Guide To Beginning Bodybuilding

Stick to Basic Compound Movements

The core of your routine should be made up of exercises that involve the use of a large mass of muscle and the movement of several joints. Those exercises stimulate a lot of muscle and cause your body to release anabolic hormones. That means stuff like Squats, Deadlifts, Bent-Over Rows, Bench Presses, Overhead Presses, Dips, Stiff-Legged Deadlifts and Chin-Ups. These are the ones that will make you grow. If you go filling your routine with single joint exercises such as Lateral Raises and Triceps Kickbacks (because you want to "isolate" this muscle or that) you will only be wasting your valuable time. Put hard work into the compound exercises, on the other hand, and you will be rewarded with the fastest muscle growth possible. And it's not just my experience that proves this, but the experience of thousands of weight trainers throughout the years.

Eat More Good, Nutritious Foods And High-Quality Protein

Weight Trainers need more protein than the normal individual. Each weight training session causes your muscles to be broken down and rebuilt a little stronger than they were before. If you want to progress at the fastest possible rate then you'll need a healthy dose of daily dietary protein to fuel this process. 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day has been shown many times to be an optimum amount. Be sure you get that much, day in, day out.

How do you do that? Eat lots of stuff like eggs, milk, beef, tuna, chicken, cheese, liver, etc. Essentially, if it comes from an animal it's good. Get yourself one of those protein counter booklets at the bookstore or supermarket and pick out some high protein, animal-based foods. Then use these to meet your protein quota. It would also be a good idea for you to buy a protein powder. That's an okay 'supplement', but remember this: There's nothing that protein powder is going to do for you that a steak couldn't do (and probably do better).

But the powder may allow you to mix up convenient shakes and it may turn out to be cheaper. Anything made from whey, milk and/or eggs will do fine.

You also need plenty of healthful fats, such as those found in fish and olive oil, to support and promote growth. You should eat plenty of carbs such as rice, vegetables and pasta, but avoid sugar and products laden with sugar. These 'good' carbs will give you energy to train and also provide your muscles with the energy they need to build yet more muscle.

Another thing, as soon as you get up eat a good breakfast. And that doesn't mean Pop-Tarts and Fruit Loops. Get some of the good carbs, proteins and fats that I spoke of above. After sleeping all night (and, therefore, not eating) your body needs nutrients to grow with. If you deny it that you will hamper your growth. Have some milk, eat some eggs, eat a steak if you want, but get some protein. Add a little oatmeal (it digests slowly and will hold you over until your next meal) and you have a good breakfast shaping up.

And eat some protein before you go to bed. Overnight your body will need protein, so give it some just before you go to sleep. It could be some meat, some cheese, a few hard-boiled eggs or something else solid. Solid proteins, generally, take longer to digest than liquids, giving a steady supply of amino acids to your body - so use them.

If you skimp on your nutrition you will cancel ALL of the growth that you stimulated in the gym. Yes, nutrition is THAT IMPORTANT.

Get A Good Amount of Sleep

Most beginner's don't realize this but let me assure you, sleep is just as important as training and nutrition when it comes to muscle growth. DON'T just skip over this rule and think it isn't that important. Critical repairs are made to the body and nervous system when you sleep. If you skimp on your sleep then you won't recover from your workouts properly and your nervous system won't fire your muscles optimally. Sleep deprivation results in reduced glucose sensitivity of the muscle cells and higher resting cortisol levels. There are reasons why training, nutrition and sleep are considered to be the 'big three' keys to weight training success. PLEASE, treat good, sound sleep as a full ingredient of your weight training program.

Limit Your Workouts To One hour

There are plenty of 'technical' reasons for that but this is not the place to get deeply into it. Let's just say that it's not necessary. Weight training is not an endurance event. If you want endurance go for a jog.

Don't Train More Often Than Three Days Per Week

"But Ronnie Coleman trains 6 times", I can hear you saying. Unless you are very genetically gifted, you do not have the hormone levels to train that often and progress maximally. It's true that some advanced drug-free athletes can train 5-6 times per week but those routines are NOT appropriate for you at this stage. Generally, drug-free strength athletes make their best gains when they spend more days out of the gym than in. Don't believe me? Hey, it's your life, do what you want - but if you don't listen to this you'll regret it. I've been there.

There's no need to train more than 3 days per week at first. Genetically gifted people will just progress faster on that 3-day program. So, if you are genetically gifted, a 3 day per week training program won't hold you back. But if you are not it might make the difference between some gains and no gains.

When you get more advanced you might end up adopting longer routines (though not necessarily), but, for now, anything over an hour means you're loafing around too much or you're doing more work than a beginner's body is likely able to tolerate.

