It can be the best decision in your life! Not only can bodybuilding help you reach your dream body, but it can make a big change in your life which you’ll feel stronger and better. Bodybuilding is not all about the body, it’s about being more happy, motivated, hopeful, and energetic. It has so many benefits that you can experience if you get used to it. On the other hand, it can be challenging to make a mistake.
For example, injuring the body or not facing the desired results can be challenging. To avoid these downsides and get the best results, there are some bodybuilding tips for beginners that you must consider. Don’t worry, they’re easy to learn and do. Just continue reading to start bodybuilding like a professional. First, we talk about bodybuilding tips, then we give you nutrient advice.
1- Be Realistic with Yourself!
“I’m going to make a six-pack in a few months”! Let’s be more realistic, it’s not possible to make a six-pack in just a few months, especially if you haven’t worked out before. Many people set unrealistic goals when they want to start bodybuilding. They want to reach magic results in a short time. That’s why they will be disappointed soon and they leave working out because they can’t reach those goals. Be honest with yourself and don’t expect too much. If you plan to be stronger, fitter, and lose more fat, start with small changes and make the goals bigger little by little.
For example, if you want to lose 10 kg total, make a goal to lose only 3-4 kg in a month. After reaching that, set new goals for the next month. It helps you to stay motivated all the time and continue exercising forever! After months you reached your goals and got close to having a six-pack, it can be your new goal. Also, you should know how many kg can you lose in a month to avoid the dangers of weight loss.
2- Forget Random Workouts
Some people only want to target specific muscles. For example, some men say they want to have bigger arms and some women want to grow butt muscle. In this case, they do random workouts at the gym with no specific plan. If you want to have a contoured and fit body, you should target all muscles. So, you need a structured workout plan for beginners including squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and lunges to target all muscle groups.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps for each exercise. Forget random workout movements and follow your plan to reach your goals. Doing this, you’ll feel you’re becoming stronger and fitter when the time passes. If you want to make a big transformation in 12 weeks, consider our 12 week body transformation in Dubai.
3- Rest and Recovery
Do you think your muscles grow during working out? So, you’re wrong. Your muscles grow when you’re resting! That’s why having rest days between workouts is essential. When you lift heavy weights, your muscles’ fivers become torn, and when you rest, they regenerate and grow stronger.
So, resting helps your body to repair and grow stronger. You need 7-9 hours of sleep every night for recovery and hormone balance. Don’t forget that resting is as important as a workout for the body to refuel and recharge. You need rest days between your workout days too. For better results, you don’t need to push yourself too hard, you need to have good behavior with your body.
4- See How Far You’ve Come
When we say track your progress, we don’t mean you should spend so much time in front of a mirror or on a scale. But, should see how far you’ve come in certain periods. For example, measure how much you have changed in regular months. Here are what you should measure, even if they are not visible:
- Body weight: You should have a general idea of whether you’re gaining weight or losing it.
- Body fat percentage: It gives you the idea of how much muscle you’re gaining and how much fat you’re losing.
- Muscle mass: To know if you are losing muscle mass or not, you can measure it using calipers or a DEXA scan.
- Strength: Recording your max lifts for exercises like bench presses, squats, and deadlifts, helps you to understand how much stronger you’ve become from the starting day.
- Endurance: You should track how many reps you can do of a particular exercise. It also shows your progress.
- Measurements: Measuring weight is not enough. You should measure your waist, chest, arms, and legs to see how your body is changing.
- Progress photos: Take photos of yourself monthly to see your progress visually.
5- Master Form Before Increasing Weight
Attention to this point! This is one of the most important bodybuilding tips for beginners to prevent injuries and get the most out of workouts! Doing wrong workout movements can harm your body and even joints. There are many people who have been injured during wrong workouts and couldn’t continue working out for a long time. So, you should focus on proper forms of workouts, then try to increase your weights.
So, if you’re a beginner, you should use lighter weights at first and increase them gradually as you get stronger. First, ensure you form exercises with correct posture, controlled movements, and a full range of motion. Remember, you should master an exercise, then increase weight.
6- Consider Working with a Coach
For bodybuilding beginners who haven’t worked out before, getting a trainer can be a good idea. Beginners often don’t know how to start, how to use the proper form of movements, and which movements to do. In this case, trainers can give good personal advice, guidance, and motivation, and adjust personal plans. Working with an expert coach ensures you won’t be injured, and get the best results. It can be the best investment for your training.
7- Stay Consistent
In bodybuilding, you should stay consistent and be patient to see the results. So, focus on regular workouts and stick to your workout and nutrition plans. When you change your workout routines too often, your body won’t have enough time to adapt and grow. Remember that muscle building and burning fat need time. People who want to lose weight fast, should know that consistency and being patience are the keys to bodybuilding. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
8- Warm Up and Cool Down
Many trainers skip the warm-ups and cool-downs! Even when you want to travel with your car, you turn it on for minutes to warm up its engine. If not, the car can’t go as fast as it can right after turning it on. So, your body needs to be warm before it can do heavy activities. Warming up prepares your muscles and joints for the physical stress ahead. In this case, the risk of injury will be decreased and your body’s performance will be improved.
Also, after your workout, before getting back to your normal activities, you need to do some light stretches to reduce muscle soreness and improve your flexibility over time. Believe me, your body will thank you when you warm it up before training and cool it down after that.
