GYMCADDY™
Bodybuilding 101
Like we've mentioned before the GYMCADDY™ is made up of a team of multiple Bodybuilders and Powerlifters with multiple years of experience. GYMCADDY™ broke down the differences between Bodybuilding and Powerlifting which you can read HERE. This article will go a little more in depth about body building and how you should approach it. As always, remember to pick up your GYMCADDY™ HERE.
Bodybuilding is a style of training that focuses solely on the growth and development of muscles and strict dieting to make you look good. Before you start to focus on bodybuilding or powerlifting, GYMCADDY™ recommends you have your basics covered. The basics in this case are proper pushups, pull-ups, dips, lunges, and a minute plank. Before you can run you have to crawl.
OK, I Have The Basics Covered
For the best results in Bodybuilding we recommend you focus on doing mostly compound movements at the beginning of your workout routine. All exercises can be categorized into two different groups, compound exercise and isolation exercises. A compound exercise is one that activates multiple muscles when you perform said exercise. An isolation exercise is one that will only active one muscle when said exercise is being preformed. A few examples of compound exercises are the benchpress, pull up, dip, deadlift, squat, and barbell row. A few examples of isolation exercises are the bicep curl, tricep extension, and hamstring curls. Knowing how to chain together compound exercises and isolation exercises in your workout routines are key to getting results while in the gym.
How Do I Chain Together Exercises To Make a Killer Routine
Bodybuilding focuses on targeting the same muscle group from different angles in order to promote growth. Its important you understand how to chain together Compound and Isolation exercises for optimal results. For example, a beginner's chest and arms workout would like this:
Barbell Bench Press 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell Incline Press 3 sets of 10
Parallel Wide Grip Dip 3 sets of 10
Cable Tricep Extensions 3 set of 10
Hammer Cable Tricep Extensions 3 set of 10
Machine Chest Flies 3 sets of 10
Machine Incline Press 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell curl 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell hammer curl 3 sets 10
As you can see from the example above, the volume of work here is high. You will also notice there are 3 major compound movements at the beginning of the routine. You will also notice that the first 3 exercises each targets the chest muscle a little differently. The next 2 exercise are isolation exercises that still focus on the same muscle group. Its then followed by one last compound exercise that targets the chest yet again. And finally, the routine is finished off with 2 isolation exercises that target the biceps. The exercises are chained together in this manner in order to activate multiple muscles and provide the volume needed in order to promote growth. They are also chained together in a manner that will prevent premature nervous system fatigue. As you learn the basics the bodybuilding we recommend you design your own workouts for your Chest, Back, Leg, and Arms days. You can also browse our website for pre-made workout plans.
What is Nervous System Fatigue
When you workout you are not just fatiguing your muscles, you're also fatiguing your nerves system. Every exercise will fatigue your nerves system by a certain amount. Larger exercises like the Benchpress, Deadlift, Squat, and Overhead Press will place a considerable amount of stress on your nerves system when preformed. The activation of multiple muscles, explosiveness, and coordination are all factors to take into consideration. On the contrary, smaller exercises like the Bicep Curl, Tricep Extensions, and Lateral Raises will place less stress on your nervous system. Smaller exercises require less muscles, and less coordination to preform. As you workout your nerves system will start to fatigue, which will prevent you from giving a certain exercise your all. Thats why its imperative you schedule your more taxing exercises at the beginning of your workout.
Workout Frequency
At this point we assume you understand how to chain together a exercises for a killer workout and you also understand the importance of Nervous System Fatigue. The last thing left to explain is frequency, or how often you should workout. If you're just starting off we recommend you start with the 3 days on and one day off approach. Which means you go to the gym 3 consecutive days and then take a day off. If you choose the 3 days on one day off approach we also recommend you try the Chest, Legs, Back pattern as well. This pattern is great because it alternates between upper body and lower body. As you learn and progress through your fitness carrier you'll want to start experimenting with different workouts and frequencies. We highly encourage it.