Many people who are looking to lose fat don’t normally think about body building as much as they think about aerobic activities like running or riding a bike. They generally assume that bodybuilding workouts are only designed for those who are looking to get incredibly huge muscles and get slathered with oil and start posing on stage. This is a common misconception and as it turns out, the activity of bodybuilding may be your best and most effective tool for burning significant amounts of fat.

The reason that bodybuilding is so effective at burning fat is because of the extreme amount of calories burned during the exercises themselves. When lifting heavy weights and doing so in a workout but is performed both consistently and to speed, the body will be burning hundreds and hundreds of calories per hour and can often be as effective at burning calories as a strenuous run on the treadmill.

One of the reasons why bodybuilding can be so effective at burning calories and in turn burning fat is because of the large muscle groups that can be worked when one is bodybuilding. Let’s take the squat for instance. The squat is probably the most powerful exercise you can do for your body for both building muscle and losing fat. When you perform a squat, you are activating almost every muscle group in your body. You are certainly targeting the lower body but this includes huge muscles such as your thighs, your lower back, and you’re gluteus maximus. As these huge muscle groups are put into action, they use up large amounts of calories in order to perform the work required of them.

Now, as bodybuilders put on muscle as they become advanced in their efforts, they begin to burn fat automatically even when they are not working out. This is because muscle itself speeds up the metabolism and will burn fat just simply by its existence on your body. When you are building muscle, you are actually building little “fat burning ovens” all over your entire body that will help to speed up your metabolism and burn fat on a regular basis. So don’t just look at the increased muscle you will develop, but instead think about the decrease in fat your body will experience.

Finally, let’s look at the diet of a bodybuilder to uncover one more reason why bodybuilding can be your answer to burning fat. Bodybuilders need significant amounts of protein in order to maintain their muscle mass and build new muscle as well. This is true whether or not you are trying to compete for Mr. Olympia or are just trying to maintain or build muscle for a particular sport that you are involved in. Body building is not necessarily about building huge muscles all the time, but maximizing the muscle you do have so that it is the most effective it can be for your body type. No matter what your goals, you want to increase your intake of protein to make sure that new muscle can be built and that the muscles you do have recover properly after strenuous workouts. Because bodybuilders often have diets that are heavy in protein and low in carbohydrates, this can result in their body beginning to burn existing stores of fat for fuel as their diets often lack the carbohydrates needed to fuel their intense workouts. As the body burns fat for fuel, your muscles will look more defined and your body fat percentage will significantly decrease.

So if the usual diets and fat burning workouts have not been working for you, you might want to give bodybuilding a try and see just how well picking up a few weights can do to burn fat off your body.

In order to truly become the best bodybuilder you can be, you can’t forget that bodybuilding facts are based on science. If you want to succeed, you must immerse yourself in the facts surrounding the act of bodybuilding. Think of what would happen if you tried to drive a car by pushing the brake when you wanted to go forward and pushing the gas when you wanted to stop. Similarly, if you aren’t doing the right things in bodybuilding at the right time, you won’t see the results you want.

Bodybuilding facts are based on science. For one thing, your body isn’t automatically made to be massive and muscular. Your body only becomes strong because it you convince it that you need more muscle to survive. Getting washboard abs, a firm chest, and large biceps is all a matter of understanding the numbers behind it. That means you’ll need to know what types of exercises there are, know how many reps and sets to do, and know how to support your program through caloric intake, supplements, and the proper ratio of macronutrients.

One thing to know is never to work the same muscles two days in a row. One of the most critical bodybuilding facts to know is that the act of working out is harmful to your body. It breaks down your muscles, and it can injure you. The act of rebuilding comes when you sleep and rest. If you strain your muscles day after day, you will not only be crippling your results, but you will probably get to a point where you’ve permanently injured yourself. It’s absolutely essential for you to have rest between workouts.

With that said, you might try splitting up different muscle groups depending on the day. For example, you could focus on the upper body on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the lower body on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and rest on the weekend. You might decide to group them differently, like chest and triceps one day, and shoulders and legs another day. The important thing is that you stagger your workouts so that all the muscles have days when they can rest before they are used again.

Any days you have off from weightlifting, you can choose to spend doing some light to moderate cardio workouts. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, and if you are truly hoping to be a bodybuilder, it can work against you to do too much cardio, but doing some will jumpstart your metabolism and improve your lungpower, which in turn will get more oxygen to your muscles during a workout. Also, there’s less advantage to having muscle if it’s all covered up by fat, so burning fat during your off days can enhance the work you are doing with weightlifting.

