Basic Nutrition
It's quite well known that nutrition is one of, if not the, most important factors of bodybuilding. I'd like to give a basic breakdown of some of the more basic aspects that everyone should be aware of.
As for a very basic breakdowns, all food consist of: carbs, proteins, and fats. Again...this is on a very basic level (as it all gets much more complex).
Protien (4 calories/gram) - Protien is the building block of muscle, so it's no wonder why bodybuilders are recomended to take in 1-1.5g/lb of bodyweight....minimum. There has been a debate that has still never been solved claiming that high protien diets aren't necessary, and even dangerous, and that high protien diets produce more of a placebo effect. But for every study which shows high protien diets are not effective, there is another showing that they are. This is still being debated, and most likely will continue to be debated for a very long time. It is believed that high protien diets are dangerous because it requires a lot of water to digest protien, a simple answer to this problem is to drink more water. It is also believed to put strain on the kidneys, again, drinking a lot of water will help with this problem. Though most of these claims of protien being dangerous are outdated, people still choose to believe, and preach this theory. Though there seems to be no real threat, i figured this debate was worth mentioning to clear up any concerns that a new bodybuilder might have.
Carbohydrates (4 calories/gram) - Carbs are much more complicated than protien because each carb source is different and should be used in a different way. Here's a basic run down:
1) Slow-Digesting Carbs(natural): yams, wild rice, beans, oats, fruts...all natural carbs are in this category. These are ideal for most people as they are digested slowly providing you with energy throught the day. They also don't spike insulin levels which is very unwanted for if you're metabolism isn't on the freakishly fast side, you're going to be gaining some fat.
2) Fast-Digesting Carbs(man-made): white bread, bagels, white rice, cold cerials, fruit juices, and other man-made carbs. These carbs hit the blood stream quicker and produce an insulin spike, which is generally only of use post-workout.
3) Bodybuilders with excess bodyfat should consume slow-digesting carbs
4) If you are low in bodyfat and have a hard time putting on weight, fast-digesting carbs can be usefull as you will be able to eat more of them and it will help stimulate appetite.
5) Take in slow-digesting carbs before training because your body will need them to sustain energy.
6) Immediately after training, take in fast-digesting carbs. They will spike insulin levels switching your muscles from a catabolic to an anabolic phase. Durring this phase after training you can take in up to .7 g of carbs/lb.
7) It is recomended to get 2.5-3 times your bodyweight in carbs/day. Use the information above to determine what sources you should get these carbs from.
Fat (9 calories/gram): This is the most feared of all of these 3 nutrients because common logic is, if someone doesn't want to store excess fat in their body, why would they eat something that bears the same name? The thing that most people don't know is, fat is as essential to a propper diet as anything else, it's just a matter of taking in the right fats. First of all, fat is very essential as it serves to keep you warm, and more importantly cushions your organs. The body also calls on fat for energy. Fats are probably the least complicated of all of these nutritents, as there really isn't much to say about them. Many people don't even count fat calories, they just limit the amount of saturated fat which they take in. I will say this though; it is very important to make sure you are getting all of your essential fatty acids. These are fats which the body needs and not just stored as fat as saturated fats are. You can get your essential fatty acids from fish, nuts, flax seeds, almonds, and avacados, just to name a few. With fat taken from these sources, you can supply your body with the fats that it needs without fearing your waist line expanding.
I included the calories/gram of all of those because, though you should be more concerned with where your calories are coming from, you should be sure to eat 200-300 calories over your maintnance levels every day in order to grow. If you wish to find out your maintnance levels, take a week where you just eat to maintain. Eat when you're hungry, and stop when you're not hungry anymore. Right down everything you eat in detail, and at the end of the week, add all of the calories up, and devide it by 7 (because there are 7 days in a week). The number you get is your maintnance calorie level. Add 200-300 calories on to that and you're set.
