Despite being over a hundred years old, bodybuilding has become very popular in the modern world. A majority of people around the world have tried bodybuilding at some point in their lives. Some for health, vitality and/or aesthetic purposes. Gym rats may not be aware that there are different types of body builders. Not everyone can achieve the same heights as others.

Pros and Cons

There are 4 known types of bodybuilding. These are categorized according to the goal, gender and age of the individuals. There is professional bodybuilding, natural bodybuilding, female bodybuilding and teenage bodybuilding.

Professional bodybuilding involves individuals who aspire to qualify, compete and win competitions. Contestants begin by joining amateur competitions first, wherein they earn points and qualifications to join major and professional contests.

The IFBB or International Federation of bodybuilding is the premier organization for professional body builders worldwide. Amateurs who win major and official contests get the chance to win their IFBB pro card. Once a body builder turns pro, he or she will not be allowed to enter amateur contests. They are, however, welcome for guest posing.

Professional body builders are usually criticized for taking illegal/banned substances to achieve physiques that are impossible to achieve naturally. bodybuilding shows are then classified according to natural and open competitions. Drug testing is always done in natural competitions to ensure that all people involved square off fairly.

Natural bodybuilding involves developing a well-formed body structure without the aid of illegal drugs, steroids and the like. There are organizations that cater to natural body builders as well such as the NPA or Natural Physique Association. Intake of muscle-building supplements and other natural bodybuilding products not banned by the agencies are allowed. It is possible for a former drug user to compete in natural contests, provided that the minimum period of clean time has been achieved.

Women and the Youth

Women used to focus more on fitness until the 1970s. It was during the time of Arnold Schwarzenegger when females started to indulge in hardcore fitness or bodybuilding. Females compete in separate contests from the men’s since their bodies develop differently. There are natural and professional contests, like the Ms. Olympia which started in 1980.

Teenagers join unique bodybuilding shows and contests relative to their age bracket, since their bodies develop differently from mature individuals. It is uncommon to find 13-year olds competing. Most shows, however, provide drug testing to protect the youth from using drugs to get bigger. Teenagers are encouraged to use the natural hormone surge in their bodies to gain muscle. Some of the genetic wonders of bodybuilding actually started as natural teenage sensations.

The Body Types

There are 3 unique body types namely ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph. Each type can compete in bodybuilding shows. The training, diet and rest regimen of each type vary since bodies develop uniquely from each other. There are variations or combinations of the types as well, such as mesomorphs with either endomorphic or ectomorphic tendencies. Physiques will vary in appearance depending on the body type.

Ectomorphs can be described as individuals who have the tendency to lose muscle and fat quickly. These people have difficulty gaining weight and are usually thin-boned. Endomorphs have the opposite problem of gaining weight and fat easily, and having trouble getting rid of the extra.

These individuals are usually thick-boned. Mesomorphs are the most ideal for bodybuilding since their bodies have the ability to lose fat and gain muscle quickly. Majority of professional body builders are mesomorphs and have the genetic capacity to develop easily.

Endomorphs should focus more on their diets and adding lots of cardiovascular work to shed off the fat and maintain a lean condition. Ectomorphs should add more calories and protein to their meals to gain more muscle. They should watch their calorie expenditure to avoid losing hard-earned muscle. Mesomorphs usually have a lean and muscular physique and do not need to concentrate on exercise and diet as much as the other two types do.

A well-defined physique has always been closely associated with strength, success and fertility. Since ancient times, human beings were highly engrossed in developing their physical structure. Their intent was to attract the opposite sex as well as be useful in several functions of daily living. Today, the activity is more commonly referred to as body building. The world has embraced it since its date of origin.

The Birth of Bodybuilding

The origin of bodybuilding is estimated to be between 1880 and 1930. bodybuilding as an art form wherein individuals pose and display symmetry and muscularity, did not exist before the 19th century. Human beings have been actively building strength to prepare for games and other popular sports for more than 3000 years. The ancient Greeks were known for possessing well-developed symmetry by doing a variety of exercises, including weight lifting.

