So You Think You Have What It Takes To Become a Body Builder?

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Have you always fancied yourself as a bodybuilder? It’s certainly a great way to get into shape and build up plenty of muscle, plus it will definitely help you build up some body confidence! It’s great once you’ve been doing it for a few months and have made some progress but it is one sport that can be quite intimidating to beginners. Taking up a new exercise or fitness regime can be difficult and nerve wracking at first, but bodybuilding is especially so as you will be surrounded by so many big, burly men!

Don’t worry, though, you shouldn’t be put off from bodybuilding. As long as you know the basics before you start, you will find that it can actually be a very easy sport to get into. Here are some useful tips that can help you get started.

Don’t Start With Machines

When you step into the gym, you will probably be dazzled by all the different weight-lifting machines there are. However, it’s best if you leave these until you have built up a bit more muscle mass and perfected your form. Before you can move onto machines, you need to make sure you have created a good foundation for your body building. And you can do that by focusing on free weights, such as dumbbells and barbells. After a few months of perfecting your technique with these free weights, you should be able to move onto the machines.

Come Up With A Training Programme

If you simply turn up to the gym everyday and do things that suit you, you won’t make any progress at all. You need to have a focused programme that can effectively help you improve. If you are just starting out, you will probably benefit from working closely with a personal trainer to help you create a routine that fits around your needs and other commitments. He or she will also be able to set goals for you that you can work towards in an attempt to reach your overall target. Once you have a training programme in place, it is super important that you stick to it.

Aim For Eight To Twelve Reps

There is no way you will be able to lift the heavier weights on day one of your bodybuilding training, no matter how hard you push yourself. Even if you are able to, you really shouldn’t as it could cause an injury. When you aren’t working at such a heavy weight, you can afford to do more reps. And increasing your rep count to around eight to twelve can help you build up some muscle mass and strength. You will also notice that your muscle definition develops quickly at this rep count. As soon as you start to increase your weight or changing the types of lifts you do, you will need to bring this countdown.

Get The Right Clothing

It’s important that you have the right bodybuilding clothing before you start any workout. Ideally, you need to wear shorts and t-shirts that are loose-fitting as this can really help your body move better while you are lifting weights. If you have weak knees, you might also benefit from wearing knee braces so that your joints don’t pop out while you’re lifting!

Always Stretch

Lots of beginners don’t bother stretching in their workouts. However, this is a huge mistake as not stretching can cause some very painful injuries and muscle strains. Before you start lifting, you will need to warm up so that your muscles are warm and supple before you start. To warm up, you should get your body moving so that your pulse starts to raise. Some jogging on the spot and slow shoulder circles should help. Just make sure you don’t stretch cold muscles before you start as this can also cause an injury. You should save your stretches for the end of your workout to help you cool down. Try to fit in about ten minutes of stretching after your workout.

Eat Plenty Of Protein

One of the main reasons people start training as a bodybuilder is that they want to build muscle. It’s true that lifting weights can help you achieve this but you also need to start including plenty of protein into your diet as well. You should try and eat one gram of protein for every pound of body weight. Once you start to get the required amount of protein in your diet, you will start to see some amazing results! You can find protein in meat, nuts, and dairy and fish. Struggling to get enough in your diet? Why not mix up a tasty protein shake!

Don’t Forget About Cardio

You can’t just do weightlifting on its own. If you do, you will eventually come to a plateau and won’t see any improvement after a while. You need to make sure you are doing some cardio training as well! Some people will tell you that you need to do a cardio workout before you hit the weights, but that isn’t true at all. In actual fact, you body will be at more of an advantage of you do your cardio after lifting weights. Even better, do your cardio in a completely different session from your weights. Your body will need most of its energy for lifting all of those heavy weights. If you do some cardio beforehand, you will find that there is very little energy leftover for bodybuilding! Moderate cardio doesn’t require quite as much energy, and your body can rely on the energy from its fat stores. When you are lifting weights, this isn’t possible.

Consider Yourself An Athlete

If you think like an athlete, you will act like an athlete! And once you act like you are an athlete, you will cut back on all the vices that make it a lot harder to get fit, like smoking and drinking alcohol. So, if you are in this for the long run, it’s time to start thinking like an athlete!

Enjoy your training!