If previously massive muscles allowed a person to win in battle, and simply gave a chance to survive in primitive and medieval times, then in the 19th century a muscular body became an object of admiration. Around this time, bodybuilding appeared, however, in those days it was more of a performance and exoticism than a sport in the full sense of the word!
What is bodybuilding
Bodybuilding or bodybuilding is a special sport that differs from most other disciplines. It combined both the technique of performing exercises and strict adherence to diet, training and rest, and it also absorbed aesthetic value.
This sport contains all kinds of methods and techniques of exercise, training, diet and even pharmacological agents, and all this is aimed at creating large-volume, high-quality muscles with a minimum fat content, and at the same time respecting the proportions of the body.
Bodybuilding is a system of exercises aimed at strengthening and growing muscles as quickly as possible. Can bodybuilding be called a sport? Of course yes! Like any sport, there are a number of goals in the gym that athletes strive to overcome as they overcome pain, loss of strength, and injury. But if a racer competes with opponents directly on the field, using his skills and means on the race track, then a bodybuilder fights throughout the preparatory season both with himself and with the opponent, but this happens in absentia! But on stage, directly at competitions, athletes cannot influence practically anything, and the winner is the one who trained harder, and the one who followed the regime and did not spare himself in achieving the goal!
Bodybuilding exercises
Today, there are a large number of exercises with which you can pump up any muscle group in our body. There are basic exercises - exercises that involve several muscles and joints (at least two), and isolation exercises - exercises that work only one specific muscle. Let's look at them in more detail.
As a rule, basic exercises are heavy exercises that are performed with free weights. They are the basis for building a bodybuilder’s training program. When asked why basic exercises are better than isolating exercises, you can usually hear the answer that several muscle groups are involved in a basic exercise, which makes it possible to lift more weight than in an isolating exercise, which means that the trained muscle receives more training stress. In addition, major changes occur in metabolism.
More advanced people answer that when performing basic exercises, a greater release of anabolic hormones occurs. Both opinions equally accurately reflect the essence of the processes occurring in the body under the influence of complex multi-joint exercises. In turn, isolating exercises are auxiliary (not the main ones) and are usually performed after the basic ones in order to push the muscle to failure.
One of the most important rules in bodybuilding is the correct technique for performing exercises. The desire for progress should not affect the correct execution of exercises. Each additional repetition and each increase in the weight of the apparatus must be worked out “honestly” - only then will your mass grow along with the increase in loads.
Since it is possible to work at full capacity only for a short time and since the muscle's ability to recover is not very great, the amount of work must be very limited. It is necessary to fully concentrate on the main and most difficult exercises. This will allow you to achieve maximum “benefit” from them in terms of increasing strength and muscle size. Thus, the main thing is to select several basic exercises or variations thereof.
All bodybuilding exercises are here...
History of the development of bodybuilding
Bodybuilding, which we are all accustomed to, began with the first Mr. America competition in 1939. However, the participants in this competition were not bodybuilders, since there were no currents at that time, but athletes of other sports, for example, boxers, weightlifters or track and field athletes.
The performance program also involved posing and demonstrating physical fitness in the most favorable light. And already in 1940 the first bodybuilding competitions were held.
Joe Weider is considered the founder of modern bodybuilding.
The first bodybuilder to win the Mr. Olympia title was John Greymek, although his shape and muscle quality were even inferior to those of many modern gym goers. His skill and grace in posing became legendary, and the man was able to prove that large muscle mass does not impair mobility and grace.
Ugly bodybuilding. Why is modern bodybuilding bad?
Bodybuilding has long ceased to be a sport of beauty and strength of the human body. With the collapse of the “golden era”, the desire for a proportionate, healthy body disappeared from bodybuilding. Now many bodybuilders recognize that modern bodybuilding is a sport, the essence of which is not health and proportionality with impressive volumes, but huge body mass. A huge mass that spoils the average person’s impression of the sport of beauty, health and strength.
Many novice athletes, unfortunately, strive for forms like those of Phil Heath, Kai Greene or Ronnie Coleman. Over time, these people become hostage to their passion. A hobby that can bring not only benefits, but also harm. And today we will try to open the other side of modern bodybuilding to athletes whose training experience does not exceed one year. However
m, and “middle peasants” and “old men” can also benefit from this article.
