Bodybuilding Fundamentals: What You Need to Know to Get Started

There is a fundamental difference between working out just to stay fit and bodybuilding. First of all, as a bodybuilder, you need to be much more cautious of what you’re putting into your body, as well as stick to a well-organized training regime. You’ll need to put in a lot more time per week in the gym and be aware of how your diet affects your muscles’ growth.

It may be a little intimidating to take those first steps, especially if you don’t look so big compared to the shredded guys you’re bound to see at your local gym. There is no secret remedy for the gym anxiety, except simply getting up on that treadmill, or doing your first bench press. The more frequently you work out, the sooner you’ll realize that these ripped “gym bros” are pretty nice guys, and used to be where you’re at right now. Everybody was a beginner once!

Although it’s important to know what substances you can use to improve your performance and build muscle faster, you don’t need to chase after the best SARMs right away – there will be time for that. At the very beginning, it’s best to focus on your training and getting your body ready for intense exercise.

Watch What You Eat

Proper nutrition is one of the most overlooked aspects of bodybuilding, especially when it comes to new gym-goers. You won’t register any gains if you don’t back your hard work up with the right food that encourages muscle mass growth.

If you don’t have that much muscle yet, you’ll need to focus on getting loads of protein at the start. There are plenty of great sources of it out there, but the best one by far is dairy. Unless you’re lactose intolerant, you should really consider eating more of this kind of product.

If you’re not that big on milk-derived stuff, any animal-sourced products will do. Eggs and meat (especially chicken) should be the foundations of your bodybuilding diet. You will get the best results, though, if you combine that with dairy foodstuffs.

In order to really get your nutrition game on point, start eating more fish. Salmon, in particular, is a great source of not only protein but also omega-3 fatty acids, which are immense when it comes to protein synthesis and keeping you lean and healthy.

Carbohydrates are your major source of energy, along with fat. You should get plenty of them in, but watch out — if you overeat carbs, you’re going to gain weight, but a lot of it won’t convert into muscle. In other words, you’ll get chubby. It’s preferable that you get them in the form of rice or other whole grains, rather than simple white bread. You should also keep in mind the carbs-to-fiber ratio. Moreover, make sure that your carbohydrate intake doesn’t exceed your fiber ingestion too much. Otherwise, you’ll store the unused energy as fat.

Supplementation

In the world of bodybuilding, the topic of supplements is almost omnipresent. It seems as though everybody is taking something, whether it is to help increase body weight, burn body fat faster, or simply boost themselves up during strength training.

Professional bodybuilders tend to have a strict regimen of supplements and stick to it for extended periods of time. These are called cycles, and they may last anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks. They tend to increase the speed at which you grow each and every muscle group, as well as work wonders for muscle size. People often refer to being on cycles when talking about SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators), which are some of the more advanced supplements. You shouldn’t really bother with them in the beginning. As a beginner, you should stick with the following substances:

• creatine: the staple of pre-workout drinks. With creatine, every 10 reps will feel like 15, and your gains will accelerate!
• whey protein: as opposed to the protein you should be taking in regularly with meals, whey directly contributes to solidifying the effects of your workout. It prevents the breakdown of muscles, which allows you to retain more tissue.
• BCAAs: short for branched-chain amino acids, these compounds will protect your muscles from damage during intense workout sessions.

First Workouts

At least for the first six weeks of your bodybuilding regimen, you should refrain from overexerting yourself too much. Remember — your body needs to get used to this new, intense routine. Your initial training plan should contain a wide variety of different exercises, all of which shouldn’t include more than 12 reps per set.

After you make noticeable progress (usually sometime during the second month), you can start switching the training sessions up to focus on a specific body part per day of exercise.

Bottom Line

Making a decision to get into bodybuilding is a huge stepping stone on your path to becoming a healthier and happier person. If you stick to your training plan and set goals you can work towards, you’ll start seeing positive changes to your physique soon enough!

With that said, you should also keep in mind that there is no “magic method” to achieving physical excellence. The only way to get the body of a Greek god is hard work and leading the right lifestyle. The latter is often overlooked by many beginners because it requires plenty of sacrifices on their part. Spending an hour at the gym every day is nothing compared to revolutionizing one’s diet and cutting out all the vices from your life!