Michelle Bery asked:


Enthusiasts of bodybuilding know of the hard work that is required to achieve and maintain the sculpted bodies for which they aspire. A regimented diet is certainly a large component of bodybuilding – cutting fat and focusing on lean protein to feed the muscles of the body and maximize nutrition. But when it comes to achieving the ideal look that most bodybuilders are after, the connection between bodybuilding and fitness is undeniable.

Bodybuilding and fitness are so inseparable because the building of muscle mass is so largely dependent upon intense and committed workouts. Bodybuilders will tell you of the hours upon hours that they dedicate to the gym – doing cardiovascular work, stretching, and engaging in significant weight training. For those in competition, this training is imperative to success. Any competitor will tell you that bodybuilding and fitness go hand in hand; without one there is no other.

For many embarking upon bodybuilding and fitness, there must be small steps taken in order to work up to a full exercise regime. To achieve maximum fitness it is imperative to combine cardiovascular work with core training and weight training. Cardiovascular work may include everything from running and walking to dancing and kickboxing. To follow, intensive core training such as Pilates or yoga will work to strengthen abdominal muscles, improve flexibility, and keep muscles limber.

But when it comes to bodybuilding and fitness, nothing does more to build and maintain muscle mass then weight training. Whether using weight training machines or free weights, lifting weights – when done correctly – will bolster and sculpt muscle mass throughout the body. Bodybuilders rely on weight training to achieve their fitness goals. However, it is most important that if you don’t have experience with weight training that you have professional instruction in order to learn the proper techniques. Weights, when lifted incorrectly, will only serve to injure rather than improve muscles.

For those looking to improve their bodies and even compete in bodybuilding competitions, it is imperative for them to incorporate a consistent regime of diet and exercise into their lives. For this reason, bodybuilding and fitness will continue to be an inseparable and lasting combination.



Juan

anonymous asked:


(c) 2008 Charles Carter

When you are into bodybuilding you can start to see that your bill every month for food is greater than buying expensive gas at the pump. For those that want to achieve their muscle building diet and still have money left over, we have tips for bodybuilders on a budget.

Top 5 Tips for Bodybuilder’s Food on a Budget

1. The most important thing you can do it make a grocery list. One of the worst things you can do is go into a super market especially hungry and attempt to figure out what you need on the fly. Most often without a grocery list we get food we don’t need and forget something that is important that we have waste more gas going back to the store.

2. You can buy complex carbs in bulk. Stocking up on brown rice, potatoes, and oatmeal allows for you to save money on the high volume shopping. Unlike most people who buy and bulk and the food gets spoiled before eating, if you are a serious bodybuilder than you know the amount of calories you are going to eat and the food won’t get wasted.

3. You get what you pay for. This stills seams to be the situation with supplement brands, though not with food items. The store brands in most grocery stores are just as good as the name brand and cheaper. Go with the store brand and save money.

4. You body needs the vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables. What is also important is variety. We typically get into such routines that we only eat certain fruits or vegetables. Start buying the deals and sale items in your produce section of the grocery store. This will give you more variety and you can save money on always buying the same items at their normal higher price.

5. Buy food around the outside path at the grocery store. Almost always the processed foods are in the aisles while the natural meats, vegetables, and breads are along the outside wall around the store. Natural foods are typically cheaper than the process and boxed counterparts and hold much more nutritional value.

You can make any bodybuilding diet work on any budget. Also, as an added tip think of your protein shakes and meal replacement shakes as part of your grocery bill instead of supplement bill. These are cost effective way to get calories at the right calorie ranges. Since your protein powders are food, it won’t make your supplement bill look so big any more either.



George

Dane Fletcher asked:


The sport of bodybuilding has been adopted by many for the sake of keeping fit. The sport has developed into a global phenomenon with many people hitting the gyms in a bid to get rid of those excessive fats. The many who have taken up this initiative are among the most fit members of the society. They are not only very healthy but they cut very good looks that distinguish them from non-trainers. The terms bodybuilding and fitness training have come to the point of almost being used interchangeably.

The modern society is one that has come to associate fitness with the positive things in life. This is a society that is very fitness conscious. These notions have almost everything to do with bodybuilding. The line separating the two ideals is getting thinner by the day. Fitness has come to be linked with much more than maintaining a trim and lean body. It is much more than losing weight and those fat bands. Fitness has come to be associated with eating according to a healthy diet regimen; a well balanced diet that is rich in all the three categories of food i.e. proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates.

Fitness is also part of the determination and quest to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You will concur that indeed many if not all of these descriptions of fitness can be used to describe bodybuilding.