You just don't need it
The truth is that those people who strive to pump up a 120-130 kilogram carcass, most often simply do not understand why they need it. The reality is that a 120-pound body with a bloated belly (an integral attribute of the huge amount of food eaten and the use of insulin) is only necessary for those people who are going to win the Olympia. Well, or at least participate in professional competitions. Yes, despite the fact that a huge belly and a physique that is far from the limit of a natural athlete is not very good from an aesthetic point of view, the rules of modern bodybuilding must be followed. But why would you cram this tasteless cottage cheese into yourself through “I can’t”, spend a huge amount of time and money on 6-8 meals if you will never compete? In this time of crisis, why waste your resources on something that does not bring you any benefit?
Why don't girls like bodybuilders?
Of course, it is much easier for a bodybuilder to find a girlfriend than for some nerdy gamer or alcoholic. However, the girls almost unanimously declare: we don’t like bodybuilders. Of course, among these girls there are also not very smart creatures for whom any hobbies other than shopping are a waste of time and money, but the fact that between Denis Gusev and Phil Heath 90% of the girls will choose the first is a fact. The fact is that, from the point of view of the fair sex, excess muscle mass is no longer a sign of adaptation to the environment, like well-developed muscles, but a deviation that needs to be treated. Of course, not all girls think so. However, if your goal is to impress Masha from the neighboring yard, then there is no need to turn into a 120-kilogram orangutan. It is enough to have an arm of 40-45 centimeters, a lean torso and not be obsessed with endlessly eating carbohydrates. In this regard, ask yourself: am I ready to sacrifice female attention to myself in exchange for a 120-130 kilogram body?
Health problems
Sports are almost always unhealthy activities. Professional bodybuilding in this sense is doubly harmful. Firstly, our joints are certainly not designed to squat 200-300 kilograms on a regular basis. Secondly, excess body weight, regardless of whether we are talking about muscles or fat, is always bad. Experienced athletes who have experienced more than one mass gain will understand me here. When walking over, you often cannot get rid of shortness of breath after walking at a fast pace. Further - worse. The body enlarges, the muscles grow, but the heart most often remains the same.
It’s not worth talking about hormonal drugs, the main harm of which is often that they are taken by amateurs. Of course, the harm of these drugs is exaggerated, and “death from steroids” is most often a cardiac problem that appears due to excess body weight and enormous physical exertion. However, the drugs, without which it is impossible to turn into a 120-kilogram monster, also have their side effects.
Saving resources
Bodybuilding is a very resource-intensive sport. You not only work hard in the gym like a galley slave, not only have difficulty getting out of bed after a fruitful workout, but you also endure a number of other restrictions. You have to spend a huge amount of time preparing and eating food. In addition, you have to spend a lot of money, not only on food, but also on pharmacology. And in current times of crisis, this is quite problematic. A common situation: a bodybuilder outside the gym pushes himself to the limit every day just to earn money for food. If for the average person 2 thousand calories are enough to satisfy hunger, then for a professional bodybuilder even 8 thousand is not enough. Think about this before you go “on the mass”, before you go into professional bodybuilding. Will you be able to continuously increase your time and money costs? Do you want this? Do you have to give up other aspects of your life to become a 120-pound mutant?
Don't give up on your goal
If, while reading all this, you have the desire to tell me to go to hell, this is a good sign for you as a bodybuilder. If you really want it
, if you are ready to endure restrictions, understanding that bodybuilding is not just a sport, but also a lifestyle, then go for it. Follow your goal, overcoming all kinds of difficulties. Remember: this is your life. And only you can decide what to do with it. If you agree that modern bodybuilding is not at all a sport of strength, health and beauty of the human body, then you will be interested in reading the continuation, which will appear in a few days.
See you again!
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Types and categories in bodybuilding
Men's categories
Bodybuilding men, main categories:
- up to 70 kg;
- up to 75 kg;
- up to 80 kg;
- up to 85 kg;
- up to 90 kg;
- up to 95 kg;
- up to 100 kg;
- over 100 kg.
Junior men bodybuilding:
- up to 23 years – up to 80 kg;
- up to 23 years – over 80 kg.
Bodybuilding veterans over 40 years old are an absolute category.
Men fitness:
- up to 170 cm.
- up to 175 cm.
- up to 180 cm.
- up to 190 cm.
- up to 198 cm.
- over 198 cm.
Classic bodybuilding:
- up to 175 cm;
- over 175 cm.
