Its quite obvious that the ultimate goal of serious gym-goers is bodybuilding. We're not talking about the sport here where men and women in bulk are being showcased. What we're talking about though is natural bodybuilding, the newest health regimen where the muscles of the body are developed the natural way.



Now, by natural bodybuilding, we mean exactly that. No steroids, no drugs, and no so-called light muscle enhancers. Natural bodybuilding is just plain exercise and good, old healthy diet.

The Strategy: Natural Bodybuilding Regimen

Well, we all know that no self-respecting bodybuilder goes without a proper training program as guide. After all, bodybuilding is defined partially by how a person trains. For natural bodybuilding, there are three basic strategies: weight training, good nutrition, and rest.

Resistance weight training leads to microtrauma of the muscle being trained. Microtrauma in turn causes muscle soreness called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). The repair process of microtrauma is what causes anabolism or muscle growth. Below are six rules to follow in any natural bodybuilding program:

* Sessions should be short. The maximum number of minutes should be sixty since after this, hormone levels for muscle building and growth begin to drop.

* Rests between sets should be minimized to around 60-90 seconds for cardiovascular purposes and better muscle voluminizing effect.

* Sets should be 6-15 cycles for each exercise. This helps maximize growth hormone level and increase circulation of blood and nutrients.

* And lastly, natural musclebuilding should be progressive training.

Now, of course, for muscle to grow and repair itself, it would need something to fuel the process. This is where nutrition comes in. The average bodybuilder needs 500-1000 calories per day and natural enthusiasts requires around the same figure in calorie-intake.

Natural muscle building enthusiasts take in complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple sugars as their major calorie and energy source. It is imperative that natural bodybuilding aficionados keep in mind that too much consumption of simple sugars may lead to fat rather than muscle development and at extreme cases, can cause Type II diabetes.

Protein is another key nutritional value for natural bodybuilders for it helps build and develop the muscles. Every natural bodybuilder should take in one to two grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to achieve maximum body development and recovery. The best sources of natural protein are chicken, whey, and egg whites, which are preferred by almost all bodybuilding buffs for their low fat value.

The third basic component of natural bodybuilding is rest. The quality and quantity of sleep a bodybuilder gets can very much affect the success of his muscle building regimen. Rest gives the body the opportunity to recover and build.

Now, as what you might have found out, natural bodybuilding is far from rocket science. It is as simple as one-two-three. And we mean that literally.