How to progress effectively in bodybuilding?Are you motivated to start bodybuilding? You started bodybuilding but you are a little lost? It's been a while since you make it but you do not progress as you wish?

Hi there!

Thanks for stopping by:)
I hope you enjoyed my previous post and are more excited for this one which i can assure you will be more interesting!

Alright, let's hit the road!

No matter where you are, if you want to progress effectively in bodybuilding, this is where it goes!

Work the whole body

So many times i have seen guys in the gym who work only on the chest and biceps because they are the muscles that makes them look better in their t-shirt or those who neglect the lower part of the body so much that they have a very well designed top and chicken legs!
You will have understood: to work the whole body is a capital point in bodybuilding, and this for several reasons.

First, muscle only certain parts of the body causes more or less long term muscle imbalances that ensure bad posture leading to pain, injury, tendinitis, in short it can go wrong.
Second, it is not aesthetic to have beautiful pecs, biceps and abs and have a back, triceps and ridiculous legs.
Finally, the body works by muscle chains and not muscle by muscle, hence the importance of developing the whole body.

Keep in mind that working the antagonists of a muscle makes it possible to progress also on this one.
That's why you have to train smart.
Many people told me that they do not work the lower part of the body because "You understand I run / I ride a bike / I ride a camel so I do not need, they are already muscular. "
It's a mistake, doing cardio will never add volume to your thighs.
However, the cardio is interesting in the sense that it helps to prevent the fat from being deposited on the muscles of the lower limbs if you do it regularly.
As a general rule, any muscle used in long efforts (cardio, long series) limits the deposit of fat on it.
The most relevant example is the abdominals.

Have a workout program

The best way not to progress is to start your bodybuilding session without knowing what you are going to do.
If we are in the room we will touch a little to all machines, if we are at home we will do anything and everything, it goes in all directions. It is not productive.
Build a structured program!
There are hundreds of ways to train, one can do a full-body program, split(separate muscles),** half-body** (upper body / lower body).
You can use a body weight method, work in cast iron, or even a mix of both. There are also other methods such as street workout or crossfit, but this is not the subject of the day.
Overall you will want to train 2 to 5 times a week, it depends a lot on your level and your availability.
Do not overdo it, the muscle builds up at rest, training every day would lead to overtraining and injury quickly.
For a beginner, I advise a work in full-body 2 to 3 times a week, that is to say that at each session you work ALL the body, so you have to choose few exercises per muscle. You have to learn how to PERFECT movements, if you start making sloppy movements from the beginning, you will cheat more and more over time and end up hurting yourself.

To progress, you have to last.

After a few months, depending on how you feel, you can move to a split.
For an intermediate practitioner (a few months to 1-2 years) or confirmed (several years), a split is quite suitable. It is done 3 to 5 times a week.
The muscles you have to work
Here are all the muscles to work whatever your program:

• Pectorals: the three heads.
• Back: large dorsal, small and large round.
• Shoulders: the three bundles of the deltoid.
• Biceps and triceps
• Legs: quadriceps, hamstrings and calves
• Abdominal and paravertebral (muscles on both sides of the spine).

There are many variations of split, here are the three main ones:

Work by antagonistic muscles

biceps and triceps, pecs and back ...

• Over three days it can give: pecs / back, biceps / triceps, shoulders / legs
• Four days: pecs / back, biceps / triceps, shoulders, legs

Couple a large muscle group and a small muscle group

The big muscle groups are the pectorals, the back and the thighs that is to say that it is necessary to mobilize a lot of energy, it is for example the push-ups, the bench press, the squat.

The small muscle groups are the biceps, the triceps, the shoulders and the calves.

• On three days we will have: pecs / biceps, backs / triceps, shoulders / legs
• Four days: same, separating shoulders and legs

Work a big muscle and the corresponding small muscle

There is another distribution that many practitioners do and that is to work a big muscle and the corresponding small muscle: pecs / triceps, back / biceps.

