Did you know that bodybuilding began with circus performers in the 1800s?
These strongmen were able to display and capitalize on their well-crafted physiques with simple flexing routines. Their legacy has been passed down to modern bodybuilding, a sport combining the discipline of molding one’s fitness with the joy of being on stage.
Many people who want to begin bodybuilding don’t know where to start. Maybe you have an inspirational figure you want to look like. Maybe you just want to see how far you can go with it.
Regardless of what your motivations are, this guide to bodybuilding for beginners will cover the equipment, supplements, and basic tips for getting started. Read on to learn more!
1. Peptides for Muscle Growth
Growing muscle means walking the fine line of pushing yourself and resting. Your muscles need to be stretched to their fullest capacity and then allowed to rest in order to grow. Without being pushed, they won’t strengthen and without rest, they won’t grow.
It stands to reason that the bodybuilders who can reduce their rest cycles and optimize their training sessions will experience better growth. Modern fitness science has progressed a long way, and luckily there are several supplements that can promote exactly these qualities.
Peptides are some of the best supplements for bodybuilding. Peptides boost your natural human growth hormone levels, which stimulate muscle growth, metabolism, and strength gain. In addition, they increase testosterone output.
Higher levels of testosterone mean you’re developing more muscle cells which means you can get stronger, grow muscle more quickly, and have a more defined muscle tone.
Peptides can also reduce your recovery time and inflammation. When you lift weights, you’re actually creating microscopic muscle tears that must heal in order to provide more muscle mass.
More rapid healing is the key to speedy muscle recovery. Peptides increase circulation to your muscles, which will heal not only aches and pains but some deeper injuries as well. Peptides have some minor benefits for torn ligaments and tendons too!
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2. Ensure Equipment Access
The fitness industry is exploding these days, and you’re sure to have several gyms in your area. Picking the right one is essential to your bodybuilding success. If you can only build some parts of your body, your results will be uneven.
Your gym should have cardio machines. You can pick any kind of cardio you’d like, so go for a gym that supports your favorite kind.
A few classic machines are shoulder machines, chest machines, back machines, and arm machines. Machines are some of the best ways to build up your upper body, so make sure your gym has a good selection.
Machines can only go so far in building your muscles, sometimes you need to move the weight through space to build the complete muscle chain. You should have access to a set of free weights and barbells, and benches. These are all some of the most important bodybuilding equipment.
3. Start With Good Form
With most exercises, it’s best to start with no weight at all. If you love lifting heavy, you might not want to hear that, but it’s important to build your form before you add weight. If your movement patterns are incorrect, at best you’re exercising inefficiently, at worse you’re risking injury.
For example, many people’s first deadlifts are performed with a broomstick. This allows them to focus entirely on form without too much bulk. From there, weight can steadily be increased, beginning with an empty bar.
Nothing sets you back like an injury, so take your time to get it right before jumping right to the heavy stuff. You’ll get there faster if you’re deliberate and accurate.
4. Exercise Proper Nutrition
One of the benefits of bodybuilding is the ability to eat more. But, many athletes have the misconception that because they work out, they can eat whatever they want. Well, that’s not true.
While you can and should eat more than a sedentary person in order to promote muscle growth, that doesn’t mean you should have your local fast food restaurant on speed dial. Serious bodybuilders eat like tanks, but they eat whole foods and know exactly what they’re putting in their bodies. This means a combination of protein, carbs, and healthy fats.
Protein is the most important, as it is essential for muscle growth. You should be eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.
Lean beef, chicken, fish, and low-fat dairy are great options. Protein shakes are also a good idea right after the gym, as it can be difficult to hit your protein goal from food alone.
For carbs and fats, focus on simple, healthy ones. This means nuts, seeds, oatmeal, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. Lower levels of refined carbs can also help, but you don’t need to go crazy reducing your carbs.
5. Plan Your Week Out
Plan both your food and your routine for the week before you start it. If your week will be busy, plan out when you’ll be doing your workouts and which workouts you’ll be doing on which days. If your core workout is your shortest workout, put it on your busiest day.
In addition, plan out what you’ll be eating. You can even meal prep, and make all your meals for your week over the weekend so you don’t have to think about it at all during the week.
Proper planning is key to bodybuilding, as this sport requires a deceptive amount of precision!
Begin Bodybuilding Like a Pro Today
The best way to begin bodybuilding is the right way. No matter what your starting point is, you can start training like the pros by exercising the same planning, discipline, and attention to detail. Focusing on these details will increase your success and you’ll start seeing results quickly! If you enjoyed this article, check out our blog for more fitness tips and advice!