Natural Bodybuilding Tips
Natural bodybuilding is pretty distinct from it’s chemically enhanced cousin, and by following these natural bodybuilding tips you can make the maximum natural progress possible.
Training
First on the list of priorities is getting on the right program. Please, do yourself a favor: forget trying to copy Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, or any of the really huge guys you see in glossy magazines.
Why? Because they are advanced athletes, and (ahem) juicers. Fact.
Not only do these guys use tremendous amounts of sets to exhaust their muscles – they have to – but they also work on detailing the muscles. Now, for a beginner to think or worry about detailing their muscles is like thinking the way to repair a damaged car is to re-spray the dent first so it looks pretty, before it’s even seen a panel beater. Detailing muscles is not possible for beginners, and most intermediates; so don’t get caught up in this.
You need to work on building sheer muscle mass. For this you will need compound movements such as squats, bench press, dead lifts, military press, etc. Isolation exercises will not build the kind of mass these exercises will, and any bodybuilding program worth its salt will have these exercises included.
Not only do you have to perform select exercises such as compound lifts, but, you need to ensure your body is given enough time to repair and grow. I would recommend you train around 3 times a week, and avoid programs which call for 5 days a week.
I can guarantee you, if you try to replicate advanced programs at the beginner stage, you will be wasting your time, money, and effort. Start with the basic foundations.
Diet
What steroids do is allow protein to by synthesized into the muscles much better, giving better growth. As a natural bodybuilder, you don’t have the benefit of this, so choosing your protein sources carefully is imperative. You need to choose proteins which have high absorption rates.
(For more information on protein sources, please see my article foods high in protein.)
It’s well known that steroids also can give the body tremendous cravings for food. Many people may struggle from time to time with the amount of food required for natural bodybuilding, but, eat you must. Calories are the building blocks to your muscle and strength gains, and only by eating a surplus will your muscles grow.
For a bulking phase (during which you aim to build muscle fast) you should aim for around 15-20 calories per lb of bodyweight, plus 500. Of course it may vary; keep a check on your weight, body fat, and size gains and adjust accordingly to strike up the perfect balance for yourself.
Creatine
Believe it or not, there are some who believe creatine is a steroid; which is absolute garbage. Creatine is a naturally occurring substance which can be gotten from red meat, and a creatine supplement is nothing more than an additional boost to the supply you’d get from red meat.
Creatine is generally done in cycles, (see when to take creatine) of a few months, and can be particularly beneficial during the advancing stages of your beginners program.
So, as time goes on, and your gains begin to slow – which they will – then by using creatine you can give yourself a bit of a boost to help your progress continue.
Some people also use creatine from day one in their training, and that’s fine too. I say anything is worth a try once, and whatever works for you, do it.
Rest
Perhaps the most overlooked, but crucial of natural bodybuilding tips is rest. Steroid takers have astonishing recovery rates; you won’t. Let nature heal your muscles and rebuild them bigger and stronger. This can only happen if you take it easy.
As a general rule of thumb, while trying to build muscle you must make it a priority. What I mean is, don’t expect your results to be optimal if you are running around playing basketball, baseball, and cycling or jogging several times a week on top of a bodybuilding regime. This will prevent your muscles from getting any respite and will cripple your progress.
