I am glad to welcome each and every virtual guest of the Fitkis Club blog. Your faithful assistant and servant Vitakha Okhrimenko is in touch, and today it’s time to figure out what is called amateur bodybuilding and what is the main difference between amateur and professional bodybuilding. Today the article is aimed at the male audience of the blog , and next time I will publish an article about amateur bodybuilding for girls.
Ancient superstitions
Once upon a time, in the dashing 90s, bodybuilding was mainly associated in the worldly mind with bandits and impotent people. As a matter of fact, there was a small amount of truth in these views, because many representatives of the so-called organized crime groups emerged from the basement rocking chairs, which were very popular in those years. Now times have changed; people of almost all professions and life views are engaged in amateur bodybuilding.
As for amateur bodybuilding and potency, the existence of this bodybuilding myth is associated primarily with stereotypes that are more inherent in professional bodybuilding than amateur bodybuilding.
In a good way, amateur bodybuilding should not cause any harm to the body, only benefit.
As a matter of fact, this is exactly what I want to teach in my blog, why I created it in the first place. Even if you don’t understand why you should engage in bodybuilding to the detriment of your own health. Yes, by stuffing your body with steroids, the “chemist” will look much better and be stronger than you or me. But what next? If he does this to the detriment of his own body, and most importantly his own potency (!), then what’s the point?
At least somehow the use of anabolic steroids is justified by a professional approach: when an athlete goes to competitions and makes a career as a bodybuilder, and soon he may start making money on this addiction. When we are talking about 90% of trainees who train “ for themselves ,” it seems to me that there is no need to ruin the future for the sake of muscles.
But amateur bodybuilding undoubtedly brings only advantages! It increases longevity, improves mobility, improves mood and well-being, and the athlete’s energy level increases noticeably.
Conditions for muscle growth
Workouts and exercises in the gym.
Proper nutrition is necessary for muscle recovery and growth.
Good and healthy rest and sleep.
Workouts for muscle growth
All people are the same from a physiological point of view regarding bodybuilding. The principles of training methods are the same for everyone and have been proven.
However, people who are the same physiologically and anatomically can have muscles that are different in composition. Muscle fibers are divided into “white” and “red”. The former are responsible for short-term maximum load, the latter, on the contrary, for endurance and the possibility of long-term work.
People's muscles can vary greatly in the ratio of muscle fibers. In this regard, successful training methods for two equally built athletes can be completely different. It is through trial and error that you can achieve maximum results and become a bodybuilding star.
Proper nutrition for muscle growth
High rates of muscle recovery and growth require bodybuilders to follow a specialized diet . Generally speaking, bodybuilders require more calories than the average person of the same weight to provide protein and energy for training, recovery, and actual muscle growth.
Reducing the level of dietary energy received in combination with cardiovascular exercise allows bodybuilders to lose excess fat, which is important in preparation for various competitions. The ratio of dietary energy obtained from carbohydrates, proteins and fats can vary depending on the bodybuilder's goals.
Meals for bodybuilders
An average person needs to eat three times a day for proper nutrition. Bodybuilders try to eat 5-7 times with an interval of 2-3 hours .
This method helps achieve the following goals:
- increases the metabolic rate in the body;
- eliminates excessive insulin secretion, which is caused by a large and one-time meal.
Proteins for muscle growth
Protein is the main building material for muscle growth. It is the main nutritional component in the diet of bodybuilders. A bodybuilder needs more protein than an ordinary person.
The required amount of protein for muscle growth per day:
- With moderate exercise: 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight;
- With increased loads and constant training: 4 or more grams of protein per kilogram of weight.
In this case, protein should make up 25-30% of the total calorie intake.
Main sources of protein:
- eggs;
- meat - chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb, fish;
- legumes and nuts;
- high protein dairy products. For example: cottage cheese.
To provide the necessary amount of protein to their body, many bodybuilders use essential protein supplements in their diet, such as whey protein and casein.
More about proteins
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates in bodybuilding are an uncompetitive source of energy. The physiological tone of the bodybuilder and the success of his training depend on them. It is necessary to increase carbohydrate intake when gaining muscle mass, during intense training and heavy loads.
