Warming Up

There is an attitude among some part-time body builders that someone who hits the gym and goes straight for the heaviest weights is a “hero”, a real above and beyonbd the call of duty guy. This is a fairly dumb attitude to take because, without warming up and down, a body building routine will do very little for you. In actual fact, going for the big weights before you are ready to lift them will destroy any of the good work that you do. A little bit of thought is required before you really go for it.

Warming up is a big part of a body building routine. Generally taking the form of some stretches before you get into the meat of the routine, it means the muscles will be in shape to handle the harder work you are about to put them through. Picking up weights puts a strain on the muscles, and through this work they will become stronger. But going straight from resting mode to hard work will only result in damage being caused. The preparation involved in a body building routine is as important as the exercise itself.

As much as some people may smirk at the idea of going about things by the book, you have to think about what you want to achieve through a body building routine. If it is about getting into the best shape possible, there is no way of achieving this without observing the rules. You will simply do more harm than good.

Don’t Work Through the Pain

There is a lot of talk devoted to “feeling the burn” when training. This is when you feel a substantial amount of pain and carry on exercising, as in some people’s estimation it won’t work if it doesn’t hurt. While there is some element of truth in this – if something is not physically demanding it is worthless as an exercise – it should not be confused with exercising on through the pain. If you pick up a weight and instantly feel pain, just carrying on is the worst thing you can do. In all likelihood, you have torn a muscle and need to stop.

When you have a demanding training regime the chances are you will pick up small muscle tears quite regularly. Muscles are made of quite flexible material which allows them the room to move without which they would be useless. As a result, major exertion will cause some tearing in the muscle, but there is a difference between types of tearing. Some repair themselves overnight if rested, but a larger one will take time and treatment. Exercising while carrying one of those will only aggravate it and eventually, it will stop you training or doing much at all.

While some people may view exercising on through an injury as a sign of commitment and strength, it will end up being just the opposite. Taking a rest every once in a while is a clear necessity, and taking one when you are too sore to continue is an absolute non-negotiable. Work smart – it is just as important as working hard in the long run.

Design a Routine For You

It is easy to be distracted by the hulking physiques of people who have been doing the routines for years, and to want to match up with what they are doing. Unless, however, you want to spend more time recovering than exercising, it is important to ignore what anyone else is doing and get on with designing your own routine, one you can stick to and which gives you pronounced results. It may not match up with what the experts are doing, but they’ve got a head start on you. Concentrate on what you have to do and you’ll be in good shape.

The word “building” is quite appropriate. When it comes to getting into the condition you want, it is not something that happens overnight. You need to lay down foundations on which to improve. If your muscles are flabby or non-existent, there is no way that you can just do a bit of work to get them into the shape that the professionals have. You will need to get them into decent shape first before aiming any higher. As long as you pay attention to this, then you will be fine.

To really do it right, it is important to take account of the long-term nature of a body building regime. Starting off with light training to achieve condition, then adding steadily until you are in the shape that you have coveted for some time, it will always be a long game. But it will be better for you, and you will not have to worry about picking up long-term injuries.

Small weights first!

The most important lesson that you can absorb before you take up body building is that there is such a thing as too much, too soon. All of us are keen to do something impressive, whichever field it is in. When taking up body building, especially if you do it at a gym, it is common to see guys whose biceps are thicker than your thighs. The natural response to this is to wish to match them lift for lift. But the natural result of that is that you will end up in hospital with all sorts of muscle problems. Early on, stick to the small weights.

Those guys with the huge biceps have been body building - and sticking to a daily routine - for years, often longer than a decade. It is unsurprising that they are so well built. To them, lifting the weights is like breathing, and their muscles have reached a stage where they can move the weights without any massive effort. Early on, the more basic weights will be more than enough to exert some effort on your muscles, and this is how you get toned.

Try to run before you can walk and you’ll end up on the floor – and if you thought the muscle bound guys were laughing at you before, you wait until they see you knock yourself flat trying to lift your own body weight. A little light mocking will be as nothing compared with that kind of shame, trust us.

Where to start?

When people take up body building it is usually as a result of seeing the impressive physiques of the professionals – whether those professionals be pro body builders, weight lifters, boxers or any other kind. It is natural to see the power that such a physique gives to an individual and want to have the same thing. It is also, unfortunately, something that is beyond many of us and at the very least will require years of committed training for the rest of us. When you are starting out, the goal that you are chasing is still some time off. There is a lot of groundwork to lay down first.

Put simply, the early stages of a body building regime will be about getting toned rather than really building muscle. In order to get to the point where you can even hope to start lifting the big weights, you need to start with smaller ones. It is about progression. Trying to do too much too soon will have the sole result of causing injury, and once that happens you will be in no position to do any training at all. It is more important to pace yourself and prepare for the hard work to come.

Some of us are naturally built more slender than others. That being the case, there is no need to assume the slender ones cannot build themselves up a few levels. In actual fact, a slender physique can be advantageous in the early days of body building, as it allows one to move more sharply and quickly – something which is important in building up those reps.

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