Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one’s musculature for aesthetic purposes. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder
Bodybuilding is a long process of trial and error. It can be frustrating if you don’t see any results after months of training.
How to get the most out of your workout ? 24 bodybuilding tips
1. Before starting your bodybuilding program, measure your waist, arms, chest, thighs, etc. You can assess your progress by looking back to this measurement later in your bodybuilding program.
2. Train all muscle groups including leg muscles. Although your upper body is the part you want to show off, you can gain many benefits from training your legs. Building your lower body part will significantly boost your testosterone which can help you gain more overall muscle mass.
3. Remember that it is going to be very difficult to have low body fat percentage while you are bulking. Bulking is a popular term among bodybuilders which describes the diet and workout program to increase muscle mass.
4. Keep training your abdominal muscles during bulking period. They will show up after cutting down.
5. It is almost impossible to bulk up and lose fat simultaneously.
6. Don’t set unrealistic goals like gaining 20 pounds of lean muscle mass in a couple months. One or even half a pound of extra mass a week is great enough.
7. Find out what your body type is to determine your diet strategy.
8. Generally we need 18 calorie per pound of body weight.
9. It is recommended that the ratio of protein, carbs, and fat is 40%: 40%: 20%. However, you can change the ratio based on your need.
10. Choose low GI complex carbohydrates like brown rice over high GI carbohydrates like sugar.
11. Drink more water to keep you hydrated.
12. If your body type is ectomorph, it is better that you eat as much as possible and see your progress in the mirror periodically. If you gain too much fat you can reduce your fat and carbohydrate intake.
13. Train each muscle group once a week intensively but don’t train it for more than one hour.
14. Forty five to fifty five minutes of weight training session is the most recommended duration. Train for any longer than 55 minutes will trigger catabolism.
15. Even if you don’t feel any muscle soreness one day after training your muscle, it still needs minimally 24 hours to recover.
16. You don’t build muscle at the gym. The process of building muscle takes place when you are at rest. Give yourself enough rest time to recover.
17. Don’t force yourself to train too hard. The keys to building muscle are train, eat, and rest.
18. Take a week off once in 8 weeks and train with a new workout routine after the break.
19. Don’t forget to warm up and stretch your muscle before getting into the core workout to prevent injury.
20. After 2-3 sets of warming up, go heavy for a few sets to failure.
21. Rest for no more than 120 seconds between sets.
22. Watch your movement, don’t cheat. Get a spotter to help you do forced sets but don’t cheat.
23. Start with compound exercises and end it with isolation exercises.
24. Keep track of your fitness progress.
You would have a protein/carb shake before and after the workout, and a small meal of protein/carbs within 60-90 minutes of the workout. Water is also important for both types of workouts
Remember, these high-intensity workouts are not for people just starting out. You should build up an endurance base before doing the high-intensity cardio, and start the weights with lighter weights, stressing good form.