Wanna give bodybuilding a spin? One of the most prevalent workout programs I’m sure you have witness in any gym is the bodybuilding workout. For the uninitiated, it is a body part approach to training with the goal of hypertrophy or enlargement of muscle tissue. It is a preferred exercise program for most men and has become a favorite for women too. For some just the thought of bodybuilding conjures images of freakish bodies with cartoon-like body parts and run the other way. For others, the work that goes into building a body with lean muscles, tight glutes and washboard abs, is fascinating and rewarding. Whichever party you subscribed to, training as a bodybuilding can offer a great way to get and stay in shape but can also be an Achilles heel of progress. So what is bodybuilding? And why is it so popular in gyms across the world? And how can you implement bodybuilding exercises into your current program? Let’s go back, back into time and discover the origins of bodybuilding and why so many people endorse this type of training.
THAT’S?A LOT OF BULL WITH THAT SPICE
The Greeks?began the trend not to modify their bodies but to prepare them for their respected sports, just like the modern-day?athlete.?Milo of Croton, an Olympic wrestler, carried a calf on his back everyday until it became a bull. This became known as progressive resistance as a means of developing strength. Their physique became the backbone to what the modern bodybuilder would aim to replicate. Fast forward a?millennium and we find in India people using primitive dumbbells made out of stone for the sole purpose of getting bigger and stronger. Another millennium, a man by the name of?Eugen Sandow, a strongman with the aesthetics of bodybuilder changed the sport forever. With his unbelievable feats of strength and the body to match, he ushered in the age of Physical Culture, the precursor to modern-day bodybuilding. For a fascinating look at the history of bodybuilding, please visit:?History?and for those in the world of vids, go here: Documentary
BENEFITS
Let’s tackle the less obvious benefits that you haven’t considered. For some, a simple description of a bodybuilder is a steroid pumped athlete. For others, an example of power and discipline. Well let me add that as in any sport the goal of the athlete is to obtain the best performance in their sport. This is true for any sport, football, baseball, soccer, etc. A bodybuilder is striving to build the best muscular and aesthetically balanced body. True, drugs are rampant in the sport but then again, most sports are plagued by drug use. Anyway, here are some of the benefits of a?bodybuilder:
Work Ethic: a true athlete encompasses this quality. To be the best the work load needs to match.
Increased Lung Capacity: A bodybuilder has more muscle mass than the average person so their heart and lungs need to work a lot more just to keep his body functioning.
Superman Metabolism: Lean tissue (muscle) is the log that keeps the metabolism fire burning. With the increase of muscle mass and a reduction in body fat, their metabolism functions splendidly.
Incredible Blood Flow: This one coincides with #2. In order for the body to function properly, the heart must pump enough blood to the rest of the body. So with the increased muscle mass, the heart delivers that blood with such veracity but yet extremely efficiently.
?(Disclaimer: As bodybuilders get close to contest time, they engage in training and diets that are extreme and should not be followed by the average fitness enthusiast. Excessive low body fat is very dangerous especially for women)
FOLLOW THE LEADER
Many men follow the bodybuilding protocol because it has influence them throughout their male culture of what it means to be a man. They see these larger than life figures on magazines and want to be them. Some men equate larger muscles with virility and just to get girls. Well that’s no mystery. I’ll bet about 98% of guys in gyms follow the bodybuilding protocol. This involves dividing the body into parts like legs, arms, chest, back, etc and do exercises for each part. Usually work is performed in one plane of motion and the emphasis is muscular hypertrophy and strength. On paper it’s easy to follow but there is a lot more to this exercise protocol. One can build a foundation but remember, the body functions in many planes of motion, accelerating, decelerating, holding, etc. But for the most part at its core, a bodybuilding program can teach one about how their body functions at its simplest form.
SAMPLE PROGRAM
Day 1: Chest & Triceps (Monday)
Bench Press / Incline Press / Fly / Pressdown
Day 2: Back & Biceps (Tuesday)
Pulldown / Row / Shrugs / Curls
Day 3: Legs (Thursday)
Squats / Leg Press / Leg Extension / Leg Curls / Calf Raises
Day 4: Shoulders & Abs (Friday)
Overhead Press / Lateral Raises / Upright Row / Situps / Hanging Leg Raises
The usually rep scheme is 6-12 repetition on each exercise, 3 rounds or sets with adequate rest in between sets.
WRAP UP
I would make an argument that a bodybuilding protocol would be most beneficial to the mature trainee. One that is over 50 years old. As we age, we do tend to lose muscle, more recovery time and the only way to achieve those two?is weight training, preferably bodybuilding. Not the Crossfit crap. Or the Barry’s Bootcamp blowouts.
I hope you’ve been enlightened on what a bodybuilder is and the approach they take to build their bodies. Outside of drugs, it is hard work that requires discipline and focus. More benefits to the protocol. For a responsible bodybuilder, health and bodybuilding are intertwined and for anyone who follows the bodybuilding path can live a long, strong, and healthy life.