Let me explain: when you work the pecs, the triceps will almost always intervene that it is the bench press, the pumps, dips.
When you work the back, the biceps will also intervene during the pulls and rowings.
Thus, when you do the biceps after the back, your performance is diminished and the development is not optimal since you can not give your maximum on the biceps exercises. I do not recommend this distribution.
I suggest you work with antagonist or big muscle / small muscle, with 3-4 exercises for a big muscle and 2 exercises for a small muscle.
For each exercise, start on a basis of 3 sets (small muscles) or 4 sets (large muscles) of 12 to 20 repetitions.
The goal is to try to make modes: for example I do three sets of 12 repetitions at 40 kg curl bar. Next week I'm trying to do 13 reps at 40kg and so on. Once I reach 18-20 repetitions I increase the weight to go down to 12 repetitions.
Concerning the abdominals and para-vertebras, they should be considered as annexes to your program, that is to say that you can do them at the end of each session. These are the only ones, with the calves, for which the 12 to 20 repetitions do not apply because they are muscles that have a large share of slow fibers.
For these muscles you can go up to 30-40 repetitions, add weight if it's too easy.

Be motivated

It sounds obvious but if you do bodybuilding without knowing why, you're not going to be long.
Find a good reason to do it, a motivator that will drive you to make it long.
A good reason is not to do bodybuilding to please girls
Make a pact with yourself or with a friend and commit yourself thoroughly!

Opt for good nutrition

We have seen the right way to train which is the important factor for good progress.
The second equally important factor in making progress is an adapted diet.
If you do not feed properly, all your training is reduced to nothing!
Consume protein at every meal: meat, fish and shellfish, eggs, tofu, legumes, cheese, whey. Aim for 30 to 50 grams per meal depending on your weight.
If you do not have a kidney problem there is no contraindication to eat so, beware of conventional wisdom.
Eat fruits and vegetables with every meal
Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal: packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, they are essential. In addition they help to neutralize the acidity of the body. To top it off, they are mostly low calorie.

Do not forget the good fats
Consume the good fats
Eat fats at every meal (except around training because of digestion). Fats are necessary, even if you go on a diet!
Gently eat vegetable oils (olive, rapeseed, flax, nuts, coconut), oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts ...), oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies) without forgetting the lawyers.
DO NOT eat carbohydrates at every meal
Carbohydrates are only used to complete your menu once the above points are respected.
For a sedentary, there is no need to add carbohydrates in the form of cereals and legumes, it is this too full of cereals that makes people fat (if we put aside junk food). Carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables are ample.
For an athlete like you, carbohydrates in the form of rice, quinoa, buckwheat, legumes, ... are to be consumed after a workout.
Promote low glycemic indexes (I refer you to my previous article).
Use food supplements smartly
I also mentioned them in this article, see in detail the interesting supplements for bodybuilding.
• The whey isolate: very useful to reduce the consumption of meat and fish when you do not have the budget, indeed protein powder is much cheaper than in the form of meat or fish, even if you take the quality. In addition they are very convenient to use. Use your whey during your snacks at 10h or 17h, for example 30 to 50 grams mixed with fruit in a shaker. Whey can also be used in the morning to revive anabolism.
• Maltodextrin and BCAAs: dilute 50 grams of maltodextrin and 10 grams of BCAA in one liter of water and you have the ideal workout drink to reduce catabolism and maintain strength throughout your session. BCAA can also be used in the meal following training to reduce catabolism.
• Creatine monohydrate: taken at the level of 3 to 5 grams per day, it allows a gain in strength which translates in the long term by a not insignificant muscular gain.

In my opinion it is not useful to consume other supplements for bodybuilding in the absence of any particular problem: forget the gainers, Powerade style drinks and casein.
Sleep properly
Sleep is important for building muscle and for health in general.
If you sleep too little, you will not progress (much) despite training and proper nutrition.
It seems logical but I found it important to clarify.

In conclusion, train conscientiously, eat smart, get enough sleep and you will become huge and dry!