It's 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.
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.
There are very few aspects that are involved in natural bodybuilding when you break it down to its most basic parts. You need to make sure that you're exercising, you need to get enough sleep on a regular basis, you need to make sure that you are drinking plenty of water and you need to eat properly. As long as all of these factors are in place, you have a good opportunity of building muscles, similar to the way that somebody would build them whenever they are enhancing themselves unnaturally.
There is a lot of good natural bodybuilding advice out there, but there are also a lot of common misconceptions out there. That's the problem with the Internet: while more information than ever is available online, not all of it is accurate. If you start looking online for natural bodybuilding advice, there's a lot of information out there, and it can quickly become overwhelming as there are no lack of experts willing to come out of the woodwork and give their two cents on the topic of natural bodybuilding.
Natural bodybuilding is the process of building muscles naturally. There are varying degrees to which people take this definition. Everyone agrees that means no steroids or other illegal substances. Some think a natural supplement like creatine or whey protein is okay, while others want to go completely pure - with no supplements of any kind whatsoever. The good news is that either way, there is plenty of good natural bodybuilding advice out there that can help you reach your goals.
The key to any successful bodybuilding workout routine is mindset and the ability to follow through with your commitment - that really is the hardest part. Once you have that down, then it is just a case of following a process of proven exercises that make the most of your muscle building potential.
These exercises are typically free-weight compound exercises that give a large range of motion and get lots of muscle groups working at once. By doing this you produce more natural muscle building hormones, are able to lift heavier weights, prevent over training, AND spend less time down the gym. Sounds good, right?
Below are the top 5 exercises that should be a "core" of any decent bodybuilding workout routine - they are known as the "big basic" exercises... in other words, fundamental to successful bodybuilding.
Squats
The king of bodybuilding workout routine exercises these recruit more muscle per rep than any other exercise, and are the ultimate lower body exercise. Best performed with a free weight barbell it is ideal to get someone to spot you because the large range of motion can get tough on the last couple of reps. If you're on your own feel free to use the squat machine as it is safer. Make sure you prevent your back from curling, and keep a good wide stance.
Bench Press
If squats are the king, then the bench press is the queen. Simply the best and most popular upper body exercise, and with good reason - they work the chest, upper back, shoulders and arms. The bench can and should be changed to perform incline and decline presses (incline for upper chest and decline for lower chest), which will provide complete development for the upper body. Make sure you regularly change up the angle of the bench in your bodybuilding workout routines to get the most out of this exercise.
Lunges
Another super lower body exercise, these are sometimes forgotten by folks, since most guys are more concerned with upper body exercises in their bodybuilding workout routines. Lunges are ideal for those who have trouble performing squats due to lower back problems, as these work the quads and glutes. You can decide which part of the leg to focus on by changing up the length of your stride. This is a good way to add some variety to your exercise routine and make sure you are getting the maximum overall development.
Rows
Rows, or bent over rows as they also known, are a great upper body exercise and ideal for hitting those muscles that the chest press doesn't quite get. These are the back, lats, trapezius, and biceps - since rows are almost a reverse of a chest press, they are a pull exercise, and the bench press is a push exercise. By performing rows in your bodybuilding workout routine you reduce the number of bicep exercises needed for the same result, helping you to spend less time down the gym.
Pull Ups / Push Ups
Pull ups and push ups are great additions to any bodybuilding workout routine and ideal for any folks who have trouble getting to the gym, or find that other people are already using the weights (if you go to a gym in a busy city you'll know exactly what I mean). Don't be put off by their simplicity, they are still the best upper body body weight exercises out there. Again vary up the exercises by widening or closing your grip; performing overhand and underhand pull ups; and strapping a weight to your back for push ups, or weights to your ankles for pull ups.
Using this method of bodybuilding, means that people are more informed about the needs of the body. When the body is fit and healthy, the chances of illness and injuries are less, therefore the long term benefits of having a strong toned body cannot be underestimated.
Those who are fit and exercise on a daily basis tend to look better and feel better about themselves. They are also better able to cope with lifes stresses and tend to live longer.
Thursday, 21 January 2010
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