As you are just getting into bodybuilding, you are probably eating roughly 3 meals/day, with the occasional snack thrown in....well in bodybuilding, that crow won't caw
It has been understood for a very long time that you must change your eating patern from 3 large meals per day, to several small ones. There are several reasons as to why this method is best. First of all, your body gets a constant supply of nutrients throughout the day, so you can constantly feed your muscles (as they are metaboliclly active, and you're sure to have atleast 1 muscle group that is still recoving from it's previous workout) and grow. Another reason is because your body can only digest so much protien at a time. It varies from person to person but it's generally around 30g (though you can take in more upon waking up and post-workout). If you were to eat 3 meals a day, that would mean your body would only be digesting around 90g of protien and the rest would serve as empty calories to be stored as fat. Here are some sample meal plans that a bodybuilder may follow. Feel free to use these as guides, but they must be customized to tailor your caloric needs and schedual.
Sample 1:
Meal One - six-egg omlette with cheese, whol-grain toast, fruit, 1-2 glasses of milk
Meal 2 - broiled steak, 1-2 vegetables, baked potato, 1-2 glasses of milk
Meal 3 - tuna salad, 1-2 vegetables, baked potato, 1-2 glasses of milk
Meal 4 (pre-workout) - protien shake
Meal 5 - roast chicken, 1-2 vegetables, rice, 1-2 glasses of milk
Meal 6 - boiled eggs, cold cuts, 1-2 glasses of milk
Sample 2:
Meal 1 - 6 egg whites w/ 2 or 3 yolks, oatmeal, piece of fruit, two slices of whole-wheat toast
Meal 2 - protien and carb shake, bagel, piece of fruit
Meal 3 - 6 oz chicken breast, rice, vegetables
Meal 4 (pre-workout) - protien and carb shake
Meal 5 (immediate post-workout) - whey protien w/ simple carbs
Meal 6 - 6 oz beef (burger or steak), baked potato, vegetable (spinach)
Meal 7 (before bed)- 2 oz oatmeal, egg whites
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Food (serving size)------------Protien(g)-Carbs(g)-Calories
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Almonds (2 oz)-----------------12---------10-------340
Avocado (2 oz)-----------------1----------4--------100
Banana(1 medium)---------------1----------28-------110
Beans/Lentils (4 oz dry)-------21---------54-------300
Berries (4 oz)-----------------0----------11-------50
Bread (2 slices;whole grain)---12---------48-------240
Cheese (4 oz low fat)----------36---------4--------320
Chicken (6 oz canned)----------33---------0--------150
Chicken Breast (8 oz skinless)-48---------0--------360
Cottage Cheese (1 cup low fat)-30---------7--------190
Eggs (6 whole)-----------------38---------3--------450
Egg Whites (12)----------------42---------3--------200
Fish (8 oz, lean, white)-------43---------0--------210
Ground Beef (8 oz extra lean)--40---------0--------600
Milk (1 quart non-fat)---------36---------48-------360
Oatmeal (100 g dry)------------14---------60-------330
Olive Oil (1 tbsp)-------------0----------0--------120
Orange (1 medium)--------------1----------16-------65
Pasta (6 oz)-------------------21---------120------630
Peanut Butter (6 tbsp commercial)-21------18-------570
Peanut Butter (6 tbsp natural)-30---------15-------600
Peanuts (2 oz)-----------------14---------12-------320
potato,baked (5"x2" w/ skin)---5----------50-------220
potato,baked (8 oz, skinless)--4----------50-------210
Rice (1/2 cup precooked, brown)10---------70-------320
Rice (1/2 cup precooked, white)6----------70-------320
Salmon (8 oz atlantic)---------45---------0--------420
Sardines (6 ozin oil, drained)-45---------0--------360
Spinach (8 oz frozen)----------6----------6--------50
Steak (8 oz new york)----------62---------0--------500
Steak (8 oz round)-------------66---------0--------430
Tuna (6 oz canned)-------------33---------0--------150
Turkey bacon (4 oz)------------22---------0--------150
Turkey breast (8 oz)-----------65---------0--------430
Vegetables (6 oz frozen, mixed)4----------10-------60
Yams (8 oz baked)--------------2----------38-------160
Yogurt (8 oz plain)------------13---------17-------120
for more nutritional facts (including foods from various fast food restaurants) visit calorieking.com for a very comprehensive list.
