With such an all-encompassing commitment as bodybuilding, it is important that the aspiring bodybuilder achieves the right balance between body parts when training. There are three basic stages of training – as in all such things, they can be split into beginners, intermediate and advanced stages. Here’s a look at what you should expect…

The beginners’ stage. When getting the body used to the particular requirements of a bodybuilder’s physique, the cornerstone of any training regime should be the acquisition of endurance and muscle recovery. To this end, a twice or thrice-weekly all-body workout combined with natural bodybuilding supplements will help ensure that when you move on to the intermediate stage in three months or so, your body is ready for the additional demands that will be placed upon it.

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The intermediate stage. With a few months experience under their belt, and tougher, more swiftly-recovering muscles, it pays for the bodybuilder to begin focusing on different body areas on different days – such as concentrating on their chest, arms and back on the first day of training and moving on to the abs, shoulders and legs on the second. The intake of bodybuilding supplements and a high-protein diet should, of course, also be maintained.

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The advanced stage. At this point in your training (after three to four months following an intermediate routine), training should both become more frequent and the focus on different body parts should become even more specialised. Choose a division that suits you, since there are a huge amount of different ways that this can be done. For instance, day one of training can focus on shoulders, biceps or triceps, day two can work on calves, thighs and hamstrings, and the third day’s training can focus on the abs, chest and back.

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All of these routines should also go hand in glove with 20-30 minutes cardio and general fitness training, to ensure best results.

Although the art of bodybuilding is a complex one, requiring great determination, there are several simple principles which one can follow to ensure success. Here’s five of the most important:

1)       Dedicate yourself to better weightlifting. Although competition standard bodybuilding makes much of display and physique, none of this is possible if you are not striving to lift more and more weight over time. Make this your central goal.

2)       Keep changing your routine. Doing the same old same old, day in, day out will eventually lead to the point where no further benefit can be derived, and muscle-building will cease. Add new routines and exercises to your programme.

3)        Fuel the machine. A bodybuilder requires sufficient fuel for their workouts – both before and afterwards – with high-protein foods and natural bodybuilding supplements. Protein, carbohydrates and amino acids are all essential for different parts of the muscle-building process.

4)       Work hard – but rest. Working out too hard for too long may be Rocky’s recipe for success, but you will come to grief without sufficient recovery time being a key part of your training programme. A lack of rest will actually weaken the body and break muscle down. Give yourself one or two days off a week.

5)       Focus on compound exercises. Do not waste too much gym time on smaller or limited muscle groups – try and work at least two at a time, with exercises such as squats, bench presses and shoulder presses for the best muscle-building results.

With dedication, following these tips can make all the different between bodybuilding mediocrity and outstanding results. Good luck!

One side-effect of the mass gain and muscle-building associated with bodybuilding can be loose skin, especially among older bodybuilders, bodybuilders who have had several children, or those who were previously obese. The parts of the body most likely to be affected are the limbs and the stomach, since these areas have the loosest skin in the first place. This is especially problematic because they are highly visible when on stage at bodybuilding contests – the stomach in particular, which can be clearly seen during the front compulsory pose and side mandatory turns.

Fortunately, there are several methods – ranging from the simple to the drastic – that can combat loose skin, which the bodybuilder can consider:

1. Haemorrhoid cream. You may have heard of models using such haemorrhoid treatments as Preparation H to reduce wrinkles around the eyes and mouth when doing photoshoots. Well the good news for bodybuilders with loose skin is that these creams and ointments don’t just have to be limited to piles sufferers and models – the active ingredients in them help to tighten and shrink the skin, and many competition bodybuilders apply the creams at night for weeks in advance of the big day.

2. Spend some time in the solarium. Tanning beds are useful for bodybuilders seeking to achieve the perfect competition-standard skin tone – although they are not as effective as fake tans for this purpose. Tanning beds are in fact far better for tightening the skin. As with haemorrhoid creams, this solution only really works for bodybuilders who do not have too much excess or loose skin. If you use a salon, consult with the experts there as to the most effective skin-tightening regime.

