I remember way back when I first got the idea into my mind about becoming big. Like a lot of young men I’d grown up watching and idolizing Arnold on the big screen, for his awe-inspiring physique and presence as much as his acting skills and the action of the films. It impressed me – and I decided then and there that I wanted to be just like him, someday.
Ok, it’s a given that a natural bodybuilder will never be like Arnold, but, compared to the average person on the street, a fairly above average, muscular physique will always be a sight to behold.
Like most beginners, I didn’t know where to start. It was very daunting to me, and, almost put me off. I was lucky that a friend who was into bodybuilding gave me some tips and helped me to make up a basic program and coached me in how to properly execute the lifts. And in this article, I’d like to try to guide you in the right direction so you can begin your bodybuilding journey in the right way.
The most important movements in bodybuilding are compound movements. They incorporate several muscle groups, and they are the true mass builders. In my opinion, the most important compound movements are squats, bench press, dead lifts, and bent over rows. Any good bodybuilding program worth its salt will incorporate these fundamental lifts.
If possible, training with somebody more knowledgeable than you is the best way to go. Learning the lifts in good form is imperative, and is 90% of the battle on the workout front. It’s not only important you learn to perform each movement correctly so you hit the right muscle groups, but, so you stay safe and injury free both in the short term and long term.
A beginner can really benefit from working out around 3-4 times a week, and no more. 5-6-7 days a week for a beginner, in my opinion, is excessive. You need time to recover. And each body part should be worked no more than twice a week, with at least a 48 hour gap between working those parts out again, to allow for recuperation. It can be a complicated affair, as you’ve probably gathered… which is why getting a good, well-structured beginners plan sorted is important.
Without images or videos, or 1-on-1 coaching, explaining how to perform the lifts is futile, but, I do recommend you sign up to my free 5-part mini-series which you can locate on the sidebar of my website, where I will show you in detail how to start bodybuilding and how to plan a proper diet.