If you are in the fitness and bodybuilding world for some time, you’ve probably seen there is a ton of information about training, nutrition and supplements on the internet, magazines, television…
Some of it is very useful, but unfortunately, most of it is very misleading.
Often, when people find themselves overflown with information, they can pick bad advice, or even fail to act, mainly because they get confused and don’t know what is good and what is bad for them.
So if you are just starting – here are a few fitness tips to take you the right way. For the experienced ones – this info will serve as a reminder and to help you stay on track.
1. Compound exercises are the real deal
Isolation exercise have their own benefits, but compound movements are the foundation of every weightlifting program and absolutely vital for your success.
Every compound exercise requires the work of multiple muscle groups to be performed and will stimulate the production of anabolic hormones Testosterone and Growth Hormone in the process of performance.
Compound movements include deadlifts, bench presses, wide-grip pullups, chin ups, squats, clean and presses and rows.
Don’t neglect compound movements if you want a body that stands out of the crowd.
2. Change your workout from time to time
A workout can work perfectly, but won’t work forever. Sooner or later your body will get used to the stress it goes through.
This is the moment you need to change something in your current routine – increase the weight you lift, increase the repetitions, change exercises or if you are advanced you can try some of the advanced tricks to trigger muscle growth.
3. Work on your legs if you want to grow your upper body
This may look confusing, but think about it, why you should train your legs? Almost 70% of your muscle mass is in your legs.
Training them will help you grow all over. Like I mentioned before – doing squats and deadlifts will trigger the release of anabolic hormones that will help you develop other areas, not just legs.
4. Diet plays a bigger role than training itself
You can find the best routine out there, but if your diet is not in check you are not going to magically transform your body into an athletic one.
I’m not saying exercise doesn’t have to anything with how you look and feel, but diet is the biggest factor in how athletic you will look. Want to be lean, strong, and healthy? Give your diet the attention it deserves.
Get the right amount of calories from protein, fats and carbs. Get in your fiber and micro nutrients too.
5. Protein + simple carbs right after workout will make a difference
After the intense workout your muscles are hungry for protein and your glycogen is depleted.
You can increase the benefits of your workout by feeding your muscles what they crave.
6. Add some cardio to your program
Cardio can be very beneficial for you. It can primarily improve your health, and help you reach your fitness goals faster.
Cardio will speed up fat loss and increase your insulin sensitivity. Just remember not to over do it – countless hours on the treadmill or static bike will not do any good for you.
Short high intensity cardio sessions will get the job done quicker.
7. Spot fat reduction is NOT possible
Regardless of what they say on TV, you can’t lose fat just on your belly, arms or thighs.
Fat loss is the result of a consistent and effective cardio program and diet plan which causes a total loss of fat over your entire body.
So stop doing thousands of crunches in an attempt to get a six pack.
8. Men and women should not do different types of workouts
Lifting weights will not turn women into bulky, ripped bodybuilders.
What weight lifting will do is help them get lean, toned and shapely.
It’s the very high protein diets and performance enhancing drugs that turn women into ripped bodybuilders.
9 . Weight lifting is good exercise but going to a gym is not always necessary.
You can also get great results at home too. Just look at this bodyweight workout or the “300 workout“. Remember, there are many exercises that you can do at home.
There are countless people in the gym and on Facebook that can give you all the facts you want to know, what supplements are good for weight loss or gain of muscle building, the number of repetitions is optimal for growth muscular, cardio etc types. But how many of these “experts” actually walk the walk and live this lifestyle every day? My point here is that there is no use talking of doing something, not just shut up and do it, there will be time to talk about it after you’ve done it, more people will be interested once you have to lead by example anyway. –
Sorry, but I can’t agree. Many of the people with good genetics don’t exactly know what they are doing and yet they have good results because of their genetics (and/or drugs they use). On the other end, take a trainer like Mark Rippetoe or Bil Starr who are geniuses in the field of weightlifting and world famous, and yet they don’t look as pros.
Youre right on genetics. I can eat like a pregnant lady and still not get fat. I live eating pizza and drinking beer, and still got abs. I barely have to workout in the gym and I get results that takes people years. I dont look like the guys in the magazines, but I’m pretty huge
Can you plz tell me why I never get the full version on here?! I’ve only got 3 of the 9
If you go to the bottom of the page you’ll see there are page numbers. There are 2 more pages.
S******S= St*roids?? St*roids work when used properly. That’s why they’re so expensive, and hard to get. If they were more affordable, and readily available, everybody would have the dreamy, sexy body they always wanted. But those “elite” personnel don’t want the average Joe to copy them. It’s all about “we’re above you” and you can’t have our stuff…JMO.
Yes, it’s st*roids. Unfortunately the word has to be censured as social and other networks ban texts with the word in it. And yes, they do work. However their misuse can lead to a large number of health issues. And actually they are not so expensive outside US.