1. Master proper form first. Before you do anything in bodybuilding it is important that you master the right way for it
Master proper form first
Before you do anything in bodybuilding, it is important that you master proper form. Otherwise, you’ll develop bad habits that are hard to break. There is a lot of help available online, so make sure you do your research and get it done.
Take a day off between workouts
It can be tempting to work out every day when you start bodybuilding, but it’s not always best. Make sure you give your body a day off between workouts to recover, repair and rest.
Be Sure to Stretch
Like any type of workout, it’s important to stretch before bodybuilding. Stretching reduces the chance of damage and soreness. Plus, it increases the amount of range of motion possible and you’ll be able to put more into your various lifts.
Have a goal
It can be easy to start bodybuilding and expect huge results right away, but it’s not going to happen. To stay on track and keep yourself motivated, set a realistic goal and a deadline. Start small and increase your goals as you improve.
Aim for eight to twelve reps
Beginners are advised to aim for between eight and twelve reps of a lift when they are first starting out. This is because you can start off with a slightly lighter weight and therefore more reps possible. Decrease the reps as soon as you start lifting heavier weights.
Focus on compound motions
Many bodybuilding techniques are complex, so start by focusing on simple compound movements; Squats, shoulder presses, deadlifts, and lunges all work well. This requires you to use multiple muscle groups at the same time and therefore works more muscles overall, without the need to link individual movements.
learn from your mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, it’s a part of life. Instead of letting them get you down, learn from them. If you find yourself struggling with a workout routine, switch it up! Keep tweaking and editing until you find a bodybuilding program that works for you.
2. Take a Day Off Between Workouts. …
We are always told to be active and take regular exercise. But whether you’re training for a competition or just feeling extra motivated, more isn’t always better.
Rest days are just as important as exercise. In fact, a successful fitness regimen is not complete without rest days.
Taking regular breaks helps your body recover and repair itself. It’s an important part of progress regardless of your fitness level or sport. Otherwise, skipping rest days can lead to overtraining or burnout.
benefits
Here’s a look at the benefits of taking regular rest days.
- Gives time to recover
Contrary to popular belief, a rest day isn’t all about lazing on the couch. Exercise has beneficial effects during this time. In particular, rest is essential for muscle growth.
Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. But during rest, cells called fibroblasts repair it. It helps tissue to recover and grow, resulting in stronger muscles.
Plus, your muscles store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. During exercise, your body breaks down glycogen to fuel your workout. Rest gives your body time to replenish these energy stores before your next workout.
- Prevents Muscle Fatigue
Rest is essential to avoid exercise-induced fatigue. Remember, exercise depletes your muscles’ glycogen levels. If these stores are not replaced, you will experience muscle fatigue and soreness.
Plus, your muscles need glycogen to function, even when you’re not exercising. By getting enough rest, you will prevent fatigue by allowing your glycogen stores to replenish.
- Reduces Risk of Injury
Regular rest is essential to staying safe during exercise. When your body is overworked, you’ll be more likely to get out of form, lose weight, or make missteps.
Overtraining also exposes your muscles to repetitive stress and strain. This increases the risk of overuse injuries, forcing you to take more rest days than planned.
- Improves Performance
When you don’t get enough rest, it can be hard to do your normal routine, let alone challenge yourself. For example, you may be less motivated to do one extra rep or run one more mile.
Even if you push yourself, overtraining lowers your performance. You may experience reduced endurance, slower reaction times and poor agility.
Relaxation has the opposite effect. It increases energy and prevents fatigue, which prepares your body for continued successful workouts.
- Supports Healthy Sleep
While regular exercise can improve your sleep, taking rest days is also helpful.
Physical activity increases energy-boosting hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. However, frequent exercise produces more of these hormones. You will find it difficult to get quality sleep, which only adds to the fatigue and exhaustion.
Rest can help you sleep better by returning your hormones to a normal, balanced state.
