How to Utilize that Time Between Sets.
In kindergarten, we knew it as “quiet time”. In high school, it turned into “study time”.
At work, it’s often referred to as “down time”.
And at the health club, it’s usually known as “social time”.
We’re talking about that few minutes of time when the work is at bay, and it’s finally time to play. You’ve just finished that gut-wrenching set of leg presses. As soon as you wipe the sweat off your forehead, you turn to tell your pal to engage in a set of a far different variety – a set of lips and gums. You start blabbing to him about every subject under the sun – the big ballgame coming up, the hot date from the night before, the upcoming Democratic Convention, the difference between Sprite and Seven-Up, you name it.
However, all babble aside, the rest you take between sets is certainly a crucial aspect of your everyday workout; both the quality and the quantity of the seconds and minutes that elapse during this period of inactivity can vastly effect your output.
First off, there are certainly more productive ways to spend the moments between sets. While it may seem like this time has nothing to do with your workout or the progression of your body, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
To keep your mind in synch with your workout, you should stay in tuned with the mission at hand. It will be difficult for your body to remain engaged in the workout when your mind is lost somewhere in a downtown nightclub or on a faraway beach. When you’re amid the jungle of plates, dumbbells, and barbells, think one thing and one thing only:
Iron.
This is one four-letter word that will never be forbidden in your gym. Take your time between sets and reflect on your goals, the body you want to acquire, the work that has to be done, and the intensity you will be investing into the very next set.
Another fitting way to spend these precious moments is to stretch. While stretching is usually regarded as only a pre-workout activity, it has been concluded that stretching during the workout itself is a great way to accelerate the blood flow and trigger an increase in muscle strength. Partake in a mild stretch of the body part you are working, but taking precautions not to overextend this process.
Also, venture up to the water bubbler and consume a small amount of water. Maintaining fluids during your workout is great for keeping your system replenished and your strength intact. Dehydration is one of the worst nemeses that your body can encounter during the sweat session. Also, that walk to the bubbler alone is better for keeping your body warm and your system active, rather than to remain stationary in a seated position, where your body can quickly become comfortable and thus, inactive.
The amount of time you reserve for resting between sets will vary, depending on your particular goals.
If your goal is to gain strength and pack on the muscle mass, the ideal amount of time between sets is roughly 3-4 minutes. Allowing this amount of time will provide ample recovery time for your muscles, and thus, refuel your muscles with the strength it needs to conquer the next grueling set.
For the more toned, defined look, cut back the rest time to 1-2 minutes between sets, keeping the tension on the muscles while carving them into that sharp, chiseled look you so willfully desire
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Getting the Most out of your Workouts!
There are some important things to remember when trying to develop and refine your bodybuilding physique. One very important aspect of bodybuilding, which people tend to focus on the most, is the actual training itself. Training is very important, but anyone experienced in the sport of bodybuilding will tell you that your training will not get you anywhere if you don’t provide yourself with proper rest and nutrition. This doesn’t matter who you are, or how good your genetics are, proper recuperation is an absolutely essential part of any bodybuilding program. You would be surprised just how small the actual training is in the big picture of a bodybuilder’s training. There are a number of other factors which affect your successful recuperation as well. Below is a list of tips which will help you to succeed in maximizing results from your intense training.
(1) Macro Nutrition
If you are bodybuilding, it is essential you eat the right amount of all three macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). You need protein to build your muscles and repair exercised muscle fibers, carbohydrates to keep your energy levels up, and fat to keep your internal organs healthy, as well as to provide a long - term fuel reserve. Be sure to limit calories directly from fat to around 15 to 25 percent of your total intake, but don’t limit your fat intake too much, because if your fat supply is too low, you may find yourself getting excessively hungry, and find yourself losing energy and strength as well. If your protein supply is low, you’ll find that your muscles won’t be able to grow as much as they potentially could because you won’t be providing your body with the basic source of muscle fiber repair. If your carbohydrate stores are low, you may find yourself getting lethargic, and not feeling your workouts as effectively as you normally do (you may or may not achieve a pump for example). The general rule of thumb with protein is to consume 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and to keep your carbohydrate intake at 25 percent or more of your total caloric intake. Following these simple rules, you will see your energy and strength levels increase, and maximize your training results. With proper macro nutrition, both your training, and the recuperation and repair processes which follow, will be welcomed with greater success.