3. Adopt a sensible schedule for gaining and losing weight. Because it is easy to lose muscle mass and put on weight in the off-season, this presents a danger of loose skin when the more rigorous routing of weight training, strict diets and bodybuilding supplements comes back into play. A sharp fluctuation in weight and mass causes the skin to stretch, sometimes excessively. Because of this, it is important for bodybuilders engaged in bulking, or resting during the off-seaon, to maintain enough weight for muscle-building later, while not getting so fat that you have to worry about loose skin.

4. Plastic surgery. This is very much an option for the most serious cases of loose skin, but can be the only option, if tanning beds, haemorrhoid ointments or smart training regimes are insufficient – particularly when it comes to loose skin on the stomach. For this, the solution is a “tummy tuck”, or to give it its medical name, abdominoplasty. This surgical procedure removes excess fat and skin and repairs muscle damage in the abdominal area, with the result of a smoother, flatter stomach in profile.

photo credit: ~ggvic~

One of Britain’s female national bodybuilding champions expressed her determination to reach the serious weight of 20 stone this week.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Rene Campbell, who recently rode to bodybuilding victory in the UKBFF British Finals, declared herself to be a “Bigorexic”, and charted her progress from a size 8 to having size 18 shoulders and weighing in at an impressive 13stone, 5lbs – largely thanks to a gruelling bodybuilding routine that has her in the gym muscle-building for two hours a day, five times a week.

She told the paper: “I won’t stop until I’m bigger. I look at the 20-stone guys in the gym and think I want to be that big. I love the muscular aesthetic – looking like a Greek God. It’s a form of art.”

Naturally, her diet is also highly protein-rich, with plenty of fat-free chicken, rice and steamed vegetable, plus natural bodybuilding supplements. So determined is Rene to get her 4,200 calories a day, that she takes scales with her wherever she goes so she can weight her portions eating out in cafés and restaurants.

Rene was first bitten by the bodybuilding bug four years ago, after already being an accomplished sportswoman with plenty of experience in long distance running and triathlons. After becoming passionate about bodybuilding, she began entering professional tournaments – eight in total, culminating in her being placed first in the female category of the UKBFF British Finals.

She also has an inspirational personal website, where she explains her transformation from runner to bodybuilder.

“I reasoned with myself that if I didn’t like it I could walk away. I was tired of the hours of cardio each day and wanted a new challenge,” she said.

“I won my first competition and was bitten by the bug and have now come to thoroughly love the bodybuilding lifestyle. I am always pushing forward, believing in myself and never giving up.”

“I learn from every experience that presents itself and gain strength from it. I’ve been very lucky to have wonderful role models around me who have taught me valuable life lessons and enriched my life,” she added.

“I’ve been blessed with two beautiful boys who make me realise just how precious life is.”

Travelling to an amateur or professional bodybuilding competition can be tiring, and the waiting around on the day of the tournament itself can also take its toll – especially when there is no designated rest area or if the event is running late, as is often the case. Since bodybuilders will usually be a little dehydrated and low on carbs on the day of the event, it is worth taking a ‘comfort kit’ with you to competitions in order to make the whole affair a little less gruelling. Here are a few suggestions for the list:

A yoga mat and/or blanket. Most venues will of course have seating available for contestants and spectators, but competitors will feel the benefits of having a good lie down during the seemingly interminable waiting. With floor space at a premium, a yoga mat will not only mark out your “territory”, it will give an extra degree of comfort and prevent aches and pains. A blanket is also a good idea to keep warm. Some venues can be chilly, and bodybuilders often find themselves more prone to cold – one of the drawbacks of having low levels of body fat!

Something to read or listen to. With waits of several hours or more, boredom will be the enemy of many bodybuilders in a contest. Bring a good book, or a selection of magazines – or why not bring your study materials if you are a student? The advent of the iPod and Kindle has also made it easier than ever before to have reading matter of music wherever you go, and you will find yourself in a far better frame of mind if you have something to occupy your mind before the big event.

