Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth

Episode 2765 – How to Start with Strength Training as a Beginner

Hosts: Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews, Doug Egge
Date: January 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this actionable and myth-busting episode, the Mind Pump team cuts through the confusion surrounding how beginners should approach strength training. Drawing on decades of fitness industry experience, the hosts explain the science-backed benefits of resistance training, the evolving public and medical perspective, and provide concrete guidance on how to start—without burning out or getting caught in quick-result traps. Their tone is straightforward, motivating, and unapologetically honest, aiming to empower anyone new (or returning) to the gym with practical steps and realistic expectations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Rise of Strength Training and Shifting Fitness Trends

• Longevity & Health Benefits:

  • Strength training isn’t just about aesthetics; research now shows it’s one of the most effective ways to improve longevity, lower disease risk, and maintain independence in later life. (03:32)
  • Sal: “If you want to live a long time and you want to be healthy for a long time, strength train.”

• Growing Medical Support:

  • Doctors like Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and mainstream medicine are increasingly recommending resistance training for long-term health.
  • Sal: “We now have the medical community promoting [strength training]. All the data is coming back showing that if you want to improve your longevity ... strength training is at the top.” (04:13)

• Distinction: “Using Weights” vs. “Actual Strength Training”

  • Many group classes use weights, but their circuit style mimics cardio, not true strength training.
  • True strength training focuses on building muscle and strength with straight sets and rest, not on endurance. (04:36)

Ozempic, Weight Loss Drugs, and the Importance of Muscle

• Ozempic’s Side Effects on Muscle Loss:

  • As GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic become more popular, so does the risk of significant muscle loss due to suppressed appetite and reduced calorie intake.
  • Sal: “Some of the studies … [show] 40% of the weight is muscle.” (07:08)

• Why Muscle Matters:

  • Loss of muscle undermines metabolism and longevity.
  • Sal: “Muscle is a longevity tissue, it’s a longevity organ.” (07:37)

• Doctors Now Recommend Strength Training for Ozempic Users:

  • Strength training is crucial to maintain muscle while on appetite-suppressing drugs. (08:11)

How Much Strength Training Is Enough? (And How Little Is Actually Needed)

• Don’t Overcommit:

  • Beginners (especially in January) tend to do too much too soon, leading to burnout and failure to sustain routines. (09:58)
  • Adam: “People often overcommit themselves to a plan that sets them up for failure.” (10:06)

• “Less Is More” Principle:

  • Two days per week of proper strength training yields 80% of all possible results; three days per week approaches 90%.
  • Sal: “Two days a week of strength training will get you 80% of all the results you can ever expect from strength training.” (11:37)

• Progress is Individual:

  • Adding more days doesn’t mean faster results; the body needs time to recover and adapt. (12:55)

• Muscle Soreness & Adaptation:

  • After time off (even for experienced lifters), expect much lower workloads to be tiring at first—progress is rapid with consistency.
  • Adam shares: “Three sets of 135 [lbs] and my hamstrings are sore for like three days ... even allowing yourself to progress up to those two full hour workouts is more ideal for people.” (13:35)

Warm-up & Priming for Effective, Safe Lifting

• Warm-up vs. Priming:

  • Priming is a more targeted approach than just loosely “getting warm”—it prepares joints and muscle firing patterns for quality movement and fewer injuries. (15:18)
  • Sal: “Priming is very specific. Priming gets my body to move in the right way so that when I do my strength training, my joints are moving optimally.” (15:19)

• Practical Priming Tips:

  • Wall Press for upper body and 90/90 for lower body are great general priming drills.
  • Adam: “If you were to give out two generic type of movements … those are two for sure.” (18:13)

Stability Ball: An Underrated Beginner’s Tool

• Benefits:

  • Forces better posture, core activation, and technique compared to traditional benches (especially for those new to training). (19:06)
  • Sal: “If you don’t have good posture and activation, you’ll fall off the ball … It just encourages better technique.” (19:07)

• Misunderstood but Useful:

  • While sometimes overused (e.g., standing on balls for circus tricks), as a bench replacement for dumbbell work, they’re highly effective for beginners. (20:19)

Tracking Progress: Strength Over the Scale

• Focus on Getting Stronger:

  • Increase in strength is the primary signal that your program is working. Physical changes lag behind strength gains—but will follow. (21:21)
  • Sal: “If you’re getting stronger, if you could lift more or do more reps, you are moving in the right direction and the visible effects of that will follow.” (22:12)

• Don’t Get Stuck on Rep Counts:

