Better Body Building

Just like routines, this document is not intended to be a "one size fits all." Take from it what you will, but please remember that what is most important is your health and well being. In that light, consider the following list:
Before beginning any serious weight lifting or body building regimen, consult your physician.

It is also important that you know the goal of body building is not to lose weight but to gain it. You want to gain muscles, and therefore you have to be sure that you are eating the correct amounts of protein and fats in your diet. It does not good to not eat all that you are supposed to be eating, because you will find that you are more easily able to get sick if you don't' have the proper body building nutrition. It is vital that in order to have the correct body building nutrition you are sure you are getting something from each of the food groups in each of the meals that you are eating, and that you are doing your best to have a balanced diet.

Set your goals. Define what you expect to achieve with your new bodybuilding campaign within a realistic time frame. If you create goals that are unattainable you are setting yourself up for failure. You can become bored, disappointed and disillusioned to the point where you may give up. This is a very sad outcome to what might have been the best decision of your life. Don't sell yourself short. Set your long term goals, of course, but also set short term goals that are achievable. And, don't forget to reward yourself when you do achieve them.

This can't be stressed enough. The only true bodybuilding aids are good nutrition. Consult a licensed dietician. Watch your local community calendar for free seminars on diet and nutrition. Learn all you can about what nature freely provides that can help you to develop a healthy diet.
If you choose to use dietary supplements, make certain that you know what you are putting in your body. Follow the packaging guidelines we outlined above. Ask your physician for his/her recommendations based on the regimen you have selected. No friend, coach or acquaintance can take the place of your physician. In fact, you may even investigate finding a physician who specializes in sports wellness.
Be kind to yourself. Yes, it's important to push to achieve your goals, but it's very easy to tip the scales in the other direction and create a nightmare for yourself. Obsessive, compulsive behaviors are not conducive to a healthy bodybuilding lifestyle.

There are many things that you need to consider when you are looking at the correct body building diet. It is very important that you realize that everything you do while you are trying to make your body perform better will have an impact on your body overall. This means that everything-from your diet to what you do on a daily basis--is going to affect your muscles.

There is no one correct body building diet. The kinds of things that you should be eating while you are working on your body are all relative because different foods react differently with people's bodies. This means that if you are going to be eating something that has, in the past, bothered you, it isn't going to help you with your body building in any way, no matter what you think it might do. Remember that the best body building diet is going to be one that correctly fits your body and the way that you operate in the world.

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That said, the best diet for you to eat while you are body building is one that first of all has all of the correct vitamins and nutrients. You should be eating something from each of the food groups at each meal, and you should make sure that each of the food groups are well represented in your daily meals. Also your body building diet should be one that is high in protein and fiber, because these are two things that your body is in most need of while you are trying to build muscles. You must also have a lot of carbohydrates as well.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should never begin a body building diet with a lot of sugars and fats that are unhealthy. This is going to mean that when you stop lifting weights, you will gain fat instead of getting more and more healthy, as you should. Keep things like fats and sugars to a minimum in your body building diet.

It is always important that you are focusing on nutrition, but when you are trying to improve your body and to get stronger, body building nutrition is especially important. Many times people will try to skimp on what they are eating and will try to diet as they do body building. However, this is not the proper way to develop body building nutrition, because you need to have all of the vitamins and minerals in your diet as you work through your body building, in order to be a success when it comes to body building. Remember that good nutrition is a very important part of how strong you are able to get and how much your muscles are going to grow.

One of the most important parts of getting good body building nutrition is to focus on keeping it balanced. You have to be able to have all of the vitamins and minerals that you need, and you have to be sure that you are getting something from each of the food groups each time you are eating. You have to be sure that your diet is completely balanced, this is the most important part of body building nutrition.

There is a bit of controversy in the health and nutrition world regarding the benefits of body building supplements

A common canard that is thrown out often revolves around the notion that body building supplements don't work."

This is a sweeping generalization that is really without merit. Granted, there are silly supplements on the market that make bizarre claims such as being able to melt fat while you sleep, etc.

These products are usually pulled from the shelves when it becomes obvious they do not work, but their initial appearance on the market usually confuse the consumer and tarnish the good name of supplements that do actually work.

 

Now, it is true that supplements will not work if one never actually lifts weights! Far too many people assume that Bodybuilding Supplements are magic bullets that will greatly enhance physical appearance without exercise.

Such a notion is absurd and usually based on a lack of fundamental knowledge on the subject of what Bodybuilding Supplements actually are used for. The key word that needs to be paid attention to is "supplement."

That is, the products are designed to supplement a diet that is deficient. Some individuals will stay away from protein rich food because it is high in fat.

This can, however, lead to a protein intake deficiency that may require supplementation in order to return to a sense of balance. If you are deficient in your protein or creatine intake, then Bodybuilding Supplements that add protein and creatine to a diet will yield positive results.

However, this does not mean that it is advised to over do it. Taking in too much of a supplement can cause adverse if not outright serious problems for one's health. In that regard, it is important to temper the intake of Bodybuilding Supplements with good common sense!

