So, you're thinking about becoming a bodybuilder, either for recreation or competition, but do you know what it's going to take?
You're just one in a million, my friend. People walk into the gym everyday, young guys and girls who think they can turn their bodies into massive statues of granite, cut down to show the rigid lines of muscle, who hope they will reach that level where their friends and total strangers always turn their heads when they come around.
So, you want that to be you they peer at? My friend and unformed, it's going to take some major work to achieve those goals. Unless you're 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, and have a low body fat percentage to start with, you won't get the attention you want, but is that the only reason you're lifting - to get attention?
Here's just a few pointers for you to think about before you decide you want this lifestyle.
Think About This
For those people who actually make great changes with their body, the seriously committed, bodybuilding is a lifestyle. I remember when I came into it, like most teens, I thought I could just lift weights and take a few supplements and get huge.
It's not like that at all, contrary to what I thought. I soon realized that I would be making little change within the next year because my training was a joke, and I had no diet. To make matters worse, I'm not (when it comes to weightlifting) one of those one out of a million guys who are taller than 6-foot-3 to start with and can gain muscle extremely fast with little training. Though for those people, many of them t get that far because they lack the knowledge, diet, persistence, and goals.
With my ideas and confidence destroyed, it was back to the drawing board. Bodybuilding is about consistency and constant improvement. Without a training log, you won't go far because you're not actually involved in the changes you're making on your body. It's merely an idea in your mind, but you can't actually see the "written in stone" progress because you're not keeping track.
If you don't keep a training log, how will you know what changes to make, or what poundages to change? It's funny how many times I go to the gym and see the same guys lifting day after day, but with no training log!
I usually start laughing in my mind when I see their agonizing bodies hoping (in their mind) that someday they will actually achieve a great body, but sadly it just won't happen. I'd like to say something here, though ... you know how older guys view themselves when it comes to training. Like Fit For Life says, for some reason if you're not super huge, people usually feel you have no training knowledge or experience.
Nothing could be further from the truth. So, for point number one: The bodybuilding hopeful must use a training log. The training log is a must to track your progress, set goals, and record training information.
Diet Logs
The next point that I think is the single most important factor for all natural bodybuilders is the diet log. Just like the training log, you should keep a diet log. You're going to use your training log to track progress and improvement, just as you'll need your diet log to track your food intake and to help plan and organize your diet.
Diet is 75+% of what you become when it comes to the natural bodybuilder. You will not grow like you want, or develop a body like you want without a good diet, it's just impossible. The diet log will help you track your eating progress, and give you a great base when looking back at your most valuable cutting and bulking phases.
I feel these two factors can singlehandedly turn you from "average Joe" into somebody who has a shot at competition and developing the body they want. Without either of these (diet or a training log) you're going to train and eat blindly, which will come around again when you think you're blind because you can't see the progress you've made to continue improving and re-evaluating your training progress.
So keep these 2 logs, and begin your journey to a new and better you!
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