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Many young lifters jump the gun when they first begin weight training. They go into split routines, using way too many exercies for each workout. I would like to help some "newbies" as it is put, get into weight training safely and effectively.
Beginners in bodybuilding have 2 main advantages. One is when you have never weight trained before, you can see remarkable growth since everything is new to you. The other is, your muscles recover significantly quicker than more advanced bodybuilders, so you can train each muscle group more often. Someone who is new to weight training can recover in a 24 hour period where it can take around 72 hours of more for a more advanced bodybuilder to recover.
For someone who has never weight trained before, i'd recomend getting into it with a fullbody split. The reason for this is, first of all, if each muscle recovers in 24 hours, it would be efficient to work it out every other day. Another reason for this is when someone has never used those muscles before, you don't want to start working them from so many different angles with so many total sets; because even though it is harder for a young bodybuilder to overtrain, this will do it. The reason is obviously that those muscles which were never used to a strenuous extent are now performing a greater amount of work than they can handle.
Now to your first full body split. I'd recomend performing it 3 days a week: monday, wednesday, and friday. Though they can be performed any days of the week to accomidate your schedual, just allow atleast 1 day of rest inbetween each workout session. You should also switch splits every 6 weeks or so. I will be including 3 different splits, this way you can use each for 6 weeks, and by the time you are done with this, your body will be able to move up to your first ever split routine.
In all of the following routines I am using 2 sets of 12 (2x12) for the majority of workouts. This means you would perform 12 repetitions of the workout, rest for 45 seconds or so, and then do another set of 12 repetitions. The reason i choose 12 is because higher reps will prepare your muscles for a more intense program later on. More importantly if you are using higher reps you will be using less weight, thus have a less risk of injury when learning the propper form for all of your workouts. By your third workout program, you can drop the reps down to 8 or 10, but no lower than that.
Before beginning each routine, it is necessary to warm up. The last thing you want when beginning your weight training routine is an injury. Begin with a jog lasting for 2-5 minutes. Then stretch out your entire body. By this time you will be ready to hit the weights
***IMPORTANT: Remember, if you wish to be a bodybuilder THE most important thing is FORM. Never feel tempted to use heavy weight when your training partner is lifting half and you are only doing the rest by cheating. Stick to good form and keep the weight in control throughout the movement, and you will see gains, but if you sacrafice form for weight, your gains will come much slower
(note: if you workout at home and don't have access to some of the equiptment, i will list alternatives in parenthasis)
Workout 1
(weeks 1-6)
Crunches 2x20
Squats 2x12
Leg Curls (or lunges) 2x12
Flat-Bench Press 2x12
Lat Pulldowns (or barbell rows) 2x12
Shoulder Press 2x12
Tricep Pushdowns (or overhead extensions) 2x12
Barbell Curls 2x12
Standing Calf Raises 2x15-20
Workout 2
(weeks 7-12)
Leg Raises 2x20
Leg Press (or squats) 2x12
Leg Curls (or lunges) 2x12
Incline Bench Press 2x12
Lat Pulldown (or barbell row) 2x12
Shoulder Press 2x12
Lying Tricep Extension 2x12
Standing Dumbell Curls 2x12
Standing Calf Raises 2x15-20
Wokout 3
(weeks 13-18)
Sit Ups 2x20
Squats 2x8-12
Leg Curls (or lunges) 2x8-12
Flat Dumbell Bench Press 2x8-12
One-arm dumbell rows 2x8-12
Shoulder Press 2x8-12
Over-head extensions 2x8-12
Incline Curl 2x8-12
Seated Calf Raises (or standing calf raises) 2x15-20
Upon compleation of this program, your tendon strength will be built up, and your muscles will be prepared for a more intense split. Please take to heart that flawless form is essential to building a great physique, and remaining injury free. I also advise you to read about nutrition as well and formulate a better diet for yourself upon beginning a weight training program. Peace
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Upon completion of the previously listed full body splits, you can move up to a more intense split. At this point in time, there are several different routes you can take. It has been proven that muscles grow fastest when worked out 2 times a week, unfortunately this can not be performed for long due to the risk of overtraining. Since everyone's capacity for overtraining is different, and beginners have a larger threshold for it, over experienced lifters, you will probably be able to get away with a split in which you work out each muscle group twice a week for a while.