Classic bodybuilding juniors:
- up to 168 cm.
- up to 171 cm.
- up to 175 cm.
- up to 180 cm.
- up to 190 cm.
- up to 198 cm.
- over 198 cm.
Mens physicist is one absolute category.
Read more about Mens Physicist →
Categories for women
Body fitness:
- up to 163 cm;
- up to 168 cm;
- over 168 cm.
Bikini:
- up to 163 cm;
- up to 168 cm;
- over 168 cm.
Children's fitness
- 8-9 years;
- 10-11 years old;
- 12-13 years old;
- 14-16 years old.
Athletes with disabilities
One absolute category.
Mixed couples
Bodybuilding couple - man and woman, one absolute category.
Bodybuilding for Beginners
As with any other sport, the main thing in bodybuilding is to start. But if in other disciplines, be it boxing or fencing, a coach takes care of you from beginning to end, then this is not the case in bodybuilding. The majority of beginners come to the gym on their own initiative and, at best, take the first three lessons from the gym trainer.
And by the way, you can often encounter a coach who does not have any special knowledge in this sport. After all, he can be a professional athlete in powerlifting, weightlifting, and not have any titles or achievements at all, but simply complete a coaching course or have a higher sports education as a school physical education teacher, albeit with extensive work experience. Such people can help at the initial stage, but they will not be able to make a Mr. Olympia out of a beginner. Therefore, at the initial stage it is better not to pursue the title of bodybuilder, but simply start with simple introductory training.
At the beginning of the training path, the beginner’s goals will be the following:
- To tone the body, develop muscle endurance and cardiovascular system.
- Adapt to stress by strengthening ligaments and muscles.
- Adapt the body to the training regimen, nutrition and rest.
For the first circuit training, two full series and one warm-up series for each exercise will be enough, and after three to four weeks the number of series can be increased to four, however, this is purely individual and should be based on physical fitness. Rest between series is also an individual matter. Usually it does not exceed three minutes.
Timing Your Workout
It should be remembered that in the male body testosterone levels peak in the morning. Ideally (but not necessarily) train in the first half of the day, and the earlier, the better. There are many pros and cons regarding the morning time for training, however, when a novice athlete’s day has just begun, there is less chance of getting a domestic injury, simply twisting an ankle, eating food that is difficult for the digestive system, and simply getting into a stressful situation that will definitely affect the effectiveness of the training.
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Monday, October 19, 2009 11:30 + to the quote book POSITIVE_7
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Being healthy is wonderful!
Anyone can keep their body in great shape thanks to such an exciting activity as
bodybuilding
.
Bodybuilding allows you to have developed pectoral muscles. This is of course important for men, but it is no less important for women, whose pectoral muscles must be constantly toned, since it is these muscles that help the breasts take the correct and beautiful position. Ambal.Ru
is an excellent information portal, an online club dedicated to strength sports such as bodybuilding, fitness, and powerlifting.
At your disposal are interesting articles on training and nutrition, the results of Mr. Olympia 2009, articles about the lives of athletes, news from the most famous competitions, a well-developed forum! Each athlete, especially a bodybuilder, in addition to an individual training program, has his own secrets for performing each exercise. The 10 most powerful training secrets
are presented to your attention by the Internet club
Ambal.Ru
:
1.
Don’t let the amount of weight you lift scare you!
Concentrate on what you are doing. Keep your technique good, don't mess it up. Then go ahead and lift with full force! Just make sure all your muscles are warm first. 2.
Remember that powerlifting movements involve multiple muscle groups.
Tighten each muscle group and use them in your movement. This will protect you from injury. Never perform a movement until you know which muscle groups are involved. 3.
Before going to the gym, do not eat sugar, especially refined foods.
Sugar provides only temporary energy. It is better to eat some natural carbohydrates with a small amount of fat as a source of energy. This way your energy will last longer. Don’t even try to exercise when you are hungry or vice versa with a full belly! 4.
I find the best time to exercise is between 2:30 and 4:30 in the afternoon.
However, if you are working and cannot exercise at this time, it would be best for you to eat a light meal, then rest for an hour and go to the gym. The next day you will feel great. 5.
Biorhythms!
When your energy is low, don't force yourself to lift heavy weights. Within a couple of days you will feel a surge of strength. And then you will train to the fullest! 6.
Keep your muscles warm.