(2) Micro Nutrition
Vitamins, minerals, and other micro nutrients can play very important roles for muscle growth. Your blood level amino acids will increase rapidly if you take free - form amino acids on an empty stomach. Branched - chain amino acids (BCAAs) play an important role in muscle metabolism. Taking BCAAs before and immediately after working out may help you fill the anabolic window and give you a head start on the recovery process.
(3) Sleep
Get enough sleep during the night! This is very important and cannot be stressed enough. Your most restful (stage - 4) sleep will occur during the first four hours after hitting the hay. Growth hormone is released by the anterior pituitary during this stage of sleep. This occurs for about 30 minutes after the first hour of sleep, and occurs once more for an additional 30 minutes, one hour and a half after that. Slow - wave sleep is the time during sleep when your body does the repair work. The harder you train, the longer your body will naturally spend during this sleep. During rem sleep (which follows stage 4 sleep), a greater amount of protein synthesis occurs. To conclude, allow yourself enough sleep (generally between eight to 10 hours), if you want to minimize soreness, and feel more energetic in your subsequent workouts.
(4) Training Frequency
Although many people think the way to get big is to train as often as possible, this is far from the truth. You’ll make far greater gains training less frequently, but working harder during every exercise; performing every exercise with proper form throughout the entire range of motion and feeling your muscles hard at work. If you’re a beginner, training only three to four sessions per week, you’ll be amazed with how much progress you make if you work hard in the gym. If you train more than three days in a row, you run the risk of stalling your progress. This is especially true as you get older, because your body’s natural hormone secretion slows down, as well as your metabolism. The solution to this is simply to train harder and rest more. Train with heavy weights, but only those weights you can handle, concentrating on focused repetitions with perfect form throughout the entire range of motion.
Check out the BodybuildingPro.com Training Splits Database!
Click HERE to check out the database.
(5) Stress
When you’re working out, it’s important to concentrate on the task at hand, and rid your thoughts of anything depressing or de-motivating. This will help your training, and of course, your results. If you think negatively, you’ll find that you experience persistent, tiring and unmotivated workouts. Don’t set your mind to thinking you can’t achieve something, because you’ll find that may be the only thing stalling you. The results you get out of your training are also directly related to the stress levels in your day to day life. If you find you are stressed out with your job, social life, or anything else, you will not achieve the results you want. Although bodybuilding or any physical activity is a good step to ridding your life of stress, it’s important to remember that stress will hold you down in your training as well, the same way it negatively affects everything else.
Recuperation is a key factor to maximizing your bodybuilding and fitness gains through training. It is very important, and is sometimes misunderstood. Always provide your body with the nutrition and rest it needs to get the results you want. Find out what works for you and stick with it until it stops working, because, as the old saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. You may want to consider employing the instinctive principle to your training. By giving your body proper recuperation, you minimize the chances of overtraining, and maximize the results from all that time and effort in the gym.
(1) Macro Nutrition
If you are bodybuilding, it is essential you eat the right amount of all three macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). You need protein to build your muscles and repair exercised muscle fibers, carbohydrates to keep your energy levels up, and fat to keep your internal organs healthy, as well as to provide a long - term fuel reserve. Be sure to limit calories directly from fat to around 15 to 25 percent of your total intake, but don’t limit your fat intake too much, because if your fat supply is too low, you may find yourself getting excessively hungry, and find yourself losing energy and strength as well. If your protein supply is low, you’ll find that your muscles won’t be able to grow as much as they potentially could because you won’t be providing your body with the basic source of muscle fiber repair. If your carbohydrate stores are low, you may find yourself getting lethargic, and not feeling your workouts as effectively as you normally do (you may or may not achieve a pump for example). The general rule of thumb with protein is to consume 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and to keep your carbohydrate intake at 25 percent or more of your total caloric intake. Following these simple rules, you will see your energy and strength levels increase, and maximize your training results. With proper macro nutrition, both your training, and the recuperation and repair processes which follow, will be welcomed with greater success.
