Historically, bodybuilding originated from stone-lifting traditions in Greece, Tamilakam, and Egypt. Strongmen display their strength in the public and challenge others to do so. Their physique was not the focus of the competition. The competitors usually possess fatty limbs and large bellies.
Eugen Sandow developed our current notion of bodybuilding in the 19th century. The “Father of Modern Bodybuilding” allowed audiences to view his physique and his muscle display performances. Other competitors also displayed their bodies through strength demonstrations on a stage that Sandow built.
The first large-scale bodybuilding competition was held in 1901 and called the “Great Competition,” wherein Sandow was among its judges. It was successful that it filled the Royal Albert Hall in London. Numerous fans and bodybuilding enthusiasts were no longer allowed to enter the venue since it was already over the seating capacity.
Today, we know about bodybuilding through famous actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It has remained popular, especially with people engaged in physical activities and workouts. If you’re interested in becoming a bodybuilder, here are five secrets that they do efficiently build muscles.
Take Supplements
Taking supplements boost bodybuilders’ overall health, exercise performance, and immune function. For this reason, many of them have consistently taken them in pursuit of building more muscles to achieve their goal of being a bodybuilder champion. Among the supplements recommended by studies are creatine, protein powder, and caffeine.
Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid that serves as the building block of proteins. Proteins help in repairing damaged tissues and building muscles. Creatine also supplies energy, which helps keep the energy supply in your muscles steady during intense lifting or exercise.
When thinking about the Top Choices for Creatine Supplements, you must always consider what benefits they can provide your body. You must ensure that it expedites muscle recovery by activating satellite cells in the muscle and increasing water content in muscle cells since it helps muscle growth and reduces muscle cramps.
Moreover, creatine comes in numerous forms. It can be in capsules, liquids, tablets, or powders. Choose the most comfortable form, as it will make creatine intake much quicker and smoother.
Protein Powder
Protein powder is one of the most common supplements bodybuilders use. They provide an easy way to increase daily protein intake without relying upon whole foods every single day. The most popular protein powder are:
- Whey Protein – It helps the body digest and absorbs whey. It’s commonly called the fast-release protein.
- Casein Protein – It takes longer to digest, making it suitable for bodybuilders who still want to do post-workout activities.
- Plant-Based Protein Powders – It’s very popular among vegan and vegetarian bodybuilders. However, some plant-based powders do not contain all the amino acids the muscles need to grow.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that decreases pain and increases focus. This allows bodybuilders to exercise harder and longer. It also increases athletic performance and improves vigilance, alertness, and neuromuscular functions.
Determine Calorie and Macronutrient Intake
You must determine your calorie and macronutrient intake because bulking up will require you to consume more calories than your body needs.
Calorie
You can use a calorie counter to estimate your daily calorie needs. It considers your sex, age, weight, height, and physical activity level. The experts usually advise consuming 10 to 20 percent above your daily calorie for an average weight gain of 0.25 to 0.5 percent per week.
Macronutrient
Once the number of calories has been determined for bulking, you can determine your macronutrient ratios.
Macronutrients are the nutrients you’ll need in large quantities in your diet. You’ll need to get 45 to 60 of your calories from carbs while 30 to 35 percent from protein. The remaining 15 to 30 percent of calories will come from fat.
Create a Dieting Plan
Having the proper diet is essential when you’re building muscles. You must know that the food you need to eat must provide vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats. You’ll also need to remember to avoid food with very few nutrients.
Food to Eat
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Beverages Without Added Sugar
- Grains
- Seafood
- Meat, Poultry, and Egg
- Legumes
- Dairy
- Oil and Nut Butter
Food to Avoid
- Friend Food
- Alcohol
- Food With Added Sugar
Get the Proper Equipment
Bodybuilding is a sport that involves rigorous weight training. You must have the right equipment when you start your training. These pieces of equipment will help you build and maintain muscle efficiently.
Just make sure that this equipment is safely set up to prevent injuries. Among the most important equipment that you’ll be needing in your bodybuilding journey are:
- Barbells
- Dumbbells
- Free Weights
- Glove
- Plates
- Power Bars
- Squat Racks
- Weight Racks and Columns
Follow the Bodybuilding Phases
In bodybuilding, there are three primary phases that you need to follow. These are bulking, cutting, and maintenance.
First, you must consume more calories in the bulking phase for around four to six months. These extra calories will give your body the energy to boost muscle size and strength.
Second, cutting involves gradually decreasing the calorie intake. In exchange, you’ll increase aerobic training to remove excess body fat to allow the muscles to start defining.
Lastly, you’ll need to ensure that you maintain and not gain muscle mass. At this phase, your body will be disadvantaged since you eat fewer calories than you need. There will be temptations, but you need to overcome those.
Final Thoughts
Bodybuilding, like any competition, needs a lot of preparation. This article has provided the five secrets numerous bodybuilders use to ensure muscle growth and strength. Use them wisely, and you can possibly be, in the near future, the next Arnold Schwarzenegger of bodybuilding.