Using bodybuilding as a tool to achieve fitness is a great strategy to attaining the type of body that you have always dreamed of. If you are one who is concerned greatly with the way in which you eat and maintain a superb looking physique then bodybuilding for the sake of fitness is indeed the way to go. Bodybuilding is pegged on two pillars. The first one is adhering to a strict and regular training regimen. The net effect of this is the development of more muscle mass and a strong physique.

The other pillar of bodybuilding is adhering to a healthy and well balanced diet. By following these two objectives it is easy to see why bodybuilding and fitness are so interrelated.

Eating from a well balanced diet will offer your body the advantages of healthy eating. The body will benefit from accessing the various essential nutrients that are vital for effective growth and development. The sport of bodybuilding is supported by the right quantities of both proteins and carbohydrates. With the full knowledge of this fact you will definitely be more fit just by considering what it is that you are eating on a daily basis.

Apart from the eating aspect, fitness and bodybuilding are also closely linked through the strenuous workouts and training regimens that are part and parcel of bodybuilding. These rigorous exercises and workouts help one to focus on developing the various muscle groups in the body. In due time, the body is really well chiseled and well-toned. The muscles become defined and exposed. The body becomes more appealing to the eye. These are some of the reasons why bodybuilding is the perfect choice for a fitness regimen.



Audrey

Niall M asked:


i have nearly been in the gym 7 weeks theres only a small difference i go mon-sat i lift weights mon-sat but dont do much fitness and i dont eat de proper foods all the time im also on protein 4 de last 5 weeks……..can someone give me there routine that works on ur muscle mass etc …………..

Johnny

The boy from London asked:


Or is it all hype engineered by the fitness industry to make some serious bucks?

Please ONLY answer this if you have successfully built some good level of muscle mass. I would like to hear from those who have actually succeeded in bodybuilding. Thanks.

Edwin

Ryan Simpson asked:


For attaining peak performance in body building it is imperative that the bodybuilder uses the right nutritional supplements.

Supplements play a big part in male body building diet programs because our diets often do no contain the necessary vitamins and nutrients our bodies require to for increased muscle mass and fat loss at the same time.

Luckily for the bodybuilder, the nutritional supplement industry now provides more pills and more powders than ever before.

With a choice of chemical-based and natural supplements, it is always wise to place preference on the many natural body building supplements available today. Not only do they help to speed up the muscle building process, they are also more in harmony with the body than their chemical counterparts.

Natural bodybuilding supplements play a vital role because they feed the body with the nutrients required for muscle growth. These nutrients are not necessarily present, in the required quantities, in the staple diets that have reduced nutritional value due to cooking.

One must choose body building supplements wisely, because there are supplements that are very dangerous if not used properly or if used in incorrect quantities. Furthermore, the right time, with food, with water, and avoidance if you have certain medical conditions are also important considerations.

Some supplements are made to protect muscles and joints against injury, some are used when you want to put on weight, others improve your circulation, plus a host of other supplements for very specific applications and benefits. You must pay attention to each body building supplement that you plan on taking to ensure that there will not be interaction between supplements that could affect your health.

If you are unsure, then it is wise not take a body building nutritional supplement. Alternatively, ask your doctor or pharmacist about the supplement in question.

You need to finalize your diet and supplements only after a professional has evaluated your body weight and height so that the person can recommend the best combination of supplements for maximum fat loss and maximum muscle gain.

The goal of bodybuilding as a sport is to improve your health while providing you with an enviable physique that is attained through long hours of training and strict diets. The correct supplements will help maintain your health by feeding your body with vitamins and the nutrients that are missing from your daily diet.



Adam

Lester Y asked:


I work out regularly (3 times a week) but I am going on a trip out of the country for around 8 days (for a debating competition). I’m assuming that means little or no access to any form of weighted exercise, and less concern for proper dieting (due to constraints in access to food). I am also worried about the potential lack of sleep and alcohol consumption, not to mention the great stress of travel and competition.

The question is, will I lose a lot of the gains made from my previous workouts (i.e. poundage and some muscle mass)? If so, how much would I roughly lose and how can I help minimize it?

I still have a week to go before the flight, I’m thinking about certain fitness preparations (either train hard as hell and consider that week a “rest week” or consider the stress and train less hard to avoid overtraining/ severe fatigue).

Help a brother out here!

Sharon

Dane Fletcher asked:


 

A video clip is circulating the Internet. One of the top bodybuilders in the world takes you on a trip through his kitchen. And unlike past such tours by other athletes – where they brag about their completely clean eating habits – this bodybuilder spills the beans on what bodybuilder really eat.

Chicken. Fish. Steak. Rice. Beans. Pasta.

