To make optimum gains in bodybuilding, it is important you include a scientific and accurate approach to the process. Individuals can rely on the body mass index or BMI to determine how much you need to improve in your program. You will find that knowing the exact digits will lead to faster progress and enhanced muscle mass. Discover which category you belong in, then make the needed changes.

What is BMI?

Body mass index, BMI or Quetelet index is a form of statistical measurement that determines whether an individual’s weight is proportionate to his or her height. BMI was created by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian polymath between 1830 and 1850 as he was developing social physics.

The percentage of body fat is not measured, but a person can estimate how much body weight is ideal for each particular height. It is commonly used as a diagnostic technique to determine levels of obesity in a given population, because it is very easy to use. It is not, however, used as a final tool to diagnose individuals of obesity.

Your body mass index is your actual body weight divided by the square of your height. The universal unit of measure is kg/m2. Health professionals were able to measure if a person is too thin or too fat more objectively during the 1950s and 1960s. One of the main purposes of BMI is to determine how sedentary people are based on their average body composition.

The value settings for individuals are: 18.5 to 25 BMI can mean ideal or optimal weight; below 18.5 can mean underweight and above 25 can mean overweight. If a person has a BMI lower than 17.5, it can mean that anorexia or other eating disorders are present. If a person has a BMI higher than 30, it can mean that obesity or morbid obesity is present.

The Categories

Knowing your BMI will identify and compare your actual body weight from the desirable or normal values proportionate to your height. Excess weight or lack of it usually stems from abnormal body fat or adipose tissue levels. Muscularity may alter or present inaccurate values since muscle is heavy. The BMI values apply as statistical categories only when used among adults. These do not determine whether a person is healthy or not.

Severely underweight individuals are described as having a BMI lower than 16.5 and a BMI Prime below 0.60. Underweight individuals have a BMI of 16.5 to 18.5 and a BMI Prime of 0.6 to 0.74. Individuals with normal weights have a BMI of 18.5 to 25 and a BMI Prime of 0.74 to 1.0. Overweight individuals have a BMI of 25 to 30 and a BMI Prime of 1.0 to 1.2.

Persons classified under Obese Class I have a BMI of 30 to 35 and a BMI Prime of 1.2 to 1.4 Those classified under Obese Class II have a BMI of 35 to 40 and a BMI Prime of 1.4 to 1.6. Those in Obese Class III have a BMI higher than 40 and a BMI Prime above 1.6.

According to a U.S. national survey, 59% of all men and 49% of all women in America are categorized as overweight or have a BMI above 25. 2% of men and 4% of women were classified as extremely obese. Children use BMI differently. The calculation is similar as the adults, but values are compared to typical ones in children belonging to the same age and gender group.

What It Means to the Bodybuilder

Knowing your BMI will help identify whether or not you need to lose more body fat or gain more muscle mass. In some cases, bodybuilders may find that they fall in the overweight or even obese category because their weights are described as too heavy for their heights.

There are bodybuilders with only 4% to 8% body fat but weight over 200 pounds on a less than 6-foot frame. Natural bodybuilders will find BMI values ideal in zoning in on the proper training program that will lead to their ideal fitness level and physique.

In most cases, the categories and values provided in the BMI index are appropriate for bodybuilders in the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Beginners will benefit the most since they can determine how near or far they are from the ideal value based on the numbers. Each point will indicate how close you are to your goal. You may add other measuring tools and methods such as callipers and water measurements to get accurate details about your body fat percentage and muscle mass composition.

Do you want to have a body that’s totally ripped and virtually fat-free? Besides, by having well toned and muscular body, you will look more attractive than ever before and you can be sure that you will be proud to show off your body and not get embarrassed when you go to the beach.

Bodybuilding will be help you burn fat much more effectively rather than just sticking on a strict diet. You have to remember that in order to burn fat you need your body to use the food you eat by doing activities. Just think of the food you eat as fuel and if your body doesn’t use this fuel, it will store it as fat to be used later.

Now, with today’s lifestyle, you will surely understand why a lot of people are getting fat. This is why gyms today are very popular.

There are basically three important keys in order to burn fat. These are proper nutrition, proper rest and exercise. To be more specific, here are some of the tricks and techniques that bodybuilders use in order to cut down on fat and at the same time, gain bulk with muscles.

The first is that they eat food rich in carbohydrates for breakfast. This is to give your body the energy it needs for your workouts. The second trick is to eat food rich in carbohydrates after working out. This is to restore the glycogen levels in your body in order to prevent your body from breaking down the muscles to use as fuel.

