3 May 2009
Bodybuilding for the Beginner
Keep It General - Routines Come Later
Anyone
who wants to try bodybuilding should keep in mind
that it takes patience, perseverance and discipline
to stick to the sport. Almost
everyone
will make significant gains during the first few
weeks, followed by periods of stagnancy and
plateaus. There are some who quit because of
disappointment and the demands of maintains.
Here are some tips:
Setting goals
Before hitting the gym, outline your plan, goals and
objectives. Why do you want to body build? What do
you want to achieve with your body? How much are you
willing to invest? How much time can you allocate to
training each week? It is vital
to
set goals that are realistic, attainable and
time-bound.
Too many gym-goers quit during the first few months
because they set objectives that are difficult to
reach.
Experts recommend that you embark on a program that
you can effectively recover from, not one that you
can maximally do.
Start setting a sound budget plan to avoid
overspending. Some people consider getting a home
gym, but it is advised that you at least try
visiting and joining a club for a few months. You
may fall into the rut of buying exercise equipment
that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars which you
cannot use for more than a few weeks.
Compare a number of gyms then take into
consideration the availability of trainers,
equipment and other special amenities. You may
prefer a gym because of the package deals and
affordable membership rates. Calculate the amount of
time you can give each week to working out then
build your budget around it.
Beginners Must-Know
1. Keep it simple.
Start by training once or twice during the first
week. Lift light weights to get the feel of the
exercise and differentiate the movement and tension
between using free weights and machines. It is
recommended that you hire a trainer or instructor
during your first sessions to help you familiarize
the basic exercises.
Barbells are better than dumbbells for beginners
since your stronger arm may carry most of the load.
Barbells help you achieve balance and feel faster.
Eat basic food to get enough protein, carbohydrates,
fiber and essential fats instead of investing in
bodybuilding supplements right away.
2. Keep it short.
Every starter should remember that you gain muscle
when you rest and eat, not while working out. Your
initial workouts should not last more than 30 to 45
minutes. Start with a 5 to 10-minute warm-up and
stretching session and end by cooling down for
another 5 minutes.
Natural body builders should give their bodies
enough time to rest for muscles to grow. Going to
the gym frequently can lead to overtraining, thereby
hindering growth and progress. If you feel sore the
next day, you may take a full days rest before
hitting the gym again. Master the movement and tempo
of exercises before developing a routine.
More Basic Tips
The three main pillars of bodybuilding are
exercise, nutrition and rest. You should have enough
of all of these to gain quality muscle and maintain
it for the long term.
To help you stick to your planned regimen, try
looking for a training partner who has the same
goals and schedule so you can encourage each other
not to skip workouts and to maintain a healthy diet
and sleep pattern. Maintain a training log where you
chart your progress, weight changes and lift
adjustments.
Focus more on basic exercises or compound movements
that hit several muscles at the same time. Great
ones for starters include the squat, dead lift,
military press, bench press, bent-over row and
barbell curl. Do about 8 to 12 sets per workout.
Dividing body parts among different days of the week
and isolation exercises should be done only after
working out for several months and getting into the
intermediate level.
Do a light warm-up set before
moving on to 1 or 2 working sets. 8 to 12
repetitions per set should be enough, and avoid
continuing until muscle failure.
Never neglect any body part throughout the course of
your bodybuilding. Several beginners neglect legs
and calves by focusing entirely on the upper body,
then later on, regretting having lagging body parts.
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