5 Tips for Bodybuilding Beginners

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If you’ve been meaning to get started with bodybuilding but couldn’t quite get into it, this article is for you.

First and foremost, you have to know that succeeding in your bodybuilding goals actually depends on several factors – your diet, your workout, and your attitude. Eating right is very important not only before and after your training but even throughout the course of the day. Next, having a workout plan is also a must. It is a common saying among muscle buffs that “going to the gym without a plan is pretty similar to going to the grocery store without a list.” Your workout program should be based on your physical capacity and what type of muscles you want to build. Finally, your attitude will determine your altitude. Having determination is one of the keys that lead towards successful muscle building. It requires hard work, patience, and perseverance. There are lifestyle changes you should be willing to make if you seriously want to transform your body into something greater than what you currently have.  

To help you begin in the right direction, here are some practical tips you should keep in mind:

Solid Muscle Foundation

Walking into a gym, it can be pretty tempting to try out each of the interesting equipment they have there. This is actually not advisable since your initial goal should be to establish a solid muscle foundation first. As a newbie, it’s actually better to begin with dumbbells and barbells.    

Limit the Exercises

The same can be said when it comes to exercises. You really have to limit the exercises you perform during your workout time. Barbell bench presses, deadlifts, military shoulder presses, and squats are highly recommended for beginners. Do not attempt to do all exercises you read on magazines or fitness websites.  

Stick To Your Plan

As mentioned above, having a program in mind is necessary as you start training. Again, your plan should be personalized to your physical needs and conditions. Consulting with a personal trainer is recommended.  

Workout Frequency

Once that your program is already in place, do not try to strain yourself by training every single day. Remember that you are a beginner and experts would confirm that you need at least 3 or 4 workouts every week. The remaining days should be used to help your muscles recover and rest.

Eat Right

Consuming protein-rich foods is crucial because it helps you build muscle mass. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Stay away from junk foods. Read this page to learn about the best bodybuilding supplements and take them regularly.

By doing these simple suggestions, you will be able to grow your muscles in no time.

Relevant Links:

Getting Started - Bodybuilding for Beginners (bodybuilding.about.com)

Bodybuilding Basic Principles (bodybuilding.com)

Spotting a Bad Workout Supplement

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The workout supplement industry is considered by non-users as one big scam. They argue that all you need to get results is diligent trips to the gym and a eating the right foods at the right time. This is true, but this is exactly why supplements are called as such: they supplement whatever it is that you take. Protein can be found in chicken, for instance, but eating too much chicken just for additional protein can be counterproductive; hence protein supplements. While there are a lot of good supplements out there, there are still bad apples in the basket.

How do you spot the bad ones? The first thing you can do is to do some research. Most of the bad ones often have banned substances. Anything you come across with that contain steroids should be avoided like a sprinting zombie. It's also worth noting that some specific brands have been "reworked." Jack3d and OxyElite, for instance, were pulled from shelves for containing a potentially lethal substance. These have been since reworked and put back into the market. Just make sure you pick the second incarnation of these said products if there's any.

One good example is Mesomorph, which had a loyal following. Its manufacturers took out one component and renamed it Mesomorph 2.0. If you encounter one without the "2.0," it might be better to stay away from it. Acai berries are the same thing. They had bad rep because of false advertising, but it does have its advantages.

Sometimes, it's not the harmful ingredients that make the supplement bad. It's often what they mix into it that dilutes its quality. As a good rule of thumb, it is best to find supplements that have minimal ingredients. For instance, there are different types of creatine supplements. If a product that's branded to be a creatine supplement but has too much of other stuff in it, it may not be worth the purchase if you're strictly going for creatine.

At this point, you may already figure out that the secret is to look at the nutritional label on each product. Always do that and familiarize yourself with what these ingredients do. If you find an ingredient that you have not heard of before, it's probably because it isn't useful; or worse, harmful to your health. There are a lot of interchangeable terms when it comes to supplement ingredients, but if you find one that you can't pronounce, chances are it's made up or it is a questionable component of the product. Better stay away from those.

Related Links:

5 Olympic Athletes Share Their Workout Secrets (webmd.com)

7 New Weight Loss Supplements With Top Scientific Ratings (forbes.com)

How to Choose Your Workout Supplement

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Proper exercise and a healthy diet is enough to build muscles. For someone in a hurry, however, the results can take forever to be noticed. This is especially true if one feels like working out is a chore and not a goal-oriented affair. If it is faster results you need, the answer is simple: work out more. The problem is that we have different body types and different levels of endurance. This is where supplements come in: to give us a boost with our gym trips.

How do you choose your pre workout supplement? The first thing you're going to need is information. You will want to know what a supplement is then determine what kind of supplement you need. There are pre workout supplements, post workout supplements, weight loss supplements, and more. It's important to know what you need. For instance, a protein powder and creatine combination is a staple in bodybuilding as it gives the best results in building mass. If you just want to be in shape and lose some pounds, you don't really need them.

Once you've determined the supplements you want, check various products and find some reviews for them. If you want real reviews, visit various bodybuilding forums. This way, you'll know if a review is a paid one or not, as various forum members will call it out if it is. For instance, APS Mesomorph 2.0 has pretty fair reviews on NutritionWarehouse's webpage, but forum reviews often still call out side effects that may or may not be experienced by first time users.

