This is for anyone who wants to improve their physique through the attainment of muscle mass. The tips here may be self evident to the more advanced lifter, but my focus is not world champion athletes. Rather, I am writing this material for novice bodybuilders; a set of people that consists of anyone who can benefit from improved muscular size and strength. Let's call this 'beginner bodybuilding', an introduction to the process of creating a well rounded, functional physique.
In past installments we have discussed specific elements of weight lifting for mass, including technique and exercise selection for specific goals, sample beginner bodybuilding routines, motivation for long term success, and nutrition. This article is about putting it all together.
It is a widely accepted economics principle that 80% of your returns will be produced through 20% of your efforts. This means that gains will be highest if you focus most of your time and resources into the most important activities. Success is not typically garnered by those who sweat the small stuff; the time spent shaving your legs before a swim meet could have been spent training, outlining a nutrition program, rehabilitating injuries, or doing a number of different things that would contribute to greater performance. Weightlifting for mass is no different. Any beginner bodybuilding routine is going to focus on the big picture and setting a foundation of success by consistently working the 20%.
Let us start with an example of a prototypical beginner bodybuilder. This person is 6 feet tall, 175lbs soaking wet, and wholly unimpressive without his shirt on. Whether he wants to mass build for sports performance, self confidence, or for an actual bodybuilding contest, his end goal is the same. Given this person's metrics, we can assume that he is underweight. A comprehensive plan to add meaningful mass to his frame will focus on basic barbell movements across a broad spectrum of rep ranges and must include a nutrition plan that addresses his specific body type. An underweight novice lifter must not waste precious hours and calories hammering away at endless sets in the gym. Rather, as a hard gainer, he must carefully choose where to expend effort, eat, recover, and repeat the process the next day. This lifter must also be vigilant in his quest for quality nutrient consumption. A clean diet consisting of heavily of animal protein, whey, and vegetables ensures that quality mass will be gained while simultaneously reducing body fat. Ignore those who insist on bulking and cutting phases; this tactic is inefficient and only for those who can only handle one task at a time.
For long term success, the beginner bodybuilder should become comfortable with the main lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, bent row) and steadily improve his work capacity. Consistency is paramount, both in and outside of the gym. Clean foods must be bought ahead of time, meals prepared in bulk, and protein shakes prepared before work or school. Every protein shake consumed and every barn-burning workout completed at the price of much pain is a single brick laid in an ever growing wall. These bricks accumulate over time to fashion your future. Whether this wall represents a sturdy fortress or a crumbling facade will depend entirely on how well each individual brick was formed.
I recommend first finding your '20%'; outline the three or four most valuable points that you can focus on for long term success. Write them down and study them on an hourly basis. Every morning, every meal, every training session, and every night before bed you should read this list and think of how you are going to execute right now. Think of how you have done in the past, and think of what you will do tomorrow. A beginner bodybuilding outline should look something like this:
1. Consume 300 grams of protein a day, MINIMUM!
2. Eat clean; no fast food, sugar, or processed carbohydrates!
3. Set a repetition record next workout on one of the main barbell exercises.
4. Don't skip the cardiovascular work! Fasted walking in the morning followed by high intensity intervals post-workout.
This is the boiled down list of the most important factors to generating progress, both short and long term. By following these four simple items every day, your physique will change faster than you thought possible. Muscle will sprout up in weak areas, your midsection will shrink, you will become energized and confident, and your resolve for more progress will be strengthened. Remember, success begets success.
Now write down your 20%, tape it to the bathroom mirror, and don't engage in any activity without first asking yourself how this contributes to your immediate goals.
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