Bodybuilding Tips From Experts

Bodybuilding is an ancient activity that has more than 100 years of active history in the United States. Even the modern professional organization, the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB), is more than 50 years old. Despite the wealth of institutional knowledge of training experience within the sport of bodybuilding, there remains a tendancy among amateurs to learn by trial and error. That is unnecessary because hundreds of books and magazines are available from experts who share the tips they have learned for building muscle as efficiently as possible.

Lift Big to Get Big

One of the most commonly voiced tips in bodybuilding literature is to lift big weights if you want to build big muscles. Big weights is relative, but the advice offered by coach and author Stuart McRoberts in his classic bodybuilding book "Brawn" is in alignment with the tips offered by many others. Focus on lifting as much weight as you can manage for six to 10 repetition sets, using compound movement, multi-joint exercises such as the deadlift, squat, bench press and rows. For the genetically average bodybuilder, these are the best exercises for packing lean muscle on your body in a hurry.

Eat Big to Get Big

Like lifting weights, eating is a critical element to bodybuilding. Mark Rippetoe, a strength and conditioning coach from Wichita Falls, Texas, writes in "Practical Programming for Strength Training" that if you want to get big and stout, you need to eat more. Too often, according to Rippetoe, even athletes who think they are eating a lot aren't eating enough. Rippetoe recommends 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day of high-calorie food such as steak and potatoes, at least during the building phase. As he points out, if you are physically active, it's a lot easier to burn a little excess body fat off later than it is to put lean muscle on in the first place. Additionally, for those having trouble consuming that much whole food daily, he suggest the "GOMAD plan." Standing for "Gallon of Milk a Day," the plan involves exactly that. You consume a gallon of whole milk daily during the mass-building phase. This is an additional 2,500 calories each day, a sure way to add weight to your frame.

Minimize Cardio

Too often, bodybuilders are concerned about body fat even during the mass-building phase. This leads to lengthy cardio sessions to keep them "ripped." Rippetoe recommends against that. Instead, he suggests doing a minimal amount of no more than 15 to 20 minutes of cardio, three times a week. This is adequate, according to Rippetoe, to maintain heart health, but will not lead to a loss of hard-gained weight. Extra body fat should be lost through diet manipulation, according to Rippetoe, not by adding more training.