Body Building Supplements Guide

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5 Must-Know facts About Bodybuilding nutrition!

There are several different theories and cliques arguing the issue of the correct methods to use for bodybuilding nutrition. Dietary science has both proven and confuted many in the past. It is very crucial for the commencing bodybuilder to focus intensely on his nutrition, as this can either intensify his efforts, or completely obviate them. Here are a few of the significant areas to focus on. It is very important that before you start any bodybuilding or fat-loss plan that you confer with your physician, as there can be lasting modifications to your physiology if the diverse programs are adopted haphazardly.

1. H2O consumption is the principal catalyst that allows for your body to wash out waste, thereby readying the cells for fresh nutrient ingestion, as well as allowing for unproblematic cellular division, allowing for cell growth. Alot of of the toxins that are flushed out of the cells by water consumption are inimical to cellular growth and mitosis, and will seriously stunt if not completely halt your bodybuilding program. Uniform intake of water also can assist in the loss of water weight, thereby chipping in to fat loss.

2. Food is the elementary building block of muscle, and comprises one of the most important aspects of your bodybuilding program. An unsuitable ratio of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates can extend to fat retention, energy loss, and a mostly poor result of your program. Please confer with a registered dietician and/or a physician to employ the suitable dietary intake ratios that are applicable for your particular program.

3. Nutritional Bars are fast becoming the food article of choice for a bodybuilding or fat-loss diet. Alot of of these bars are high-protein low carbohydrate, such as has been generalised by the Atkins and Zone diets. An important condition in your choice of supplemental food bars is the ratios of carbohydrates to fat. Complex carbohydrates are preferable, with a higher ratio of protein. Protein is one of the most important muscular building blocks, and should be interpreted as being one of the exceedingly well regarded factors in your nutrition plan.

4. Nutritional supplements have also seen an enormous increase in fame. Some of the more popular include pills that purportedly increase thermogenesis, or the bodies burning off of fat for fuel. There are a enormous number of these types of fat-loss supplements on the market, and the best advice is to research the prospective supplement soundly. Pay very little attention to testimonials; rather avail yourself of the abundant medical research on the web, and the encyclopedic knowledge of your doctor. Surely consult your physician before taking ANY nutritional supplements, as several can have unintended side effects that can become life-threatening, such as Ephedrine.

5. Rest is an often overlooked portion of a complete bodybuilding nutrition plan. A solid 8 hours of sleep is conducive to cellular growth and regeneration, and allows the budding bodybuilder to conserve their energy for the next workout routine.

Please be cognisant that it is a the complete bundle of nutrition, exercise, and water intake that meld to form the most synergistic facet of a bodybuilding or weight loss program. All of the factors work collectively to form a sum greater than the parts, permitting the beginning bodybuilder to raise their physique properly, and with results that are projected to last.

By understanding a little more about the muscles you are using, you will start to recognize just how your bodybuilding exercises make the difference.
The smart thing abou this is that you will understand better how to leverage your exercises to make much better use of them
So, as you can guess from this, it’s not just about knowing the complicated and often almost unpronouncable Latin names of the muscles.
“Latin is a language, that’s dead as dead can be – it killed the ancient Romans, and now it’s killing me” – inscription inside my latin dictionary, circa 1967!
It’s also about their primary functions, how they operate in the different sequences of activity and perhaps just as important where bodybuilding exercises are concerned, their counter uses as well. Their secondary uses that are so vital in how our bodies work.
What are counter uses? (I feel sure that there is a technical name for these, but this will serve the purpose). Well, often a muscle, or muscle group, will be used to manage and balance the use of another, enabling complete control of movement.
By understanding this fully, you will appreciate much better how you can utilize this capacity of many, if not the majority of muscles, to be tested during the bodybuilding exercises you plan to use.
Of course, the main goal in each set of exercises you do is to challenge each major muscles primary function and what will need to be done to give them the additional strength, tone and growth that will be your primary goal.
The bodybuilding exercises that you pitch for each series of repetitions in each muscle area, will have the focus of improving their performance. If the outcome were less than that you might wonder why it was worth the bother in the first place.
Absolutely right. And that remains the goal. By using your bodybuilding exercise to also focus, through understanding all the muscles in the group and their function, even as you exercise you will feel each muscle tested.
This will significantly add to your motivation, through that understanding, to deliver the bodybuilding exercise as well as possible, safe in the knowledge that you are doing yourself more good than you thought, especially when you expected just one major target muscle to be your goal.
How to find out more? Well, good bodybuilding books will enable you to recognize the major muscles groups. If you want to delve even further, checkout Wikipedia (where else!), with some well chosen keywords such as bodybuilding exercises, muscles etc.
Understand what bodybuilding exercises will give it strength and makes all the muscles in that group are worked for an even distribution of strength.
Working one arm more than the other could make the appearance seem lopsided.