A friend. Having someone along for the ride can help both with boredom and morale. Although ties are strong in the bodybuilding community, and a degree of sporting camaraderie is important, a good friend, family member or bodybuilding colleague can add another level of support – especially if they agree to take on the role of your coach at the event.

photo credit: Adil Mohamed

Prize-winning bodybuilders put muscle building first and foremost in their lives, combining methodical and gruelling training schedules with effective natural bodybuilding supplements and a strict high-protein diet. But there is another aspect to competition standard bodybuilding – the tan. This is not just a matter of style or vanity, the reason why so many prize-winning bodybuilders are so deeply tanned is to accentuate the muscle while on display on stage. The stage lights will show off a darker skin-toned competitor’s musculature far better than a light-skinned bodybuilder. Judges will also be looking for a smooth tan that is not too stripy or blotchy.

There are many different fake tans on the market, including liquid sprays or creams. Such products are designed specifically for bodybuilders and models, so are far stronger and more effective than over-the-counter tanning lotions such as you might find at your local Boots. Spray tan salons are also widely used by bodybuilders, and competition entrants will often find such services at the venue, especially for bigger contests.

There are a couple of things to remember when it comes to buying fake tans – firstly buy in good time so you can try them out well ahead of the contest and ensure you don’t have an allergic reaction or turn orange, and ensure you have spare product in case anything goes amiss closer to the day. Secondly, make sure you can rely on the person charged with the all-important task of applying the tan at home – they will need to be comfy with the idea of seeing every part of you and be prepared to literally go the extra inch to guarantee all-body coverage.

Before applying the tan, a bodybuilder will need to shave and exfoliate all over their body, as patches of stubble or rough skin will be glaringly obvious under the unforgiving lights on stage and the tan itself will suffer, being made to look blotchy and irregular.

Different people absorb the tanning agent at different speeds, and it is worth finding out where you stand. Some spend a couple of days to complete the process, while for others it is a mere few hours.

A new book published recently tells the tale of “Britain’s first bodybuilder” – the remarkable tale of Eugen Sandow.

The strongman and music-hall artiste came to the UK in 1889 from Prussia at the age of just 22, after having spent the previous seven years seeking to attain “ the utmost notion of perfection” in the gymnasiums of Konigsberg and later in contests versus circus strongmen. He left Prussia at the age of 18 in order to avoid military service and took to the roads – earning a crust as a strongman himself, a professional wrestler or as an artists’ model.

While in Venice in 1889 he was swimming in the sea and emerged in front of American painter Edmund Aubrey Hunt, who was impressed by his physique and advised him to travel to London and seek his fortune there. With the painter’s patronage, he made his first appearance before society the same year, at the Royal Aquarium Music Hall in Westminster, where he competed against two other professional strongmen in various weightlifting contests in order to win a £600 prize – a sum of money worth £50,000 today.

Wearing full evening dress and a monocle, Sandow was initially mocked by the audience, until he ripped open the front of his attire to reveal his bodybuilding physique, shocking the crowd into silence and winning the tournament, before lifting a 500lb stone block using only his middle finger as a grand finale.

He became a celebrated fixture on the London scene, toured the UK performing dizzying feats of strength, and brought the forerunner of modern bodybuilding to Britain, establishing the Institute of Physical Culture at 33a St James’s Street for people interested in striving for the same “perfection” of body as Sandow’s himself in 1897. His muscle-building system involved repetitious exercises using quite small weights and is still the basis for bodybuilding today. He opened more institutes in the UK and the USA, and perhaps his most famous student was Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who he invited to be one of the judges at Britain’s first ever national bodybuilding contest, dubbed “the great competition” and held at the Royal Albert Hall in 1901.

The Perfect Man: The Muscular Life And Times Of Eugen Sandow, Victorian Strongman, by David Waller, is available in the shops and to buy online now.

photo credit: d_vdm

The eating disorder bulimia is a terrible affliction, afflicting an estimated 1 in 50 people throughout the UK. Its food binging and purging behaviour leads to serious medical complications for many, such as acid reflux, constipation, dehydration, dental cavities, electrolyte imbalances, haemorrhoids and pancreatitis.

