All strength & endurance categories at a glance
You are not sure which equipment is the right one?
Read through our purchase advisor here and find out everything about the topic of strength & endurance. In addition to exercises, training tips and product recommendations, you will also find suitable training plans for your level.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Chapter 1
Strength Training - The perfect start
With strength training you can build up your muscles, protect yourself from many injuries such as slipped discs etc., lose body fat, reduce stress and much more. However, there are some things to consider. We show you the most important basics and tools for your strength training.
What is strength training?
Whether you want to lose body fat, build muscle mass or just keep fit, strength training is the right choice for all three goals. Strength training is divided into the three areas of endurance training (15-25 repetitions), muscle building (12-6 repetitions) and maximum strength training (1-5 repetitions).
- Strength endurance training = helps you to make your muscles more enduring
- Muscle training = helps you to build muscle mass
- Maximum strength training = helps you to become stronger
What are the advantages of strength training?
The big advantage that strength training has over endurance training is the afterburner effect.
This means that you continue to burn calories even after training. This is not the case when you jog. In addition, the right training builds muscle mass, which is a metabolically active mass that always burns calories.
Another advantage is that you can strengthen your ligaments, bones and tendons and thus prevent diseases such as rheumatism and arthrosis. However, you have to build up your training correctly to avoid the opposite effects.
Chapter 2
How do I set up a strength training?
You should build up your training based on your fitness level. Depending on how fit you already are, increase your workouts per week, number of exercises, sets, etc.
This table gives you a good overview:
| Beginner | Advanced | Pro | |
| Trainings per week | 2-3 | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| Number exercises | 5-8 | 7-12 | 7-15 |
| Set | 2-3 | 3-4 | 3-5 |
| Reps | 12-25 | 6-15 | 1-25 |
| Breaks | 1-2 min | 45 sec - 90 sec | 45 sec |
Many start very overzealous and train every day. True to the motto "a lot helps a lot". But this is not true for strength training. Especially the breaks are the most important factor for optimal training control.
To illustrate this, there is the supercompensation model. This illustration makes it clear that you have to set your next training stimulus at exactly the right time. If you choose the time too early, you will start overtraining. If you choose it too late, you will always stay on the same level.
For most people this time is 48 hours between training sessions. Provided you have an optimal diet and a good night's sleep.
Chapter 3
Strength training for beginners
Strength training for beginners should be done primarily on machines and guided movements. Especially at the beginning coordination is not yet trained. This creates an unnecessary risk of injury when training with free weights.
Strength training for beginners should be done primarily on machines and guided movements. Especially at the beginning coordination is not yet trained. This creates an unnecessary risk of injury when training with free weights.
Therefore, equipment such as chest press, leg press, rowing machine, etc. are suitable for the start. Furthermore, repetitions in the range below 12 are still too strenuous for many people. The weight should always be chosen so that the repetitions are just about reached. Again, the body must first adapt to the load and strengthen muscles, tendons & ligaments.
After about 8 - 12 weeks of continuous training, the body has become accustomed to the load and the training can be changed. Now the weights should be increased, the number of repetitions reduced and the first simple exercises with free weights as well as on the rope pull should take place.
Strength training plan for beginners?
Training should be done 2-3 per week. Between the units 48h break. Before the exercises a warm-up must be do
Warm Up
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Crosstrainer | 1 | 1o min |
| Arm circles | 1 | 15 |
| Bodyweight Squat | 1 | 12 |
| Crunches | 1 | 12 |
| Body rotation | 1 | 10 |
Workout
| Exercise | Sets |
Reps | Pause |
| Leg press | 3 | 20-25 | 1,5min |
| Bench press | 3 | 20-25 | 1,5min |
| Rower | 3 | 20-25 | 1,5min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 20-25 | 1,5min |
| Crunches | 3 | 10-20 | 1,5min |
| Plank | 2-3 | 30-45 Sek | 1,5min |
These ten exercises are the best for your strength training. They are primarily whole-body exercises that put a strain on your entire body.
