Body Building Tips for Beginners

The biggest mistake beginner body builders make is spending too much time in the gym. If you are just starting out, plan to spend less than an hour working out. Work each muscle group one or two times a week with no more than five workouts a week. If you hit a plateau, it could either mean you need to increase training or rest. Every two to three months take a two-week break.

1. Warmup

   • Make sure to warm up, stretch and cool down. Warming up will increase flexibility. It's important to warm up muscles     to prevent injury. Warming up your muscles with a light 15-minute aerobic exercise is especially important before a heavy set. You can increase recovery with a cool down.

   Challenge Muscles

   • To get the fastest results, keep your body guessing with muscle-confusion techniques. Every month or two, begin a new body building routine. Keep some of the core exercises such as squat and bench press, but change the order, repetitions and sets. Include heavy weight-training, which are weights you can lift for a maximum of three to 12 reps. Then, switch to medium weights. Mix it up with a light set routine once in a while.

   Use Proper Form

   • When working your legs, chest, back, arms, shoulders and abs, make sure to use proper form. For example, for the barbell squat, make sure you keep your back straight and your knees over your toes. For the wide grip lateral pull down, get a good grip and pull your elbows to the floor. Don't lean back. Work with a trainer at the gym to learn the proper form for using machines or free weights to prevent injury and maximize results. At home, post charts on the wall that show proper technique.

   Improve Diet

   • Body builders should eat a clean diet, which eliminates junk food and includes whole fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Drink plenty of water. Eat four or five meals a day with protein at each meal to regulate blood sugar levels and encourage muscle growth. Eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight. For a 150- pound person, that's 150 grams of protein per day. Consume protein within 90 minutes of finishing a workout. Supplement with glutamine to speed recovery of overtraining fatigue.

   Rest

   • Make sure to balance training with proper rest. Get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Pay attention to your body's signs of exhaustion. Over-training signs include fatigue, depression, stress and feeling more lethargic than usual. Over-training can be counterproductive. Rest for a few days and decrease training intensity if you experience fatigue.