(2) Micro Nutrition
Vitamins, minerals, and other micro nutrients can play very important roles for muscle growth. Your blood level amino acids will increase rapidly if you take free - form amino acids on an empty stomach. Branched - chain amino acids (BCAAs) play an important role in muscle metabolism. Taking BCAAs before and immediately after working out may help you fill the anabolic window and give you a head start on the recovery process.
(3) Sleep
Get enough sleep during the night! This is very important and cannot be stressed enough. Your most restful (stage - 4) sleep will occur during the first four hours after hitting the hay. Growth hormone is released by the anterior pituitary during this stage of sleep. This occurs for about 30 minutes after the first hour of sleep, and occurs once more for an additional 30 minutes, one hour and a half after that. Slow - wave sleep is the time during sleep when your body does the repair work. The harder you train, the longer your body will naturally spend during this sleep. During rem sleep (which follows stage 4 sleep), a greater amount of protein synthesis occurs. To conclude, allow yourself enough sleep (generally between eight to 10 hours), if you want to minimize soreness, and feel more energetic in your subsequent workouts.
(4) Training Frequency
Although many people think the way to get big is to train as often as possible, this is far from the truth. You’ll make far greater gains training less frequently, but working harder during every exercise; performing every exercise with proper form throughout the entire range of motion and feeling your muscles hard at work. If you’re a beginner, training only three to four sessions per week, you’ll be amazed with how much progress you make if you work hard in the gym. If you train more than three days in a row, you run the risk of stalling your progress. This is especially true as you get older, because your body’s natural hormone secretion slows down, as well as your metabolism. The solution to this is simply to train harder and rest more. Train with heavy weights, but only those weights you can handle, concentrating on focused repetitions with perfect form throughout the entire range of motion.
Check out the BodybuildingPro.com Training Splits Database!
Click HERE to check out the database.
(5) Stress
When you’re working out, it’s important to concentrate on the task at hand, and rid your thoughts of anything depressing or de-motivating. This will help your training, and of course, your results. If you think negatively, you’ll find that you experience persistent, tiring and unmotivated workouts. Don’t set your mind to thinking you can’t achieve something, because you’ll find that may be the only thing stalling you. The results you get out of your training are also directly related to the stress levels in your day to day life. If you find you are stressed out with your job, social life, or anything else, you will not achieve the results you want. Although bodybuilding or any physical activity is a good step to ridding your life of stress, it’s important to remember that stress will hold you down in your training as well, the same way it negatively affects everything else.
Recuperation is a key factor to maximizing your bodybuilding and fitness gains through training. It is very important, and is sometimes misunderstood. Always provide your body with the nutrition and rest it needs to get the results you want. Find out what works for you and stick with it until it stops working, because, as the old saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. You may want to consider employing the instinctive principle to your training. By giving your body proper recuperation, you minimize the chances of overtraining, and maximize the results from all that time and effort in the gym.
Tips to Help You with Your Training Success
You would be surprised just how far your potential can take you in bodybuilding or anything else in your life. Any champion bodybuilder would tell you that it is essential to be able to fight beyond the daily hassles and stress of life in order to succeed at developing a champion physique. That is how the champions are separated from everyone else; in their willingness to succeed past adversity. Below are several tips to help you get out of ruts and help you develop the physique you always wanted.
(1) Attitude
A positive attitude is absolutely essential to ensure success in training. If you do not have a positive attitude, you will be the victim of your own mind set. Henry Ford said it best "Whether you think you can do a thing or not - You're right". What this means is that the sole factor of having a positive attitude and believing in yourself will make it all the more easy to achieve your goals faster. Those people who tell themselves they aren't willing to achieve something stall their own progress and never develop beyond what they tell themselves they can or cannot achive.
