Strength Training:
a stronger you

Strength Training: The Basics

The weights are waiting, and you’re ready. Whether you want to get stronger, build muscle, or simply feel better in your body, strength training is your game plan. On this page, you’ll discover everything: how to get started, what to watch out for, and what really works. This way, you can start off strong.

Strength Training: What is it exactly?

More strength, more muscle, more results. Strength training means working your muscles using weights or resistance to get stronger, build muscle mass, or improve muscular endurance. By challenging your muscles beyond their normal workload, you force your body to adapt. In other words, your body steps up and builds muscle tissue.

Why Strength Training? Here are the Benefits

Strength training might sound like it’s for gym diehards, but it’s beneficial for everyone. Whether you want to feel stronger, fitter, or live a healthier life, strength training is essential. And it goes beyond just a toned body. Here’s what you gain:

Boosts your mental and physical well-being (1)
Makes everyday tasks easier to perform
A fit body can help boost your self-confidence
Improves brain function (2)
Strengthens bones by increasing bone density (3)
Better for your heart and blood vessels – lowers blood pressure and improves cholesterol
Reduces the risk of mortality from diseases like cancer and cardiovascular conditions (4)
Increases muscle size and strength
Builds more muscular endurance
Burns calories and fat – both during and after your workout (5, 6)
Enhances your athletic performance – even in other sports
Improves posture

In short, strength training is more than just building muscles – it elevates your entire body and life to the next level. Time to pick up those weights and crush it!

The 7 Golden Rules of Strength Training

Strength training is more than just lifting weights. If you want real results, it’s essential to understand the basic principles of strength sports. Keep these 7 rules in mind to get the most out of every workout – efficiently, effectively, and totally on point.

1. Adaptation

Your body adapts to the stimuli it receives. This means that if you give your muscles a greater challenge (like a 5kg dumbbell), they’ll grow stronger to meet it. What once felt heavy will eventually feel easy. That’s adaptation – the key to progress.

2. Consistency

This is what it’s all about. Without consistency, nothing happens. Your muscles adapt only if you keep challenging them regularly. Stop training, and your strength and muscle mass will diminish. In other words: stay committed and keep training, because progress comes with repetition.

3. Progressive Overload

Building muscle strength and mass doesn’t happen by staying stagnant. You need to push your muscles a little harder each time. This is called progressive overload – a heavier stimulus is required to keep challenging your body. How? Simple:

Increase the weight
Do more repetitions with the same weight

4. Diminishing Returns

The initial gains come quickly. At the start, you’ll see fast results – you get stronger, leaner, fitter. But the longer you train, the slower your progress will become. This is normal. The solution? Keep surprising your muscles. Vary your exercises, add new challenges, and push your limits.

5. Specificity

Your body improves at exactly what you train. Want stronger legs? Do squats. Want to train your arms? Grab those bicep curls. Strength training is targeted – it enhances the performance of specific muscle groups based on the exercises you do. Use this wisely when creating your workout plan.

6. Individuality

What works for one person might not work for you. Every body responds differently to strength training. There’s no perfect plan, because everyone has a unique build, goals, and recovery capacity. Experiment with different plans, listen to your body, and find what works best for you.

7. Supercompensation

Rest is just as important as training. Your muscles need time to recover after a workout – usually between 48 and 72 hours. During this rest period, the magic happens: your body not only recovers but becomes stronger than before. This is called supercompensation. By alternating training and rest strategically, you’ll maximize your results.

These 7 rules form the foundation of any successful strength training program. Follow them, stay consistent, and watch your body transform – stronger, fitter, and ready for even more better days.

Getting Started with Strength Training: Everything You Need to Know

Set Your Training Goals

Without a clear goal, you’re training aimlessly – and you don’t want that. Strength training is all about focus, and it starts with your objectives. There are four main directions to choose from:

Muscle mass: Building bigger muscles.
Muscle strength: Getting stronger.
Muscle endurance: Performing longer with less effort.
Weight loss: Effectively burning fat and toning your body.

Your approach depends entirely on your goal. For muscle mass and strength, you’ll work with heavier weights and fewer repetitions. Want to improve endurance? Focus on more repetitions with lighter weights. Simple but effective.

Good Technique Is Priority #1

We get it: you want to dive in and see results immediately. But as a beginner, one thing is more important than anything else: your technique. Without proper form during your exercises, everything goes wrong – you’ll use the wrong muscles, miss out on the full benefits of your workout, and increase your risk of injury.

Our tip? Take the time to perfect your technique. Watch instructional videos online or ask a trainer at the gym to check your form. This is the foundation of everything.

How Long Should You Train?

The ideal workout lasts between 45 and 60 minutes and should never exceed 90 minutes. Why? After 45 minutes, your body starts producing cortisol – the stress hormone that breaks down muscle tissue. And that’s the last thing you want. The longer you push, the higher your cortisol levels, and the worse your recovery.

Keep your workouts short and intense. Your muscles will thank you.

Reps and Sets: What’s the Deal?

In the world of strength training, everything revolves around reps and sets. It might sound complicated, but it’s quite simple:

Reps (repetitions): The number of times you perform an exercise consecutively, without a break.
Set: A series of reps. After a set, you take a short rest before starting again.

The heavier the weight, the fewer repetitions you’ll likely manage. But what’s a good guideline? There’s no magic number that works for everyone, but every rep range has its benefits, depending on your goals. As a beginner, 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps is a solid and safe foundation. This helps you build strength and technique without overloading your muscles.

How Often Should You Train?

How often you hit the gym depends on your goals:

Muscle maintenance: Train at least twice a week.
Muscle growth: Train at least three times a week, spread out over the week.

More training is fine, but don’t forget that rest is just as important as your workouts.

An Optimal Training Plan

A training plan is a must, especially for beginners. With a plan, you’ll know exactly which exercises to do and when, prevent undertraining or overtraining your muscles, and easily track your progress.

Plan your workouts so that each muscle group gets enough attention and rest. This prevents injuries and ensures your muscles grow stronger instead of overworked. If this information feels overwhelming, consult a (personal) trainer.

In Short: With a clear goal, a solid plan, and the right technique, you’re ready to make those weights cry.

Strength Training and Nutrition

Your training plan is on point, your recovery moments are scheduled. Ready, set, go? Not quite. Nutrition is the third pillar of progress in strength training. Without the right nutrients to help your muscles recover and grow stronger (supercompensation), all your hard work and recovery moments end up feeling a bit like half measures.

Your New Best Friend: Protein

Strength training and protein are an inseparable duo. Proteins, also known as proteïns, are made up of amino acids – the building blocks of your muscles. They are essential for muscle recovery and growth.

Your body doesn’t produce everything on its own. There are 9 essential amino acids that you need to get through your diet because your body can’t make them. The more you train, the greater your need for protein to rebuild your muscles. This is where a protein shake comes in handy: easy, quick, and exactly what your muscles need.

But Don’t Forget the Rest

Protein is important, but it’s not the whole story. Living solely on protein shakes and processed foods loaded with sugar and trans fats is a recipe for disaster. A balanced diet – with the right mix of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals – makes all the difference. That’s how you elevate your performance and support your health.

Our Favorite Recipes for Strength Trainers

Dry chicken breast, rice, and broccoli seven days a week? No thanks. Healthy, protein-rich meals can be surprisingly delicious and varied. Check out our selection of protein-packed recipes and get inspired. We’ve already taken care of the macros and micros, so you can just enjoy.