Image Source: Pexels
Whether you are simply craving an athletic body to look like your favorite celebrity, or you have simply become health conscious, if you have decided to opt for bodybuilding, you deserve a pat on your back. Thanks to increased health awareness, more people are opting for fitness programs and gyms.
Fortunately enough, even the stick-size fever is also subsiding from the media and fashion industry and people are acknowledging that it is important that your health and fitness are sustainable.
Bodybuilding programs are one of the best choices since they do not require you to shed pounds of fat by sheer starvation. It is a lifestyle change that not only shapes your body but also builds your strength and stamina, making you feel more active and healthy.
However, bodybuilding is nothing like your regular weight loss cardio where you just get on a treadmill for 30 odd minutes along with crash diet programs such as intermittent fasting.
This program primarily focuses on building your muscle strength and stamina and therefore needs to be practiced along the scientific lines.
6 Tips to Begin with Bodybuilding
If you are a beginner to bodybuilding, here are 6 tips that will help you kick-start your fitness schedule in a better way.
1. Eat Right
The most crucial non-workout factor that plays a role in your muscle growth and stamina building is your eating habits. You should neither eat too much nor too little but eat adequately and eat healthily.
Bodybuilding requires a high protein low carb diet where you should be eating small meals at an interval of every four hours. Your dietary intake should have a very high intake of protein and a lower intake of good fats and brown carbs.
While you should cut down on sugar and vegetable oil, it does not mean that you bring your fats and carbs to zero.
Eating right is not only about what you eat but also when you eat. Make sure that you have your breakfast as early in the day as possible, followed by a snack before you have your lunch. Likewise, you can have a snack after your lunch somewhere before your dinner and have an early dinner. Avoid eating anything after 7 PM.
2. Supplements
Besides your vitamins, proteins, carbs, and fats, there are certain other enzymes and chemical substances that your body produces to catalyze certain functions. One of the most important substances is testosterone, which plays a key role in muscle growth and recovery.
Unfortunately, testosterone cells are very short-lived and the lack of it hinders stamina building. You can fill that gap by taking bodybuilding supplements such as testosterone. Other important supplements that you should include are a protein shake, vitamin D, and fish oil.
3. The Right Exercises
As a beginner, you might be too tempted to get on every fancy machine that you see at your fitness club. Interestingly, none of those super cool machines are as effective as free weights such as dumbbells and barbells.
Start with basic exercises using lighter weights and gradually increase intensity every week. Jumping jacks, pushups, planks, burpees, squats, and lunges are the most important exercises that should not be missed.
4. Rest Period
Your bodybuilding workout involves intense exercises that target different muscles and will cause them to be sore. Although post-work-out soring and burning muscles is a good sign, you must allow your muscles to recover by allowing your body adequate rest. Do not exercise daily and do not make it more than five days a week.
5. Sleeping Habits
No matter how well you workout, or how strict you are when following your diet, all goes in vain if your sleeping habits are poor. Your muscle does not get their much-needed adequate rest if you are sleep-deprived and hence the rate of recovery slows down.
You must ensure a minimum of eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Avoid staying up late at night and go to bed early so that you can wake up fresh.
If by all means, you have to sacrifice a few hours of your night’s sleep, make up for the shortfall later in the day by taking a power nap, however, do not make this a habit.
Sleep deprivation keeps your body stressed out and it is unable to process the nutrients properly.
6. Avoid Stress
Stress is one of the prime culprits that keep your body from getting in shape. Your physical health is highly dependent on your mental health.
You must avoid all kinds of stress. If you are feeling stressed, try doing yoga moves to minimize stress. Surround yourself with positivity as much as you can.
About The Author:
Stacey Smith is a freelance health writer. She is passionate about writing about women’s health, dental health, diabetes, endocrinology, and nutrition and provides in-depth features on the latest in health news for medical clinics and health magazines.