There are many forms of treatment, of varying effectiveness, but Wales Online this week reported on a remarkable young woman who has bodybuilding to thank for ridding her of this debilitating and distressing condition.

Cardiff resident Lydia Rees told the journal that she had been fighting bulimia for nearly nine years before meeting a new boyfriend, who was a personal trainer and bodybuilding afficionado. Now she is in top physical condition and has put her eating disorder firmly behind her – and is even gearing up and training hard to enter next year’s International Federation of Body Building European Women’s Championships.

Speaking of her bulimia, the 30-year-old said: “I could be sick up to eight times in one sitting, but on average I was purging about five times a day.”

“My skin was bad, I was constantly bloated and tired, my face and glands were always swollen and my knuckles were red raw.”

But after meeting new boyfriend Jordan, she went on a date to a local bodybuilding contest, where she had her eyes opened by the fantastic physiques of the female competitors.

“Their figures were amazing. They had muscle definition but not too much – it was the body I’d wanted for years,” she said.

“Jordan agreed to help me achieve my goal. He told me to eat six meals a day, which freaked me out a bit at first, and I started training four times a week. I started to see my body changing and decided to take part in a UK Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation competition.”

Now, after strenuous muscle building exercises and a rich diet containing many natural bodybuilding supplements, Lydia is a size eight who weighs nine-and-a-half stone.

“There’s no reason to suffer alone with an eating disorder,” she told Wales Online.

“There are people out there who can help you, like the charity Beat and personal trainers who can devise you a healthy eating and exercise plan.”

Excellent advice from someone who has been at the sharp end of eating disorders and has now discovered the incredible powers of bodybuilding!

photo credit: sambeckwith

Bodybuilders-turned-desperadoes movie “Pain and Gain” is looking for a new lead, after favourite choice Mark Wahlberg pulled out recently.

Action-movie supremo Michael Bay has been given the job of directing the forthcoming film, which is based on a true crime story which took place in the mid-1990s.

A group of Miami bodybuilders decided to turn to a life of crime and restyled themselves “the Sun Gym gang”, before kidnapping and robbing wealthy businessman Marc Schiller, who they kept hostage for nearly a month at a warehouse in the city’s Hialeah area, torturing him to try and gain access to the millions in his off-shore bank accounts. Eventually, gang leader David Lugo was hunted down and arrested, thanks to the work of a private detective hired by Schiller.

The mixture of action, bodybuilding, crime thriller and farce was too tempting for Michael Bay – whose hits include Pearl Harbor and the Transformers triology – to resist. This time around, however, the story will be told as a dark comedy, based on a 2000 screenplay by Miami investigative journalist Pete Collins which has been adapted by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

It is believed that bodybuilding movie star The Rock – aka Dwayne Johnson – has been signed up to play Lugo, but “Marky” Mark Wahlberg passed on the chance to play Marc Schiller. Bay is now scouting around for an alternative. The flamboyant director announced his plans to make the movie soon after the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, claiming that he wished to bring out the bodybuilding film between the second and third instalments of the Transformers franchise. However, following Paramount’s decision to give the third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a 2011 release date, Pain and Gain was put back. Bay has also told showbiz reporters that the film will be the smallest budget flick he has made since his debut – Bad Boys, in 1995 – with a budget of just $20 million.

However, any comedy from the film will not be shared by Lugo and another member of the Sun Gym gang, Adrian Doorbal – both of who are sitting on Florida’s death row awaiting execution.

The body is a very complex thing and some of the smallest things often get overlooked one of these is the need for the correct amounts of vitamins in order to maintain correct functions throughout the body there are two types of vitamins, fat soluble and water soluble this is one of the reasons I am not a believer in the magic all in one supplements for the daily vitamin intakes that you find on the shelves of so many health shops out there, because some need to be absorbed with fat and the others water so all in one pill really doesn’t work.