These bodybuilding facts are a solid foundation in your bodybuilding journey, and hopefully, you take them with you and build on them.

There is very little else that can make or break your success with bodybuilding like your bodybuilding diet can. Not only can you hamper your results with a poor bodybuilding diet, but you can also cause yourself harm if you are using your body too hard without giving it the nutrients it needs to keep up. Imagine doing your best to look and feel good, only to sustain a serious injury because your body simply didn’t have the resources to maintain your level of exertion. Don’t let this happen to you.

The truth of the matter is, there will always be different diets out there that claim to be the definitive expert. Of course, there are very few that actually do what they tell you they will. Most of the time, it’s all about lining the program creators’ pockets with some easy cash. As a bodybuilder, it’s your job to be on the lookout for people who will try to convince you to do their diet regimen. If you use your common sense and truly understand what will help your body, you can weed out the scams and find the gems.

Now, there are some valuable things you can learn about a proper bodybuilding diet right here. First of all, it should always be about feeding your body what it needs to maintain its functions, and then to grow. Whether you are a bodybuilder or not, you need to realize that your body relies on nutrients to survive, and if you aren’t giving it what it needs, eventually you will get sick or injured. You probably know of people that spent years sitting on the couch with a bag of chips and a six-pack of beer in their free time, and now they have diabetes or heart disease. Your habits will determine how healthy you’ll be, and how successful your bodybuilding endeavor will be as well.

First of all, a bodybuilding diet should include carbohydrates, lean protein, and essential fats. You will want an approximate ratio of 40:40:20. The reason for this is, carbohydrates give you the energy you require to actually do the exercise, while protein is the building blocks used for building up your muscles. The fats are useful in promoting good overall health. On top of this, you should strive to get all of your essential nutrients, especially antioxidants, since you will be creating more free radicals with your exercise, and if these go unchecked, then can lead to a higher risk of chronic diseases.

Finally, don’t forget the value of water. While almost everyone probably needs more water than they are currently drinking, this goes doubly for anyone who is doing a lot of hard exercise. Dehydration is dangerous, and you are at risk for it if you are working out hard without fluids. Some might suggest an exercise or energy drink, but these often have more sugar than you should consume, especially if you’re drinking them frequently.

If you master the bodybuilding diet, your results will noticeably improve and you’ll feel healthier overall.

Many bodybuilders love to brag about the time they spend in the gym. They are happy to talk about their marathon 2 hour workouts where they hit every body part known to man and saw just about every club member come through the door. The fact is, these long workouts are often much less productive than short, intense ones are.

Your best bet is to get in and out of the gym as quickly as possible while still having completed a strenuous muscle building workout. Below are some tips to help you make your workout much shorter BUT more effective.

1. Quit the Chit Chat-Hey, everyone loves to talk about their favorite TV show they saw last night, but gabbing about it while standing in front of the leg press machine doesn’t do ANYBODY any good. If you want to talk, call or email your buddy…the gym should be about exercise and that’s it. Saying hello and goodbye is fine, but 15 minutes of talking is a waste.
2. Plan your workout before you get to the gym-When you get to the gym is NOT the time to start planning your workout. Decide which bodyparts you are going to work BEFORE you get to the gym and your workout will go much more quickly and be more effective as well. Grab a notebook and start splitting up your week with your different workouts as well as the required rest days in between. This can knock off as much as 10 minutes off your time in the gym.
3. Shorten your rest between sets-If you are truly BODYBUILDING, the less rest between sets the better. You don’t need to do a set, then rest for 5 minutes. So many gym goers rest a ridiculous amount of time between sets that it is like their bodies get fully recovered for the next set. You need to tax your muscles and keep working them at full intensity CONSISTENTLY. In addition, DO NOT SIT AT THE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON BETWEEN SETS! People take up residence on pieces of equipment as if they are moving in. Other people should be allowed to work in sets while you are resting.
4. Don’t go during peak hours-It makes common sense that if there are tons of people in the gym when you usually go, you will be waiting for equipment and your workout will be longer as a result. It may take some scheduling, but try to work on scheduling your workouts so that you hit the gym when it is not busy. The alone time will be good for your focus and allow you to move from exercise to exercise unfettered and greatly cut down on the time you are in the gym.