(2) Exercises
In order to prevent the gym experience from becoming a boring one, you should always look for new and fun exercises to perform which will also help you to achieve your bodybuilding goals. Changing the exercises your perform from one workout session to another, or even changing the order in which you perform the exercises, will make a surprising difference in how much you enjoy your workouts.
(3) Setting Goals
Rather than expecting a certain result to come over a very long length of time, break down your goals into small, more realistic ones. For example, if you are trying to put on 25 pounds of muscle in six months, break it down so that you try to gain one pound of muscle per week. Set your current weight as a bench mark, and go back to the scale once weekly at a certain date to see if you have achieved the quota for the week. By doing this, you will turn a very difficult goal into something realistic, and maybe even moderate.
(4) Intensity
During your workouts, you want to keep intensity levels high throughout. Not only will this result in the best muscle gains for those sessions, but it will also give you the greatest sense of satisfaction once the workout is over. For a complete list of all the training intensity principles, CLICK HERE.
(5) Recuperation
Proper rest and recuperation is essential to ensure bodybuilding success. Proper recuperation between session to session, as well as proper recuperation between sets are both very important. Be sure to get adequate rest between sets, and at least eight hours of sleep during the night. If you feel you are still sore and unable to workout one day, wait until the next day. You are the best judge when it comes to determining whether or not you are capable of progressing further in your bodybuilding training.
(6) Visualize It!
Picture the body you can develop for yourself in a year. Think of yourself as huge and lean, with the physique you always dreamed of. The fastest way to getting that physique is to start working hard today. By doing so, you will be more motivated to work harder in the gym, knowing that your goals will be achieved. You would be amazed with the amount of progress you will make if you remain consistent on your journey to achieve your goals, and you are the only one who can help yourself to get where you want to go. The day you realize that you are in control of your goals, is the day it becomes a whole lot easier to take action to achieving them.
I hope this article helped you to achieving your bodybuilding goals.
Take care,
(1) Attitude
A positive attitude is absolutely essential to ensure success in training. If you do not have a positive attitude, you will be the victim of your own mind set. Henry Ford said it best "Whether you think you can do a thing or not - You're right". What this means is that the sole factor of having a positive attitude and believing in yourself will make it all the more easy to achieve your goals faster. Those people who tell themselves they aren't willing to achieve something stall their own progress and never develop beyond what they tell themselves they can or cannot achive.
(2) Exercises
In order to prevent the gym experience from becoming a boring one, you should always look for new and fun exercises to perform which will also help you to achieve your bodybuilding goals. Changing the exercises your perform from one workout session to another, or even changing the order in which you perform the exercises, will make a surprising difference in how much you enjoy your workouts.
(3) Setting Goals
Rather than expecting a certain result to come over a very long length of time, break down your goals into small, more realistic ones. For example, if you are trying to put on 25 pounds of muscle in six months, break it down so that you try to gain one pound of muscle per week. Set your current weight as a bench mark, and go back to the scale once weekly at a certain date to see if you have achieved the quota for the week. By doing this, you will turn a very difficult goal into something realistic, and maybe even moderate.
(4) Intensity
During your workouts, you want to keep intensity levels high throughout. Not only will this result in the best muscle gains for those sessions, but it will also give you the greatest sense of satisfaction once the workout is over. For a complete list of all the training intensity principles, CLICK HERE.
(5) Recuperation
Proper rest and recuperation is essential to ensure bodybuilding success. Proper recuperation between session to session, as well as proper recuperation between sets are both very important. Be sure to get adequate rest between sets, and at least eight hours of sleep during the night. If you feel you are still sore and unable to workout one day, wait until the next day. You are the best judge when it comes to determining whether or not you are capable of progressing further in your bodybuilding training.
(6) Visualize It!
Picture the body you can develop for yourself in a year. Think of yourself as huge and lean, with the physique you always dreamed of. The fastest way to getting that physique is to start working hard today. By doing so, you will be more motivated to work harder in the gym, knowing that your goals will be achieved. You would be amazed with the amount of progress you will make if you remain consistent on your journey to achieve your goals, and you are the only one who can help yourself to get where you want to go. The day you realize that you are in control of your goals, is the day it becomes a whole lot easier to take action to achieving them.
