Starting Out

When your starting bodybuilding theres a few things to think about.

1.Information - Get as much info as you can from a reliable source, hopefully a friend who doesnt talk a load of crap. books and internet are always there anyway!!

2.Goals - Set a main goal, e.g. win Mr.Olympia. Set little goals too, lose body fat by sept 2008, increase bicep size etc.

3.Icons - Choose an icon a character that you might want to be like, obviously be your own person but a good role model always comes in handy! Put pictures up where you train or in your room of bodyparts that are your ideal size/shape you want to achieve.

4.Training - If you know correct form and have used gyms before then excellent! If not try and get help with as much as you want in and around the gym the last thing you want is injuries, that doesnt lead to success!

This is all just my advice, follow it or dont follow it your call. But chase your dream, if you want it bad enough you will get it!!

Supplements and Advertising

Anyone using supplements of some sort? Chances are that you do use some supplement.

Using supplements is said to be part of bodybuilding, and I am going to agree with that! Personally I feel that supplements help my training, when taken properly of course.

What is properly though? This is a tough question...one which I'l say it all depends on the individual, just follow the products guidelines, they are not exact rules as different people will react or not react in different ways!

One supplements I will briefly talk about is a multi-vitamin, take one of these and it will help keep your body in good order just giving the machine what it needs! plus drink lots of water you need your body to work well for you.

Advertising is what makes us take these supplements, and lets face it...it works!

There is always a new product on the market, and this is because they develop all the time. conveniently its a great way of making money, at an average of £30 per product (roughly)

But I'm all for it! if any company is reading this, feel free to advertise using me :D Cheers!!

TRAINING

Everyone who is involved in a sport will train in some way, that I'm sure of.

(to the left: my back 02/07/2008)

Training is a vital part of any sport and the harder and more you train the better, so for bodybuilding and other power sports training is hard and heavy!! But that's the way I like it!

People reading this I'm sure you train hard, and i hope you do. Personally I know that I am training as hard as anyone else in the world! My training partner and I, we don't do long rests as alot of people do in between sets, we only really speak to change the weights and shout at each other, it's the hardest I've ever trained, in a year I've put on 2 stone, about 1 and three quarters of that is solid muscle! This type of training, high intensity and power is one that I will not give up as it works for me!

Compound lifts of Squat, Dead lift and Bench press are, of course definitely necessary. They are used in power lifting so it is always a good idea to make these lifts stronger. At this time my bench press (flat) is 130kg. My Squat is 180kg. and my dead lift is 200kg. So far so good, I know I've got lots more time to improve! My 21st birthday is coming up in a few weeks, I really hope that I reach my mini goals!

My mini goals (that everyone should set themselves) are: dead lift 220kg for 2 reps and I would really like to dumbbell curl 40kg, I'm close I'm at the 35kg stage and its not too hard :D here's hoping I can achieve those goals!

The First Time

I hope that if you read this you may know how it feels to grip a cold iron bar loaded with cast iron plates on each end, ready to rip away at your muscles!

So if you do know the feeling....you'l gladly remember your first time!

My first lift was with a standard style barbell 20kgs, I attempted a bench press with no bench...my first mistake. Firstly getting the weight into position was the first task, when there the floor was hard and cold as i was on my garage floor. 16 repetitions had gone and my arms started to feel weak, when a weight is above your head and a weak feeling comes over you...you panic a little, or at least you do when thats the first time you've been in that position! so i chucked the barbell away from my head and survived :)

Hehe looking back on it 20kgs...pfffft!! But of course everyone starts somewhere, just wish i had a picture of me back then so i could see how ive changed!

For anyone starting out in weights, do take a picture or two, and go at your own pace, most importantly have fun with it!!