Bodybuilding For Beginners - How To
I remember buying my first set of weights like it was yesterday! I was 12 and I went with my mom to K-Mart to pick up a 110-pound set of plastic and cement weights.
The boxes were mangled, but we managed to get them in the trunk of the old Maverick.
Oh, how excited I was to put the plates on the barbell for the first time! I didn't have a bench, so I just used the barbell and dumbbells in a standing fashion: Overhead presses, squats, upright rows, bent rows, and curls were my primary exercises.
While my enthusiasm was unbridled, my growth was not! Needless to say, I didn't have much in the way of equipment and couldn't take advantage of all that weight training had to offer.
So don't make my mistake (and the mistake of countless others).
At the very least, buy a multi-purpose bench along with your weight set.
Or, to make matters infinitely easier, join a gym.
Make sure you join a "real gym" though - not one of those singles hang out places! How can you tell if it's a real gym? Look for free weights made of black iron, Olympic-sized barbells, and racks! Now, onto what you should be doing as a beginning bodybuilder.
There are 3 things you need to keep in mind.
We will call them the "3 Pillars" - Training, Diet, and Rest.
We will address each in turn.
TRAINING Training is just one part of a 3-pronged approach to bodybuilding.
It IS important.
But more does not equal better.
Things to do with respect to training:
In week 3-6, you can increase the sets to two per exercise.
Finally, in the last phase of your beginning bodybuilding training, you can increase to 3-4 sets per exercise.
Your goal at first should be to learn the exercises - proper form is a must.
Also, pay attention to how your muscles feel as you raise and lower the weight.
Establish this mind-muscle link now; it will serve you well throughout your bodybuilding and/or weight training career.
If you're trying to gain weight, refrain from doing any aerobics or cardio work, at least for the first month or so.
Establish a weight-gain momentum before you attempt the cardio stuff.
If you're trying to shed some pounds, go ahead and do the cycling, running, or walking (or whatever activity you like) on off-weightlifting days.
DIET You are what you eat: If you want to become an animal, you must eat them.
Seriously, if you want to build muscle mass quickly, you need to eat what I call "flesh foods" - eggs, milk, beef, chicken, fish, pork.
Food that come from animals represent the most complete protein sources you can find.
Here are some guidelines on nutrition:
Don't starve yourself and don't over eat.
REST Rest is an often-overlooked component of a bodybuilding system, but it's critically important to maximize the things you do in the gym and in the dining room.
In fact, if you don't get enough rest, your muscles will not grow, so all of your efforts are for nothing.
Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep at night and try to take a nap after lunch (I know that this is difficult to do, but if you can do it, you'll make better progress).
Muscles grow when at rest.
Not enough rest = slow or no muscle growth.
So, get your rest! CONCLUSION Beginning a bodybuilding program is exciting: You've made a wise move.
You'll be healthier, you'll look and fee better, and perhaps most importantly, you'll perform better in all aspects of your life! Follow the guidelines above to get a great start in bodybuilding.
If you want more tips about bodybuilding, from all levels from beginner to advanced, visit Muscle-Build.
com
The boxes were mangled, but we managed to get them in the trunk of the old Maverick.
Oh, how excited I was to put the plates on the barbell for the first time! I didn't have a bench, so I just used the barbell and dumbbells in a standing fashion: Overhead presses, squats, upright rows, bent rows, and curls were my primary exercises.
While my enthusiasm was unbridled, my growth was not! Needless to say, I didn't have much in the way of equipment and couldn't take advantage of all that weight training had to offer.
So don't make my mistake (and the mistake of countless others).
At the very least, buy a multi-purpose bench along with your weight set.
Or, to make matters infinitely easier, join a gym.
Make sure you join a "real gym" though - not one of those singles hang out places! How can you tell if it's a real gym? Look for free weights made of black iron, Olympic-sized barbells, and racks! Now, onto what you should be doing as a beginning bodybuilder.
There are 3 things you need to keep in mind.
We will call them the "3 Pillars" - Training, Diet, and Rest.
We will address each in turn.
TRAINING Training is just one part of a 3-pronged approach to bodybuilding.
It IS important.
But more does not equal better.
Things to do with respect to training:
- Train with weights 3 times a week, like Monday - Wednesday - Friday
- Do full-body workouts
- Exercise the largest muscles first, and go from there until you reach the smallest muscles
- Do mostly compound exercises
- Do aerobics or cardio on your off weight-training days (if you do it at all - I'll tell you why a little later)
- Squat
- Bench Press
- Bent Row or Pull-up
- Overhead Press
- Calf Press
- Tricep Extension
- Barbell Curl
In week 3-6, you can increase the sets to two per exercise.
Finally, in the last phase of your beginning bodybuilding training, you can increase to 3-4 sets per exercise.
Your goal at first should be to learn the exercises - proper form is a must.
Also, pay attention to how your muscles feel as you raise and lower the weight.
Establish this mind-muscle link now; it will serve you well throughout your bodybuilding and/or weight training career.
If you're trying to gain weight, refrain from doing any aerobics or cardio work, at least for the first month or so.
Establish a weight-gain momentum before you attempt the cardio stuff.
If you're trying to shed some pounds, go ahead and do the cycling, running, or walking (or whatever activity you like) on off-weightlifting days.
DIET You are what you eat: If you want to become an animal, you must eat them.
Seriously, if you want to build muscle mass quickly, you need to eat what I call "flesh foods" - eggs, milk, beef, chicken, fish, pork.
Food that come from animals represent the most complete protein sources you can find.
Here are some guidelines on nutrition:
- Eat 5-8 small meals a day
- Supplement with a good multi-vitamin/mineral
- Drink plenty of water
- Take in a protein shake before and after your weight workouts
- Try some other supplements to enhance your gains (like creatine, branched-chain amino acids, fish oil, etc.
)
Don't starve yourself and don't over eat.
REST Rest is an often-overlooked component of a bodybuilding system, but it's critically important to maximize the things you do in the gym and in the dining room.
In fact, if you don't get enough rest, your muscles will not grow, so all of your efforts are for nothing.
Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep at night and try to take a nap after lunch (I know that this is difficult to do, but if you can do it, you'll make better progress).
Muscles grow when at rest.
Not enough rest = slow or no muscle growth.
So, get your rest! CONCLUSION Beginning a bodybuilding program is exciting: You've made a wise move.
You'll be healthier, you'll look and fee better, and perhaps most importantly, you'll perform better in all aspects of your life! Follow the guidelines above to get a great start in bodybuilding.
If you want more tips about bodybuilding, from all levels from beginner to advanced, visit Muscle-Build.
com
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