Those are the bodybuilding staples that we expect to see in the kitchen of a top athlete, and he has them. However, next he breaks down the other foods he eats every day in order to reach the 5000 to 6000 calories he consumes in order to maintain his high levels of muscle mass.

Raisins. Peanuts. Waffles. Cookies. Ice cream. Even candy.

He eats fast food. He chews on chocolate chip granola bars. He loves potato chips.

While it might be hard to defend such a diet in terms of long-term health effects, this diet certainly does meet the requirements for bodybuilding success. This bodybuilder consumes 50 grams of protein at each of eight daily meals, giving him 400 grams or protein and 1600 calories from protein source, which is plenty. The remainder of his food sources contains the required fats and carbohydrates to round out the 5000 to 6000 calorie daily requirement, in both clean and non-clean sources.

How can he get away with this? First of all, he is a top bodybuilder weighing over 300 pounds. His body carries a lot of muscle, and muscle burns a great deal of calories. Second, he possesses an anabolic advantage. The compounds he uses give his body the ability to burn just about anything he consumes. Even ECA or Clenbuterol provide enough edge so that one can burn fat and gain muscle while eating almost anything. Third, the hours of weight training and cardio this athlete endures each week should be taken into account. Finally, his unique metabolic rate cannot be discounted.

Additionally, there is a whole ‘nother school of thought which says that barring basic body requirement, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. This is still widely disputed and has obvious limitations (we all know that 1000 calories of marshmallows cannot be as effective as 1000 calories of steak, right?) but it’s an interesting point of view.

Consuming 5000 to 6000 calories each day would lead most of us to certain obesity. However, this athlete provides proof that some “junk” food is acceptable and useful in a bodybuilding diet plan, provided other factors are in place.

 

Dane Fletcher is the world’s most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit http://www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.



Jacob

David Peters asked:


Bodybuilding is a sport of building muscle. Bigger and stronger is the name of the game. One of the great things about bodybuilding is that you can achieve great results with only very basic equipment and a few hours of training three to four times per week.

The key to building bigger and stronger muscles is to keep progressively adding more and more weight over time. Building bigger muscles is about consistent regular training, eating properly, getting plenty of rest, and lots of weight at low repetitions.

As a starting any new exercise program, is important a first check with your physician before starting a bodybuilding program. In the beginning is important that you start slow and learn proper technique. Time and time again professional body builders have said that technique is one of most important aspects of getting a good workout. It might be helpful to schedule a session with a professional trainer in the beginning so you start on the right track. If this is not an option for you there are various instructional books on the subject of bodybuilding. Above all take the time to learn proper technique.

Lifting heavy weight damages muscle fibers. It is only when the muscles repair themselves that they grow larger and stronger. For this reason it is very important that each muscle group is given plenty of rest following each workout. This is why most body builders alternate muscle groups. For example, you might work on your back on Monday, your legs on Tuesday, your chest on Wednesday, and your arms on Friday. Most successful body builders will recommend that you not work a particular muscle group more than twice per week.

The question may come up of whether it is best to use weight machines or free weights. The general consensus is that free weights are your best option for increasing muscle mass. Machines are typically used for isolating muscles and this is something that only professional body builders need to do before contest.

The following are some basic exercises for the major muscle groups.

Chest

1. Flat Bench Press

2. Dips

3. Incline Bench Press

Legs

1. Squats

2. Straight Leg Dead Lifts

3. Leg Press

Back

1. Pull ups

2. Barbell Rows

3. Deadlifts

Biceps

1. Curls

2. Incline curls

Triceps

1. Lying Tricep Extensions

2. Close Grip Bench Press

Shoulders

1. Military Press.

Remember to increase muscle size you will need to progressively increase poundage. Be patient. Overworking your muscles can actually have adverse effects. If you maintain a consistent regular workout routine coupled with proper nutrition and rest you will begin to see results in no time. Keep in mind it is common to see more obvious results initially and in overtime your gains will seem less apparent. This is because your body becomes used to your work out routine and in a sense knows what to expect. It is helpful to keep your body guessing by changing your workout routine on a regular basis.



Beatrice

j d asked:


I’m interested in endurance swimming or the 10,000m (10 km) swimming event to be exact an was curious if you could gain massive muscle mass if you lift weights as well. Before you say its not possible Grant Hackett of Australia was criticized for being over weight and to some extent he was with the pot belly and love handles but all the time maintaining the same level of swimming fitness as athletes in his category. On average it takes 2 hours to complete a 10 km distance for seasoned athletes if you do that in the morning and do mass building exercises in the gym later in the day with proper rest and diet you should be able to gain considerable muscle mass, wouldn’t you ?

Darrell