This is actually the next step in the process. Once you've chosen the supplement and have reviewed the reviews, you should then start looking for possible side effects. This shouldn't put you off of using supplements. Almost every supplement has a side effect. For instance, most pre workout supplements that contain beta alanine will come with a prickly or tingling sensation. This is viewed by most bodybuilders as a sign that the supplement is working as it should be. However, this can turn into a full-blown itchiness if you take too high of a dose.

Most supplement side effects can be circumvented. It's also the same with creatine, which works by fueling your muscles with whatever water reserves your body has. This leads to dizziness, headaches, and other symptoms that lead to one thing: dehydration. Should you find yourself using creatine, be sure to take a lot of water with it.

Finally, for the best experience, seek advice from a nutritionist or physician. They should be able to tell you what supplements are good and which ones are bad. Once you get the green light from them, knock yourself out.

Related Links:

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (webmd.com)

Nutritional Supplements Flexing Muscles As Growth Industry (forbes.com)

Creatine Supplements – The Good and Bad

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The most popular bodybuilding supplements often include protein powders, BCAA, and creatine. Ask any experienced bodybuilder and you'll find that they have used creatine at one point or another. Most times, they're still using it. The reason is simple. Our body is about seventy percent water, and this includes the muscles. Creatine reroutes most of our water to the muscles, making building mass a lot quicker.

As with every supplement or any old medicinal product, there are pros and there are cons. Here are a few related to creatine.

The Good

The good thing about creatine is the fact that it's backed up by science.  This is in sharp contrast to other supplements, such as acai berry which has a reputation of a weight-loss scam product despite having a ton of benefits that may or may not have anything to do with weight-loss.

When taken as bodybuilding supplements, science shows no evidence of adverse effects. This, of course, comes with a fine print. For one, creatine intake is a two to three-step process, which you have to follow for the best results. One of these processes involve what's called "cycling off," meaning you have to stop taking creatine for a few days or weeks while you work on those muscles. Another "fine print" involves people with kidney problems, which should not take creatine under any circumstances.

Another good thing about creatine is that it gives a performance boost in the gym. When taking creatine, you will feel a lot stronger and endure a lot longer. By incorporating creatine in your bodybuilding plans, you get to work out more. This allows for quicker results.

The Bad

While creatine is proven effective, there are a lot of ground rules to follow. For one, since creatine redirects all the water to your muscles, you will be in danger of getting dehydrated. When taking creatine, you need to drink lots of water. Another bad thing about creatine is that its users sometimes have psychological attachments to it.

This is often true when the user is in the cycling off period. The sudden ceasing of creatine intake leads to lower energy levels and unenhanced gym performance, dealing a blow to the bodybuilder's morale. It's not a withdrawal phase, really. It's more of a "I miss it" feeling.

Finally, effective as creatine is, there are just some people who take no benefit from them. They refer to themselves as "non-responders." If this happens, there are a  few alternatives. However, it's worth noting that these alternatives may not be as good as creatine and may have side effects. So do your research thoroughly before getting one.

To sum it up, creatine is one of the best bodybuilding supplements out there. It allows for the best results to be noticeable in the shortest possible time. As long as you're not unlucky enough to be a non-responder, you'll be fine.

Related Links:

After Losing 83 Pounds, Kristin Griffin Is Training For A Figure Competition (huffingtonpost.com)

Is creatine a safe supplement? (edition.cnn.com)

Building Muscles Right at Home

There are people whose aim is to get bulky or build their muscles. They’re willing to spend long hours in the gym and perform backbreaking exercises just to achieve a muscular physique. Now what if you have the same goal but just don’t have time to go to the gym because of your hectic daily schedule? Does that mean your dream of getting beefy will never become a reality?

Well, who says you can only beef up in the gym? If the only time you can squeeze in each day for working out is the time the gyms are closed, then you can do your muscle-building routines at home. The next question then would be, what if you don’t have all the fancy equipment you can find in most gyms? You can actually still work out without getting all those muscle-building apparatuses.   

Muscle-Building Principles

To build muscles, there are 2 fundamental principles that are required. The first is applying progressive overload in an environment that can stimulate growth. This means that for one to get stronger, you should come up with an intelligently designed workout routine. The second principle is to have a nutritious diet that’s capable of supporting muscle growth, which means consuming big amounts of calories and protein.

The Tools You Need

You’re probably beginning to ask now how in the world you’ll be able to build muscles without the necessary tools. Well, all that equipment doesn’t necessarily build muscles; it’s just the better equipment to get the job done. Truth be told, the tools and toys in the gym are still the best and most efficient equipment to bulk up. However, you can substitute these tools with things you can find in your house (e.g. those you can find in your toolbox).

Use Your Own Body as a Tool

You may not realize it, but if there’s one piece of equipment you can use to build muscles, it’s actually your own body, specifically your body weight. If you’re creative and imaginative enough, you can perform all sorts of exercises to get a muscular figure. Among the many exercises you can do are things as basic as pushups and pull-ups (and their many variations), lunges and squats to something as challenging as pistol squats and even body weight bicep curls and triceps extensions.

Finally, make sure you eat foods that help in facilitating muscle-building. Things like eggs, nuts, cottage cheese (with live cultures), chickpeas, and lean beef should be in your diet. Of course, don’t forget protein shakes, which is the cornerstone for any muscle-building program (you can find protein powders like 100 Whey Gold Standard at NutritionWarehouse).

So, don’t have time to work out in the gym? Get those big and strong muscles right at home!