The single person who could be accredited with initially promoting modern day bodybuilding would be Eugen Sandow, from Prussia (Germany). He is now referred to as the father of Modern Bodybuilding.

Sandow was the first person who pioneered the sport of displaying well-defined physiques solely, since strongmen at the time were more concerned about showing feats of strength through wrestling matches, lifting meets and strength demonstrations. Florenz Ziegfield served as Sandow’s manager, who put on stage shows where the first bodybuilder displayed his body in carnivals and other events.

The First bodybuilding Contest

Sandow became widely famous for his posing and flexing routines. He later went on to market products using his name. Some of the first exercise equipment available to the public were created and developed by the pioneer. This equipment included tension bands, machined dumbbells and spring pulleys. Sandow followed the Grecian Ideal where he built his physique relative to the ideals of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Sandow arranged the very first bodybuilding contest on September 14, 1901 in the royal Albert Hall, London, UK and named it the Great Competition. The winner was William L. Murray, who was presented with a bronze statue of Eugen Sandow himself. Today, the Mr. Olympia competition is the most famous and prestigious bodybuilding contest in the world. Since 1977, winners were awarded with the same bronze statue of Sandow.

The Muscle Mecca

The 1930s and 1940s saw a continuous rise in the sport of bodybuilding, particularly at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California. Bodybuilders would arrive in droves especially in the summer to perform a variety of strength stunts and display their muscular bodies. Some of the icons at the site were Jack La Lanne, Joe Gold, who founded Gold’s Gym, Harold Zinkin, who founded Universal gym and AAU Mr. America John Grimek. Muscle Beach closed in the 1950s, but the west coast remains the Mecca of bodybuilding. Today, Venice Beach, California is the center, where the first Gold’s Gym is located.

The AAU or American Athletic Union sponsored body building competitions since 1939. Ben and Joe Weider, from Canada, established the IFBB or International Federation of Bodybuilders which is the premier group of bodybuilding at present. Together, the brothers circulated bodybuilding magazines as well as founding the Mr. Olympia contest.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger from Austria shaped and popularized the sport like no one else before or after him. The immigrant won 7 Mr. Olympia titles, along with other amateur and professional championships and is highly regarded as the most influential and greatest bodybuilder of all time.

The bodybuilding craze continued throughout America and the world as The Oak displayed his genetic prowess, drive, determination and charisma. bodybuilding has became closely associated with sexuality and power. When Arnold left the scenes and set his sights on Hollywood and politics, the world continued to improve the art of the sport. Amateurs, natural and competitive alike, enter the sport hoping to be the next Arnold. Today, bodybuilding is still the same as it was a century ago. Although new rules, regulations and materials have been incorporated to keep the sport intense, all bodybuilders mainly participate to boost strength, gain confidence and for the love of it.

Bodybuilding is a discipline, and it involves much more than simply pumping iron three times a week. In many ways, it will involve big changes in your lifestyle. The good part about it is that these changes will always be for the better, ultimately adding more healthy years to your life. Now who wouldn’t want that?

Do some cardiovascular exercises to start each day at the gym.

Before hitting the weights and exercise machines, start with a warm-up. Cardiovascular workouts like biking, walking, and jogging are some of the many cardio workouts that warm the muscles and get them better able to handle the upcoming strain.

Throw some flexibility exercises into the mix.

In a more subtle form of pre-weightlifting activities, you can also do some stretching. Common examples of flexibility exercises include Tai Chi, the Pilates method and Yoga. Standard stretching is actually okay, but why not crank it up a notch and avail of some additional spiritual and psychological benefits?

Speaking of cranking things up…

Go for the extra repetition, extra set, and extra mile.