Must be warmed up. Then they respond better to the training. A training suit is good for this. In powerlifting there is no need to stare at yourself in the mirror all the time. You must concentrate on the weight you are lifting! 7.
Listen to your mind!
You have an ability that will always show you the right path. Learn to respect and listen to your inner self. 8.
Follow a schedule for training, eating and sleeping.
It is best to train at the same time. Your body needs to recuperate. So don’t forget about rest! 9.
After your workout, rest for a while and then eat.
During this period of time, it is best to eat foods high in protein. 10.
During the workout, after finishing the exercise or approach, go outside and take a deep breath of fresh air for 5 minutes. Then return to the gym and finish your workout with renewed vigor.
| Categories: | Exercises for various muscle groups |
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The benefits and harms of bodybuilding
Bodybuilding itself is aimed at developing, strengthening and improving the body. It strengthens and is even capable of restoring the entire musculoskeletal system, say, after accidents, various injuries, and even in old age, gentle bodybuilding can be a cure for many age-related diseases.
But if we talk about professional sports, then the scales here completely take the other side, the opposite of health. First of all, as in any other sport, high loads appear and bodybuilding in this case is no exception.
However, the specificity of this sport also adds various techniques aimed at improving the appearance of muscles, for example, drying is a stage when an athlete gets rid of excess fat and water before competitions in order to make the relief more distinct. Let's just say that it not only looks unnatural from the outside, but also poses a very serious problem for the normal functioning of the body. And these are just diets and lifestyle. This is real stress for the body, because during the period of growth (gaining muscle mass), most often, bodybuilders do not deny themselves anything and burn five or more thousand calories a day, and in the drying mode, the consumption of the necessary substances, namely carbohydrates, is reduced to a minimum. And then problems begin not only with metabolic processes, but even on an emotional level.
About prohibited drugs in professional bodybuilding
Another dangerous factor that leads to a number of diseases is the use of pharmacological agents with a pronounced anabolic effect - steroids. This is synthetic testosterone in different forms and different chemical profiles.
Changing the molecular structure allows you to either gain more body weight, or, conversely, make it better. What can we say about hormonal drugs, even if the instructions for vitamin “C” contain an impressive list of contraindications and possible side effects.
Synthetic hormones are also no exception and their effect on the body is much stronger and more dangerous than any other anabolic agents. But the worst thing is that the opinion about exceeding therapeutic doses is many times ingrained in society and among bodybuilders. Of course, the optimal doses for gaining weight go beyond the maximum therapeutic ones, however, the modern bodybuilding society blindly believes that, for example, methandienone works in amounts of 30-40 mg per day and above. In this case, the maximum daily therapeutic dose is 5 mg!
One can imagine how oversaturated the human body is with male sex hormones. In addition to large doses, the duration of administration is also affected. Such abuse can cause a number of dire consequences that can even lead to death.
Natural bodybuilding and its features
Natural bodybuilding in comparison with the usual professional one, in which, as they say, all means are good, does not look so impressive. The athletes seem undistinguished, and the quality of their muscles is far from the strongest separation of steroid mutants, but otherwise, it is still the same bodybuilding with many techniques, innovations, intense hard training, a drying stage using various pharmacological agents, which are not prohibited by the bodybuilding federation and WADA.
Bodybuilding classification
Professional bodybuilding – IFBB Professional League
In the modern bodybuilding industry, a professional is usually defined as a bodybuilder who has won an amateur qualifying competition and earned a professional card - the Pro Card from the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders).
Bodybuilders who become the owner of a PRO card automatically become professionals and have the right to compete in tournaments that are one step higher than amateur bodybuilding. For example, in such as “ Arnold Classic ”, “Night of Champions”, as well as other professional IFBB tournaments with significant prize pools.
Winners and athletes, in turn, who have shown high results in professional tournaments, are given the opportunity to participate in the Mr. Olympia competition. The Mr. Olympia title is the highest award in professional bodybuilding.
Amateur bodybuilding – Amateur Bodybuilding
Amateurs in bodybuilding include all athletes who are involved in this sport, but have not yet become holders of a PRO card. However, there are huge differences between athletes who practice professionally and ordinary amateurs.
Professionals , as a rule, do 5-6 workouts a week, and several times a day, in order to achieve maximum results, they use professional equipment during the training process and strictly follow a diet. Sports nutrition is a must in their diet. Amateurs train every other day, but do not always have time to get to training. They do not focus much attention on nutrition, and their attitude towards sports nutrition is neutral.