Strive For Perfect Exercise Form

Cheating your reps builds nothing but ego - not muscle. If you have to cheat that means the weight's too heavy for you to lift properly. Cheating does not make a muscle contract harder because you can use heavier weights. A muscle can contract only so hard and that's that. All cheating does is bring other muscles into the movement so that you can use more weight - that's not how to effectively train a muscle. Besides, cheating can be DANGEROUS. Proper form is safe. When you start deviating from proper form you open the door for a potentially serious injury. Even minor injuries can cause you to miss workouts - and that's certainly not an effective way to gain muscle.

Ignore The Guy Next To You

This rule ties in closely with the rule before this but isn't quite the same. Here it is: Don't be insecure. If you're lifting this puny little weight and he's lifting 5 times that amount (or even 100 times) WHO CARES! He's not you, you're not him. Don't start cheating so you can use more weight. If he's using bad form and cheating a lot then that's his mistake. Remember the tortoise and the hare. If you work hard enough, long enough, and never, never, ever quit, you'll get there too - and with proper form.

You have to swallow your ego. I had been training for almost 15 years when I decided to learn the Olympic-style Lifts (the Snatch and Clean and Jerk). I had to go from Squatting 445 pounds to Snatching 65. Do you know how foolish that made me feel (and look). Remember, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Do what's right for your body, not your ego. HAVE PATIENCE!

Genetics Do Make A Difference - But WHO CARES!

Some people will progress much faster than others. Some people will grow into solid chunks of muscle within a few months, while others will have to work for years to get half the gains. I've seen it a thousand times. And it's not just training routine design, effort, desire or diet. If these things were all equal it would still happen. But there's nothing you can do about it - so GET OVER IT. You can only work with what you've got, so do that. I've seen some very genetically gifted people come into the gym and pass my strength and muscle level within 6 months of steady training - and I've been doing this for over 12 years - but I lived. And I'll be in the gym again tomorrow.

Avoid Those Exercise Machines

That means no Shoulder Press machines, Cable Curls, Pec Decks, Biceps machines, etc. If you want to build the most muscle possible, as fast as possible then you will have to lift free weights. Oh sure, there are all kinds of so-called 'scientific' arguments why the machines are better, but, believe me, there are also a lot more sound scientific reasons why free weights are. And I have one reason for you right now: If you spend your time on those machines you will SEVERLY limit your progress. Reason enough for you? I spent YEARS wasting my time - and so have countless others. Don't become one of those people who hits yourself in the head a little (or long) ways down the road and says, "Why didn't I do the free weights in the first place? Look at the time I've wasted!"

Naveen Kumar is the author related to http://Terepharmacy.com is a Online Pharmacy for Anabolic Steroids, Weight Loss Pill, Deca Durabolin, Deca, Sustanon, Hair Loss Pill, anavar, winstrol depot.

Natural Bodybuilding

You've seen the pictures in bodybuilding magazine. Photos of men and women with so many muscles, they hardly look like men and women anymore. Of course it's natural to want to work out and feel your best, but there's certainly nothing natural about the state of these individuals.

If you wish to take up bodybuilding, but would prefer a natural approach, there are options available to you. Finding the best bodybuilding program for you is of the utmost importance. Before you commit to any kind of bodybuilding, you need to do your homework and find out as much as you can about the various types and aspects. Natural bodybuilding is a great alternative that's growing in popularity.

The obvious side effects of steroid use have many people turning to natural bodybuilding. This alternative program does not allow steroid use, or any kind of bodybuilding supplements that can potentially harm your system and case irreparable damage to your body. With natural bodybuilding, everything you take is derived from natural products.

Natural bodybuilding is effective. In fact, it's so effective that there are natural bodybuilding competitions all over the country, with more happening every year. The natural bodybuilding program is gaining in popularity, because it only makes sense to keep your body healthy while you're trying to get healthy. So many other competitions put the health of the competitors behind their overall appearance.

With natural bodybuilding, you will keep your body working the way it should be, while still packing on the muscle.

Search online for natural bodybuilding trainers, clubs, programs and championships. A good selection of natural body building supplements and vitamins, formulated to help increase energy and retain vitality, are available in stores and on the Internet. Check with your doctor and decide which of these products can enhance your natural bodybuilding routine.

Begin your natural bodybuilding regime today, and be healthy while you get healthy.

Charles Jackson is a writer for several well-known web sites, on recreation and sports and hobbies and recreation topics.