Before beginning, you must be familiar with overtraining, what it is, the symptoms, and how it's caused.
Overtraining is when your muscles are not allowed to fully recover for 1 reason or another. Because of this your muscles cease to grow and it can result in injury if you continue on with your workouts.
Overtraining is caused by:
1. performing too many sets too many days a week with too high intensity
2. training with too many sets too many days a week with little intensity
3. training with the right number of sets and reps but for too many days a week
4. training with adequate sets but with too much intensity
5. working the same muscle groups too frequently
The symptoms include
1. reduced or no muscle gains
2. weight loss
3. swollen lymph nodes
4. lack of motivation
5. irritability
6. insomnia
7. frequent injuries
8. lack of energy
9. reduced strength level
10. overall feeling of fatigue
11. increased blood pressure
12. abnormal heart rate
13. headaches
14. tremors or twitches
If you notice any of these symptoms, take a week or 2 off of training. It is best to stay out of the gym for as long as it takes for you to feel enthusiasm for your workouts again.
Now that you are familiar with overtraining, it's time to form your split.
It's important to find your capacity for overtraining. I'd say experiment until you can find the highest intensity that you can train with, without overtraining. The only way i see this can be done is to start with the highest intensity and as you begin to overtrain, throw in some rest days and alter your program accordingly.
Here are a few of the more popular ways to workout each muscle group twice/week. I will include a sample of how each one might look. Edit them so they fit your needs. This includes sets and rep schemes as well as changing the workouts in entierty.
***NOTE: The days if the following splits have been labeled, Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3; rather than me using days of the week. This is so you can choose how many rest days you would like to put in and when. Do not do this split 3 days in a row, and repeat with no rest, as this will lead to overtraining for anyone. Choose a frequency that fits your needs. Also, it is wise to begin your split with your worst muscle group following a rest day or 2. This way you can hit it with the most intensity while you are fresh from the time off of training.
SPLIT 1:
Day 1: Chest, Triceps, Front Delts, and Medial Delts
Bench Press 3x6-12
Incline Bench Press 3x6-12
Decline Bench Press 3x6-12
Shoulder Press 3x6-12
Lateral Raises 3x10-12
Tricep Pushdowns 3x8-12
Overhead Extensions 3x8-12
Day 2: Legs
Squats 4x6-12
Leg Press 4x6-10
Leg Curls 4x6-12
Calf Raises 3x15-20
Day 3: Back, Biceps, Rear Delts and Abs
Deadlifts 4x6-12
Pulldowns 3x6-12
Barbell Rows 3x6-12
Seated Pulley Rows 3x6-12
Rear Lateral Raises 2x10-12
Standing Cambered Bar Curls 3x6-12
Incline Curls 2x6-12
Hammer Curls 2x6-12
Decline Situps 3x20
Leg Raises 3x20
Twists 3x20
SPLIT 2:
Day 1: Chest, Back
Incline Bench Press 3x6-12
Flat Bench Flyes 3x8-12
Dips 3x6-12
Pulldowns 3x6-12
1 Arm Dumbell Rows 3x6-12
Shrugs 3x8-15
Hyperextensions 2x20
Day 2: Legs, Shoulders
Squats 4x6-12
Hack Squats 4x6-12
Leg Extensions 3x6-12
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts 2x12
Calf Raises 3x15-20
Shoulder Press 3x6-12
Lateral Raises 3x10-12
Rear Lateral Raises 3x10-12
Day 3: Biceps, Triceps, Forearms, Abs
Tricep Pushdowns 4x6-12
Lying Tricep Extensions 3x6-12
Overhead Extensions 3x6-12
Standing Cambered Bar Curls 3x6-12
Preacher Curls 2x6-12
Hammer Curls 2x6-12
Wrist Curls 3x15
Decline Situps 2x10-15
Reverse Crunches 2x20
Knee Raises 2x15
Crunches 2x20
Remember that these are just examples. You can change any workout, their orders, the number of sets, and the number of reps, to what ever fits your needs. Remember to be very alert for over training symptoms. If they begin to take place, take a few immediate rest days, and re-evaluate your split. You could simply need to add another rest day or 2, take off some sets, or change your split to one in which you workout each muscle group once a week (which i will get to soon, unless someone beats me to it). Peace
REPS ARE ALWAYS GOOD
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One of the most frequent questions asked by new bodybuilders is "how do i lose the fat in my _____". Well the fact of the matter is, you can't just drop fat from one area. People feel that if they perform high repetitions for a certain muscle group, it will somehow burn the fat in the area. This information is entierly incorrect. If you wish to loose fat in a certain area, you must loose it everywhere else. This can only be done through diet and cardio. Here's a few things to remember:
when you are cutting (lowering bodyfat) do not expect to make progress in your weight training. You will not be able to increase in weight in your lifts. Infact, they will probably decrease in weight, as energy levels drop. Durring this time period it is also easier to overtrain, so i recomend not going past failure (as there is not much need to seeing as how you aren't going to be growing durring this period). It was also believed that when one cuts, they should switch from low rep movements to high rep movements, but this has long since been proved not just ineffective, but stupid, as you lose muscle mass with this approach. Keep with your same rep schemes since you want to maintain as much muscle mass as possible.