The most important difference is that professional bodybuilding is hard work, which involves the use of additional necessary drugs for the body, and amateur bodybuilding , in turn, brings pleasure and health.
Natural bodybuilding - “no chemicals”
There are organizations such as NANBF (North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation) and NPD (Natural Physique Association) that promote so-called natural bodybuilding . These associations are trying to eradicate the use of anabolic steroids and other pharmacological drugs in bodybuilding.
Athletes involved in “chemical-free” bodybuilding believe that their method is more focused on natural competition and a healthy lifestyle.
Bodybuilding female
The foundation of women's bodybuilding can be considered the first women's national Physique championship, held in the USA in 1978 in Canton, Ohio. This championship is the ancestor of women's bodybuilding , in which winners were judged solely on their musculature.
Since then, many women's competitions have been held, the most prestigious of which is Miss Olympia . Rachel McLeish became the first Ms. Olympia title winner in 1980.
Conditions for muscle growth
Proper nutrition is necessary for muscle recovery and growth.
Good and healthy rest and sleep.
Workouts for muscle growth
All people are the same from a physiological point of view regarding bodybuilding. The principles of training methods are the same for everyone and have been proven.
However, people who are the same physiologically and anatomically can have muscles that are different in composition. Muscle fibers are divided into “white” and “red”. The former are responsible for short-term maximum load, the latter, on the contrary, for endurance and the possibility of long-term work.
People's muscles can vary greatly in the ratio of muscle fibers. In this regard, successful training methods for two equally built athletes can be completely different. It is through trial and error that you can achieve maximum results and become a bodybuilding star.
Proper nutrition for muscle growth
High rates of muscle recovery and growth require bodybuilders to follow a specialized diet . Generally speaking, bodybuilders require more calories than the average person of the same weight to provide protein and energy for training, recovery, and actual muscle growth.
Reducing the level of dietary energy received in combination with cardiovascular exercise allows bodybuilders to lose excess fat, which is important in preparation for various competitions. The ratio of dietary energy obtained from carbohydrates, proteins and fats can vary depending on the bodybuilder's goals.
Meals for bodybuilders
An average person needs to eat three times a day for proper nutrition. Bodybuilders try to eat 5-7 times with an interval of 2-3 hours .
This method helps achieve the following goals:
- increases the metabolic rate in the body;
- eliminates excessive insulin secretion, which is caused by a large and one-time meal.
Proteins for muscle growth
Protein is the main building material for muscle growth.
It is the main nutritional component in the diet of bodybuilders. A bodybuilder needs more protein than an ordinary person. Required amount of protein for muscle growth per day :
1. For moderate exercise: 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight;
2. With increased loads and constant training: 4 or more grams of protein per kilogram of weight.
In this case, protein should make up 25-30% of the total calorie intake.
Main sources of protein:
- meat - chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb, fish;
- legumes and nuts;
- high protein dairy products. For example: cottage cheese.
To provide the necessary amount of protein to their body, many bodybuilders use essential protein supplements in their diet, such as whey protein and casein.
Carbohydrates in bodybuilding are an uncompetitive source of energy. The physiological tone of the bodybuilder and the success of his training depend on them. It is necessary to increase carbohydrate intake when gaining muscle mass, during intense training and heavy loads.
If, on the contrary, it is necessary to reduce body weight, due to excess weight, it is advisable to reduce the amount of carbohydrates, as well as fats, to a minimum.
Rapid muscle growth is impossible without rest
Although stimulation of muscle growth occurs in the gym due to weight training, muscle growth itself occurs during rest , the main peak of growth is in the first 40-50 minutes after training, and lasts several hours. At this time, the body simply needs protein!
Without adequate rest and sleep, muscles do not have the opportunity to repair and grow.
The average required amount of sleep for bodybuilders for full muscle growth should be 7-8 hours. However, there may be exceptions when 5 hours or less is sufficient.
Overtraining
Too little rest between workouts or too much load leads to overtraining . If you start your next workout without sufficient rest, fatigue will accumulate and progress in muscle growth or strength will disappear if the goal is heavy weights.
It is important to find the right period and start gradually. There are examples when people need up to 9 days of rest. On average, you can start with 2-3 workouts per week.
Some professional bodybuilders have up to six workouts per week, 1-3 workouts per day.