Protein is very important. It is recommended that your post workout meal should consist of 50 grams of whey protein. It will help the body to repair the muscles effectively and it will be able to help in making the muscles stronger and grow larger.

It is also important that you should plan your meals when it comes to eating carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

For starters, you have to remember that you should eat carbohydrates with protein and not carbohydrates with fat. This will effectively help in burning fat more efficiently and prevent your body from storing fat.

Cheating on your diet can help. You have to remember that the body can adapt. If you eat the same food every day, your body will adjust to this and you will stop burning fat and gaining muscles effectively. Try to eat some cheesecake or a couple of chocolate bars once a week. And, you have to admit that this is a good thing for you.

Lastly, losing fat means that you have to do lots of cardio. You need to remember that cardio exercise burns fat and weight training burns sugar. If you want to lose fat, then you might want to do plenty of cardiovascular exercise.

These are the basics on cutting fat with bodybuilding. By following these tips, you can be sure that you will be able to burn fat, build more muscles, and achieve having a ripped and well toned body.

In bodybuilding, you will usually hear people talking about protein and how important it is for bodybuilders to get more protein in order to gain more muscle mass. Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain weight, you will see that if you are bodybuilding, a high protein diet is important.

However, you have to remember that you shouldn’t take your protein consumption too far. Although it is true that protein is essential in building muscle mass, more of it doesn’t necessarily mean better. You have to remember that after your body gets its protein needs for the day, then the body will just discard the surplus protein in your body.

For most people, protein consumption should be around 1 gram to 1.5 grams for every pound of your body weight. This is the rule when it comes to protein consumption in order to satisfy your body’s need for protein when you are bodybuilding.

Some people will ask about what type of protein they should consume and also if some proteins are better than others. Basically, you will see that it really depends on the time of day you are working out and your consumption of protein. So, here is a protein consumption guide that you should follow in order for you to maximize the efficiency of the protein you consume.

Before and after working out, you need to consume protein immediately. This is to ensure that your muscles get the necessary protein it needs in order to repair the damaged muscle tissues as well as build more muscle. Because of this, you will need to consume a shake using protein powder or whey protein powder as protein in its liquid form is rapidly absorbed by the body.

Just consume 2 scoops of protein powder in a shake before working out and another 2 scoops of protein powder after working out.

The protein powder, such as whey protein supplements are designed for this reason.

For the rest of the day, you have to consume protein in the form of whole food. Because it will take a while for your body to digest, this will mean that you will be able to supply your body with a steady amount of protein the whole day.

Foods that are rich in protein and amino acids are lean red meat, egg whites, chicken, and fish.

Before bedtime, it is also important for you to consume protein in order to supply your muscles with it during the overnight fasting you go through whenever your sleep. You have to remember that although you are sleeping your muscles still feeds on protein. In fact, this is the time where your muscles gets repaired and grow and will be in need of this protein.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to consume the right amount of protein in order to encourage muscle growth. When you are bodybuilding, you have to remember that a high protein diet is a must.

A lot of research has been made in the world of bodybuilding. In fact, you will see that there are quite a lot of theories out there that will be able to help people build muscles in their body more efficiently and minimize muscle loss. There are supplements available that you can take in order to enhance bodybuilding performance as well as optimize muscle growth.

If you want to build muscles, then you have to know about the different bodybuilding techniques that have been proven to be very effective when it comes to gaining muscles.

In this case, slow repetitions are better than fast repetitions. You may see a lot of people in the gym that lifts weights up and down at a very fast rate. And, they do break a lot of sweat but you have to remember that this doesn’t necessarily mean that it is an efficient way to build muscles. Try observing professional bodybuilders who are working out at the gym. You will see that they spend a lot of time on an exercise and that they lift weights up and down at a controlled, smooth and slow motion.

Slow repetitions are more effective in bodybuilding as it is able to provide more muscle tension, which ultimately means improved muscle development. You have to remember that the fast repetitions use the momentum of the weights instead of using the muscles. To put it in simple words, the weights move itself in fast repetitions through inertia. It’s actually simple physics. If you slow it down then your muscles will be forced to work a lot harder as you will give the weight and your muscle resistance. This will mean that you will be able to build muscle faster and at a much more efficient way.

Also, it has been found that performing the exercises in a slow, smooth, and controlled motion, it will require the maximum amount of muscle fibers to work. As opposed to the fast paced up and down motion, you will only use half the muscle fibers.

The rule of thumb is count up to five when you lift the weight and another five on the way down. So, one repetition should be done in at least ten seconds. So, it will take more than a minute for you to finish a set.

These are the things that you need to remember about bodybuilding. This is the proper technique when lifting weights as it will be able to maximize efficiency for building muscle mass.