Bodybuilding
101:
The Art and Science of Bodybuilding
This article is “Bodybuilding 101: The Art and Science
of Bodybuilding”. This article is a departure from the
vast majority of my articles, it is meant to be informative
and answer some of your questions about the widely misunderstood
sport of bodybuilding. I will clear up misconceptions, give
you the basics of how to get involved and explain the basic
principles so that if you choose (If you are any sort of man
you should immediately start) you can change your body and
finally look like a man instead of a soft pastry.
The first thing that must be said about bodybuilding is that
it is an exercise in discipline. You may think that bodybuilders
and guys who are interested in getting bigger just go to the
gym, take some drugs and get huge. That thought could not
be further from the truth. I will break down the training
schedule, diet and other requirements it takes to become a
man and get big.
TRAINING SCHEDULE:
Most people think that bodybuilders spend hours a day in the
gym. WRONG!! Most of the biggest guys I know (myself included)
spend no more than an hour a day, four to six days per week.
That's right! In the same amount of time that you spend watching
reality TV and fixing your hair, you could instead be investing
time in the gym and improving your overall physique. Here
is a sample training schedule that I use.
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Back
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Quadriceps:
Day 5 Arms Day 6: Shoulders
Day 7: Hamstrings and Calves
These workouts are broke down in small body segments so
that your body has time to rest and recover. The only way
to get bigger is to break down muscle fiber and use food and
rest to assist the body in repairing itself. The repair is
where the growth comes from. The body wants the next workout
to be less strenuous so it makes the muscle bigger and stronger
to accomplish just that. A bodybuilding truism is “You
only grow at home”, this means that the growth does
not take place in the gym, it happens the rest of the day.
The stimulus for growth is working out, the growth mechanism
takes over the minute you are done working out.
Most experts (and most importantly me) recommend 8-12 sets
per bodypart split up between 3-4 different exercises. This
formula works but I find that an individual must tailor it
to their genetic profile. This means that you complete pussies
should do no more than 3 sets because your genetically inferior
body will inevitably collapse upon itself.......I digress,
this article is not for the genetically challenged. You know
who you are, the last kid picked in gym class, the weakling
with noodle arms and a neck the size of a Viking's wrist.
You pansies are destined to look like prepubescent boys forever.
A common question that I get is “What machine do you
use for your arms?”. This could be the most ignorant
question in the world along with “How much do you bench?”.
The difference between two bicep exercises is negligible.
The way that your biceps grow will be determined by genetic
profile and inherent muscle attachment and whether or not
proper intensity and rest were applied.
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Dorian Yates = Viking Warrior! |
The most important aspect of the training is the intensity.
A proper bodybuilding workout needs to be intense. If you
can do three more reps on the bench press that means you have
five more reps to do. Without muscle failure and destruction,
lifting weights is a colossal waste of time. If you are talking
to people, talking on the phone, preening in the mirror (different
than flexing in the mirror), your workout is not intense.
If you are wearing jeans, you workout is not intense. You
see this all the time at the gym and these guys are fooling
themselves if they think they will ever achieve the true Viking
physique. When you see that behavior,
look at them, shake your head, put your headphones back on
(a must to create workout intensity, the noise and distractions
of the gym are detrimental to focusing on your workout) and
start grunting, groaning and throwing some dumbells around.
DIET
This is the most important aspect of bodybuilding. It is
also one of the most misunderstood. The critical word here
is PROTEIN!! That's right folks, to grow you must eat protein
and a shitload of it. Most of the idiots who are trying to
get bigger think they are eating enough protein but you can
bet your last dollar that they are not. For most men, I would
recommend 250g+ per day. This protein should be spread out
in 6 different meals. The human body has a use or lose it
philosophy meaning that you must eat a considerable amount
of protein every three hours. This is where discipline is
critical. I don't care if you are out doing something, having
sex, working, it does not matter, YOU MUST DO THIS. I once
stopped in the middle of a sexual encounter to have a protein
shake. Needless to say, that night was over and so was the
any chance of ever getting action from her again!! This may
seem excessive, and it is, but it typifies the level of discipline
it takes to get big.
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Warning: Don't fuck with Ronnie Coleman. |
Protein contains amino acids, the building blocks of life.
Muscle recovery can only happen in the presence of ample amino
acids and the only source for amino acids is dietary protein.
The oversupply of protein puts your body into positive nitrogen
balance, the body must be in this state to repair damaged
muscle cells. The odd part is the amino acids can only be
used for about three hours. Without resupplying your body
with amino acids, your body goes into negative nitrogen balance.
When the body has a negative nitrogen balance the amino acids
are removed from the muscle cells and muscle growth and repair
cease.
The moral of the story is EAT PROTEIN! Unless you are
concerned with your body fat percentage, you should eat 40g
protein per meal and 60g carbs per meal. Fat is irrelevant
for bodybuilders, although cholesterol is essential in the
production of testosterone so make sure to eat as many animals
as you can. If you do that, and train with intensity your
body has no choice but to grow, maybe not like Ronnie here, but bigger nonetheless. OTHER REQUIREMENTS
To some people, food, rest and training is enough. This
is not true. Supplements are a important part of becoming
the man you can be. Creatine, glutamine, whey protein supplement
and multivitamins are critical. I will not explain each why
they are important, you can read that stuff on the Internet.
Just take them. That is all you need to know.
Anabolic steroids are another part of maximizing your results. DISCLAIMER.....DO NOT USE STEROIDS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU
ARE DOING AND HAVE DONE AMPLE RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES
YOU ARE MAKING TO YOUR BODY. There are plenty of clowns out
there who use them and get nothing out of it because they
are ignorant about the proper application of these powerful
drugs. Another common mistake is to use them too soon. Unless
you have trained hard, ate right and done all that you can
for two years, taking steroids is plain stupid. After two
years of hard training your body will often times reach its
genetic limits and that is the time to use drugs. Before then
you are throwing away the natural growth that you can achieve.
For proper use, consult the Internet or a user that you trust.
Destroying your kidneys and liver because you were too lazy
to research it first may be one of the most idiotic things
you could ever do. Bodybuilding is a great sport and hobby. It builds self confidence,
instills discipline and also gets attention from the ladies.
I would love to field some questions about this. Please email
me at arthur@arthurshall.com. After you email me, eat something
and then get to the gym and reach your masculine potential!
-arthur@arthurshall.com
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