So you’ve seen one too many Men’s Health fitness models and decided that it was time to start your own quest for a ripped six-pack, eh?

Well being a beginner bodybuilder requires a conscious step back to build the proper foundation to your training program before following the more advanced tricks you’ll find floating around the muscle mags and web.

So where does one turn without the steroid-driven wisdom of the super giants of the stage?

Relax. I have got just the advice for you to start packing some serious muscle on your frame…

Beginner Bodybuilding Wake-Up Call #1: Reality Check

First let’s start with a reality check…

Do NOT expect to miraculously start looking ripped after a week.

Even with great genetics, you can’t change Mother Nature and your body is only capable of building so much muscle at a time…despite what the supplement ads may say.

Bodybuilding, especially beginner bodybuilding, requires time, discipline and consistency.

However, the good news is that the first couple of months will be the most exciting for you because this will be the time when you make the most visual gains to your body.

Shoot for .5 to 1 lb of lean muscle growth per week and you’ll be doing just fine.

Beginner Bodybuilding Wake-Up Call #2: Rest, Relax, Recover…and GROW!

Contrary to what most beginner bodybuilders believe, your muscles don’t grow while you’re ripping them apart in the gym.

The muscle fibers you’ve spent so much time pulverizing on the bench only get bigger when you’ve given them time to recover and grow in anticipation for the next “attack”.

Getting plenty of rest and a good 7-8 hours of sleep will help your body make the changes you’re looking for…especially since this is when you have your greatest release of natural growth hormones to help with the bulking up!

Beginner Bodybuilding Wake-Up Call #3: Check Your Ego At The Gym Door

Look, everyone started out somewhere.

So don’t feel you have to impress any of the no-necks at your local sweatbox simply because you think they’re constantly watching you and giggling under their breath.

They’re not.

But I’ll tell you what IS funny…

Watching beginner bodybuilders (and yes…even so called “experienced” lifters) flopping around like a hooked bass lifting too much weight on the bar and having to “cheat” on correct form to get the weight up.

Start at a low enough weight to get a full range of your muscle’s motion and use perfect form.

You’ll be rewarded with respect from the other guys around you…and consistent muscle growth the other “fish” won’t see.

Beginner Bodybuilding Wake-Up Call #4: The BASICS Still Work The Best!

Don’t get caught up in trying out some of the complicated exercises you see as filler in some of the muscle mags.

Standing on your head while balancing a dumbbell with one hand and a yoga instructor with the other while whistling the them to Rocky isn’t some ancient secret for massive muscle growth.

Beginner bodybuilders should stick with basic compound exercises (exercises that use more than one joint movement) to build the most muscle in the least amount of time.

Here are a few to get you started:

Curls Bench Press Squats Pull Ups Chin Ups

There are variations on all of these exercises so feel free to experiment with them as you gain experience.

Just be careful not to get too carried away in your beginner bodybuilding workout at first.

Start slow and listen to your body and how it’s responding.

In no time, you’ll be the expert everyone else will turn to when their routines stop bringing them the gains they were expecting.

Check out my bio for more advice.

