Bodybuilders are commonly the butt of jokes, but anyone that is trying to change the appearance of their body could learn a lot from bodybuilders.
Did you know that the current diets recommended for weight loss by physicians are the same diets that bodybuilders have been using for years?
Bodybuilders are always current. They’re constantly on the lookout for new information that can give them an edge. Many of them search the latest research publications looking for information about fat loss and muscle gain.
Plus, bodybuilders are the best at transforming their bodies.
Consider the following ideas you could learn from a bodybuilder:
1. You probably need more protein. While it’s true that you don’t need a lot of protein to sustain life, your body composition will improve if your protein intake increases, within a reasonable limit.
* Protein is also metabolically expensive. It takes a lot of energy to digest and process protein. It’s not easy to convert protein into carbohydrates for fuel or into fat for storage.
2. Strength training is one of the best aerobic activities. If you move quickly between exercises and minimize the rest periods between sets, there is nothing short of sprinting that will get your heart beating faster. This also requires that you do the proper exercises. For example, squatting instead of performing leg curls.
3. Strength training is the best calorie burning activity. Many other activities burn more calories during the exercise period itself. However, the calorie burning stops when you stop performing those other activities.
* The muscle damage caused by lifting weights takes days to repair. Your metabolism is increased during that entire period.
4. Carbohydrates are a significant issue. Most natural bodybuilders keep their protein and fat intakes quite constant, regardless of their goals. The only macronutrient they manipulate is the carbohydrates.
* When they want to gain weight, the carbohydrates increase. When it’s time to lose weight, they decrease their carbohydrate intake.
5. They always keep up with their cardio. Cardio training is used by bodybuilders to stay healthy and lean, recover from muscle building workouts, and to keep calories higher during dieting periods. A little bit of cardiovascular exercise is always a good idea.
* However, they also don’t do a lot of cardio. Weight loss is primarily a function of their diet.
6. Bodybuilders are maniacal when it comes to tracking workouts and food intake. While the average person doesn’t need to know exactly how many calories they ate, most people couldn’t even guess how many they ate today. What adjustments will you make if your results are sub-par? You can’t make any if you don’t know your food intake.
* Do you know what the same workout, over and over, gets you? The same body you already have. Bodybuilders are always recording their workouts and increasing either the weight or the number of repetitions with each workout.
* When they fail to progress, they change the workout.
7. Bodybuilders track progress. Any intelligent bodybuilder regularly weighs himself, records regular body-part measurements, and takes full-body pictures. They change their diet or exercise routine often. When do you change your diet and workout?
8. They are consistent and patient. When a bodybuilder is dieting, he might be trying to only lose half a pound a week. His goal might be to only gain 1 pound per month during weight gain phases. They essentially never miss a workout or their daily caloric goals.
The average person doesn’t require the same level of commitment as a bodybuilder, but there are many things you could do if you want to transform your body. Take a few tips from bodybuilders and your time spent in the gym and kitchen will be much more productive.