Remember, bodybuilding and spending time at the gym should be about results, NOT socializing with friends. Get in, get out, and get your work done to get the bodybuilding muscle building results you are after.

As you probably have heard if you have done any amount of bodybuilding at all, it is extremely important for bodybuilders to consume adequate amounts of protein in their diets. Protein is not only helpful in that it is the building block for muscles but it also helps muscles recover and heal both during and after strenuous bodybuilding workouts. It is helpful to consume extra amounts of protein before and after your workout as well so it is usually recommended to supplement your diet with a high quality protein powder. These powders are often mixed in milk or water with whey protein being the most popular choice.

As far as the exact amounts of protein you should consume, thoughts on this vary. By most recommendations, a bodybuilder who is performing extremely taxing strenuous workouts should consume between 1.5 and 2 g of protein or pound of body weight. Now, most of us don’t get anywhere near this amount in our regular diet and this is exactly why a protein supplement is recommended. In addition to protein powders, an active bodybuilder can get much of what he or she needs in their regular diet.

Quality protein can be found in many healthy foods including lean chicken, beef, various types of healthy fish, nuts, and of course egg whites. The are many bodybuilders who will eat upwards of 20 egg whites per day to help satisfy their bodies need for extra protein. In addition, it is also common for bodybuilders to keep protein bars with them on a regular basis so that they can add extra protein to their diet throughout the day. In addition to simply building muscle, increasing one’s intake of protein can be helpful in losing body fat as well.

It is very common for many people’s diets to consist of a large amount of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are very prevalent in our diet especially considering processed foods and sweets such as sodas and candy. These carbohydrates are often stored by the body as fat because of our inability to use all of them as energy at any given time. Carbohydrates are necessary in the process of building muscle, however, because they provide the glucose needed as it is the main fuel for muscles when performing work. As long as the body is getting enough carbohydrates to provide fuel for the muscles during strenuous workouts, the increased amount of protein a bodybuilder eats can often replace the excess amount of carbohydrates that they don’t need. This results in the body oftentimes not getting enough carbohydrates for the total work output that it is doing and it will begin to burn existing body fat as fuel instead. This can result in significant fat loss for the bodybuilder and is a technique they will often use in order to lose the most fat possible and achieve that lean ripped muscular look.

Make sure that if building muscle is your goal that you get adequate protein for your body’s needs.

Ok, so now your training wheels are off. You have been bodybuilding for 6-12 months, made some fantastic progress, and are ready to take your bodybuilding workouts to the next level. It is in this stage of bodybuilding where some of the most impressive gains are made, OR, the bodybuilder simply loses hope of ever achieving the body they desire. The key to getting into and through the intermediate phase is sticking to the basic principles while adding new movements and concepts on a consistent, but safe basis.

While you are no longer relegating yourself to mainly compound movements, you don’t want to give up making big lifts life squats, deadlifts, and bench presses the core of your workout. These exercises will ALWAYS remain core exercises and should never be discarded completely. Even so, as an intermediate bodybuilder, you are ready to make some changes and begin honing and defining your physique.

First of all, you will want to begin to focus on isolation movements in your routine. These exercises will focus on just one muscle at a time and will be the keys to your muscles developing density and definition that will turn heads. Make a list of all the isolation movements for each of your muscle groups. Now, you will want to organize a workout that features 2-3 exercises per body part and workout 2-3 body parts per workout. For example, you might choose to work out your back and chest one day and pick the exercises pull-ups, machine rows, and dumbbell rows (for your back) and bench presses, dumbbell presses, and dumbbell pullovers (for your chest).

Another principle that can be effective for intermediate bodybuilders is supersetting. This means that you will work opposing body parts one right after the other non-stop. Here’s how that would work:

• Do a set of pull-ups followed by
• A set of bench presses followed by
• A set of machines rows

Your body should be able to take this kind of punishment now that you have already put some serious time into bodybuilding. These supersets will allow you to workout using the principles of isolation in about the same time as a workout of only compound movements such as the squat or bench press.

Another aspect of intermediate bodybuilding routines is the actual frequency of the workouts. As a beginner, you probably only worked out 3-4 times per week. Now, as an intermediate bodybuilder, you should be able to add a day or even two to your workout schedule. This may mean you workout 2, 3, or even 4 days in a row nonstop followed by a day of rest. As an intermediate bodybuilder, you should have a better sense of how much time your body needs to recover so you can decide how many days in a row you work out. You MUST add a day of rest after several consecutive workouts because intermediate or not, your muscles will only grow during periods of rest.