I hope this article helped you to achieving your bodybuilding goals.
Take care,
Gaining Muscle Slowly - The way to get Quality Mass
Although you hear all the time of cases where young people gaining 25 pounds of quality muscle mass in a year, the true key to building muscle is to understand and be aware of your genetics and not fight stubbornly to make gains your body won't allow. If you are genetically able to gain 25 pounds of muscle mass in a year, then consider yourself lucky and strive to keep every pound.
Here are some tips below which will help you to make good progress in the gym and ensure your gains are of the highest quality possible:
* Be patient
* Be consistent
* Focus on compound movements and basic exercises
* Focus on diet & nutrition
* Remember rest and recuperation
Be Patient
Many people who want to gain weight quickly will eat as much as they possibly can to gain as much muscle as possible. While all that food and protein may help to gain muscle, the fat gains that go along with it are not desired, and will hinder their ability to regain a cut condition in the future. Although it is certainly possible to go from a heavy bulk to cut up contest ready ripped condition, it has been empirically proven that it is a lot harder on the system to endure such massive weight changes. This can cause stress on the entire system, as well as difficulty regaining muscle mass quality. In general - Take it slow! Be patient and you can still maximize your genetic potential through eating an appropriate amount of food without gaining all the unwanted fat. Be patient and you will make gains you wouldn't have thought possible in no time.
Be Consistent
There are some times where it is very important that you don't train. Those times include when you are ill, injured, overtrained or experiencing too much stress in other areas of your life to be able to handle intensive training. Every now and then, a compassionate leave from bodybuilding may be needed for short periods of time. Also, taking a week off every now and then may even help you progress towards your goals faster than before. However, all of those reasons aside, you should make it a goal to get to the gym for every scheduled workout. Workouts missed for no good reason are a hindrance to bodybuilders goals.
Focus on Compound Movements and Basic Exercises
Why stray away from principles which have been proven effective time and time again? We all know some exercises work extremely well. The bench press, deadlift, and squats are three excellent examples of movements which have stood the test of time for their mass building abilities. It has been said that these three compound movements result in the release of more growth hormone than any other bodybuilding movements. So, in other words, not only will you gain muscle in the areas you work through these movements, but also make overall gains thanks to them. Other than the three compound movements, exercises which work more than one muscle group together are among the best to include in your workout program. Some of these exercises are listed below:
Basic Exercises PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUP INVOLVED EXERCISE
Traps Upright Rows
Lats Chinups, Barbell Rows
Hamstrings Lunges, Lying Leg Curls
Quads Squats, Leg Presses
Chest Regular and Inlcine Bench Presses, Dips
Shoulders Militay Press, Dumbbell Presses
Triceps Close Grip Bench Presses
Biceps Standing Barbell Curls
Forearms Barbell Wrist Curls
Calves Standing Calf Raises
Abdominals Crunches, Hanging Leg Raises
Focus on Diet
Although overeating is not a good idea because of the gains in bodyfat that usually accompany it, in order to bulk up, eating above and beyond you usual calorie consumption is ncessary. A high calorie, high protein diet is a good bet to gain muscle mass if coupled with a consistent weight training schedule. Regardless of bodyweight, you should make it your goal to consume one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. As for numbers of meals per day, it is always said that more are better. Six meals a day is better than three because it gives your body a steady flow of nutrients during the day. It is also a lot easier for your body to digest food if consumed in smaller quantities. All of this means that you are better off from both a health and a bodybuilder's perspective to eat smaller meals more frequently during the day. If your diet is good, and you feel you will benefit from the use of supplements, feel free to include them. If you follow the directions and take supplements safely, they will provide you with even more success than diet alone. Post workout protein shakes are also a smart idea.
