You may want to feel fitter, and more in shape, look better, or just be able to lift heavy weights. Whatever the case, you need to get started and get your fitness journey on the go!
There is so much information out there that is available on how you can start eating right, training properly, and recovering well. Together, we will put it all for reference. So, how do you get started on bodybuilding?
Having a good physique or perfect body for male form is always awe-inspiring. However, you may pick up your first barbell for different reasons, but the goal is usually the same.
Contents
Training For Bodybuilding
If you are a fresh-faced newbie, who has only just signed up for their first ever gym membership, or even made a purchase of some home equipment then you may feel intimidated by the whole notion of getting started. However, this is normal.
It can be scary, especially if you go to a public gym, as we are often riddled with anxiety about making a fool of ourselves or embarrassing ourselves in front of other gym-goers.
Of course, if we better understand how the body works, we can try to steer things away from any potential mishaps.
Source: ironbullstrength.com
Technique
You should be prioritizing your technique, as lifting is just as much technical skill as it is a way to get fit. Bodybuilding movements are not as intense as a clean jerk or a deadlift, but you still need to know how you should be lifting before you start working on your training.
Choosing Exercises
In strength-based sports such as weightlifting or powerlifting, athletes tend to have specific movements that they need to practice to be able to perform properly. Bodybuilding, however, is not as restricted as this.
Bodybuilding asks you to train your muscles, not a specific movement pattern. While there are plenty of exercises that often get credit, bodybuilding movements are just tools to get where you want to go. So, if you don’t enjoy a certain type of squat, it’s not the end of the world!
Source: lifehack.org
Slowly Does It
You should not rush your bodybuilding, it is a marathon, not a sprint. In your first years of exercising progress will quickly come. Seeing someone who can squat 400 lbs at the gym is motivating but do not think that you can get there in a week.
Adding too much weight can halt your process, and it could easily cause an injury too!
Train All Your Muscles
Bodybuilders are judged on their entire physique, so nobody is neglecting the ‘mirror muscles’. However, plenty of newbies will make mistakes and not show love to some of their smaller muscles, or the ones on their rear. Sure, a big chest and strong shoulders are great, but any veteran athlete of bodybuilding can tell you a show in bodybuilding is won from the back, not the front.
Source: steelsupplements.com
Considering Nutrition For Bodybuilding
Do not make the mistake of thinking you can bodybuild just from working out. What you eat is just as important and it does hand in hand with the physical aspect of bodybuilding.
Getting the right nutrition is perhaps even more important than having the right approach to training! The right diet will help you make gains even quicker, feel better, and recover faster too!
You need to consider your calorie intake. Calories will fuel everything your body does from contracting your muscles to helping your brain function. While nutrition is complex, calories are simple.
To gain more muscle, you need to consume excess calories from what your body uses.
Similarly, to burn fat, you also need to consume fewer calories than you will burn. Your body does not have any reason to go into your energy reserves if you already give it more calories than it requires to function.
Understand calories through nutritional science, and get a better idea of how human physiology works. If you are not the type of person to try to understand the mathematics of something like this, however, calorie calculators can be very useful in helping you understand what should be going on in your body.
Pay Attention To Macronutrients
Macronutrients is the fancier name for protein, fat, and carbs. Macros are deeply linked to your calorie intake, and as every macronutrient will have a unique calorific value, the total caloric intake can be made up of all macronutrients, the biggest challenge anyone faces in this is getting your macronutrients in the right portion sizes.
Source: theihcc.com
Consider the following:
- Protein: Protein has around 4 calories in each gram. It is best known for being responsible for repairing, growing, and maintaining your muscle tissues and other bodily tissue mass.
- Fats: Fats will have around 9 calories in each gram, and are essential to regulating the body. Fats help to level out your body’s internal processes, as well as aid in making you feel satiated and maintain your hormone balance.
- Carbohydrates: Carbs will have 4 calories in each gram, just like protein. Carbs will fuel activity of all types, from a casual walk to high-intensity workouts, like bodybuilding. Carbs are also important as they contribute to healthy brain functioning.
Just like how you need to consider your body weight, height, goal, gender, and activity level with your recommended calorie intake, you should do the same when it comes to managing your macronutrient intake as well.
Consider Supplements & Your Recovery
Bodybuilding is full of adverts to take nutritional supplements, and sure, they can help you get a good pre-workout, but they are not meant to be important to recovery or diet.
You can consider smoothies for a gym snack to help you recover, especially a high-protein smoothie, and be focused on how you can alter your diet to aid you in your workout recovery and ensure you get enough macronutrients, micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and calories to support your body in your workout.
Source: examine.com
Overall
Bodybuilding is a popular goal for many people who want to get fit and look awesome. However, remember it’s about more than just mindlessly lifting weights, there is an art form to it.
You need to be training every muscle properly, with good, well-thought-out nutrition, and take it slow. No bodybuilder got to where they are today by rushing!
