As is true about most things in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to use bodybuilding to get in shape. The right way to put bodybuilding principle to work will result in a natural growth of muscle and a healthy lifestyle that will benefit you in your athletic activities and in your lifestyle over all as well. That is because healthy bodybuilding practices do much more than just create muscular athletes.
They can benefit anyone who wants to get in shape. Bodybuilding can benefit all of us enjoy a better ability to focus mentally, deeper and more refreshing sleep and a better mental outlook on life as well. But it pays to learn how to build muscles a natural way. To use artificial or harmful methods will not deliver the long term good that bodybuilding can bring into your life.
It is a shame that the discipline of bodybuilding is often associated with artificial means of getting stronger such as the use of steroids or the excessive consumption of diet supplements. It is far better to utilize natural muscle growth techniques. Muscle growth will come much slower when you do it the natural way. But the muscle will be stronger and longer lasting and you will not have to be concerned about the side effects that using artificial means to stimulate muscle development bring with them.
The same results that can be achieved with artificial supplements and steroids can be achieved with a natural high protein diet. Nature gives us the natural body builder of protein to increase muscle size and strength. The amino acids that proteins deliver are exactly what muscles need to grow. Amino acids are actually capable of building up the muscle fibers that you are trying to develop in you bodybuilding program.
A good program of natural diet and exercise is a great plan for building muscle and stamina. Muscle mass can be built quickly by making sure you have a meal that is rich in proteins right after a vigorous workout. Along with proteins, be sure to step up the consumption of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are excellent at helping you sustain your blood sugar level during and after your workout. The outcome is you will work out longer and with more vigor and not be as tired afterward.
Also, proteins and carbs in the diet are usually high calorie foods. While calories are discouraged for the regular diet minded person, when you are in a high intensity bodybuilding workout regimen, calories are your best friends.
Good bodybuilding technique will help build muscle naturally while avoiding injury. Muscle growth will occur quickly if you cause your muscles to experience extended tension during your workout. Progressive resistance training and compound exercises are the best bodybuilding programs for achieving the right kind of workout tension to achieve those goals.
The approach of progressive resistance training is to begin with lighter weights and then move naturally upward the intensity levels of your exercise. Compound workout training programs mix various exercises like sit-ups, squats, push-ups and crunches so you exercise different muscle groups at different times in the workout in rapid succession. Each muscle group that is worked out is then rested during the other exercises but at all times, your entire system is getting exercise. Compound workout programs take less time but deliver a lot of workout value for the time you put in.
It is best to work with a qualified trainer who will know the best type of bodybuilding workout plan to have you utilize. He or she will know how to take you to your limit in exercise stress but make sure you also get sufficient rest so that your muscles can recover and the process of muscle break down and growth has time to evolve in your body.
By being careful to take advantage of the advice of a qualified bodybuilding trainer but giving your workout program your all when you are involved with it, you will see tremendous benefit from your program. And those benefits will be realized the natural and healthy way. That is the way it should be.
Need more ideas? Here are some successful Body Building Techniques
The most successful body building techniques incorporate proven weight routines. A weight routine is a set of exercises, done in repetition, that develops specific parts of the body. For example, to build chest muscles, a body builder may use a weight routine that incorporates flat bench press (3 repetitions), bench dumbbell (2 repetitions) and inclined bench press (3 repetitions). The other important function a weight routine serves is to split a training program so different muscle groups are used.
Building Biceps
Dumbbells are a common piece of equipment used to build bigger biceps. The most popular technique to get the desired result is to hold the dumbbell closer to the inside of the plates. Routines for building biceps include dumbbell curls either inclined or standing, or both.
Building Chest Muscle
Good chest muscle building exercises are routines that incorporate bench presses and flyes. An even more effective way to build chest muscle is to split the chest into 3 zones – upper, middle and lower. By working each separately, using exercises that specifically target that area, you can build up some impressive chest muscle fairly quickly.
For instance, do your upper chest exercises on a 30-45% incline bench. Incline barbell and incline dumbbell flyes are excellent for working upper chest muscles. On the other hand, the lower chest muscles are best exercised using a 30-45% decline bench. You would use decline barbell and decline dumbbell flyes to build these muscles. A flat bench works best for the middle chest muscles. So you’d do flat barbell and flat dumbbell flyes on a flat bench.
Moving Onto Shoulder Training
The shoulders are made up of 3 main muscles – the lateral, anterior and posterior deltoids. Effective shoulder training to get big shoulders requires working all 3. The anterior deltoid usually gets some work in chest workouts. To build up the lateral and posterior deltoids requires additional exercises targeting these two muscles. Generally the best way to do this is with heavy barbell and dumbbell pressing in short reps as opposed to a lot of rep work with lighter weights. You should also focus on shoulder exercises that work effectively with progressive overload, a technique used to progressively add more weight to what is being lifted.
Matching Up The Back With Back Exercises
The back is one area many body builders overlook. But if you want your back to match up with those impressive chest, shoulder and bicep muscles, you will need to include back exercises in your bodybuilding routine.
Good workouts for the Lower Trapezius or lower back muscles include stiff-legged good mornings and hyper-extensions. For the middle back muscles or Rhomboids, you can do a seated cable row and bent-over barbell rows. Your Latissimus Dorsi will benefit from wide-grip lat pull-downs and pull-ups. And last but not least, try upright rows and barbell shrugs for your Trapezius.
But before starting any body-building workout, be sure to warm up properly. This will reduce the risk of damaging muscles and tendons. Stretch the muscles you’re going to be working. Also avoid lifting more weight than your body can capably handle to avoid serious injury.