Someone who is not yet engaged in body building might have problems on how to start it and what to pay attention to. These seven points are essential for any aspiring bodybuilder to remember, but it might also contain some useful information for those who are already established members of a gym.
1. Be reasonable
Don’t start with heavy weights and demanding exercises, especially if you’ve not yet worked out on a daily basis. Overestimating your capacities can result in serious injuries, so always try to take one step at a time. Even if you’re fairly experienced, try not to make huge changes in your weekly lifting routine.
2. See a trainer for help
Bodybuilding is just as much of a science as physics or biology, so don’t just guess about what you should work on and how. Good trainers don’t only bring the best out of you, most of them have an extensive knowledge about what your body needs, and how you can achieve the best results with the lowest effort. You can stop seeing them if you feel you are ready to manage on your own.
3. Rest as much as you can
Muscles grow when you rest, and if you don’t take enough time to sleep and relax, you will get worse results. Bodybuilding is much more complicated than just maximizing the time you work out. A balanced daily routine is crucial, as the secret behind ideal muscle growth is the harmony of three things: working out, eating and sleeping. Never let any of these grow at the expense of another!
4. Make sure to keep a healthy diet
According to some studies, nearly 80% of the success of working out depends on the food you eat. It is very difficult to keep a totally healthy diet, but it should always be the goal. A day of eating ideally consists of five smaller meals, all of them rich in protein, vitamins and „good” fats. Drink lot of water as well, because by drinking it abundantly, you will help your digestive system to flush the toxins out of your body.
5. Use whey protein to enhance your results
Protein is arguably the most important companion to every bodybuilder. It allows better recovery times, improves strength and helps muscle repair. Always use the grass fed whey based ones if possible for certain quality and ideal results. Don’t forget that if you don’t give enough protein to your body, you partially spoil your previous work in the gym.
6. Watch your progress
Everybody on the planet has a unique build-up. Therefore, you have to be completely informed about your talents and imperfections in order to create a truly personalized set-up and schedule. Watch how little changes in your program or diet affects your results and take notes if possible. Discovering the needs of your body might be just as important as understanding the general rules of working out.
7. Keep yourself informed
The science of bodybuilding has fantastic achievements, but it is a relatively young one. Every year some astonishing new studies come out about how to train your body, sometimes changing whole theories about working out. Make sure you keep yourself informed about the latest results, but try to be skeptic! Many groundbreaking new discoveries have been proved wrong over the years, so don’t follow suit blindly, ask an expert before trying new methods or approaches.
By following these simple rules, you won’t have many surprises in working out. Never forget to think in long term though. As in most of the things in life, you’ll only succeed in bodybuilding through hard work and dedication.
Kate Simmons is a personal trainer and freelance writer on health topics. When she’s not writing, you’ll most probably find her in the gym.