In love with the gym and how your body feels after? Think about how good it would feel to get recognized for your work—here are bodybuilding tips for beginners.
If you want to delve deeper into the world of muscle building and toning, and you have an unwavering passion for your physique, then maybe it’s time to think about bodybuilding. Now, not everyone starts on this path looking swollen and toned—it’s a process, one that you’ll need to maintain motivation for. But, as we stated, when you have a passion for it, you can succeed. Gather up your patience and familiarize yourself with these bodybuilding tips for beginners. Get started on your journey to larger muscle mass and a toned physique.
Stick To Free Weights
When people just begin their fitness journey, they can feel tempted to head straight to shiny machines at the gym. But that’s not the best way to build your base. To start out, you need a solid foundation of muscle mass. Dumbbells and barbells are an excellent way to build muscle, especially for beginners.
Once you get more comfortable, then you can increase the weight. Challenge your muscles, but don’t push them so hard that you strain them.
Get a Program (And Stick To It!)
Probably the most important bodybuilding tip for beginners is to have a program and actually stick to it. So many novices make the mistake of just going to the gym and doing whatever they feel like doing in that moment. But that doesn’t help your body. You have a few options here:
- Ask a personal trainer for help on building muscle mass
- Get a mentor—preferably an advanced bodybuilder—and have them provide you with a program
These programs should include the exact exercises you need to do, the number of sets, and the number of reps per set. That way, no matter what day it is, you’ll have a plan for how to proceed.
Give Yourself Time To Rest
Your program should also include rest days. Even the fittest bodybuilders know that the body needs time to recover between workouts. You can’t constantly shred or bulk and expect your body to stay healthy. You have to give your body time to recover—Sunday rest days are perfect for some, or maybe you need a mid-week break.
Listen to your body to ensure that you’re not pushing it too far.
Be in a Caloric Surplus
If you really want to bulk up, then you need to eat more calories than you burn. Building muscle doesn’t just come from lifting weights—it comes from what you’re powering your body with. Use a calorie calculator to find out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and from there, adjust your calorie count for the day.
Also, eat more often! Caloric surplus means eating around four to five meals per day, or a meal around every three to four hours. If you’re hungry, eat!
Maintain Your Motivation
Our last tip is about maintaining your motivation. Even the most advanced bodybuilders have to find the motivation for fitness competitions, and that’s the same motivation you’ll need to pull from to keep going. Set your goals, crush them, and then set some more.
Keep in mind that every bodybuilder will have different advice on how to succeed. If these points don’t work for you, keep searching for other resources—there’s always a game plan that will work for you!