Hey guys sorry for the late post. I wanted to share a few tips that all of you could benefit from. Each of us are on our own journey in fitness no matter what our goals are, but today I wanted to focus on some basic rules for the aspiring bodybuilders out there, like myself. I definitely would claim that I like to follow a bodybuilder’s style of fitness and workout routines so I definitely found this to be relevant. If you have any additional rules, comment below with your ideas. I decided to review this article from Bodybuilding.com so if you want to check it out yourself, click HERE.
Rule #1
Lift Progressively Heavier Weights
Honestly, one of my greatest fears for some time was how much weight my body was capable of performing an exercise with. As time continues to tick by, I made excuses like, “I don’t feel strong today” or “I didn’t eat enough to push heavy weight”. Really? I had to realize that if I was in this for the long haul, I had to push my muscles to the limit, stretching and tearing them to show my body how bad I wanted to grow. We have to put our muscles under stress to force them to tear, rebuild, and repeat. We will have to continue to pump up the intensity with our workouts if we want to see actual change in our physique.
Have any of you ever reached a plateau? For those of you who are unfamiliar with this term, this is where you reach a point where you are not progress or regressing…you are simply stuck. We reach these plateaus in our physical progress when we are doing the same routine too long, not increasing our diet for what our muscles are demanding, etc. So if you have reached a plateau, it may be time to switch up the routine.
Rule #2
Eat at Least One-Gram of Protein per Pound of Bodyweight
Most of you probably know the important role that protein plays in the development and progressive growth of the body. Many of us think that we may be getting enough protein each day, but are you sure? I have MyFitnessPal on my phone and it is a great help to track the macro-nutrients that I am intaking every day. Even for the individuals who are not living a “bodybuilder” fitness routine or lifestyle, 1g/lb of bodyweight is a good starting point. When we eat plenty of protein, it probably ranks as the second most important variable, after training intensity, when it comes to building size. So don’t short yourself on the protein!
Rule #3
Get Adequate Sleep
Sleep is one of the most crucial rules for many reasons. During sleep, our bodies will recover and continue a process called protein synthesis. Sleep also assists the gentleman with testosterone and growth hormone manufacture. One factor that most people might not consider is going 8+ hours without food. If you continue to go without food, especially protein and carbohydrates, the muscles might eventually begin to break down their structure to supply glycogen to the brain and other organs (gluconeogenesis). This is a negative affect that you need to avoid at all costs if possible. Many people will eat or drink a slower digesting protein, Casein, before bed so the body will continue to work while you sleep.
Rule #4
Develop a Positive Mental Attitude
My personal belief is this is a game changer! Honestly I don’t think a lot of things can be overcome, regardless of what it is we face in this life, without a positive attitude. If you are positive about each day of training, you will see positive results. I am sure if any of you are like me, you have an off day every once in a while. When you finally get to the gym, those thoughts are still lingering and you need to relieve some stress. Well, I hope to encourage you to rid your mind of those thoughts before you enter the gym to allow for maximum potential, power, and strength to be reached on all of your lifts. On the flip side, when you have an absolutely positive day, your workouts tend to go much better. I can’t tell you how big of a difference it makes to start your workout with a fresh attitude and clear mind knowing you are going to give today your all and you won’t leave until you’ve done just that. Surround yourself with the people who are going to help you have a positive attitude and continue to visualize yourself achieving success every day…I promise it will come.
Rule #5
Manage Stress
Guys, if you do not know how to manage your stress, this can ultimately be detrimental to your overall health. Having negative stress can be one of the biggest wrecking balls to bring you down when you’re trying to sculpt your body. We all experience stress and handle it differently, so do your research and discover a way to cope with the stresses of life the best way possible specifically for you. For some of you who may not recognize what negative stress is, let me share a few examples with you: smoking, excessive drinking, negative reflection and thinking. These will increase cortisol levels in your body. For those of you who don’t know what cortisol is, let me share a little insight with you directly from Bodybuilding.com, “Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone, its release causes all manner of problems: constricted arteries, high blood pressure, the shutting down of various organs in preparation for fight or flight and thickened blood. Cortisol will literally consume protein tissue, and enhance the deposition of fat – exactly what a bodybuilding does not want.”.
