As someone who is passionate about bodybuilding and has seen the ways it can benefit someones life both physically and mentally, I enjoy helping others experience the same benefits. Whether you’ve been lifting for years and could use a refresher on how to make the most of your effort or your just starting out and need a little help getting your feet off the ground – here are a few simple tips to consider if you decide to try your hand at bodybuilding.
Consistently practice basic compound movements and proper form.
Before you can tackle the hard movements, you need to have a mastery over the basics. Work simple exercises like squats, deadlifts and barbell bench presses into your usual workout routine. Focus on form too. If you consistently use bad form at the beginning because you’re pushing yourself to take on more weight than you can handle or because you just aren’t paying attention, you struggle even more to break these bad habits later. If you find yourself wondering if your positioning yourself right, look it up. You won’t regret researching a position now rather than finding out you have been doing it wrong for the last six months. The internet boasts a host of free examples for every exercise. You might as well take advantage of it. As the bodybuilder, Kelechi Opara, says, “Exercise movements that require two or muscle groups to perform are better than isolation movements, which only require one muscle group.”
Use free weights.
It doesn’t make sense to use a machine just because it looks like the most complicated or difficult. Often time free weights put to use in barbell squats or dumbbell presses are a simple and effective way to build lean muscle and increase strength. Once you have your simple free weight exercises down, approach the machines. They will probably seem a lot less complicated or difficult now that you have some weightlifting experience.
Incorporate vitamins and supplements into your diet.
People often discredit how imperative supplements and vitamins are to their bodybuilding journey. Sure, not every vitamin is an effective addition for each bodybuilder. Use your physical makeup and size to search out which additives are going to be most useful for you. Two common staples of physical training are Vitamin C and Glutamine. Start from there and slowly find what else might effectively help you on your fitness journey.
Stick to a routine.
Be consistent with your routine. Assign specific days for each muscle group to ensure you hit each one in the week. Also, make sure your routine gives you ample recovery time. As a beginner, it doesn’t make sense to push your body to lift every day. It will only stunt your progress or leave you injured. If you don’t know how to build a routine, ask a professional. As Craig Wilson explains, “Ask a personal trainer or an advanced bodybuilder to provide you with a program that includes the exact exercises you need to do, the number of sets and the number of reps per set,” in order to ensure that your routine is safe and effective for you and your goals.