Everybody has seen the perma-bulkers (or Permanent Bulkers), these are the men in the gym who take part in a never ending cycle to bulk up. They are constantly attempting to gain muscle mass no matter what it takes. You have never noticed an ounce of any muscularity on their bodies. And yet they strut around the gym feeling undefeatable while they go on and on about the stress of being a true bodybuilder. So someone needs to tell them that they aren’t bodybuilders, rather perma-bulkers.
Bodybuilders work out to achieve muscle gains, while at the same time keeping their body fat percentage very low in order to be able to show off the muscles. Bodybuilders eat and train just for the purpose of developing muscles, but they also eat and train to define and separate those muscles. Bodybuilders can be seen as works of art, carved out of a big chunk of rock for people to admire all the human body muscles. Perma-bulkers are on the other end of the spectrum, they are big hunks of sweaty human mass that just lift heavy weights and eat everything in sight. These people do almost no cardio and never bother to count calories. These people actually might have a little more in common with animals than with bodybuilders.
You might think that this lifestyle is at least a healthy way of living, but it’s really not. Most of them suffer from high blood pressure, bad cholesterol levels, and an increased chance of a heart attack due to all of the extra stress that’s placed on their bodies. In other words, you probably wouldn’t find too many old perma-bulkers.
So why do these people do it? They do it because it’s easy, and you never have to be careful with your diet. This routine allows them to skip cardio and just concentrate on heavy weights. They enjoy the feeling of just being big and think that they are intimidating. If that lifestyle fits them and makes them happy then so be it, but they are not allowed to refer to themselves as bodybuilders. Actual bodybuilders don’t have respect for them because it is brutish and not disciplined.
So the next time you see a perma-bulker, warn him and let him know that the routine he has chosen is not that of a bodybuilders. Let him know that a bodybuilder’s diet does not consist of cheeseburgers and beer, but lean meats and vegetables. Let them know that real bodybuilders spend just as much time doing cardio as they do lifting the weights. Let them know who they really are.

So you think you’ve got what it takes to be a bodybuilder? Can you go through grueling workouts with almost no glycogen storage? Can you avoid all simple sugars for nearly two months? Can you get down to below 5% body fat?

If you are one of the few, dedicated individuals who think they can become a bodybuilder, ask yourself this question. “Can I stop drinking all fluids for nearly 24 hours?” If you answered no to the last question, I don’t think any less of you. In fact, the last 24 hours before a competition are perhaps the most miserable for most bodybuilders. In my case, I can honestly say the hardest part was the carbohydrate depletion. As an author and a Personal Trainer, I found it extremely difficult to function without the primary source of energy– carbs. That being said, my experience as a bodybuilder has molded me into the strongest person I have ever been. I’m going to illustrate my latest experience at the Border States Classic in October 2008, in the hopes of inspiring and educating those who are interested in the sport of bodybuilding to compete.

First and foremost, I should tell everyone that bodybuilding is truly a competition against one’s self. This means that one must constantly be battling their urges to consume junk food, overeat and skip on workouts. No one else can make you do this. Even a Personal Trainer can only give you a roadmap, but you must follow the path. I knew that I could keep myself from indulging in the non-essentials so I decided to try my hand at the Border States. Ten weeks before the show I weighed in at 168 pounds and around 11% body fat. I figured that I couldn’t make bantamweight (up to 143lbs.), but I knew my muscular development was good, so I began to go through a journey of fat burning.

Supplements:

The edge I had over many of my competitors was my knowledge of supplementation. I knew that the right combination of supps could fine tune my body and allow me to go on stage super tight. I was right! I was very, very tight. Below is the list of supplements that I used during pre-competition:

Green Tea Extract, 600 mg daily

7-Keto, 300 mg daily

CLA, 8 grams a day (4 before bed)

Tribulus, 3000 mg daily

Gaspari Novedex, 3 capsules at bedtime

Fish Oil, 30 grams a day

Max Nitro L-Arginine, 10 grams a day on empty stomach

L-Glutamine, 30 grams a day (10 at night)

Controlled Labs Purple Wrath

AST GABA, 5 Grams before bedtime

Alpha Lipoic Acid/ L Carnitine/ Co Q 10 compound, 4 capsules a day

Milk Thistle

Probolic-SR (not the last week before the show)

BSN Lean Dessert (not the last week)

Nature’s Best- Whey Isolate (not the last week)

MHP-XPEL water loss (8 capsules daily for the last week)

This may seem like a lot of supplements, and it is! Remember, a bodybuilder cannot deprive his or her body of the nutrients it needs to repair itself. Actually, no one should deprive their body. All we have in life is time and health. It is important to make both of these as good and enjoyable as possible.

