
- Weeks 4–6: Three sessions a week, slow increases in weight, 2–3 sets per exercise
- Weeks 7–8: Build in variation – new exercises, slightly higher intensity, consciously registering your first progress
Keep a training log. Note the weights, repetitions and how you feel doing them. This small amount of data shows you progress that the mirror does not yet reveal.
Anyone who would also like to adjust their eating habits consciously alongside strength training creates the best conditions for lasting change. Because a good strength training plan for beginners always covers both: exercise and what you give your body in nutrients.
Do not start perfectly – just start. The best routine is the one you actually keep up. And if you are looking for support with your nutrition: discover our products on myherbal.ch and find the right addition for your new training routine.