For all of the babes we train, this will mean starting off with bodyweight exercises. Our two favourite movements to introduce our first-time lifters to, are a bodyweight squat and the kettlebell deadlift. If you have a kettlebell at home then you can practice these exercises from the comfort of your own living room! From here, we will progress to a goblet squat and then gradually add weight to that movement and the kettlebell deadlift. Our goal is to develop coordination and strength before we add in a barbell, so we will generally try to work up to 20kg for each exercise, since that is the weight of a standard barbell in most gyms. You might not get to 20kg in your first few weeks, but that’s ok!
For the upper body, we like to start our babes off learning the basic push/pull patterns. This means some rowing movements or pull-down exercises (similar to a chin-up, but using a machine so you can choose how hard the exercise is) which are our pull exercises, and a dumbbell bench press, pushup, or dumbbell shoulder press for our pushing exercises.
It’s so important that we learn the correct technique first, before we add any weight or rush straight into lifting heavy weights. Strengthening our bodies is all about improving gradually over time, and this means that it doesn’t matter how strong we are when we start! You will set yourself up for success by starting slowly and learning how to perform the exercises properly. This will reduce your chances of injury, and help you get the best results possible. Remember babes, we want quality, not quantity! Check out our insta IGTV @basebodybabes or our previous blog posts here to see us demonstrate and simply explain how to perform some of our favourite exercises.
We get the best results from weight training when we take a symmetrical approach and strengthen our entire body, instead of putting all of our focus on one area. A lot of women love lower body training because… booty gains… and it burns a lot of calories, but we encourage our babes to train their upper bodies too because it is great for our posture, overall body strength, and makes our joints strong and healthy.
We recommend keeping a note of everything you do in each session, including tracking the amount of weight being lifted, as well as the amount of repetitions and sets being performed. This will give you more direction for your next session so you know exactly what you need to do next, plus it’s a great way to see how much you improve over time!
It’s amazing to see and feel our bodies changing and improving each week, but remember babes – making small improvements each week is the best way to get results in the long run. While it’s true that we need to challenge our bodies in order to get results, it’s just as important for us to pace ourselves and try not to go from 0 to 100 too quickly, because that can lead to burnout, plateaus, or even injury. If you’re tracking your training each session, it makes it easier to make sure that you add just a little bit more from week to week – whether it be an extra kilogram here and there, a few more reps, or an extra set. These improvements will add up over time, and it won’t be long before you are overtaking all of your goals!
While it’s true that you can get so far training and learning by yourself (the internet has opened up so many opportunities to learn!), sometimes it’s just easier, faster and safer to ask an expert. Knowledge is power! Of course, we are ALWAYS happy to help you babes, but it doesn’t have to be from us! Find yourself a coach who understands women’s bodies and strength training, and always prioritises your health and wellbeing above anything else.
Sending you all so much love and strength,