Remember Rest and Recuperation
This part is often neglected. It is extremely important that you wait until your muscles are fully recovered before working the same muscle group again. Simple tip: wait at least until your muscles are no longer sore before proceeding with another workout of the same muscle group. If your biceps are still sore by the time your next scheduled biceps training day rolls around, skip it. Soreness is a sign that your muscles have not fully recovered from your previous workout and mean that you should wait until they have before carrying on. Usually, the rule of thumb is that you should wait a minimum of 72 hours before working the same muscle group again. And don't forget to sleep! Try to get a good 8-10 hours of sleep a night. If you do so, combined with only working out when your muscles are ready, you should ensure quality muscle gains for the workouts ahead!
Following the simple rules above, as well as a positive attitude will help you achieve your bodybuilding goals. You can do it all with a little time and patience!
Here are some tips below which will help you to make good progress in the gym and ensure your gains are of the highest quality possible:
* Be patient
* Be consistent
* Focus on compound movements and basic exercises
* Focus on diet & nutrition
* Remember rest and recuperation
Be Patient
Many people who want to gain weight quickly will eat as much as they possibly can to gain as much muscle as possible. While all that food and protein may help to gain muscle, the fat gains that go along with it are not desired, and will hinder their ability to regain a cut condition in the future. Although it is certainly possible to go from a heavy bulk to cut up contest ready ripped condition, it has been empirically proven that it is a lot harder on the system to endure such massive weight changes. This can cause stress on the entire system, as well as difficulty regaining muscle mass quality. In general - Take it slow! Be patient and you can still maximize your genetic potential through eating an appropriate amount of food without gaining all the unwanted fat. Be patient and you will make gains you wouldn't have thought possible in no time.
Be Consistent
There are some times where it is very important that you don't train. Those times include when you are ill, injured, overtrained or experiencing too much stress in other areas of your life to be able to handle intensive training. Every now and then, a compassionate leave from bodybuilding may be needed for short periods of time. Also, taking a week off every now and then may even help you progress towards your goals faster than before. However, all of those reasons aside, you should make it a goal to get to the gym for every scheduled workout. Workouts missed for no good reason are a hindrance to bodybuilders goals.
Focus on Compound Movements and Basic Exercises
Why stray away from principles which have been proven effective time and time again? We all know some exercises work extremely well. The bench press, deadlift, and squats are three excellent examples of movements which have stood the test of time for their mass building abilities. It has been said that these three compound movements result in the release of more growth hormone than any other bodybuilding movements. So, in other words, not only will you gain muscle in the areas you work through these movements, but also make overall gains thanks to them. Other than the three compound movements, exercises which work more than one muscle group together are among the best to include in your workout program. Some of these exercises are listed below:
Basic Exercises PRIMARY MUSCLE GROUP INVOLVED EXERCISE
Traps Upright Rows
Lats Chinups, Barbell Rows
Hamstrings Lunges, Lying Leg Curls
Quads Squats, Leg Presses
Chest Regular and Inlcine Bench Presses, Dips
Shoulders Militay Press, Dumbbell Presses
Triceps Close Grip Bench Presses
Biceps Standing Barbell Curls
Forearms Barbell Wrist Curls
Calves Standing Calf Raises
Abdominals Crunches, Hanging Leg Raises
Focus on Diet
Although overeating is not a good idea because of the gains in bodyfat that usually accompany it, in order to bulk up, eating above and beyond you usual calorie consumption is ncessary. A high calorie, high protein diet is a good bet to gain muscle mass if coupled with a consistent weight training schedule. Regardless of bodyweight, you should make it your goal to consume one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. As for numbers of meals per day, it is always said that more are better. Six meals a day is better than three because it gives your body a steady flow of nutrients during the day. It is also a lot easier for your body to digest food if consumed in smaller quantities. All of this means that you are better off from both a health and a bodybuilder's perspective to eat smaller meals more frequently during the day. If your diet is good, and you feel you will benefit from the use of supplements, feel free to include them. If you follow the directions and take supplements safely, they will provide you with even more success than diet alone. Post workout protein shakes are also a smart idea.