If you don't already have a budget, create one. Then, determine what amount of discretionary funds you have available for your bodybuilding program. This will determine whether you can afford to have a home gym or if your needs would better be served by joining a club. Joining a club is still a good short term introduction before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment that might not be appropriate for your needs.
Don't forget some of the low cost alternatives to purchasing your bodybuilding equipment. If used equipment is still functional why spend the extra dollars just for a little glitz! Good, brand name used equipment is every bit as functional as something right off a showroom floor.
Consider combining a home gym along with a membership in a public facility. Purchase less expensive free weight equipment for use at home and join a gym to have access to the more expensive equipment. You can design your entire workout routines around a combination such as this.

If you have deep pockets, an alternative to outside facilities is purchasing equipment and building your own home gym. This can be a very expensive endeavor, but not impossible.

Your best bet is to visit local sports equipment stores to see what is available. After you get over the "sticker shock" take copious notes on each piece of equipment that will fit your personal program. If you can afford the individual pieces by all means purchase them.
However, for most new bodybuilders that kind of investment is prohibitive. A good alternative is to watch for "used" equipment. The possibilities of obtaining just what you need are very high.
Some of those possibilities are bodybuilders who have moved on to more sophisticated equipment or people who thought they would give bodybuilding a whirl only to find it just wasn't for them. Even though we caution people not to spend money on expensive equipment, there are always those who jump into any new venture blindfolded.
Some good places to shop for used equipment, are bulletin boards at local gyms, local newspaper classifieds, Thrifty Nickel and don't forget yard sales.
Next, we need to take a look at what equipment is available for the bodybuilder home gym and the purpose they serve.

Free Weights
Free weights are the simplest and most cost effective pieces of equipment for the beginning bodybuilder. Free weights consist of barbells, dumbbells and weight plates. They are called "free weights" because they have no cables, pins or pulleys.
Available as normal weights or Olympic weights, be advised that Olympic weights are generally much more costly. The Olympic bar is also "thicker" at the ends to accommodate the larger hole present in Olympic weight plates.
Barbells come in all shapes and sizes. They consist of a bar that is usually 4' to 7' in length and can weigh from 20 to 45 pounds. Varying weights are attached to the ends of the bar. The weights are attached using collars or sleeves. You can find barbells in a "fixed collar" design. This prevents the weights from sliding off the end of the bar, but they are limiting as the weights cannot be removed. With adjustable collars you can add and remove weights to suit your own purposes.
The longer 7' bar that is generally referred to as an Olympic bar can hold 500 to 1500 pounds. As mentioned, these are usually more costly. There are also other Olympic "specialty" bars available that are designed for specific purposes such as biceps and triceps.

The weight plates that fit the ends of the bar come in standard increments of:
2 1/2 pounds
5 pounds
10 pounds
25 pounds
50 pounds
If you stick with cast iron weights you are pretty much guaranteed that the weights will remain constant over time as opposed to those that are plastic encased or other metals that could warp over time.
If planning to go with the "home gym" sticking with standard weights is probably best for you. One of the advantages is that you can find standard weights available as a "package" that will include your bars, weights and collars. Most standard weight packages also come with dumbbells.
You will also need to have a weight bench. There are varying types of benches. You can find adjustable types that you can set for different inclines. This is a good buy because by adjusting the incline or decline, you can create a number of different exercises to work out different muscle groups.

Multistation Machines
There is no getting around it. When you begin looking at high end equipment, you can pretty much bet that you are going to have to spend quite a bit of money. These are often referred to as "home gyms."
This piece of equipment is multi-purpose and able to serve more than one person at a time. They are designed with multiple work stations and the exercises are ones that can't be done with barbells such as leg curls, lat pull downs, leg extensions, and cable movements.
Some things you need to take under consideration with this type of equipment is the size. Do you have sufficient space to house a multistation machine? They are pretty much stationery and not designed for portability. Cost is another factor as well as who will be using the machine. If it will be used by more than one individual the cost effectiveness of such equipment increases if you are weighing the purchase against joining a club.
Obvious advantages are that you and your partner can both use the equipment simultaneously and there is the added convenience of having the ability to train in your own home.

What are variable resistance machines? Think Nautilus® or Bowflex®. Both are variable resistance machines that provide an alternative to free weight training.
The primary advantage is the constant resistance in the range of movement for the muscle group you are training. Another huge advantage over traditional weight training is that by working with constant resistance, you make the muscle stronger and you do it much faster than the traditional method.
This type of training also lets you deliver exactly the amount of exercise you desire to whatever specific muscle group you are working. There is the benefit of working that resistance through a greater range of movement as you can reduce your training time.
Variable resistance can be added to your free weight training routines to get much bigger and do it much faster.
Portability can be another advantage. These pieces of equipment tend to take up less space and many can be easily broken down in just one or two steps for storage convenience when not in use.
As far as which is better, free weights or variable resistance, it all depends on what your personal preferences might be. If you have established your budget and your goals, throwing variable resistance machines into the mix might be an option.
Regardless of which options you choose, let me remind you to shop around before spending too much money. There's a good chance you can find used equipment that is just right for your purposes.