It’s far too easy to get carried away with creating a flawless exercise regime; one that will see you progressively pile on the muscle week by week, moulding you into a dream-like shape.
While there’s nothing wrong with precise workout planning, the only way you’ll get near your fitness goals is to look at diet—under a microscope. What we put in our mouth every day will determine whether we build muscle or lose fat.
Diet is that important. With that said, let’s look at some key tips to get you heading the right way.
Trying to follow the paths of your bodybuilding idols is not easy. They’ve built a career around sculpting themselves into shapes that are as close to perfection as possible.
Not only do these weightlifting masters have the know-how on physique; being in the public eye, they’ve learnt how to overcome the struggles of dressing well when you’re massive.
By the time they’ve had their pre-workout snacks and tied their laces, they’re dressed in a way that sparks confidence, and are set to attack the weights like only they know how.
So, what gear provides this polished look during training? And how do their sessions take them past a regular bodybuilding workout?
At some point, you’ve probably had a lecture about not drinking enough water. It’s highly likely that—somewhere in the back of your mind—you already know that this free-flowing substance is crucial for everyday well-being.
After all, the earth’s surface is mainly made of it, and so are our bodies. Despite water being readily available to most of us, the majority do not drink nearly enough of it.
Even experienced athletes and bodybuilders often lack knowledge on the importance hydration plays in performance, muscle building and fat loss. So how can this clear liquid help us to pile on the muscle?
Now that you’ve entered the realm of bodybuilding, you can see first-hand how demanding a task it is.
Putting your body through a torrent of soreness every week is testing at best. And having to forever be on top of a disciplined diet can overwhelm the mind. You’ll want to make sure the hard work is worth it.
To test if your weightlifting and diet are moving you forward, instead of those goals slipping away, you’ll need to track progression—the best way is to measure up.
Not only will you find out if you’re growing; measuring lets you see which muscle groups are shining, and highlights areas that need a step-up.
Bodybuilders have evolved enormously since they first stood on stage, and this moving of goalposts has meant the criteria upon which they are judged has developed accordingly.
Gone are the days where these giants were assessed on athletic ability or their public speaking skills and character. Today’s contests are a pure physical trial, where each athlete is scrutinized on the overall excellence of their muscular development.
But how are these highly competitive events judged? And what qualities do bodybuilders need to impress with on stage?
Perhaps you’ve just taken up a new sport but a scrawny frame makes competing tough, or maybe you’ve seen a bodybuilding contest and picture yourself posing in front of a crowd.
It could also be that you look in the mirror each day not liking the reflection. There are many reasons a person may turn to bodybuilding; whatever the motive, it comes down to the same principle—you want to build muscle.
The world of iron lifting can be daunting if you’re just starting, but get the basics right and you’ll be well-armed.
If you’ve spent countless years putting yourself through hell at the gym, you might be wanting to take things further and earn a genuine reward for all the muscle-tearing sessions.
Sure, you probably look and feel fantastic from your devotion to lifting weights and eating well; but for some, this isn’t enough. You’ve seen others prosper in this world of heavyweights and now you want a taste of the action.
A career in bodybuilding is your wish; you want that IFBB Pro card. But how do you go about getting it?