Keep in mind these principles are mainly for offering tips on developing exercise programs at different facets of your bodybuilding development but of course a whole other important aspect is nutrition. While we don’t mention it here, nutrition does play an important role in the growth, development, and recovery of your muscular physique.

Just about every guy on the beach would love to walk down the boardwalk with bulging arms that filled up his sleeves and ripped thighs that made people get out of the way when they saw him coming. This can only be achieved through the principles of bodybuilding used to build a ripped and muscular physique. Unfortunately, many who are searching for this result never quite reach it because they fail to learn some basic principles in the beginning. Body building is as much of a science as it is physical exercise and these principles must be adhered to if you want real results.

Below are five simple bodybuilding principles that anyone can follow to help them achieve the bodybuilding muscle results that they desire.

1. 1. Use Compound Movements-one of the biggest mistakes that new bodybuilders make is they start performing isolation exercises before they’ve really built any muscle. What I mean by this is, isolation exercises are designed to work only one muscle at a time but if instead you build your workout routine around compound movements, then you be able to work on many muscle groups at one time. This means that core exercises such as squats, bench presses, and deadlifts should make up the bulk of your routine.
2. 2. Don’t work out EVERY day-although just about everyone has heard this principle, few workout warriors pay attention to it. The fact is, muscles build during rest phases, not active ones. If you simply work your muscles out all the time they will cease to grow and can eventually shrink over time from over training. Instead, take at least a day or two off per week to allow your muscles time to repair and grow.
3. 3. Go heavy for maximum results-while maintaining safety using a spotter, lifting heavy weights is integral to your gaining serious muscle. It is okay to start out light in the beginning, but once your muscles begin to build you’ll have to increase the weight over time to ensure consistent progress. This is called the progressive training principle and is the backbone of true bodybuilding programs.
4. 4. Protein is your friend-you have to eat protein if you want to build muscle, bottom line. This means lean meat, fish, and chicken and for those of you who are vegetarian, you may have to supplement your diet with protein powders in order for you to get enough protein to build the muscle that you desire.
5. 5. Easy on the cardio-while cardio exercise is great for burning fat, doing too much can burn off some of the calories you may need to provide your muscles with energy and their ability to grow. It is often recommended to do your cardio work opposite the days you do your weight training workouts.

While the above only represent five bodybuilding principles, if followed consistently and with intensity, they can surely help you to achieve your bodybuilding and fitness goals.

Going to the gym can be expensive. Some monthly gym memberships charge as much is $99 per month or more not including exorbitant setup fees of often hundreds of dollars. Even those much less expensive gyms that are in the $40 per month range can certainly add up over time especially if you factor in the amount of gas you use back and forth on each trip. Not only are they expensive, they can also be inconvenient. A majority of individuals who sign up for gym memberships never end up sticking to the workout routines because it can be so hard to fit going to the gym into your daily schedule. This makes building a home gym a perfect solution for many people.

Now, building a home gym does not have to be an expensive endeavor. You can often get away with very little equipment to start and simply add to it as you become more experienced with working out and your budget increases. For those who are new to working out, one of the best purchases can be a home gym system. These all in one equipment packages feature attachments that will allow you to work your entire body with one machine. Because of this, your home gym may end up being much smaller than if you had many pieces of equipment. Those who are a little more advanced may look to include free weights in their home gym setup.

For those that want to go the free weight route, you’ll want to put down some padded flooring in the room you choose. Padded flooring can be bought in squares that are approximately 2′ x 2′ and join together like pieces of a puzzle. Oftentimes, you get all the workout you need just by buying a set of dumbbells and an adjustable bench. Just about every exercise known to man can be done with dumbbells and as long as you get weights that go up to a high enough number to allow you to make progress, your simple but effective home gym can last you months if not years with no improvements. For those that are looking to put on serious mass with their muscle building routines, you may want to purchase a weight bench and or a squat rack. Ample room is required for these larger pieces of equipment so locating a free weight gym in a basement or garage is usually the best idea.

But a home gym is really anything that you make it. Some people simply want to lose a little fat and may only have an exercise bike and some strength bands. The most important thing to include in your home gym is yourself. Make a commitment to work out in your private space each and every day. Now that you don’t have to worry about the price of gas or working  getting to the gym into your schedule, you can make a lifelong commitment to working out in your own private home gym.