  • Too many people stay with the same (often too-light) weight because they’re fixated on a rep number from the program.
  • Adam: “Giving them the permission … it’s OK if you only get nine reps. Yes, it’s okay. Challenge yourself.” (23:41)

Daily Movement: Why Steps Matter

• Structured Strength Training is Not Every Day—But Movement Should Be:

  • Aim for 8,000 steps a day for general health.
  • Sal: “Just make sure you take 8,000 steps a day. The data shows 8,000 steps is where you’ll get most of the benefits you’ll get from movement.” (24:23)

• Cumulative Calorie Burn:

  • Day-to-day activity impacts calorie burn more than single gym sessions. (26:58)

• Coaching to Steps:

  • Tracking and gradually increasing steps is an easy, sustainable way to improve health and affect body composition, especially for those new to structured workouts. (27:40)

Fat Loss: Why Strength Training Beats Cardio Alone

• The Metabolic “Snowball” Effect:

  • Building muscle with strength training bumps up your metabolic rate, so fat loss eventually accelerates (as opposed to cardio-plus-dieting, which can hit “plateau hell”).
  • Sal: “Fat loss with strength training starts off slower but has a snowball effect … you end up in a place where you’re not working out a ton … and you’re just getting leaner and leaner.” (28:22)

• Motivation and Expectation Pitfall:

  • Many quit when the scale doesn’t budge immediately, not realizing they’re likely trading fat for lean muscle with no net weight change—but significant compositional improvement. (30:04)
  • Adam: “The next big hurdle you’ll have on this journey is … you could be doing all the right things … and the scale stays the same, yet you’re moving as fast towards your goal as you possibly can.” (30:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sal:

  • “Strength training is a bit complicated. We’re going to break it down so you can do it the right way and get the best results.” (01:32)
  • “Traditional strength training is gaining a lot of popularity … We now have the medical community promoting it.” (04:14)
  • “More than the right amount [of training] gets you worse results … your body’s going to spend more time healing than it will adapting.” (11:13)
  • “If you’re getting stronger … you are moving in the right direction and the visible effects of that will follow.” (22:12)
  • “Just make sure you take 8,000 steps a day … Just walk. Make sure you walk throughout the day.” (24:23)
  • “Fat loss with strength training starts off slower but has a snowball effect.” (28:22)

• Adam:

  • “People often overcommit themselves to a plan that sets them up for failure.” (10:06)
  • “Three sets of 135 and my hamstrings are sore for like three days … just this reminder of how little I have to do.” (13:35)
  • “Giving them the permission … it’s OK if you only get nine reps … Challenge yourself … That’s one of the most common things.” (23:41)

• Justin:

  • “I think the tide, hopefully now people are understanding like muscle is a vital part of this whole process. The only way to really build and develop muscle is to strength train.” (05:17)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:32 | The benefits and recent popularity of strength training | | 04:14 | Medical community's endorsement and difference from other forms of exercise | | 05:17 | Ozempic, rapid weight loss, risk for muscle loss, and new emphasis on building muscle | | 11:13 | How much strength training is needed? The two and three days per week principle | | 13:35 | How “less is more” works in practice—even for former lifters returning after time off | | 15:18 | The value and method of priming versus traditional warm-ups | | 18:13 | Universal priming exercises: Wall press and 90/90 for upper and lower body | | 19:06 | Why stability balls are ideal for beginner strength trainers | | 21:21 | Measuring progress: Strength as your primary metric | | 24:23 | Daily movement, step goals, and the metabolic power of staying active | | 26:58 | Real client case: Movement outside the gym burning more calories than workouts | | 28:22 | How fat loss with strength training is unique: The “snowball” effect | | 30:04 | The hardest mental challenge: No scale movement, but real body change |

Practical Beginner Takeaways

• You only need 2–3 days/week of structured strength training to see biggest benefits—add more only if you genuinely want to and can recover well.
• Prioritize getting incrementally stronger (adding weight, reps, or control)—not just finishing preset rep counts.
• Focus on good technique, not lifting as much as possible; use stability balls and priming exercises for better movement quality.
• Walking and general movement every day (8,000+ steps) is as important as gym workouts.
• Be patient: Early changes may not show on the scale even as you gain muscle and lose fat—the visible results will come if you persist.
• Use programs tailored for beginners (e.g., MAPS Starter) for safe, guided, and sustainable progress.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling lost about where or how to begin with strength training. The Mind Pump hosts are both supportive and realistic: their advice empowers beginners to keep it simple, effective, and sustainable—for life.