If, on the contrary, it is necessary to reduce body weight, due to excess weight, it is advisable to reduce the amount of carbohydrates, as well as fats, to a minimum.
Article about carbohydrates
Rapid muscle growth is impossible without rest
Although stimulation of muscle growth occurs in the gym due to weight training, muscle growth itself occurs during rest , the main peak of growth is in the first 40-50 minutes after training, and lasts several hours. At this time, the body simply needs protein!
Without adequate rest and sleep, muscles do not have the opportunity to repair and grow.
The average required amount of sleep for bodybuilders for full muscle growth should be 7-8 hours. However, there may be exceptions when 5 hours or less is sufficient.
Overtraining
Too little rest between workouts or too much load leads to overtraining . If you start your next workout without sufficient rest, fatigue will accumulate and progress in muscle growth or strength will disappear if the goal is heavy weights.
It is important to find the right period and start gradually. There are examples when people need up to 9 days of rest. On average, you can start with 2-3 workouts per week.
Some professional bodybuilders have up to six workouts per week, 1-3 workouts per day.
Exercises
What is the key difference between amateur and professional bodybuilding?
The main difference between amateurs and professional bodybuilders is their goals and methods. First of all, you need to understand that a professional bodybuilder is not only one who pumps and makes money from it, but one who adapts his entire life to the interests of bodybuilding. Those who give up most of the ordinary human joys of life for the sake of muscles, who do not drink or smoke, and spend all their extra money on medications.
Who cannot be sure whether he will remain a “man” after 50. And of course, someone who is genetically different from most people, in other words, a “genetic freak”. It is very difficult for a normal person like you and me to gain every kilogram of muscle mass. Another thing is these guys from the covers of fashion magazines, whose genetic mechanisms differ from the norm.
Amateur and professional bodybuilding have both different goals and different means to achieve their goals. Amateurs lift for the good and pleasure, while professionals do it to the detriment of their health, periodically training until they faint.
As a matter of fact, due to the difference in approaches, amateurs and professionals need fundamentally different methods of training with weights.
I already wrote about this in an article on how to properly create a training program in the gym, and even free of charge (that is, for nothing) I created individual programs for girls and guys in the gym using the example of my readers. Anyone interested - welcome.
Body-building. Let's train and grow muscles correctly!
Bodybuilding is one of the many sports that is ideal for those who want to be, first of all, healthy, keep their body in athletic shape and always feel in a positive mood.
The definition of bodybuilding is the process of building and developing muscles through weight-bearing exercise and high-energy nutrition, with a high content of nutrients, in particular protein, sufficient for the growth of muscle fibers.
Anabolics and amateur bodybuilding
I think that it is generally stupid for bodybuilding enthusiasts to use steroids. After all, you can create a powerful, attractive figure without their help, the main thing is to understand how.
Taking anabolic steroids improves the athlete’s body’s ability to recover quickly. That is, professionals can train twice a day, but for amateurs, 2-3 training days a week is enough.
Bodybuilding classification
Professional bodybuilding – IFBB Professional League
In the modern bodybuilding industry, a professional is usually defined as a bodybuilder who has won an amateur qualifying competition and earned a professional card - the Pro Card from the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders).
Bodybuilders who become the owner of a PRO card automatically become professionals and have the right to compete in tournaments that are one step higher than amateur bodybuilding. For example, in such as “ Arnold Classic ”, “Night of Champions”, as well as other professional IFBB tournaments with significant prize pools.
Winners and athletes, in turn, who have shown high results in professional tournaments, are given the opportunity to participate in the Mr. Olympia competition. The Mr. Olympia title is the highest award in professional bodybuilding.
Amateur bodybuilding – Amateur Bodybuilding
Amateurs in bodybuilding include all athletes who are involved in this sport, but have not yet become holders of a PRO card. However, there are huge differences between athletes who practice professionally and ordinary amateurs.
Professionals , as a rule, do 5-6 workouts a week, and several times a day, in order to achieve maximum results, they use professional equipment during the training process and strictly follow a diet. Sports nutrition is a must in their diet. Amateurs train every other day, but do not always have time to get to training. They do not focus much attention on nutrition, and their attitude towards sports nutrition is neutral.