Training: High Volume

I used a routine that consisted of hitting every body part twice a week, taking Sunday off. I hit legs and deltoids three times a week. My training was very high volume and looked similar to this:

Shoulders:

Lateral Raise– 4 sets of 15-20 reps, superset with 4 sets of Front Raises 15-20 reps

Overhead dumbbell press– (35 lbs) 4 sets of 25 reps

Wide Grip Upright Rows– 4 sets of 20 reps

Shrugs with light weight– 20 reps, superset with Lateral Raises to finish

My cardio increased significantly the last 3 weeks. I did one half-hour session of cardio on the recumbent bike first thing in the morning, after a shake with Purple Wrath. I did this again at night after my last meal to ensure that I would deplete my glycogen stores.

Diet: Carbohydrate Cycling

This is truly the hardest part of bodybuilding. I opted to cycle my carb intake; taking in only 40 grams of carbs from oatmeal for 4 days. On the fifth day, I would take in about 200 grams of carbs from oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and brown rice. All of my meals contained about 6 ounces of fish (no salmon), chicken or ground turkey. These are very lean meats, which allowed me to maintain an adequate protein intake. All meals contained 2 cups of green beans, spinach, or bok choy. I would take in 5 meals every day, or the equivalent of 1 meal every 3 hours. I made sure to supplement with plenty of fish oil and Branched Chain Amino Acids to maintain energy levels and muscle tissue. In essence, I tried to focus on lean protein and veggies.

Note: The last week before competition, I ate only 30 grams of carbs per day until the day before the show. I also drank only 2 gallons of water until two days before (Thursday); that day I drank only a ½ gallon of water. Friday I only drank 8 oz. of water. Saturday morning I only had black coffee. I was very thirsty to say the least.

Posing and Tanning: Contest Prep is Vital!

A few weeks before the competition I began to tan. This is one of my least favorite parts of my experience. In addition to the regular tanning, I applied 6 coats of Pro-Tan, a tanning liquid that is painted on the skin. Now, I have the unfortunate disposition of having body hair, so my stubble was somewhat noticeable. Therefore, before the night show, I applied one more coat to hide the stubble. Tanning is a pain, but it is necessary and very aesthetically pleasing. The lights on stage are white, which makes the competitors look pale. Pale white skin would wash away like sand on the beach. Remember, this sport is about how good you look!

Posing is perhaps the most important part of bodybuilding shows. Flexing each muscle is a form of isometric exercise and helps etch in the definition between muscles. A competitor should be used to flexing for at least 60 seconds to build up endurance. Judges do not like to see competitors shake on stage from lack of muscular endurance. I think I posed for at least 30 minutes every day starting from two weeks prior to the show. The last two days, flexing and posing were my only forms of exercise.

Conclusion: Although it was a challenge, my bodybuilding experience was one of the greatest times of my life. It was a blast being onstage with my fellow athletes. It was even more fun standing right in front of the biggest guy onstage and posing down with him. I suggest that if you are interested in Bodybuilding Competition, you should go to a show to see what the atmosphere is like. See the competitors in person and decide if you have the discipline to transform your body with the necessary strategies.

Keep the Fire Burning!

-Sean Covell

BestSupplementGuide.com

Everyone has either heard of or is familiar with the sport of competitive bodybuilding. The female component, which is known as women bodybuilding, began in the late 1970s as women began to participate in competitions. Now, more than three decades later, women bodybuilding is a large part of the sport and has begun to garner the respect that it has strived for since it’s inception.

Although physique contests for women can actually be documented in the 1960s, they were little more than bikini contests. The first true women bodybuilding competition is regarded as the one held in Canton, Ohio in 1978. Promoted by Henry McGhee, the first United States Women’s National Physique Championship was the first competition where the entrants were judged solely on their muscularity as opposed to how well they looked in swimsuits.