Everyone looks to lose weight and get in better shape from time to time, but few have true long-term success with it. Most of us decided take the easy route and purchase one of the thousands of products we see on TV or in magazines or simply try one of the fad diets of the day. The problem is, neither of these approaches are affective with long-term success and leave many right back down the path of weight gain once their program is over.

The reality is, and most of you have probably heard this before, the best way to lose weight and get in shape over the long-term is through proper diet and exercise. I know, it sounds boring compared to the last commercial you saw promising you the ability to drop 20 pounds in 10 days, but it is your choice whether to follow tried and true solid information or simply false promises. If you choose the former, then you might want to look at the principles of body building to help you get in the best shape your life.

Now, don’t be scared of the word body building. Just because you pick up some weights and start training does not mean you’re going to quickly turn into looking like Lou Ferrigno. Bodybuilders of that ilk go through extreme regimens to get into that level of shape and just by going down to your local gym and hitting the weight several times a week you’ll have nothing to worry about. What you will experience is fat loss and muscle gain that will help you work to quickly achieve the body you’ve always desired. The principles of body building are perfect for helping us get in shape because of several things, but one is perhaps the most important. That is that muscle burns fat. The reality is, the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. Lifting weights and body building is like increasing the size of little fat burning ovens all over your body and you’ll know that each time you make gains in the size of your muscles your metabolism will speed up as a result.

Now, the benefits of body building are not just derived from the muscles themselves, but the workouts as well. Most of us tend to think about burning calories and losing fat through exercise as being directly related to the benefits of cardiovascular exercise such as jogging or riding a bike. Bodybuilding and weight training exercises are incredibly effective at doing this as well. You will burn extreme amounts of calories over the course of an hour long bodybuilding workout. This does not mean that bodybuilding will take the place of cardio because developing your cardiovascular system is extremely important to your overall health and well and additionally support the fat and calorie burning benefits of bodybuilding alone.

So, if you are REALLY serious about shedding the fat for good, drop the fad diets and bogus AS SEEN ON TV products and just get down to some serious bodybuilding. You will burn fat, gain muscle, and get into the best shape of your life…FINALLY.

When someone says the word bodybuilding, we tend to think of huge muscled phenomenons standing on stage covered in oil wearing only tiny bikini briefs, but it is only a rare few who commit to the dedication and determination it takes to get their bodies into this freakishly huge state. The fact is, just about anyone can benefit from the principles of bodybuilding both from the aspect of how you look as well as your overall health.

Bodybuilding is simply the process of building muscles and losing fat to accentuate the overall musculature of your body. It is extremely unlikely that you will accidentally build a huge and hulking body just from lifting a few weights which is often the fear of those who stay away from them. It takes years of intense dedication and hours of grueling workouts per day to achieve the physiques of those you see standing on stages, not to mention the occasional illegal chemical helper as well. But just going down to your local gym and deciding to begin a bodybuilding routine to help develop and maximize your physique is not only a great idea, it may lead you to an increased sense of satisfaction and a healthier longer life as well.

Bodybuilding exercises are simply any exercise at all that will allow you to build muscle. Push-ups, for instance, are an incredible bodybuilding exercise that will allow you to build the muscles of your chest, triceps, and shoulders. You can perform them anywhere and they help to build a strong and well-defined chest and shoulder region that can be very effective at turning others’ heads.

Of all the bodybuilding exercises in existence, none is perhaps more effective than the King of all exercises, the squat. Performed by lifting a barbell on your shoulders and squatting down until your thighs are parallel with the ground and then rising back up, the squat is known as a compound movement. It can work to build the muscles of your entire lower body and many of those in your upper body as well. It takes extreme physical determination to squat with heavy weights but the payoff can be huge. Squats not only allow you to build muscle but they are great way to burn fat considering how much energy is expended performing this exercise. Combining squats with push-ups and perhaps even pull-ups can provide you all the bodybuilding results you need to get into incredible shape and totally transform the look of your entire body.

When choosing to make bodybuilding a part of your exercise regimen, it’s important to pay attention to your diet as well. It almost seems senseless to work hard to build big muscles, and then cover them up with thick layers of fat. You want to eat a diet that contains plenty of lean protein and is lower in fat and carbohydrates. These last two nutrients are important for energy, but you want to limit them to avoid excess fat gain.

There you have it. ANYONE can improve the look of their body through bodybuilding and increase their health as well. Don’t worry about the trunks, the oil, or the posing, just pick up some weights, and you’ll be a bodybuilder too!