Rule #6
Include Aerobics
I will be honest with all of you…I lack in this area of my training significantly. When we think of aerobics, we think of yoga, stretching, and possibly breathing exercises. I must agree that aerobics are a necessity if we are trying to achieve the greatest potential we have. Aerobics can enhance, not only the metabolisms ability to burn fat, but also the removal of waste products (lactic acid) and the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles where they are used to good effect. One of the most affective forms of aerobics might include walking at a brisk pace for a 45-minute session. Try it out for yourself and find out what works or if it doesn’t work, you will never know until you try.
Rule #7
Include Fats
There is a large disclaimer that people associate with the word fat. Many people see fat as a negative term and do not want anything to do with it since we are trying to get rid of the extra fat on our bodies. You have to realize that there are different kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated. Many bodybuilders will still seek to include a regulated amount of saturated fat in their diet due to the benefits it brings to the testosterone levels. I would be extra careful when looking to include fats in our diet. Many of the fats that the average human being consumes are detrimental to our health and are not included in a well-balanced diet.
There are essential fats out there that have great benefits to them, Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s. Benefits of these include: regular heartbeat, building the immune system, and joint maintenance.
Rule #8
Avoid Overtraining
Sometimes we have the tendency to push the body further than it was intended to train, resulting in overtraining. Failure to rest an adequate amount of time in-between sets may result in an over-trained state. We must be very careful not to overtrain and to listen to what our body is telling us. Bodybuilding.com lists several symptoms of overtraining: “Physical and psychological and include, elevated waking pulse rate, elevated morning blood pressure, increased joint and muscle-aches, headaches and tremors, tiredness, listlessness, insomnia, loss or decrease in appetite, injury, illness, chronic fatigue, insatiable thirst or dehydration, susceptibility to colds and flu, frequent minor infections and altered function of the endocrine, immune, and central nervous systems, (physical) and increased apathy and irritability, mood and sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, reduced ability to concentrate and lack of appetite (psychological).”
Ways to avoid overtraining include: Limiting training sessions to 45-minutes or less, getting adequate sleep and relaxation, increasing intensity over a period of time, taking regular rest-days, and supplying the body with a nutritious diet.
Rule #9
Use Supplements
Supplements are not a necessity, hence the term supplement – to the bodybuilding diet. Supplements can be an incredible benefit to the bodybuilding lifestyle if used properly and effectively. Some of the most popular supplements I would include would be protein (whey protein or whey protein isolate), vitamins and minerals, creatine, and amino acids. I would recommend starting off with additional protein and amino acids. If you already take a multi-vitamin, I wouldn’t be as concerned about the addition of another vitamin. An important component from vitamins includes Vitamin-B…don’t allow your body to go into a deficit or it may not perform properly.
If you are unfamiliar with creatine, here’s a little background: “Creatine assists energy production and, as a result, leads to more intense workouts. It also super-hydrates muscle cells with water and causes muscle fibres to grow bigger and stronger. Creatine is a compound naturally manufactured in our bodies (in the kidneys, liver and pancreas), which is converted into creatine phosphate upon entering the muscles.”. Last but not least, amino-acids should be included in your training regimen so that you can adequately repair your muscles as you continue to tear them.
Rule #10
Educate Yourself
Your body is something to experiment with and there is not one single way to achieve the physique you have always wanted. You need to be willing to put in some time reading and learning about the body. Take time to read studies that have been conducted and are verified by credible sources. There are a lot of sources that we have available at our fingertips so go our there and learn for yourself. Ask individuals around you who are knowledgable about these topics and then do further research yourself. Be willing to make mistakes and overcome any hurdles in your path. When all is said and done, be patient with yourself as there is so much to learn about. Don’t get frustrated and take one step at a time.
Once again guys, if you want to check out the article yourself, follow the link by clicking HERE
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IAMCOLINSTRONG 