By 1979, more women bodybuilding competitions were being held. The sport, however, did not possess a sanctioning body until 1980. Known as the National Physique Committee, this organization hosted the first women’s nationals and became the top amateur level competition for women bodybuilding in the United States. Additionally, 1980 marked the first Ms. Olympia competition, which is the most honored competition for women bodybuilding professionals.

As the sport continued to grow and increase in overall popularity, competitors found themselves needing to train harder and improve their overall muscular physique. By the 1980s, women bodybuilding was no longer a bikini contest or seeing who could pose in the highest heels. Now, it was becoming a popular sport with championship titles and increasing fan attendance.

With films that have been produced in honor of women bodybuilding competitions, coverage on major television networks and despite some controversies along the way, women bodybuilding has more than proven it’s ability to remain in the ranks of this popular sport. As further proof, the IFBB established a Hall of Fame in 1999, which would honor bodybuilding’s top athletes. To date, 14 women bodybuilding competitors have been inducted. Among them, Carla Dunlap, Cory Everson and Rachel McLish, Bev Francis, Lisa Lyon and Abbye Stockton, Kay Baxter, Diana Dennis, Kike Elomaa, Laura Combes, Lynn Conkwright, Ellen Van Maris, Stacy Bentley and Claudia Wilbourn.

In late 2004, the IFBB introduced a new rule that required women bodybuilding participants decrease their amount of muscularity by 20%, which is now referred to simply as the ‘20% rule.’ The rule applies to those whose physique requires the decrease. In 2005, another rule was introduced that would abolish the weight class system beginning with the 2005 Ms. Olympia.

In addition to women bodybuilding, there are two additional categories that are closely related and often held as part of the same event. The fitness competition includes a swimsuit round, along with a round that has the entrants judged on their performance in aerobics, dance or gymnastics. The second category is a figure competition, which is a newer format, and has the participants being judged exclusively on their symmetry and muscle tone. This category focuses less on muscle size than does women bodybuilding.

Although women bodybuilding has continued to grow in popularity, the prize money remains significantly less than is awarded to male bodybuilders.

It has been proven and everyone else cannot deny the fact that when you look good you actually feel good. Your self-esteem gets boosted and you might even find yourself developing some ego. It does not take too much strength and does not need too much expenditure but only begins by starting a bodybuilding workout now! With the growing demand to look good, not only adults but teenagers too are looking for means by which they can improve their body figures and fortunately many gyms have facilities that accommodate almost all ages. This should encourage everyone to join a bodybuilding workout programme to improve their lifestyle.

Bodybuilding workout is not just about loosing weight or gaining a six-pack. Workouts help you reduce chronic disease and could also improve your sleeping pattern. Bodybuilding workouts do not mean that you slave yourself and cannot wake up the following day, all it takes is a minimum of 30 minutes dedication to exercise. All you need to do is manage your weighs. Starting or planning a bodybuilding workout routine will help you achieve this. Each day you need a progress. It does not have to be speedy because you might fail to cope but you should be reasonable about the period you take to increase your weighs. Some people use steroids as opposed to natural bodybuilding workout. These supplements might help to see the results of your workout early. I must admit, it is discouraging not to see fruitful results after all the body pains and tiredness that comes with bodybuilding workouts. Steroids will help you to get rid of the possible tiredness after your workout. However, natural bodybuilding workout is perfect because you do not suffer the side effects that steroids might have on your body. Most health professionals also recommend natural bodybuilding workout so if you know what is best for your body you shall know which one to opt.

Some Tips To Make Bodybuilding Workouts Work For You Ask for your doctor’s approval before attempting to indulge your body to a bodybuilding workout routine. He may recommend you for the workout that suits the health status of your body. Do not slave yourself. Plan your bodybuilding workout routine and stick to it until your body is ready to take more then you can plan another routine. This prevents you from overworking yourself, which can have a negative effect to the functioning of your body. Know your areas of concerns and make the moves that affect that area. You do not have to lift weighs when you want to get rid of lipids on your tummy but you need to make moves that will affect your stomach.