Body building is much more than pumping weights and eating dietary supplements. Speak to any professional body builder and he will tell you that body building is a well planned activity and it requires years of hard work following a strict regimen to build the picture perfect body. If you are planning to build up your body, or you want to take up body building professionally, this article is designed to offer you some basic tips for effective body building. To begin, you have to be dressed for the occasion; do not wear tight fitting clothes to the gym. It is important to let your body breathe and for sweat glands to function properly during a workout. Wear cotton clothing as much as possible, cotton absorbs sweat easily and also prevents body odour. You should wear loose fitting clothes that allow easy movement of body parts. To prevent dehydration, you should drink water or supplement drinks like Gatorade regularly. Drinking water does not hamper your work out and it is important drink water before and after each exercise session. In fact, even when you are not working out you should get into the habit of drinking water regularly. It is vital to use proper lifting techniques, do not assume the simplest way to lift weights is also the best. If you are not sure how you can build up muscle mass by lifting weights, speak to a specialist. Chance are the gym you are member of already has a couple of seasoned body builders or a trained gym instructor, do not hesitate in asking for help. Incorrect techniques can result in muscle damage or worse result in stress fractures. Before you being your exercise routine carry out a few warm up exercises. Ideally you should spend 5-10 minutes on the treadmill or spend time doing stretching exercises. Muscles are susceptible to damage if they are forced into action without notice. Warm up exercises increase blood flow in muscles and prepare muscles for strenuous exercise. Don't restrict your warming up to just time on the treadmill, start by lifting lighter weights and only once the stiffness in the muscles dissipates should you start lifting heavier weights. All body building routines involve exercising in sets. Instead of spending half an hour lifting dumbbells and then spending the remaining time strengthening your deltoids, it is advisable to do dumbbells for 10 minutes, strengthen your deltoids next and then do dumbbells again. You don't need to warm up before every set; a single warm up is good enough. Finally, it is important to not overdo the weights; you should know your limitations. Don't try and lift too much weight in the false hope that it will speed up the process of muscle building. Lifting too much weight will only end up putting undue stress on your body, make sure that you increase the amount of weight you lift over a period of time. It is important to remember that body building is not an overnight phenomenon; it takes time to build the perfect body. Resource Box For more tips and resources visit www.bodymuscle.org
Teenage body builders are becoming more and more common. And why not? Getting ripped is a great way to improve your self-esteem, get the respect of your peers, attract the girls (a big motivator for most teenage guys) and give you a healthy interest. It's also a good way to find an older man to mentor you in more than just body building. And besides, if you're considering a career that involves a lot of muscular strength, having a good set of muscles will count in your favour at the interview and help you in your job. I'm not just talking pro bodybuilding or sport as a career, either. Military, police, firefighting, construction, forestry, security and agriculture are all career areas where the muscular strength and mental discipline developed by teen body building will all be a real asset (and even if you want to be a teacher, body building can help. Wouldn't you have had some serious respect for a teacher who had body builder muscles?). The teen years have some advantages when it comes to body building. During this stage of life, your male hormones (androgen and testosterone) are at a naturally high level like they will be at no other stage in your life. What's more, your HGH (human growth hormone) levels are also peaking right now. Older bodybuilders have to take supplements to get the levels you already have. Your body wants to pack on muscle as you transition from being a boy to being a man, so let your instincts rip and get ripped! Top tips:
Don't take steroids
They are illegal and will do your body serious damage. You will get caught. Period. Eat well. You've heard your mom bang on about "eat up your meat/greens/potatoes to grow big and strong" when you were little. She's right. To build big, powerful muscles, you will need to eat right. Avoid takeout foods and eat plenty of good food ' complex carbs like wholemeal and potatoes (and popcorn), lean protein, fresh fruit and veggies. During the teen years, you will naturally crave proteins, so maybe consider protein supplements so you don't eat the cupboards bare every day. A-Z Nutrition has a range of protein supplements like shakes and bars at low prices that will suit a teen's budget ' you'll be better spending your money here than at fast food outlets. Just hide them from your little sister ' they taste great!
Balanced workouts
At your age, focussing on just one body part per workout is a bad idea. You can put some serious strain on your bones and joints that you will regret in later years. Go for whole body workouts at this stage. You won't be a teen for long ' the "chest on Monday, back on Wednesday, legs on Friday" type of workout is for when you're out of this initial stage.
Aerobics
Yes, you will see the older body builders standing around and resting in between sets and exercises. However, you can overdo the rest times. It is important to boost your cardiovascular fitness as well as your strength, as this increases stamina and bloodflow. As you are doing a whole body workout at your age, you should do some cardio daily. Try running or cycling, or use some of the cardio-type machines at the gym. Supplements. You will not need any of the dietary supplements designed to raise your testosterone level or HGH levels, as these are already at a peak at levels that the older guys envy. The one exception to this one is the zinc products, as zinc helps with skin problems such as acne as well as overall health. Stick to basics such as multivitamins and protein supplements. Coaching
A good coach will show you how to lift right so you don't injure yourself. He/she will also be there with good advice regarding diet and nutrition, exercise plans and other tips. If you absolutely can't afford a pro coach, then find an older guy at the gym who looks like a serious bodybuilder to act as your mentor. He'll be flattered, so don't be shy.
Stretch
You will need to be flexible and you will need to warm up your muscles before doing weights or any exercise. Do plenty ' this is one exercise you can't overdo.
First things first
Before you start pumping iron, pump yourself. Start off with push ups, chin ups and dips before moving onto the metal. What's more you can do these anywhere and they're a good way to impress your buddies at school.
Time
Your workouts should be less than an hour. At your stage of development, an intense workout should be over in 20-30 minutes. If you are not exhausted by this stage, then you are not working out intensively enough. Go all the way. When using weights, aim to use the full range of motion. You may see more advanced bodybuilders using only a half range occasionally, but this is for advanced strength training only. Teens need to be able to work all their muscles, ligaments, joints and bones throughout the entire movement. So no cheating or excuses.
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