5 Great Ways To Get Into Bodybuilding

You have decided that you want to get into bodybuilding, but you’re unsure about the whole process. You want the ‘ripped’ look but don’t quite know the difference between a curl and a quad and you don’t know your protein from your carbohydrates. This article will help anyone thinking or even exploring the idea of bodybuilding.

The basics – bodybuilding in terms of weight training causes small tears to occur to the muscles being pressured or stressed. These tears are natural, and this is the pain or soreness you experience afterwards. These sores will reduce over time as the body becomes accustomed to the exercises in question. That being said the micro tears repair themselves during sleep – that’s why it’s vitally important to make sure you have enough sleep to help you build your muscles.

Let’s look at six ways you can start bodybuilding

 

#1 – Grab the dumbbells

The dumbbell will be your friend – once you start out you can’t do any worse than begin with the trusted dumbbell. The best starter exercise is to choose a dumbbell weight you can lift between 12 to 15 times max as a healthy starter level to begin with the curl – you hold the dumbbell in each hand with your elbows to the side.

Begin by curling up one arm and rotate your forearm until the forearm is vertical and faces the shoulder and return the lower position. Likewise repeat with the other arm for between 12 to 15 times then rest for two to five minutes before repeating the exercise again.

 

#2 – Wall Squats

Grab the Gym Ball (or Swiss Ball) from the corner of the gym and use it to perform a Wall Squat. The Wall Squat is simple enough. Begin by holdings weights in both hands then place the exercise ball behind your back and against the wall (with the ball is between you and the wall). The ball  should be level with your lower back and with your feet wide apart and your shoulders apart you slowly bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor, which allows the ball to roll up your back.

By slowly straightening your legs, pushing through your feet and returning to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 15 to 20 times.

 

#3 – Cardio Workouts

It is really important that you jog or swim for 20 to 30 minutes two to three times a week. Doing just weights isn’t enough you need cardio to help balance and complement your regime.

Therefore make sure you hit the treadmill or head to the pool with regularity or you won’t get the most out of your workout.

 

#4 – Create a Workout Plan

You will need to create a workout plan. This is crucially important to your bodybuilding endeavours. The plan will form the basis of your activities and objectives. Therefore, you need to write down what you want out of the exercise whilst monitoring what you are doing. So write down Monday arms / dumbbells and Tuesday running / cardio.

This way you can monitor and evaluate whether your activities are working towards achieving your goals and objectives.

 

#5 – What to Eat? Your Dietary Needs

You need to eat four to five meals a day – this means eating until your partially full not busting a gut! So once you’ve finished a meal you should feel comfortable and satisfied. People get scared off because they think they will have to eat some crazy diet.

The truth is all you need to avoid is processed foods (precooked meals etc). If you avoid these and eat fruits, vegetables and lean meats (chicken) you should be fine. Let’s first look at the basics; Carbohydrates are vegetables such as bread, pasta and rice and they need to account for 40% of your diet. Protein needs to account for 30% of your diet and protein is found in meats, milk, fish or eggs.

Finally, Fats – the good ones – are found in olive oil, nuts and salad dressings. These three elements need to make up around 90% of diet the rest the micronutrients like mineral and vitamins found in fruit, vegetables and meats will make up the rest.

 

Conclusion

So, there you have it five great pointers towards getting past the Bodybuilding newbie stage. You can use these five rules about diet, workouts, planning and objectives to help you get the most out of your activities. If you stick to the above and make sure your heart is in it – i.e. your doing this for the right reason, then your bodybuilding endeavours will pay off and you’ll start looking ripped in a few months.