The Bodybuilding Vegetarian

Surprisingly, being a vegetarian bodybuilder isn?t really as difficult as many people automatically assume it is. In some ways it may be easier because adhering to a real vegetarian diet takes a lot of focus and discipline, two things that will greatly help you in the gym.

First, we should define our terms because there are three basic groups of people who consider themselves ?vegetarians.? I refer to these three groups as pseudo-vegetarians, meat vegetarians and vegetarians. The pseudo vegetarian avoids beef, chicken and poultry but will sometimes eat fish and has no problem with other animal products. A meat vegetarian avoids all meat. A vegetarian avoids any foods (or products in general) that contain any amount of animal product.

This article is aimed directly at the true vegetarians, who avoid all animal products. The meat-vegetarians and pseudo-vegetarians will gain useful information as well, but true vegetarians have very specialized needs during bodybuilding.

Since there is no difference in biological manner in which a vegetarian and a carnivore actually build muscles, we don?t need to go into any specific exercise differences. Instead, we?ll be focusing on dietary issues.

The first challenge goes back to the way muscles build in our bodies. We exercise our muscles, which does microscopic damage to the tissue and then our bodies repair the damage with bigger and stronger tissue while we recuperate. To effectively do this, our bodies need to use protein in massive amounts, which is why bodybuilders increase their protein intake.

Vegetarians face a challenge here because the most common source of protein is meat. Okay, so it?s not actually that much of a challenge. According to the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score, soy is equal to whey and superior to beef in protein content. Soy provides all 8 essential amino acids required by your body for growing and repairing muscles. Vegetarians would be well-advised to consider soy as a primary protein source.

The really good news is that soy is also a fantastic source of glutamine which many bodybuilders already take in supplemental form. Soy is available in many different forms such as tofu, miso, soy powder and soy milk. Soy milk is definitely something to have on hand as it can be used to replace cow?s milk in recipes, which will help expand your basic food options.

Almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pistachio nuts are all excellent sources of both protein and fat; the vegetarian needs to work on getting enough good fats as well, so with the above examples you can go nuts?was that a pun?

You can also add a tablespoon or so of flaxseed oil, as flax seed is one of the very best sources for the essential fatty acid alpha linolenic acid.

Finally, vegetarians need to ensure that they get enough vitamins and minerals. This can be done in multivitamin form although most of the meal-replacement shakes which are so popular among bodybuilders already contain vitamins and minerals galore. The only additional vitamin to look for is B12, which is generally an animal product based vitamin.

Like I said in the beginning, it isn?t nearly as hard to be a vegetarian bodybuilder as many people would think. You?ve got the discipline part down and, by following the guidelines listed above, you will be set up nutritionally to build massive amounts of muscle!

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for MuscleProgram.com - a site dedicated to helping people build muscle and get fit. If you're interested in reading more about vegetarian bodybuilding, and healthy ways to gain muscle mass, then visit us.

Finding Great Inexpensive Sources For Bodybuilding Supplements Online

In today's society, many people are conscious about how they look. It is a fact that having a muscular body means that you will be more attractive to look at and will have more self confidence. Having a body that you can be proud of can build self-confidence and people will be intimidated with your body. Besides, having a muscular body is better than having a thin and puny looking body. It is also better than having those extra padding in your body that many people call as "love handles" or "beer belly".

A muscular body also means a healthy body and with today's health conscious society, you have to consider getting a great looking body and also a healthy heart. So, if you want to have a great looking and muscular body that looks like WWE's superstar John Cena, or a body like those of Hollywood star Vin Diesel's, you should turn off that TV, get off your La-Z-Boy and visit the gym or, if you can afford it, purchase body building equipments to build a personal home gym.

Building that body you want will require you to have great discipline in terms of workout routines and diet. It will also require you taking dietary body building supplements in order to achieve your maximum performance in your body building routines. Today, there are quite a lot of body building supplements available in the market. You have to consider that body building requires intensive workout routines and will cause significant injuries in your muscles. This is why you should know how to do proper workout by hiring a professional body building fitness trainer to assist you in your routines.

Body building supplements is also recommended in order for you to achieve maximum performance for your body. These supplements work by aiding your body and muscles to reach its maximum potential and help repair injured or damaged muscle tissues faster. You have to know that body building supplements cannot work on its own. It doesn?t mean that you can take body building supplements and simply relax and watch your favorite TV show in your comfortable recliner and wait for your muscles to grow. This is not how body building supplements work. You still need to workout hard. As mentioned before, the body supplements you will take will only help your body reach its maximum potential.