Remember Rest and Recuperation
This part is often neglected. It is extremely important that you wait until your muscles are fully recovered before working the same muscle group again. Simple tip: wait at least until your muscles are no longer sore before proceeding with another workout of the same muscle group. If your biceps are still sore by the time your next scheduled biceps training day rolls around, skip it. Soreness is a sign that your muscles have not fully recovered from your previous workout and mean that you should wait until they have before carrying on. Usually, the rule of thumb is that you should wait a minimum of 72 hours before working the same muscle group again. And don't forget to sleep! Try to get a good 8-10 hours of sleep a night. If you do so, combined with only working out when your muscles are ready, you should ensure quality muscle gains for the workouts ahead!
Following the simple rules above, as well as a positive attitude will help you achieve your bodybuilding goals. You can do it all with a little time and patience!
Making the Most of Your Workouts - the Smart Way!
We all go to the gym for one reason and one reason alone - to lift...The end that is in mind for all this lifting is also the same for all of us: To grow. Without proper lifting and hard work in the gym, you won't grow. More importantly without proper nutrition you won't grow. But there are countless articles on nutrition here, so I try to stick with training mostly in this one. A few very simple tips can help you get the most of your workouts. I've listed them below and hope they help you develop your physique!
(1) Nutrition
Now first, very briefly, the most important part of your training: Good eating. It doesn't matter how hard you train or how good your genetics are, without proper nutrition you won't grow. Period. You will not complete a productive workout without proper nutrition, and later, you will find your own progress and muscle gains stalled as a result of it. You need fuel to be a successful bodybuilder, regardless of the level you take your training. Eat right - Be sure to check out our nutrition database to find out what kind of eating is important when it comes to working out - And good luck!
(2) Concentrate on Muscle Contraction
Don't be an ego lifter. There is no need for it really. In all honesty, for what little gain you get out of showing off that you can lift some heavy weights in the gym, the muscle and strength you could be gaining in the meantime will quickly make up for that. Rather than focusing on how much weight you can lift up and down for however many or few reps, focus on feeling the muscle at work being contracted during the lift in the entire range of motion. For example, if you are doing the barbell curl, feel as your biceps curl up at the top, as though you could not curl it any higher without your arm exploding. Focusing on lifting heavy weights without proper form is unproductive; you will not end up recruiting as many muscle fibers during the lift compared to when you are feeling the contraction through the proper range of motion. Aside from being unproductive, it can be dangerous. If you find yourself lifting heavy weights just for the sake of showing off, you run the risk of lifting more than you can handle and causing injury to yourself or others as a result. Be smart, be safe, and use an appropriate amount of weight, all the while - feeling that contraction the whole way.
(3) Use the Right Weight!
Although it may take some time and practice before you find out how much weight you can handle and for how many reps, etc, it is very important that you get the feel for how much weight you can handle. If you are using too much weight, as mentioned above, you will end up putting yourself in a dangerous position. Aside from that, if you use more weight than you can handle, you will end up using secondary muscle groups to assist you in the lift. For example, if you put too much weight on the bar for the barbell bench press exercise, you will end up using your shoulders to do some of the lifting - Obviously not the goal if you are on that bench to develop a big chest. On the other end of the scale, you don't want to be using weights which are too light, either. If you do so, you end up doing too many reps, which exceed the ideal range for bodybuilding resulting in less muscle size development in the end - And of course, you don't want that.
(4) Range of Motion
The full and proper range of motion for any bodybuilding exercise is also very important and must be stressed. For example, if you do not complete the full range of motion for a barbell curl, you run the risk of developing the lower portion of your biceps, while neglecting to put adequate stress on the upper portion resulting in a smaller biceps peak - And of course, you don't want this either. Partial Reps are beyond failure reps which intentionally avoid the entire range of motion because temporary muscular failure has set in, making it impossible to complete the full range of motion with perfect form. Although partial reps are fine in this circumstance, generally speaking, you want to go through the entire range of motion if you have the energy to do so. As always, you will see the most muscle size developed if this rule is adhered to.