The how to part of this question has been beaten to death, but since this is a thread for beginners, it's important to bring up. There are many different ways to cut, but I will be run through the "standard" method.
**IMPORTANT: Remember, you can not loose more than 3 lbs. of fat/week, and that's even pushing it. One of the biggest problems with cutting is people want to loose so much weight, so fast, that the majority of it is muscle (and water). Aim for a loss of 2 lbs./week. If you are losing more than 2 lbs./week assume the rest of it to be muscle and alter your diet to how you see fit.
The process is begun with a slow reduction of calories. Every 2 weeks, one would deduct 200 calories from their diet, until they reach a target zone in between 1500 and 2000 calories. It is important to recognize where the defecit in calories is coming from. You have to lower the amounts of saturated fats you take in (while maintaing your healthy fats), cut down on carbs(quite dramatically i might add), and increase protein. The reason you increase protien is because once your body stops taking in enough carbs for energy, it will turn towards protien, and if you don't take in more of it, it'll get it from your muscles.
An important thing to remember is when you cut out all of those carbs, you will look much smaller. This is because the glycogen stores in your muscles (which come from carbs) have been eliminated. You will appear flat and smaller, but don't worry, because as soon as you're done with your diet, you will regain your fullness.
While you're continuously bringing your carb intake down, your metabolism will be slowing down. This is why every week it is a good idea to go crazy with carbs. Eat around 3 times your bodyweight in carbs on this day, and then go back to your normal low carb diet for the rest of the week. This will keep your metabolism moving.
It's also imporatant to throw cardio into the mix. I don't use cardio at the beginning of my cutting phases, but towards the end it's needed more and more. You can't really say how often one should do cardio, and when they should start. Your best bet is to start when you feel like you need it, and do it how ever often you need to. But there are a few rules to remember.
1) Never do cardio on an empty stomach. Around 45 minutes before performing cardio take in some slow-burning carbs.
2) Don't exceed 45 minutes in your cardio training.
3) Space your cardio several hours before or after training, or perform it on an off day.
4) do which ever form of cardio you are comfertable. This includes riding bikes, running, swimming, or anything else that burns calories.
Now throughout your diet your carb intake will be increasingly lowered, but it's not enough to just lower them, you have to take them at the right time. The best times to take in carbs while cutting are upon waking up, and after your workout. When you wake up, take in a complex carbohydrate. As far as complex carbs go, oatmeal is pretty much unsurpassed, but if you're not a fan of oats, whole grain bread is a good choice. Now after your workouts it's a different story. At this time you want to take in some simple sugars. Since your body just went through it's workout session, and insulin spike won't hurt your progress. Just take in a protien shake with some fruit juice (preferably gatorade or grape) in it, or some dextrose.
Once you get down to your desired bodyfat, begin to up your carb intake and to get the fullness back in your physique, and then....you're done. Congradulations, you've completed your cutting cycle! (well, reading about it atleast). Peace out
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