3 Make Sure You Stretch. …
When done properly, stretching can do more than just increase flexibility. According to M. Alter, benefits of stretching include:
- enhanced physical fitness
- enhanced ability to learn and perform skilled movements
- increased mental and physical relaxation
- enhanced development of body awareness
- reduced risk of injury to joints, muscles, and tendons
- reduced muscular soreness
- reduced muscular tension
- increased suppleness due to stimulation of the production of chemicals which lubricate connective tissues (see section Connective Tissue)
- reduced severity of painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea) in females
Unfortunately, even those who stretch do not always stretch properly and hence do not reap some or all of these benefits. Some of the most common mistakes made when stretching are:
- improper warm-up
- inadequate rest between workouts
- overstretching
- performing the wrong exercises
- performing exercises in the wrong (or sub-optimal) sequence
4 Have a Goal. …
First consider what you want to achieve, and then commit to it. Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals that inspire you and write them down to make them feel tangible. Then plan the steps you must take to achieve your goal, and cross them off as you go through each one.
Goal setting is a powerful process of thinking about your ideal future and motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.
The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. Once you know what you want to achieve, you know where to focus your efforts. You’ll also quickly recognize the distractions that can so easily lead you astray.
Why set goals?
Top-level athletes, successful businessmen, and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives you a long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses on your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you organize your time and resources so that you get the most out of your life.
By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you’ll see progress in what previously might have seemed like a long pointless grind. You’ll also boost your self-confidence, as you recognize your potential and ability to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.
start setting personal goals
You set your goals at several levels:
First, create your “big picture” of what you want to do with your life (or the next 10 years), and identify the large-scale goals you want to achieve.
Then, you break these down into smaller goals that you need to accomplish in order to reach your lifetime goals.
Finally, when you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.
That’s why we start the goal setting process by looking at your lifetime goals. Then, we work on the things you can do over the next five years, then next year, next month, next week, and today, to start moving toward them.
Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals
The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to accomplish in your lifetime (or at least, by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifelong goals gives you that holistic perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision-making.
To give broad, balanced coverage of all important areas of your life, try setting goals in some of the following categories (or in other categories of your own, where these are important to you):
Career – What level do you want to reach, or what do you want to achieve, in your career?
Financial – How much do you want to earn, to what level? How does this relate to your career goals?
Education – Is there any knowledge you particularly want to acquire? What information and skills will you need to achieve other goals?
Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How do you want to be seen by a partner or members of your extended family?
Artistic – Do you have any artistic goals you want to achieve?
Attitude – Is some part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of your behavior that bothers you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to the problem.)
Physical – Is there an athletic goal you want to achieve, or do you just want good health in old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
Pleasure – How do you want to pleasure yourself? (You should make sure that some of your life is for you!)
Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? if so, how?
Spend some time brainstorming these things, and then select one or more goals in each category that best reflect what you want to do. Then again consider trimming down so that you have a smaller number of really important goals that you can focus on.
As you do this, make sure the goals you set are ones you really want to achieve, not ones your parents, family, or employer want. (If you have a partner, you’ll probably want to consider what he or she wants—however, make sure you stay true to yourself, too!)
5 Eat Before and After a Workout. …
The right foods before and after exercise can boost your results. Like a car uses gas, your body burns carbohydrates for fuel. They give you the energy to power through that jog or fitness class. When you’re done, refueling with a combination of protein and carbs can help you rebuild muscle. Ready to make the most of your workout?
Aim to have a snack or mini meal 1 to 3 hours before your workout. You can have tummy troubles if you chow down right before. That’s because more blood goes to your muscles during exercise, leaving less for digestion. After exercise, your body is ready to refuel and rebuild muscle tissue. Eat or drink within an hour of finishing.
The bread and jelly in this lunchbox staple serve up the carbs. They give you the energy your muscles need during exercise. The peanut butter adds a dose of protein, which helps you feel full, and that can help fend off post-workout cravings and binges. In fact, research shows that eating small amounts of peanuts can help you maintain a healthy weight. Headed on an easy walk or to yoga class? Half a sandwich may be all you need.
Before: Oatmeal With Low-Fat Milk and Fruit
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Do you work out in the morning? Start your day with a bowl of high-fiber, whole grain oatmeal and fruit. Your body digests the carbs in this combo more slowly, so your blood sugar stays steadier. You’ll feel energized for longer. For an extra dose of protein and bone-building calcium, stir in some low-fat milk.