Bodybuilding is a wonderful sport; and from the outset it can look so easy… too easy, in fact. You lift, you eat, and you get big. It’s not until a wannabe beginner really starts looking closely at it that the truth comes out: it’s anything but simple.
There’s misinformation and conflicting advice galore. And what works gangbusters for some may not work for others at all, or even have negative effect.
There’s lies, deceit, smoke, mirrors. Nothing is what it seems. This from both bodybuilders themselves and the supplement companies eager to get you to part with your hard earned cash or believe their lies.
It’s no wonder so many just don’t bother…
But, before you throw in the proverbial towel, let me assist you.
As a beginner, I’d recommend you forget expensive supplements and stick to a regular, stable diet of whole foods. Eggs, fish, beef, chicken, potatoes, pasta, rice, oats, milk, to name a few.
I’m guessing in the beginning you’ll want to put on as much mass as you can, so you’ll want to first calculate your body weight in lb. Then you’ll need to eat 15 calories per lb of bodyweight, plus 500, every day – whether you are lifting or not.
The most successful and healthy diet plan is to have your macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats) to a ratio of 40/40/20, respectively.
As for the workout side of things, you’ll need to get on a program which has plenty of compound movements. Compound movements are the real mass builders of the bodybuilding world. They are bench presses, dead lifts, squats, bent over rows, and such forth.
You also want to avoid overtraining. Your program should be set out in such a way that you don’t work the same muscle groups more than twice a week, and certainly not within 48 hours of each other. I advocate much rest, and several days off a week for the beginner, with minimal isolation exercises – just so overtraining isn’t a problem.
You can see more details about the correct program and how to execute the exercises by signing up to my free beginners e-course below.