(5) Workout Consistently Sure, you see that there are a lot of tips listed above, but the most important thing you can do for yourself is get yourself into the gym - period. If you find yourself focussing so much on proper form, and all of the little rules of bodybuilding that you want to quit the sport or take a break from it, then maybe you are working too hard. Never quit. Bodybuilding or any kind of exercise is without a doubt the single best thing you can do for yourself. Keep trying, and don't let the little things bother you. Focus on the big picture, and remember the basics - A, B and C. Never rewrite the rules and keep things as simple or as challenging as you can handle. Do it for yourself and no one else and you'll do just fine. Good luck!
Take care,
(1) Nutrition
Now first, very briefly, the most important part of your training: Good eating. It doesn't matter how hard you train or how good your genetics are, without proper nutrition you won't grow. Period. You will not complete a productive workout without proper nutrition, and later, you will find your own progress and muscle gains stalled as a result of it. You need fuel to be a successful bodybuilder, regardless of the level you take your training. Eat right - Be sure to check out our nutrition database to find out what kind of eating is important when it comes to working out - And good luck!
(2) Concentrate on Muscle Contraction
Don't be an ego lifter. There is no need for it really. In all honesty, for what little gain you get out of showing off that you can lift some heavy weights in the gym, the muscle and strength you could be gaining in the meantime will quickly make up for that. Rather than focusing on how much weight you can lift up and down for however many or few reps, focus on feeling the muscle at work being contracted during the lift in the entire range of motion. For example, if you are doing the barbell curl, feel as your biceps curl up at the top, as though you could not curl it any higher without your arm exploding. Focusing on lifting heavy weights without proper form is unproductive; you will not end up recruiting as many muscle fibers during the lift compared to when you are feeling the contraction through the proper range of motion. Aside from being unproductive, it can be dangerous. If you find yourself lifting heavy weights just for the sake of showing off, you run the risk of lifting more than you can handle and causing injury to yourself or others as a result. Be smart, be safe, and use an appropriate amount of weight, all the while - feeling that contraction the whole way.
(3) Use the Right Weight!
Although it may take some time and practice before you find out how much weight you can handle and for how many reps, etc, it is very important that you get the feel for how much weight you can handle. If you are using too much weight, as mentioned above, you will end up putting yourself in a dangerous position. Aside from that, if you use more weight than you can handle, you will end up using secondary muscle groups to assist you in the lift. For example, if you put too much weight on the bar for the barbell bench press exercise, you will end up using your shoulders to do some of the lifting - Obviously not the goal if you are on that bench to develop a big chest. On the other end of the scale, you don't want to be using weights which are too light, either. If you do so, you end up doing too many reps, which exceed the ideal range for bodybuilding resulting in less muscle size development in the end - And of course, you don't want that.
(4) Range of Motion
The full and proper range of motion for any bodybuilding exercise is also very important and must be stressed. For example, if you do not complete the full range of motion for a barbell curl, you run the risk of developing the lower portion of your biceps, while neglecting to put adequate stress on the upper portion resulting in a smaller biceps peak - And of course, you don't want this either. Partial Reps are beyond failure reps which intentionally avoid the entire range of motion because temporary muscular failure has set in, making it impossible to complete the full range of motion with perfect form. Although partial reps are fine in this circumstance, generally speaking, you want to go through the entire range of motion if you have the energy to do so. As always, you will see the most muscle size developed if this rule is adhered to.
(5) Workout Consistently Sure, you see that there are a lot of tips listed above, but the most important thing you can do for yourself is get yourself into the gym - period. If you find yourself focussing so much on proper form, and all of the little rules of bodybuilding that you want to quit the sport or take a break from it, then maybe you are working too hard. Never quit. Bodybuilding or any kind of exercise is without a doubt the single best thing you can do for yourself. Keep trying, and don't let the little things bother you. Focus on the big picture, and remember the basics - A, B and C. Never rewrite the rules and keep things as simple or as challenging as you can handle. Do it for yourself and no one else and you'll do just fine. Good luck!
Take care,
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