Example of a Strength Training Routine for a Beginner (or someone who is coming back from a long layoff) If you are just getting started, I highly recommend finding a qualified personal trainer first. A trainer can not only help you to determine a realistic goal but can also make certain that you have good form while doing the exercises. I have seen countless people at the gym using bad form or posture which will only slow down progress and possibly lead to an injury. Here is a link to (my husband) Coach Carvey's injuries page with tips on how to deal with muscle strains and pains. The purpose of these two personal training workouts, level one and level two, is to condition your body first. You can then progress to a higher level of training and start to make visible changes to your body. Begin with an overall warm up either by moving around and stretching or getting on a treadmill for a slow to medium walk. If you want to see an example of a light stretching routine that you can do before or after your workouts go to my stretching page. Choose an exercise for each major muscle group. Chest Back Shoulders Bicep Tricep Legs Abs Start with a very light weight. One in which you can perform the exercise for 12 repetitions.Take a short break between each set to stretch and rest the muscle. For your second set you will lift a slightly heavier weight for 10-12 repetitions. Rest and stretch. You will progress to three sets after you have performed this two set routine for at least three workout sessions. Muscles need to rest in order to grow and respond. So make sure that you give your body a rest in between workouts. never exercise the same muscle group two days in a row.