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Get Stronger: strength training for beginners, at home or the gym

Six lessons built on NHS, CDC, healthdirect, National Institute on Aging and Australian guidance: what counts, how much and how hard, home or gym, a weekly plan, safe progress, and strength and balance as you get older.

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About this course

Strength training for beginners: a home and gym plan.

Starter · About 1 hour of learning · 6 lessons · 16 quick checks · 1 download

  • Who it's for

    Adults new to strength training, at home or at a gym, including older adults, in Australia, the UK, the US or elsewhere.

  • How it works

    6 guided lessons in your browser, with worked examples, exercises and a quick check after each lesson. Progress is saved in this browser only, and you can restart at any time.

  • Sources we rely on

    20 published sources, mostly regulators and official bodies, listed below so you can check the original guidance yourself.

By the end you can

  • Explain what counts as strength training and what AU, UK and US guidelines recommend
  • Use repetitions, sets and effort to judge whether a session is muscle strengthening
  • Choose a home or gym setup and pick exercises from official routines
  • Build a weekly plan with 2 strength days, all major muscle groups and recovery
  • Progress safely, know when to stop, and add balance as you get older

Downloads

  • Strength training planner .xlsxA weekly planner with a muscle-group coverage check, a session log for repetitions, sets and effort, and a questions-for-my-doctor sheet.

Rules by country

Australia
Australian 24-hour movement guidelines: muscle-strengthening on 2 or more days a week; older adults add functional (balance, mobility, coordination) activities on 3 or more days. healthdirect: seek advice from a doctor or exercise professional before starting.
United Kingdom
NHS: strength activities working all major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week; 8 to 12 repetitions a set, at least 2 sets; strength time doesn’t count towards aerobic minutes.
United States
CDC: muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days a week covering all major muscle groups; at least one set of 8 to 12 repetitions, more sets for more benefit; adults 65+ add balance.

Learning time

About 1 hour of learning. May count towards your CPD or professional development; check your professional body's rules. Estimated from reading time, exercises, quick checks and downloads.

Sources

Check the originals.

Drafted with AI assistance and run through automated quality and source checks. How these courses are made. Spotted an error or out-of-date rule? Send a correction.

General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or another qualified health professional about your situation. In an emergency call 000 (AU), 999 (UK), 911 (US/Canada) or 111 (NZ).

Publisher

Who publishes this course.

Published by trainyourself.org, a trading name of Combine TRS Pty Ltd (ABN 42 112 983 678), Brisbane, Australia.

How it's made: drafted with AI assistance from published official public-health and government guidance, then run through automated quality checks against our course depth standard and automated source checks that match each rule to its official source, listed above. The course guide is an AI presenter and is labelled as one. Read how these courses are made.

Last updated:

General information, not tax, accounting, legal or professional advice. Spotted an error or an out-of-date rule? Send us a correction.

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