IMPORTANT: These exercises are not only among the best strength training exercises, but also among the most complex. Therefore they should only be done under the supervision of a trainer or with enough experience.
1. Squat
The knee bend is also often called the mother of all strength training exercises. This exercise is mainly aimed at the leg muscles. However, the shoulder, arm and abdominal muscles are also involved. The knee bend is performed with a barbell on the back.
As with all strength training exercises, the technique should first be perfected and then the weight should be increased. Otherwise you train a wrong technique and incorrect posture.
2. Deadlift
Cross lifting strengthens especially your lower back and the back of your legs. The movement looks relatively easy. You simply lift the bar from the floor vertically upwards. However, the movement is much more complex than you think. Here it is extremely important that your back remains straight.
Especially in the beginning, many people make the mistake of lifting the bar with a hunchback. However, this can quickly lead to negative effects. That's why extensive technique training with moderate weight is also a priority here.
3. Bench press
These exercises are available in many different variations. You can do bench presses with dumbbells, barbells, flat, slanting, negative, etc. Ultimately, all of these exercises train your chest muscle. The classic variation is performed on a flat bench with a barbell.
In this exercise it is important that the barbell is guided all the way down to the chest. This is a mistake that is often seen in fitness studios. This wrong way of training reduces the mobility in the long run and you do not develop the same power in the whole muscle.
4. Shoulder press
This exercise also belongs to the upper body exercises. As the name suggests, it trains the shoulder muscle. To be precise, the front shoulder muscle is trained here.
This exercise is performed either standing or sitting. And you can use either dumbbells or a barbell. For the beginning, it is easier to do the exercise with a barbell, because there is less need to balance.
5. Pull Ups
This back exercise can be performed without equipment, but is one of the most effective. For pull-ups, the main distinction is made by the grip. There is the wide, narrow and neutral grip. Depending on the variation, the biceps muscle is more or less activated.
If you mainly want to train your back, a wide grip is recommended. However, this is the heaviest one. For the start you can work with super bands to control the difficulty.
6. Dips
Just like chin-ups, dips are performed using your own body weight. Dips put strain on the chest and triceps muscles. During this exercise it is important to keep the abdomen under tension during the execution to avoid wobbling around. Especially at the beginning you can use a super band for support.
7. Bicep Curls
This exercise for the arms is especially popular with men. The movement looks simple. A barbell bar is brought upwards by the biceps muscle. Many make the mistake here and use the momentum in the body to bring the weight up. However, the arm muscle and not the hip extensor muscle should be trained.
Therefore, with barbell bicep curls, tense the abdomen firmly, press the elbows against the body and work only from the biceps muscle.
8. Crunches with additional weight
Abdominal exercises are often trained only with the own body weight. Especially at the beginning this makes sense. After some time you come to the point that this training stimulus is no longer sufficient.
The crunch on the cable pull is an optimal exercise to achieve a progression. One of the most common mistakes in this exercise is that you go too far up. This causes the abdominal muscle to lose its tension. It only needs small movements to train effectively.
9. Lunges
As a further leg exercise we recommend lunges. These can be performed with the barbell or dumbbell. During this exercise, make sure that your posture is straight and your abdomen is tensed.
Lunges can be performed in place or while walking. Walking is the more demanding variation. In addition to the muscular strain, this exercise will quickly make you lose your breath.
10. Rows
As last exercise we have something for the back. Barbell rowing is one of the basic exercises. Important for this exercise is a straight posture and tension in the stomach. Make sure to work without swinging and move the weight out of the back.
With strength training you can achieve many different goals. Above all, you strengthen your tendons, ligaments and muscles with the training. However, it takes a lot of practice before you can fully master free exercises and train safely. Books are a good way to learn more.
Our book recommandations
We recommend the following books to expand your knowledge in strength training:
