As we consider what 2026 might bring, you may have already been thinking about some fitness goals and health-focused resolutions for the year ahead.<\/p>\n
Building strength could be high on your list, but new research conducted by British consultancy Censuswide on behalf of British healthcare charity Nuffield Health suggests that many people are still unsure how to get started.<\/p>\n
The survey of 2,000 British adults revealed that although 28% of respondents said strength training was their favourite type of workout, 26% said they don\u2019t feel\/wouldn\u2019t feel confident using gym equipment, while 34% admitted they feel embarrassed when using it.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re eager to experience the benefits of strength training this year but aren\u2019t sure where to begin, Nuffield Health personal training lead Sam Quinn is here to help.<\/p>\n
Here are his top tips to help make 2026 the year you start strength training, and maintain consistency and progress along the way.<\/p>\n
Start with bodyweight exercises<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are starting out as a complete novice, you don\u2019t even necessarily need a gym membership,\u201d says Quinn.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirstly, try some bodyweight exercises \u2013 such as squats, core exercises, single leg exercises like lunges or lateral lunges, or press-ups \u2013 as these are all going to help begin to build fundamental physical strength.\u201d<\/p>\n
Set short, medium and long-term goals<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving short, medium and long-term goals will help you stay consistent throughout the whole year,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might have a long-term goal of deadlifting 100kg, but your short-term goal is that you\u2019re going to make sure that you\u2019re going to get to the gym twice a week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen a medium-term goal could be that you\u2019re going to work towards a holiday in April, and then will allow yourself to have a rest before going again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Add some resistance<\/p>\n
\u201dIf you have a gym membership, utilise some of the fixed resistance machines there, or just add on some resistance bands to start with,\u201d recommends Quinn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen as you become more advanced, move onto the more conventional power lifting-based exercises such as squats, deadlift and bench press.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t do too much too soon<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the biggest thing that beginners often get wrong is trying to lift too heavy a weight too soon,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cLifting a really heavy weight with poor technique is going to lead to risk of injury, so gradually increasing the weight over time and focusing on technique is key.\u201d<\/p>\n
Have rest days<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t have rest and recovery days, you are going to experience cognitive and physical fatigue, or you might pick up an injury and won\u2019t be able to achieve your goal,\u201d says Quinn.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, it\u2019s important to structure your training appropriately and to factor in appropriate rest days, so you let yourself recover properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
ALSO READ:\u00a0When working out, recovery is just as important as the exercise itself<\/a><\/p>\n Keep your training fun and varied<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to have variety within your training,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep it varied by training with friends and by trying out different classes, because sticking to a squat, a deadlift and a bench press, for example, will get boring quite quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n