In this article, we will cover information that you need to have for a successful weight-training program.
There are a few key rules that you have to follow.
However, the first rule is the most important rule of all. What do I want my body to look like when I have met my goals? Do you want a longer leaner look or do you want the muscular, bulked up, ripped look.
I guess we would all want the ripped look, but are you willing to work to get that look. I know in my advancing years, I do not think so, but if you are twenty or thirty something, probably.
The key to any weight training or bodybuilding program is to have a set of goals of what you want to accomplish and when you want to accomplish your goal. This is your long-term goal.
Once you have the long-term goal ON PAPER, what do you have to do monthly to satisfy the long-term goal? Then what do you have to do daily to make your mid term goal doable.
A large portion of the battle is in your brain. You will have to execute your plan to accomplish your goal but once it is on paper it then is just a matter of mechanics.
Speaking of mechanics lets go over some of the basics to determine you schedule.
Is your goal to tighten and tone your muscles, then sets of 13 to 20 reps will help you to develop endurance, with some increases to muscle size and some increase in strength. Make sure you do not rest much in between sets and quickly change your exercises. With this plan, you should work each muscle group 2 times a week.
The opposite side of this coin is building strength, power, and size of the muscle group. This is taken care of by performing 1 to 5 reps per set and 4 to 7 sets per exercise. Lifting at 80 to 100% of your limit and waiting 2 to 6 minutes between sets. When you are a more advanced trainer you will probably only want to exercise a specific muscle group every 3 to 4 days.
The next important thing in your arsenal is your diet. Just remember the old computer thought GIGO, "Garbage in Garbage out". If you want to look fantastic, you can not be eating all that fast food stuff.
Some of the staples of proper nutrition for bodybuilding are:
1.Good protein from lean meats. Lean meats are not that marble steak, although there are good choices of lean red meat in bison. Another good source of lean meats is tuna that is not to say you have to eat eight cans a day.
2. Another excellent source of protein is from the low egg that has been persecuted in the media. Eggs supply a complete protein, which contains ALL essential amino acids for us. They also give us great amounts of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, B6, B12, riboflavin, folic acid, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorous and potassium. It has been spoken of as the perfect protein.
3. Make sure you get some good complex carbs from fiber rich foods. Avoid the simple carbs and focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, stay away from highly processed carbohydrates.
4. Water, I know it does not have a taste, it is not supposed to. I prefer steam distilled water and I try to drink 8 ounces every hour on the hour. During my waking hours. Water is a great transporting of waste products that you need to get rid of after a good work out.
There is is, some simple but essential items that you need to plan for and do during your body building days.