Bodybuilding Legend Shares 3 Simple Tricks to Build Strength Fast for Beginner Lifters
Starting out in the gym can feel completely overwhelming. Walking in for the first time, surrounded by countless machines and people performing all sorts of exercises, it’s easy to feel consumed by imposter syndrome. It's a universal experience for anyone beginning their lifting journey, but there’s no need to feel hopeless. Even the most shredded athletes started as beginner lifters at some point.
Retired bodybuilder and six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates recently appeared on the Huberman Lab podcast. Yates, known for his dominant physique and low-volume training style, emphasized that for beginners, the biggest priority should be learning to perform exercises correctly. Understanding the mechanics of each exercise, what each muscle does, how it contracts, and how the body moves, builds the foundation for progress over time.
For beginners, patience and consistency should be the focus over intensity. Rather than grabbing the heaviest weights or pushing to the point of exhaustion, start light and focus on form. Once you understand how to properly perform each exercise and your body adapts to the stimulus, you can safely increase intensity and load.
Related: 6x Mr. Olympia Shares a Training Rule That Could Save You Hours in the Gym Every Week
3 Tricks to Build Strength for Beginner Lifters
Learn the Mechanics of Exercises
Oftentimes, people start lifting without having an understanding of the mechanics and purpose of popular exercises, like bench presses, bicep curls, and lat pulldowns. Understanding what each muscle does improves mind-muscle connection, all while allowing you to perform movements safely. Knowing how your muscles work can also translate to daily life, making tasks like carrying groceries, reaching for objects, or even standing and bending more efficient.
"What do the pecs do? Bring your arms down and across the body. What do your lats do? They bring your upper arm down and back," Yates says. "You'll be amazed, many people, even some pro bodybuilders, don’t know why they're doing what they’re doing."
Start With Lighter Weights
We get it, your ego doesn't want you to grab the lighter weights. But this is an important component of learning the proper movement patterns of foundational exercises. The goal is to feel your muscles contracting and practice perfect form. Then, maintain that form as the set goes on and the exercise feels harder.
"I'll get them to do light sets very perfect[ly]," Yates says. "Do you feel that? Do you feel how it contracts with your lats when you squeeze."
Train Three Days a Week
Training three times per week is often enough to start seeing progress for beginner lifters. For example, you might split your sessions with a leg day, chest and back day, and shoulders and arms day.
Yates, known for his Blood & Guts training style, popularized a low-volume, high-intensity approach, focusing on quality over quantity. He's constantly proven that even a few well-structured sessions per week can produce strong results while giving your body enough time to recover and adapt.