Training for bodybuilders
A training program for bodybuilders should be geared towards increasing muscle volume, mass, and strength. Depleting muscle glycogen stores and breaking down fibers is the foundation for achieving muscle hypertrophy .
The goal of a bodybuilder should be to achieve sarcoplasmic muscle hypertrophy through regular and powerful training sessions. The best exercises for a bodybuilder are multi-joint core exercises. Studies have confirmed that these are able to stimulate testosterone and growth hormone levels significantly.
Bodybuilding and muscle hypertrophy
A pioneer in bodybuilding training was Bryan Haycock, the first to develop the HST (Hypertrophy Specific Training) program . This consists of a combination of the most recent scientific theories in the field of hypertrophy to achieve an increase in muscle mass.
Bodybuilding and hypertrophy are two concepts that go hand in hand. The basis is the healing of the muscle fibers and the increase in the liquid nutrients that surround the muscles: glycogen. muscle The amount of muscle fibers in a bodybuilder practically does not change, what changes is the fluid that surrounds the muscles.
The most effective program for a bodybuilder involves not repeating the same muscle group without a break of at least 2 days (1) . Given it has been proven that the healing and restoration of muscle fibers takes about 48 hours; excess exercise will not bring any benefit in muscle development.
Training for bodybuilders – Exercises you cannot miss
1.Dead weight / Deadlift
The barbell deadlift is one of the quintessential exercises to strengthen the upper body and midsection. In a training for bodybuilders it is recommended to perform 5 or 7 repetitions of the deadlift with considerable weight, with total emphasis on the work and breaking of the muscle fibers.
2.Press bench / Bench press
The bench press is a classic exercise to work the chest muscles, as well as secondarily working the middle zone and the triceps. An advanced bodybuilder must take special care not to strain the cervical area to avoid neck injuries.
3.Barbell Squats / Squats
The barbell squats are a key exercise for the development of leg muscles: quadriceps, glutes and calves. With a good technique and different variants, the muscles of the abdomen and hamstrings are worked.
4.Press militar / Military press
The military barbell press (also known as the “front barbell press”) is considered one of the best exercises for working and bulking your shoulders . To perform this exercise without errors, you must focus on the grip and keep the abs fully tensioned.
5.Horizontal Row with Bar / Row
The horizontal barbell row is considered one of the basic exercises to develop the strength of the back muscles. The back muscles are one of the largest muscle groups. Working them out with bars is great for increasing testosterone for a bodybuilder.
Maximum strength in bodybuilding routines
Research (2) affirms that to achieve muscle growth, not only the number of series that are executed is important. Rather, the muscle stress experienced is the maximum (2) . One method to achieve this is to alternate periods of maximum repetition with traditional gym routines .
Bryan Haycock developed a muscle bulking training program based on this concept. Which has become popular in the world of bodybuilders. The idea is to alternate weekly workouts where large muscle groups are worked with days of low repetitions at maximum weight and others with low weight but maximum repetitions.
Training for bodybuilders Multiple muscle groups at once?
Working all the muscles in a single workout has great advantages; first of all increasing the synthesis of testosterone and growth hormone. Including basic multi-joint exercises is essential to achieve this goal.
The downside of a routine for bodybuilders that works multiple muscle groups at once is short-term muscle fatigue. To avoid this, it must be supplemented with good nutrition and a good night’s sleep. Just as the use of certain sports supplements such as creatine monohydrate or taking amino acids bcaa can significantly improve training results.
Advanced bodybuilding
An advanced bodybuilding routine with the goal of achieving muscle hypertrophy involves a progressive and significant increase in loads. To achieve this requires time and dedication. Alternating between maximum repetition of the different muscle groups and respecting muscle recovery times is essential.
The advanced version of a training plan for hypertrophy requires not only the detail and monitoring of the technique of the exercises. A single exercise performed incorrectly is enough to take several steps back in bodybuilding. All training should include physical warm-up exercises for the joints to avoid typical bodybuilding injuries.
Anabolic steroids Yes or no?
The use of anabolic steroids is prevalent in the world of training for bodybuilders or bodybuilders. However, if an athlete chooses to achieve hypertrophy by this method, high prices must be paid at the health level.
While it is true that steroid use increases testosterone levels and muscle mass; its use has a long list of side effects and contraindications. From mild disorders such as acne or baldness , to serious psychological disorders such as aggressiveness, depression and mood swings.
Even greater probability of liver and kidney cancer has been found in body tourists who have taken long-term steroids.
“But, my friends tried and did well …”
During the first cycle of steroids, you often have a false superhero feeling. Performance in bodybuilding training is enhanced, muscles develop faster, as well as an increase in the power of sexual activity begins to be felt. When the cycle ends, the side effects of anabolic steroids appear and muscle growth slows.
Taking steroids have dangerous health consequences. Inadvertently, you will convince yourself and your friends that everything is fine. Becoming an example to follow. However, the story that no friend tells is long periods of depression, addiction, and shortened years of life.
Diet for bodybuilders
The first step in eating for a bodybuilder to achieve hypertrophy is a positive calorie balance. Muscle growth requires at least an excess of calories of at least 10-15%. A 25-30 year old man who is approximately 180 cm tall and weighs 70-73 kg needs at least 2700-3000 kcal to increase lean muscle mass.
The carbohydrate sources should be mostly complex carbohydrates . Just as high-quality saturated and monounsaturated fats should be weighted. To compensate a training for bodybuilders should include proteins of high biological value. Studies suggest that you need to consume approximately 2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. (1) (2)
The equivalent of 250 g of protein per day. Exceeding the amount of protein will not provide any additional efficiency for a bodybuilder. However, in economic terms the calories from protein foods are always more expensive than the calories from oils or cereals.
