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Keys to Beginning Strength Training

Coaching
February 13, 2026•2 min read

Keys to Beginning Strength Training

Strength training seems complex from the outside…

and that is 100% the fault of the fitness industries focus on high intensity training combined with workouts designed to prove their worth by driving you into the ground.

We don’t play that game over here.

It’s actually funny when you think about it…

Let’s say you are training for a marathon. You don’t go out and run the full distance. You start small and build capacity. It’s common practice.

But, with most training programs and gyms, you show up and are on the “workout of the day” regardless of what physical condition you show up in. How does that make sense?

Now, if you are reading this, I’m guessing you want to strength train because you know it is the most effective way to create the body you want. One that is both lean and strong.

But also because you know that it is the best way to stay healthy so you can keep living life on your terms while you get older.

The struggle most people are facing when they find our coaching program is that they just don’t know where to begin. Getting injured is a concern but there is also an intimidation factor.

The best thing a coaching program can do is to strip down those barriers and provide an on-ramping process that teaches strength in a strategic way, but also builds your capacity over time.

In my opinion every good introductory program should have…

1: Joint-friendly strength movements that focus on a full and controlled range of motion

2: Daily mobility training so that you can warm up properly and train pain free

3: Low-intensity cardiovascular training so that you can improve your overall health

4: A strategic process to increase your intensity over the period of 2-3 months

For the new enrollees in our virtual and in-person coaching program this foundational work is the lynchpin that allows them to see long term success with their training.


If you are on the fence about beginning a strength training program, there are thousands out there. Many of them are very good, and many of them are very bad. As you assess the best route forward, make sure to look at the process of introducing training and the consideration given to your long term success.


Rob founded OTG with a single mission: to bring an elite-level training environment to motivated athletes and adults over 35 who want more out of their training. Before opening OTG, Rob spent years coaching at the collegiate level and preparing NFL Combine athletes for the biggest moments of their careers. Having trained professionals in high-performance hubs like Chicago and Los Angeles, he realized that everyone—regardless of their background—deserves access to intentional programming and a team-like atmosphere that pushes them to grow. At OTG, Rob has recreated that same high-standard environment where people are coached to build real confidence, both in and out of the gym.

Rob Van Valkenburgh

Rob founded OTG with a single mission: to bring an elite-level training environment to motivated athletes and adults over 35 who want more out of their training. Before opening OTG, Rob spent years coaching at the collegiate level and preparing NFL Combine athletes for the biggest moments of their careers. Having trained professionals in high-performance hubs like Chicago and Los Angeles, he realized that everyone—regardless of their background—deserves access to intentional programming and a team-like atmosphere that pushes them to grow. At OTG, Rob has recreated that same high-standard environment where people are coached to build real confidence, both in and out of the gym.

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