9- Don’t Ignore Cardio
Cardio is not just for runners! Some people think bodybuilding is all about lifting heavy weights and cardio shouldn’t be in their workout plans. But let us tell you the truth! Cardio is awesome especially when combined with bodybuilding plans. It helps you to burn more fat, look leaner, feel more energized, and also it is good for your overall health. If you’re a beginner, incorporate cardio workouts for 2 or 3 times a week in 20-30 minutes. It can be dancing, walking, cycling, or running. After bringing best cardio for weight loss in your routine, you’ll see improvements in your feelings and physiques.
10- Make it Work for You
Customize your routine to fit your lifestyle. If not, you’ll see working out is ruining your lifestyle and it may disappoint you to be consistent. After a while, you’ll leave exercising to do other important activities. So, as a beginner, you should choose a workout plan and schedule in a way that you really can follow based on your situation. You don’t have to work 5 days a week. If you can’t, schedule for 3 or 4 days a week. If you are committed to that plan, you will see incredible results. You can take small steps, but continuous ones!
Nutrition Bodybuilding Tips for Beginners
Going to the gym but don’t see the desired results? It happens when you don’t care about what you eat. Actually, nutrition is so much more important than workouts. For example, imagine a powerful car. Without high-quality fuel, you can’t expect powerful performance from that car. Similarly, when you don’t consume the proper nutrients for burning belly fat, you won’t see the desired results even if you do the best exercises to burn belly fat. If you’re really serious about starting bodybuilding, make sure you care about the following nutrition tips.
Protein: The Building Block of Muscle
You know what helps your muscles to regenerate and grow? Protein! That’s why it is super important for bodybuilders, especially the beginners. The amount of protein that you should consume daily depends on your weight. So, for repairing and rebuilding your muscles after workouts you should consume 1-1.5 grams of protein every day per every pound of body weight. The best sources of protein include:
- Lean meats: Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and fish
- Eggs: Whole eggs, egg whites, and scrambled eggs
- Dairy products: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk
- Legumes: Lentils, beans, and chickpeas
- Tofu and tempeh: Plant-based protein sources
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds
Complex Carbs: Fuel Your Workouts
For intense workouts, you need an energy source, and here’s where the carbohydrates come to help you. Attention, all kinds of carbohydrates are not the same. Carbs with simple sugars can boost your energy quickly. But soon after, you’ll feel tired and sluggish. So, you should focus on complex carbs which provide sustained energy without causing a sugar crash. The energy that complex carbs provide for you will be steady. Some best sources of carbs include:
- Whole grains: Brown rice, oats, quinoa, whole-wheat bread, pasta, brown bread for weight loss
- Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, and beans
- Fruits: Bananas, apples, and berries
Healthy Fats for Hormonal Balance
Some people think that when starting bodybuilding, they should avoid any fats, even healthy ones. But your body needs healthy fats for hormonal balance and overall energy. So, remember to stay in balance and consume these healthy fats:
- Avocados
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- Seeds (chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds)
- Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)
Don’t forget the moderation! Consuming too much fat can keep you far from your fitness goals and hinder your progress. So, take enough fats and other nutrients, not too much.
Fuel Up Before and After Your Workout
To prevent muscle breakdown and increased energy levels for working out, your body needs a snack rich in protein and carbohydrates before hitting the gym. After the workout, the body needs to refuel too. You can make a delicious and protein-rich banana shake for yourself. To maximize the desired results, never skip the pre-and post-workout meals.
Hydration is Essential
Your body needs enough water, especially when you sweat during bodybuilding and lose water. The necessary amount of water is different from person to person and depends on body weight and the amount of sweating during the workouts. But generally, every person needs 1.8 to 2.3 liters of water daily.
Not only does hydration support nutrient absorption and regulate body temperature, but also it keeps your muscles functioning well during workouts. If you can’t drink lots of water and prefer delicious drinks, try to learn miracle weight loss drink recipe which are so delicious and help you stay hydrated.
Supplements: A Nice-to-Have, Not a Must-Have
Many bodybuilders use supplements for extra boosts, but it’s not necessary for everyone. It’s always better to have a balanced diet, but if you think you can’t consume enough nutrients from foods, you can consider supplements. Beginners can use the following supplements:
- Protein powder: For using extra protein.
- BCAAs: Branched-chain amino acids. These help with muscle recovery.
- Creatine: It can increase strength and power.
- Multivitamins: A good way to ensure you’re getting all the essential nutrients.
Non-invasive treatments for faster results
Bodybuilding is a good way to lose weight and build muscles. But if you want faster results, there is another way that you can combine with exercising and see the amazing results. That is non-invasive treatments. If you live in Dubai or are willing to travel here, you can consider our non-invasive fat reduction treatments. With our experienced experts who care about your health and comfort, you can achieve your dream body without any surgery, downtime, or side effects. These treatments help you to lose more body fat in a shorter period of time. Not only fat loss, but also you can build muscles and contour your body with our muscle building treatments. Seems amazing, right?
Keep Learning: Stay Informed
We’re sure you want to get stronger, look fitter, and feel better, and that’s exactly why you chose bodybuilding! If you consider the bodybuilding tips for beginners that we mentioned in this blog post, you can achieve your body goals and enjoy life more than ever. Because it’s not all about being fit, but it can change your lifestyle to a healthier one. Don’t forget that consistency is very important in this journey!