However, you have to consider that some body building supplements can be hard to find. Thanks to the advancement in communications technology, you will have access to different kinds of legal body building supplements available in the market today. Body building supplements manufacturers are now making their products available online where you can choose from a wide variety of body building supplements at a very affordable cost.

You have to consider that retailers tend to increase the price of body building supplements because of its growing demand. By ordering it online, you will be able to get the body building supplements you need at a very affordable cost.

However, before you just purchase any body building supplements you see, you have to consult your professional body building fitness trainers about what particular body building supplement you should purchase and what effective brand is available.

These are the things you have to know about body building supplements. By knowing what kind of brand to purchase and also what kind of body building supplements, you will be able to achieve great and visible results in your body at a very short time.

For more great information and resources check out Body Building Routines and Supplements here. Check out our Free Body Building Routines Guide

What to Look For in a Home Gym

In purchasing a home gym, you first need to pay attention to the various home gym equipments that is out there. Look closely into the equipment that you are going to purchase and check if it answers your needs of adequate and various exercises in just a single machine. Make sure that you are able to do those exercises without having too much strain on your muscles.

Check to see if there is enough attachments that are going to keep you busy for the thirty plus minutes that you are going to work out for. Also check if the machine that you have seen in the store is small enough to fit in the room that you plan to work out in or would you need to find somewhere else to put it. It is always a good idea to make sure that you can put any equipment that you are going to purchase in the area that you will feel most comfortable doing the workout at.

You should also check to see if there is a way to oil any necessary part of that home gym equipment to ensure that it will outlast what you actually will need it for. Make sure that all the nuts and bolts are covered to save ankles and feet, but yet that you are capable of getting to them so you can safely make sure that they are tight so that there is none falling out in a middle of a workout on you.

You also need to look at the price of the home gym equipment to make sure that you can afford it with out putting yourself in too much debt. It would not be good that you had to set it aside or see someone else use it more than you because you are just too exhausted to use it from work all the time. Just know what you are looking for and go for it don't let too much stop you from getting what you want to make your life better and less stressful.

Callie Armstrong is a writer for http://www.allergyhero.com/. Her insights on dieting, exercise and health can be read at http://www.body4beach.com/

Equipping The Bowflex Home Gym

The Bowflex fitness machine takes care of most exercise, strength training and overall fitness training. It replaces most of the gym equipment found at the local gyms today and makes it easier to get an almost total workout using only one machine. You can perform a fitness routine on a Bowflex at home just as if you were at the local gym and using all of the gym equipment there.

Still, there are a few pieces of fitness equipment that you may need in your home-based gym to supplement the workout you get from your Bowflex.

Health care professionals almost always say that walking an hour a day, combined with eating a healthy diet, is one of the best things a person can do for cardiovascular or heart health. A treadmill is helps with cardio fitness and compliments a Bowflex fitness machine if walking outside is not an option. Treadmills come in many different styles, but a simple treadmill can be used effectively with your regular Bowflex workouts and fitness routines.

Other Possible Items for Your Home Gym

Upright, stationary bikes are smaller pieces of gym equipment that take up much less room in a workout area than a treadmill. This is a great choice if your space is limited. Upright bikes are often used in place of treadmills for the cardiovascular fitness routines that are needed for a well-balanced workout.

Medicine balls help with endurance and joint integrity that may hinder and stop a full and complete workout on a Bowflex. Medicine balls are not really considered a necessity for the home gym setup, but in the long run they are very useful. They help with arthritis and other signs of aging.

Hand grippers are a handy little piece of gym equipment that works on improving hand strength while toning and building bigger forearms. They can help prevent any accidents on a Bowflex due to a weak grip.

Fitness balls help tone and shape the muscles that help make a body more flexible. Aerobic exercise equipment such as fitness bands and cords also help with flexibility and give the consumer a great alternative to using weights. They can also help intensify the muscle building exercises on the Bowflex.

A balance disc helps with core body development and training with balance. The balance disc can be adjusted by deflating it or giving it more air for a customized work out.

Most of the Bowflex fitness machines do not come with all the proper cardiovascular or fitness workout attachments to get a complete, well-rounded workout and fitness routine. They do cover almost all of the gym equipment that would be used for strength training and circuit training for muscle building and toning of the legs, arms, chest and abdominals.

The Bowflex fitness machine should not be the only piece of exercise equipment in the home, if there is room in the workout area. It lacks the cardiovascular aspect of a total workout that a well-rounded fitness routine needs. At the least, a treadmill or stationary bike should definitely accompany the Bowflex in your home gym.

Robert Henry is a successful Webmaster and publisher of justfitnessgym.com. He provides more fitness exercise articles and information on bowflex equipment that you can research at the above site.