The pay offs for bodybuilding are several, including improved health, optimum energy and, of course, a well-toned body. The solitude of your workouts also have side benefits most people don't consider. Since, as a rule, other bodybuilders who are also working out won't interrupt you, this concentration allows you to focus your mind - similar to being in a meditative state - which is good for your mental well-being. As you begin your bodybuilding experience, take heed of these recommendations and your bodybuilding results will be much better.

Your bodybuilding routine is very important, but most beginning bodybuilders don't realize that their diet may be even more critical to their success. Every Other Day Diet Actually, whether you are in the "cutting" phase - looking for lean muscle definition - or in the "bulk up" phase - putting on weight - the results you want will elude you if the specific diet for each phase isn't followed. When you are bulking up, you follow a specific eating plan that causes your abs to not be clearly defined. When you are in the cutting phase, after bulking up, the goal is to lose the fat and reveal your abs. The way you eat during each phase is totally different. For the bulking stage, which is where you start, you definitely want to eat more calories than your metabolism needs when your body is at rest. Calorie consumption during this phase is generally 20 times what your body weight is. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you would need to consume 4000 calories a day. When your muscle mass is where you want it, albeit not clearly defined, you would go on a lower calorie "cutting" regimen which is very different, as far as what you can eat, than the bulk up phase was. The bulk up phase is much easier than the cutting phase because you can eat a lot of foods. However, the food you consume must be high quality, not junk food. You can get a good diet plan from the trainer at your health club or from the internet. Complex carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables, good fats, and lean protein are the main ingredients for a good bulking up diet. A good rule of thumb is one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Fat is not evil and, in fact, at least 25% of your calories should come from fat, such as animal fats, olive oil, flax oil and salmon oil. Fats are needed for many different processes carried out by the body, which is why cutting out or reducing your fat intake to stupid levels will be bad for your body. Additionally fats are an energy source that is burned off by the body slowly, meaning you stay satisfied for longer periods of time and therefore you're less likely to eat again.

11 Day Diet If you want to increase the size of your muscles then you will need to lift heavier weights from one session to the next. Eventually your muscles will become stronger and they'll then be used to the same weights, which is why you shouldn't lift the same weights every time you train. This is why it is recommended that beginners start off with a weight that they can do a maximum of six repetitions with. This means that when you get to the sixth rep you'll feel really tired and you'll want to just let go of the weight. You should carry on using the same weight until you can do a maximum of 10 repetitions before failure. Once that happens, you need to add more weight until you can only do six reps again and the cycle continues. This is the most efficient way of increasing muscle mass and progressing in bodybuilding. The advice offered in the article is meant to make your life easier as you take your first steps into the world of bodybuilding. You may find some of it a bit worrying but just remember bodybuilding has many great benefits and that initial doubt is certainly well worth it.