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So, you want to know what bodybuilding is? Well, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about bodybuilding.
Table of Contents
What Is Bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercises to build and develop muscle via hypertrophy. Individuals who regularly engage in this activity are known as bodybuilders. This way of life is primarily undertaken for aesthetic purposes rather than functional reasons, making it distinguishable from other activities such as powerlifting or calisthenics.
The Purpose of Bodybuilding
The main reason an individual may take up the sport of bodybuilding is to enhance muscular development and promote general health and fitness. As a competitive activity, bodybuilding aims to display muscle mass, symmetry and definition for an overall aesthetic effect.
Generally, people tend to adopt bodybuilding in order to develop a better physique that they feel good about. However, some take bodybuilding very seriously and compete in bodybuilding competitions such as the Mr. Olympia with the primary objective of winning first place; examples of professional bodybuilders include Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chris Bumstead.
Concluding this point, the main purpose of bodybuilding is for an individual to put on muscle mass and look more aesthetic, whether that be for personal or competitive reasons.
What Does a Bodybuilder Do?
A bodybuilder is typically a person who engages in physical activity designed to enhance muscular development and improve aesthetics and symmetry (known as bodybuilding). Most usually participate in bodybuilding to grow a better physique. However, professional bodybuilders are those who compete in bodybuilding competitions, where they show off their physique and try to win first place - these professionals take bodybuilding much more seriously.
Bodybuilders will focus on key things such as specific exercises for specific muscle groups, consuming the correct diet, getting enough sleep, doing the right amount of cardio, etc.
Why Choose Bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding is a great way to make your body strong and healthy. When you lift weights, your muscles tear apart and repair themselves afterwards, meaning they will get bigger and more powerful. This helps you complete everyday tasks more easily, like carrying groceries or playing sports. Plus, bodybuilding helps you stay fit, which means you can run and play without getting tired too quickly.
Another good thing about bodybuilding is that it makes you feel good about yourself. When you see your muscles grow, you feel proud and happy about your progress. It also teaches you to set goals and work hard to reach them. So, by choosing bodybuilding, you not only get a strong body, but you also learn important lessons that help you in life.
The Benefits of BodyBuilding
Bodybuilding provides those who engage in it numerous advantages, which include:
Increased muscle strength and size
Reduced body fat
Lower risk of developing heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, etc...
Lower risk of chronic disease
Improved cardiovascular health
Increased self-esteem.
The Drawbacks of Bodybuilding
While bodybuilding hosts many pros, it also comes along with a couple of disadvantages. These cons of bodybuilding include:
Limited flexibility
Impact on social life and personal relationships
Can be expensive
Potential health risks
Isn't a sustainable lifestyle.
Bodybuilding Competitions
The next thing you should know about bodybuilding is bodybuilding competitions (otherwise referred to as bodybuilding shows) - these are the main things when it comes to this physique-shaping sport.
Most bodybuilders compete so they can win the first-place prize in the show. They can achieve this by obtaining the best physique that will be judged by the judges of the show. However, few bodybuilders are motivated to compete by the money prize of winning the tournament.
Some of the top bodybuilding competitions include:
How to Start BodyBuilding
Now that we have gone over the fundamentals of bodybuilding, it is now time for you to learn how to actually become a bodybuilder. To do this, there are multiple steps you must follow.
Eat a Muscle-Building Diet:
Proper nutrition is essential for bodybuilding as it provides you with the calories to fuel your workouts and support muscle growth, as well as enough protein to repair and rebuild muscle fibres after and intense gym session. You should aim to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day, along with a good balance of healthy fats and comlex carbohydrates.
Rest and Recover:
Most may think that rest is not as important to muscle building as lifting weights - however, rest is actually much more important as your muscles need time to recover. You should aim to get 7-8 hours of sleeps each night, while also scheduling enough rest days into your bodybuilding workout program. You could also incorporate stretching and yoga into your routine to help reduce muscle soreness and improve your recovery.
Focus on Your Form Over Heavy Weight:
It may be tempting to lift as heavy as possible when first starting out, focusing on the proper form is essential for maximising muscle gain and avoiding injury. It is vital that you start with a lighter weight and gradually increase the load as your master the form and get stronger. Good posture, controlled movements, and a full range of motion is also important for targeting the muscles and improving overal muscle activation during your workouts.
Hire a Personal Trainer:
If you are still unsure about where to begin with bodybuilding, I would highly recommend hiring a personal trainer who can help you develop a workout plan, teach your proper form and hold you accountable for sticking to your goals. A personal trainer can also provide you with additional support, guidance and motivation. But where can you find a good personal trainer? The answer is right here on PeakFitness, where we provide you with great training programs for several of your needs.
How to be Successful in Bodybuilding
When it comes to success as a bodybuilder, there are eight main tips that you should consider that will help you be successful in bodybuilding. These 8 pieces of advice include:
Don't egolift: this could cause injury
Don't be distracted in the gym: stay 100% focused, no social media
Focus on resistance training: don't prioritise cardio
Nutrition: understand the foods you should be eating
Have a goal: make sure to have a plan
Mind-muscle connection: focus on every rep
Research: make sure you know everything before stepping on stage
Be true to yourself: do what you need to do for success, don't follow the crowd.
Summary
In this article, we have discussed what exactly bodybuilding is. The main points we covered were:
I hope you have found the information in this article useful and I hope any questions you had have been answered. Thank you for reading, please come back soon.
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