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Resistance Training Basics: How to Stop Guessing and Start Growing

By Tessa — Lifting heavy and lifting you up. Strength is the whole personality. ·

Let’s Be Real: The Weight Room is Intimidating

If you’ve ever walked into a gym, looked at the sea of metal racks and tangled cables, and immediately turned around to go find the treadmill in the corner, I see you. I’ve been there. My first time in a real powerlifting gym, I spent twenty minutes looking for the bathroom just so I could avoid eye contact with a guy doing lunges with a literal house on his back.

But here’s the thing: resistance training isn’t some secret club for people who drink raw eggs for breakfast. It’s for everyone. It’s for the person who wants to carry all their groceries in one trip, the person who doesn’t want their back to scream at them after sitting at a desk for eight hours, and yes, even for the person who just wants to feel a little more capable in their own skin. As I like to say, lifting heavy is about lifting your spirits, too. Strength is the whole personality, after all.

The “Why”: Beyond the Mirror

Before we talk about the how, let's talk about the why. A lot of people approach resistance training like a math problem where the goal is just to change the shape of their body. And sure, that happens, but focusing only on aesthetics is a one-way ticket to burnout.

When I started training, I was obsessed with how I looked. It wasn’t until I actually started focusing on moving iron that I realized how much cooler it is to know what your body can do. Last year, when I walked onto the platform for my first powerlifting meet, I didn’t care about my bicep measurement. I cared about the fact that I’d put in the work to move that weight. That feeling of competence? It bleeds into everything else in your life. You start walking differently. You talk a little louder. You stop apologizing for taking up space.

Resistance Training Basics: Where to Start

If you’re ready to dive in, don’t overcomplicate it. You don't need a fancy program written by a Russian scientist. You just need to follow a few simple rules.

1. Master the Patterns, Not Just the Machines

Stop thinking about “back day” or “leg day” and start thinking about movement patterns. Every good workout program should cover these five bases:

If you hit these five patterns, you’re doing better than 90% of the people in the gym.

2. The Weight Doesn’t Have to Be Heavy to Start

I’m a powerlifter, so I love a heavy barbell. But I also remember the day I had to learn how to deadlift with a PVC pipe because my form was so atrocious I was a danger to myself and everyone within a five-foot radius. There is zero shame in starting with light dumbbells, kettlebells, or even your own body weight. Your muscles don't know the difference between a 45-pound plate and a 10-pound dumbbell; they only know tension. Focus on the squeeze and the control, not the number on the plate.

3. Keep a Log (Yes, Actually)

I know, I know. Tracking your workouts sounds like homework. But if you’re just walking into the gym, picking up whatever weight feels “right” that day, and doing three sets of ten, you aren’t training—you’re just exercising. To get stronger, you need to track what you did last week so you can beat it this week by just a tiny bit. It doesn’t have to be a fancy app. A crumpled-up receipt and a pen work just fine. My dog Barbell has actually eaten my workout log before, and even then, I managed to remember my numbers. If I can do it, you can do it.

The “Everyman” Reality Check

Listen, you’re going to have bad days. You’re going to go to the gym, feel like you’ve forgotten how to move your limbs, and leave feeling a little deflated. I had a session last week where I couldn’t even hit my warm-up weight without feeling like a total amateur. I went home, sat on the floor, and Barbell licked my face until I stopped moping.

That’s part of the process. The Hero’s journey isn’t a straight line; it’s a jagged, messy, beautiful scribble. You don't build strength by being perfect; you build it by being consistent when you’d rather stay on the couch.

Your First Move

If you’re feeling stuck, pick one movement pattern from the list above and try it out today. Ten minutes. That’s it. You don’t need to spend two hours in the gym to make progress. You just need to show up and do enough to tell your body, “Hey, we’re doing this now. Get stronger.”

I’m always hanging around the comments section, so come tell me: what’s one movement that’s been intimidating you lately? Let’s break it down together. No ego, no gatekeeping—just a bunch of us trying to get a little bit stronger every day. Catch you in the gym!

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