These vitamins cannot all be made by the body so need to be supplemented in the diet the only exception being the D vitamin as the body can obtain this through sunlight.

Vitamins in the body have various functions, some of them are co-factors in enzyme activity, some antioxidants (the breakdown of an anti oxidant is something that can prevent oxygen from doing damage in the body) and one vitamins (D) is a pro-hormone. In some parts of the world vitamins are very deficient and diseases can occur from lack of vitamins in extreme cases however in the UK we usually do not witness this and just see minor effects of vitamin deficiency.

The Fat Soluble Vitamins

The fat soluble vitamins are A,D,E and K these are  absorbed in fat and have different functions as previously explained.

Vitamin A – This is used by the body for functions such as lining the digestive system and lungs, cell differentiation and normal growth and development also for normal vision and overall effect of the immune system. This is found in 2 forms first being retinol in foods from animal sources and the second at carotenoids found in plant sources. Vitamin A can be found in sources such as liver, whole milk, cheese and butter as retinol. It can also be found in the carotenoid form from foods such as milk carrots green veg and orange coloured fruits.

Vitamin D – The body absorbs its vitamin D from the suns ultra violet rays and for most people this is the most important source purely because of the amount of foods that actually contain it. It is used as a hormone to control the amount of calcium absorbed by the intestines and it is essential for the absorption of phosphorus and bone mineral and structure. Deficiency in vitamin D can lead to diseases effecting the skeleton such as rickets in children and also pain and bone weakness in adults. Some foods that do contain vitamin D are some animal products such as eggs, oily fish, butter and meat and also margarine has to be fortified with it by law.

Vitamin E – this is an antioxidant for the body and is used to protect cells in the body from damage by free radicals. Some studies have said it can reduce risk of cancer and heart disease also. E vitamins can be found in vegetable oils, wheat germ, nuts and seeds.

Vitamin K – This is found in foods from plant and animal sources and is also made by the bacteria found in the gut. K vitamins are essential when it comes to normal bone structure and clotting of the blood.

The Water Soluble vitamins

Vitamin C – this is required by the body for normal structure once again and functions of the connective tissues in the skin, cartilage and bones by helping produce collagen which is the protein inside these tissues. On the back of this we can then see the reason it is used so highly in the healing process and fighting off disease and illnesses. Vitamin C is also used to help with the absorption of iron and also has high antioxidant activities once again to fight off damage caused by free radicals. When the body is under stress it uses supplies up quickly, one such thing that causes this stress is smoking therefore smokers should make sure they have sufficient supplies of vitamin C at all times. Vitamin C can be found almost exclusively in plant sources such as most fruit and veg however fresh milk and liver do contain a very small amount.

Vitamin B – The B vitamin is actually a group containing various vitamins most of them all with the same effect of releasing energy from the foods that you eat during the day and helping the body metabolise things such as protein and carbohydrates. Deficiency can lead to low energy levels, bad skin and dryness of the skin around the lips and nose areas. It is also used for maintaining good blood levels (B6 and B12) and also making sure there is normal structure in the nervous system

The B vitamins and their food sources are Thiamin (B1) found in whole grains, nuts and meat, Riboflavin (B12) found in milks, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, liver and green veg, Niacin (B3) made from the body by converting the amino tryptophan, B6 which is found in beef, fish, poultry and also in eggs, whole grains and a some veg, the final B vitamin is B12 and is exclusively from animal sources such as milk, meat and eggs it is for this reason that vegans are highly recommended to supplement with this vitamin.

As you can see from this write up the vitamins that are used in the body are a very complex group and it is easy to see now why one wonder pill doesn’t work however there is still some forms available that include separate forms of tablets which you take at different times with different meals a couple I would highly recommend are Universal Animal Paks and CNP Pro-Vital both can be purchased from Bodybuilding Warehouse.

If you would like to know more about diet and training plans tailored to your specific needs email myself ojaymatthews@hotmail.co.uk, contact me on facebook Ollie ‘ojay’ Matthews ‘BodyCatchers Online Personal Training’ group or simple click onto www.bodycatchers.com for more information.