Bodybuilding means building muscle strength, endurance, mass, size, definition and symmetry through resistance training. The frequency and method to lift weights depends on how fit you are to begin with and how much muscle mass and strength you have. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are used in explosive movements such as sprints, and they form bulky muscles. Slow-twitch muscles are the long, lean muscles for endurance found in a marathon runner. Depending on how much of each muscle fiber will determine how quickly you bulk up.
Rest 48 to 72 Hours Between Workouts
Professional bodybuilders generally will divide their resistance training workouts so that on some days, they work the upper body and on other days, the lower body. The idea is to allow the muscle tears that occur to mend and create larger muscular bulk. Depending on your goals, that may be every other day or 72 hours between workouts. Note how you feel and what your results are to fine-tune your own bodybuilding exercise program. Training is the active work in the gym, but muscles repair and grow only on the days you rest them.
Beginner Program
Beginners who have not done much weight lifting will generally see changes in about three months if they lift at least three to four times a week. Consider doing at least three sets of 8 to 12 reps of each exercise. A common pitfall is to exercise the muscles that are already strong, such as the chest and bicep major and not work the muscle pairs. It is a better idea to always remember to work both the front and back of any muscle group to reduce muscle imbalances and injuries.
For example, some men tend to exploit their natural upper-body strength and do chest presses, flys and push-ups as they can do them easily. Remember to also do lat pull-downs, seated rows and standing tricep pull-downs to also develop the muscles on the back and the back of the arms: latissimus, trapezius and rhomboids of the upper back and triceps of the upper arm.
Heavy Training for Massive Bulk
If your goal is to develop significant bulk, consider working the upper body on three alternating days, such as Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Work legs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Do abdominal work with each workout to keep your lower back safe with a heavier training schedule. Take a day off to completely rest as that is the day your muscles can repair and grow. Also include therapeutic stretching to help with recovery and to help prevent injuries.
Advanced Workouts: Super Sets, Drop Sets
For bodybuilders aiming for impressive size and definition, in addition to training three days each for upper and lower body, add advanced training sets such as drop sets, super sets and body weight exercises. A drop set is doing only one set for as many repetitions as possible until you can do no more. This can be done for chest presses at the end of a workout as long as you rest fully after it.
Super sets mean doing two or more exercises that work the same muscle groups without too much rest in between sets. For example, for a "leg day" workout, consider doing seated hip abduction, hip adduction, double leg extensions, hamstring curls, leg presses and walking lunges with dumbbells to end the superset. In this case, you might use weights so that you can easily perform three sets of 8 to 12 reps -- not your maximum -- to prevent injury or burnout.
Body weight exercises can be done at the very end of a workout until muscular fatigue to create muscle endurance and strength. Chin-ups and push-ups in all their variations -- such as both hands on the floor and feet on a flat bench, or one-handed push-ups -- will all increase the load on muscles for advanced workouts.
Measure Your Progress
A low-tech way to record your progress is to take a tape measure and record the girth of your chest, biceps, triceps, hips, thighs and calves. Note the changes every three months and adjust your program according to your fitness goals.
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