So you’ve made the commitment to get into the gym and eat right, but now you’re ready for something more. You want to graduate from bodyweight exercises and high intensity training to barbells and dumbbells. Before you set up to the squat rack, you need to make sure that you know some of the basics about lifting.

I’ve collected a list that includes 5 of my favorite strength and conditioning blogs. Some of the blogs are better for beginning lifters, while some on this list will help you move from beginner to advanced over time.

Check out my 5 favorite strength blogs for beginning lifters:

Beautifully Hardcore

This companion site to Dangerously Hardcore, Beautifully Hardcore is for women who have brains, brawn, and beauty. Founder Naomi Most has assembled a team of female lifters that can write as well as they can perform the perfect Turkish Get Up. This site is for women who take strength and conditioning seriously and are ready to learn more about weight lifting techniques. Check out Do You Train Hard? by Beautifully Hardcore contributor Nia Shanks.

JCD Fitness

JC Deen wants you to look great naked, without all the BS that you’ll find on a lot of strength and conditioning websites. JC’s life story is pretty inspiring, and I suggest you check it out before you become a regular reader of this blog to get some context about his perspective. Because JD’s strength tips are more motivational than they are technical, his blog is perfect for anyone who is seeking weight lifting as a vehicle for self improvement. Read his article Train Like An Athlete – Not Like A Fitness Model to get the flavor of his writing.

Alwyn Cosgrove

When it comes to strength and conditioning technical information, Alwyn is your man. Together with his wife Rachel, Alwyn owns Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California, which has twice been named one of America’s Top Gyms by Mens Health magazine. Alwyn’s blog isn’t too pretty, but his workouts will get you in fighting condition. Check out Body is a Barbell for an example of a technical workout with a thorough description that even beginning lifters will be able to understand.

Catalyst Athletics

Catalyst Athletics was founded by Greg Everett in 2006 after his tenure under Robb Wolf at NorCal Strength and Conditioning. Everett is the author of the book Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches, and the cohost of the The Paleo Solution podcast. Everett’s articles on his blog are short, but packed with useful information written by one of the most knowledgable strength coaches around. Read about The Bench Press to learn more about one of the classic weight lifting exercises.

Greatist

Greatist is a general health and fitness lifestyle blog, but they frequently feature guest posts by strength and fitness professionals. Informative resource articles like Kettlebells for Beginners gives an overview of a lifting technique for people who are exploring new types of strength training for the first time.

Do you have a favorite strength blog that is not on this list? Let us know in the comments!