There is so much conflicting information out there on the topic of bodybuilding that it can sometimes be very difficult to know where to start. If you're an average beginner looking for some basic guidelines to follow in the gym, the following 8 points will get you on the right track.
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There is so much conflicting information out there on the topic of bodybuilding that it can sometimes be very difficult to know where to start. If you're an average beginner looking for some basic guidelines to follow in the gym, the following 8 points will get you on the right track.
1) Train with weights and focus on free-weight compound movements.
If you want to make solid, noticeable gains in muscle size and strength, you definitely need to train with free weights and focus on basic compound exercises. A compound exercise is a movement that stimulates more than one muscle group at a time. These include, for example, the squat, deadlift, bench press, chin raise, dumbbell row, bench press, dip and lunge. Compound movements allow you to handle the greatest amount of weight and will stimulate the greatest number of total muscle fibers.
2) Be prepared to train hard.
One of the biggest factors that separates those who make modest gains from those who make large gains is their level of training intensity. To stimulate your muscle fibers to their maximum potential, you must be willing to push each set you perform in the gym to the point of muscular failure.
Muscle failure: The point at which no further repetitions can be performed using correct form.
Submaximal training intensity will give you submaximal results, period.
3) Track your progress at the gym from week to week.
Our body builds muscle as a result of an adaptive response to the environment. When you go to the gym, you break down your muscle fibers by training with weights. Your body senses this as a potential threat to its survival and responds accordingly by rebuilding the damaged fibers larger and stronger to protect against any possible future threats. Therefore, to continually gain muscle size and strength, you should always strive to progress in the gym from week to week. This may involve performing 1 or 2 additional reps for each exercise or adding weight to the bar. Keep a detailed training log to track your progress as your strength increases over time.
4) Avoid overtraining.
Overtraining is your number one enemy when it comes to building muscle size and strength. When most people begin a workout program, they have the misconception that more is better. They naturally assume that the more time they spend in the gym, the better results they will achieve. When it comes to building muscle, nothing could be further from the truth! If you spend too much time in the gym, you will move further away from your goals instead of closer to them. Remember that your muscles don't grow in the gym, but outside of it, while you rest and eat. Recovery is absolutely vital to the muscle growth process. If you don't give your body the necessary recovery time between workouts, your muscles will never have the chance to grow.
5) Eat more frequently.
The main area where most people fail miserably in their muscle building mission is in nutrition. Weight training is only half the equation! You break down your muscle fibers in the gym, but if you don't provide your body with the right nutrients at the right times, the muscle growth process will be virtually impossible. You should eat between 5 and 7 meals per day, spaced 2 to 3 hours apart, in order to keep your body in an anabolic, muscle-building state at all times. Each meal should consist of high-quality proteins and complex carbohydrates.
6) Increase your protein intake.
Of the three main nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat), protein is undoubtedly the most important for those looking to gain muscle size and strength. Proteins are found in each of the 30 trillion cells in your body and their primary role is to build and repair body tissues. Without sufficient protein intake, it will be physically impossible for your body to synthesize a significant amount of lean muscle mass. If your body were a house, think of proteins as the bricks. A general guideline is to consume 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day from high-quality sources such as fish, poultry, eggs, beef, milk, peanut butter and white cheese.
7) Increase your water intake.
If you want a simple, easy and highly effective way to maximize your muscle gains, drinking more water is the solution. Water plays many vital roles in the body and its importance cannot be overstated. In fact, your muscles are 70% water! Not only will drinking more water make your muscles larger and more vascular, it will also increase your strength. Research has shown that just a 3-4% drop in your body's water level can have a 10-20% impact on muscle contractions! For optimal gains, aim for an intake of 0.6 ounces per pound of body weight each day.
8) Be consistent!
Consistency is essential. The people who make the greatest progress in muscle size and strength are those who are able to perform the proper techniques on a very consistent basis. Knowing is not enough, you have to apply!
Building muscle is the result of the cumulative effect of small steps. Of course, performing one extra repetition on your bench press won't make a huge difference in your overall results, nor will consuming just one meal. However, in the long run, all those extra reps you perform and all those small meals you eat will determine your overall success. If you work hard and complete all of your bodybuilding tasks consistently, all of these individual steps will result in massive gains in overall size and strength.
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