Great Bodies Are Made
By: Joel Dela Cruz

 Everybody wants a great body, unfortunately great bodies are made.  With a good regular workout along with a good balance of protein, carbs and fat you will most likely succeed. Maintaining your body will take money, hard work and dedication, not to mention the rising cost of monthly gym fees. What you're actually spending is not a whole lot more compared to a major trip to the hospital for cardiac arrest or something. Knowledge, discipline and motivation are the main keys to a healthy body. Before beginning any exercise program, get a doctor check up before performing any vigorous regimens, especially if you've been inactive for a very long time.

Training At The Gym

When you start to lift weights, start with light exercises. If you're not familiar with the machines at the gym don't be embarrass to ask for assistant, everyone has to start somewhere. That's better then making yourself look like a fool. Try stretching before you work out, this will minimize injury especially if it's your first time. Never worry about what other people think, it will only distract you and you can lose interest fast. Remember, they are not there to watch you.

It is highly recommended working out with a partner familiar with exercising to target specific muscle groups or at least guide you throughout your workout, because it is important to get the proper form when performing body exercises, otherwise you won't really get that killer physique you've been dreaming of. If you have trouble finding an experience workout partner, then you should start thinking of hiring a personal trainer.

Make sure you drink enough water to replenish your body before going back to the weights. Depending on your goals, you should also train your abs and do some light cardio before heading out.

Supplements

The next step you may want to do is to buy some supplements such as essential vitamins you need during recovery & growth. You need some basic stuff like multivitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, glutamine, amino acids and a good protein  supplement. Try to obtain one gram or more per body weight of protein to build muscles. There are other optional vitamins and supplements you can buy out there such as creatine, energy boosters etc. but that's for you to decide later on. It is highly recommend to take creatine if you really want to gain some size.

Planning your Meals

Planning your meals for  most is probably the hardest part when dieting. A lot of people don't want to deal with taking their food everywhere they go. A bodybuilding meal consist of at least 6 meals a day. Meals are eaten every two hours or three. Meals should be planned ahead of time and prepared the night before so you avoid missing a meal or rushing, especially in the morning. Packed meals are normally food high in protein, clean carbs and good fats such as whole eggs, oatmeal, brown rice, tuna, dates and fiberous vegetables.

Your nutrient should be balanced based on your metabolism, body fat, height and age and of course the goals your trying to achieve. Make sure you don't cut out salt completely from your diet. If your not sure about this check with your doctor, get some advise. Visit our calculator page for an idea of your resting metabolism.

Motivation

Motivation is different for everybody. Besides the health benefits, the biggest motivation are the results you see from your hard efforts. Slacking off or skipping the gym can throw away everything your doing.

You can always re-start the following day but don't make it a habit. It's really easy to slack off and stop what you're doing. Remember you have a goal to reach so don't give up.

No Pain No Gain

Lifting heavy is important for gaining size and putting on more muscles. The harder you lift the higher your testosterone levels. Testosterone  are male hormones responsible for muscle growth.

There will be days when your energy is not all there and you need all the help you need. Creatine can boost your energy or caffeine. Glutamine can also aid  recovery faster and save muscles from catabolic stages. You feel less aches and able to lift heavier on your next training sessions. Glutamine is sort of like a shield that helps preserve your hard earned muscles so don't forget to supplement on that. One thing to remember is your body breaks down muscles when your stressed out or when overtraining or when you don't eat on time. Overtraining can also lead to lower testosterone levels that can also cause hormonal imbalance. It doesn't mean the more you train the more muscles you earn. So don't train more than an hour.

Get enough sleep after a hard work out. I can't stress that enough. You need that rest and recovery period to grow, otherwise your progress will only hinder.

Results

I have seen members at the gym that have been working out for years and they still look the same today. You wonder what they are doing wasting their money on gym fees. The most important to getting results is your nutrition. It's 80% nutrition and 20% training.  If your not getting enough or getting too much of something, then you'll be the guy that goes to the gym and still look the same years later.

Most beginners expects results too soon. Be realistic. Without enough efforts, knowledge & consistency there's no results. As long as you go to the gym, eat right, take your supplements and get enough sleep, you're on your way to good health and obtaining a great body that you will be proud of.