For the majority of males at average height who take part in weight training, getting to a 200-pound body weight while keeping your body fat under 15 percent means that you have crossed the line between a beginner and an intermediate bodybuilder. Reaching a body weight of 200 pounds is an indicator that you have created your base, so once you have done that it's time to start getting detailed.

Training

This is when you'll want to do more isolation movements while training in your bodybuilding routine. A very strong base has been built besides minor weaknesses. Now is the time to focus on separation in muscle groups, instead of only size. Use cables to isolate the deltoid. Cable crossover exercises are great for defining your chest. Play around with different leg movements to help make the thighs more noticeable. After you have developed your foundation, the details become the next most important thing. Be sure to study your physique for imperfections all the time, and then work on making them better.

Nutrition

Fiber is often on the mind of a lot of bodybuilders when they consume heaping portions of meat and experience intestinal discomfort. Water will be far more essential in order to keep the body functioning properly. Now that the body weighs more than it did, it will develop new needs for amounts of carbohydrates and proteins. Your body will need 300 grams or more of protein in order to maintain muscle gains. It also needs a minimum of 750 grams of carbs every day to keep from becoming flat. Illness and injury can result if the amount of fats your body takes in is reduced. At this stage in the quest for a bodybuilder's physique, it is more important than ever to keep these dietary minimums.

Supplements

It is good at this stage to start adding supplements to your routine that you have never tried before. As you eat a greater amount of food, fatty acids will be much more important to your body. Glutamine is a great tool to use for having to deal with aches and pains in the joints that you have never felt before because of the weight increase. As your body and routine become more advanced, you should research other supplements to meet these needs.

Steroids

The journey of bodybuilding is long and hard. The beginning stage is very tough, but it doesn't much compare to the next stage that involves harder gains in the gym, and a lot of stress from competitions. Another element of the equation is steroids, which becomes much more relevant the higher you climb in the ranks of the bodybuilding world. The decision to use steroids needs to be made after much research and a lot of thought about how much bodybuilding means to you.