In every exercise, strive to put 110% into your effort. Testing and breaking limits is the only way to gain muscle and strength. Muscle failure happens when you find yourself unable to do anymore repetitions with proper form, and it’s advisable to find weights that let you reach muscle failure between 8-12 repetitions.

Drink enough fluids to keep yourself going.

When training, always keep yourself hydrated. Drink a cup of water before starting a workout and drink another cup every 30 minutes after. Sports drinks like Gatorade have added electrolytes and nutrients in them, which your body tends to lose through sweat after a very exhausting workout. If you can afford it, have a sports drink handy when you hit the gym.

Rest adequately to let your muscles repair themselves and grow.

It is always advisable to give yourself at least 24 hours of rest after a workout. Muscles grow when they’re resting, not while you’re working out. This is the reason why the best bodybuilding routines involve three or four days as “gym” days, spaced evenly with rest days in between.

Strive to keep a balanced diet, even if “balanced” is a relative term.

Gym instructors would tell you to follow a 40:40:20 (carbohydrate: protein: fats) ratio in your daily intake. Since you need to buff up, you don’t need to eat less. In fact, ideally, you have to take 5 to 7 small meals a day! Carbohydrates give you the energy, protein builds muscle, and fat (the good types, such as Omega-3 fatty acids) keeps your health and body weight level. It’s also a good idea to invest in supplements, such as a tub of Creatine powder, for an added boost in muscle gain.

Finally, don’t give up. bodybuilding routines may take a few weeks before any visible muscle growth becomes evident. But that shouldn’t surprise you – nothing great comes easy.

When planning a bodybuilding routine, it’s important to know the basics about the exercises. If you’re not careful, you might end up overtraining certain muscle groups, which may result in decreased muscle mass – the exact opposite of what we’re trying to do in a bodybuilding routine. To avoid overtraining, you’ll have to let the muscle groups you’ve worked out on a particular day to rest for at least 24 hours before training them again.

So how do you know which muscle groups to work in one day?

As a fact, most chest and shoulder exercises out there also works out the triceps. Similarly, almost all back exercises also works out the biceps secondarily. That means it’s okay to combine chest, shoulder, and tricep exercises on the same day, and biceps and back on another, to keep all your muscle groups safe from overtraining.

Here are good examples of weekly bodybuilding routines that don’t overtrain any of the muscle groups:

Sample Weekly Routine 1:

Sunday – REST DAY Monday – Chest and Triceps
Tuesday – REST DAY
Wednesday – Back and Biceps
Thursday – REST DAY
Friday – Shoulders and Legs
Saturday – REST DAY

Sample Weekly Routine 2:

Sunday – REST DAY
Monday – Chest and Back
Tuesday – Shoulders
Wednesday – REST DAY
Thursday – Biceps and Triceps
Friday – Legs
Saturday – REST DAY

Sample Weekly Routine 3:

Sunday – REST DAY
Monday – Chest and Biceps
Tuesday – REST DAY
Wednesday – Legs and Shoulders
Thursday – REST DAY
Friday – Triceps and Back
Saturday – REST DAY

These samples show how you can mix and match your muscle groups into a weekly routine that works for you. You may take them and try them out for yourself, but remember that you’ll have to tweak your routine until you find the one you find enjoyable and works best for you. As you get more and more familiar with the exercises, you’ll have a better idea of how you’d like your day at the gym to go.

As always, it’s best to start every day at the gym with some stretching and mild cardiovascular exercises (10-20 minutes on the treadmill or exercise bike, sparring with a boxing partner… take your pick!). Doing so will maximize muscle growth and protect against any accidental injury.

It’s also important to remember not to pig out on your rest days, or it’s just going to make it harder to shed the excess fat and make your bodybuilding efforts more obvious. You can make your rest days an integral part of your bodybuilding routine by ensuring you eat six small meals, getting enough sleep, and drinking enough water. Rest days are also excellent chances to work on other types of exercise, such as those for flexibility. Yoga, as an example, is a great way to beat stress and feel good about yourself.