The most important difference is that professional bodybuilding is hard work, which involves the use of additional necessary drugs for the body, and amateur bodybuilding , in turn, brings pleasure and health.
Competitive bodybuilding disciplines:
- Men's Bodybuilding.
- Classic bodybuilding (Classic Physique).
- Beach bodybuilding (Men's Physique).
Natural bodybuilding - “no chemicals”
There are organizations such as NANBF (North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation) and NPD (Natural Physique Association) that promote so-called natural bodybuilding . These associations are trying to eradicate the use of anabolic steroids and other pharmacological drugs in bodybuilding.
Athletes involved in “chemical-free” bodybuilding believe that their method is more focused on natural competition and a healthy lifestyle.
Bodybuilding female
The foundation of women's bodybuilding can be considered the first women's national Physique championship, held in the USA in 1978 in Canton, Ohio. This championship is the ancestor of women's bodybuilding , in which winners were judged solely on their musculature.
Since then, many women's competitions have been held, the most prestigious of which is Miss Olympia . Rachel McLeish became the first Ms. Olympia title winner in 1980.
There are the following female categories in bodybuilding:
- Fitness. Athletic form, flexibility, and dance movements are assessed.
- Fitness bikini. The softer appearance of the muscles is assessed. Participants have a higher percentage of body fat (12-14%).
- Women's physicist. The renamed category “Women's Bodybuilding” in 2013. More attractive girls began to be evaluated. Marks will be reduced for obvious masculine traits.
- Body fitness. A similar category to fitness bikini, but with more pumped and voluminous shapes. Skin fat in the body is within 10% -12%.
Video: What does bodybuilding give besides muscles?
Injury hazards of amateur bodybuilding
Be that as it may, amateur bodybuilding is very dangerous. And the problem is not that the exercises are poorly thought out or the gyms are insufficiently equipped. The problem is different: there are a lot of laymen involved in bodybuilding who don’t even want to hear anything about proper technique and safety. What are you talking about, they are much more concerned about the weight being squeezed or pulled out.
This is where injuries that are stupid in nature happen: a pancake falls on your leg, a dumbbell hits your face, or you squawk under a barbell. But no, to read an article about insurance in bodybuilding.
According to statistics, more than 90% of injuries in amateur bodybuilding occur while performing basic exercises with free weights.
And besides, often laymen who decide to show off their muscles on the beach simply do not know the technique of performing the exercise. They seem to be too lazy to study the technique, but they are too stifled to spend money on a trainer. By the way, I once wrote an article about whether you need a coach or not. I advise you to take a look and read.
It also happens that amateur bodybuilding may be contraindicated for health reasons. It’s fair to note here that you should remember the list of all your already identified sores (let’s bet there are three times more undiagnosed diseases in each of us than known ones) and with a complete list, drop by a sports doctor with a pertinent question: “ Can I engage in amateur bodybuilding or is it better to abstain?” ? " On this topic, I published a post on health and amateur bodybuilding.
Where to start a fitness girl
If you've never done strength training before, don't believe the stereotypes about post-workout effects. The belief that after lifting weights girls become like female bodybuilders is nothing more than a myth. Even guys, despite the high concentration of testosterone, which stimulates muscle growth, are not always able to gain large mass.
Start your fitness routine by creating a program. It’s difficult for a beginner to do this on his own. This is why there is a personal trainer. Based on the purpose and physical data, he will offer a comprehensive solution. Fitness training for beginner girls usually includes:
- Exercise "pendulum" for the lateral press.
- Bulgarian lunges.
- Side bends with dumbbells.
- Squats.
- Bench leg press in the simulator.
- Exercises for the buttocks.
- Fitness exercises for the abs.
To practice at home, choose a hoop, calf exercises, and other techniques from the at-home fitness section. Regardless of the type of training, before the main block, never forget about warming up, after training - about stretching and cool-down, vacuum for the abdomen in the morning.
Doping for bodybuilding enthusiasts
Of course, weighing every gram of food swallowed is the job of professionals. But for those who like to completely ignore this, it’s stupid.
For the most part, amateurs set the goal of training to gain muscle mass (exclusively for those who want to lose weight). And to do this, you need to slightly increase the amount of carbohydrates and add a lot to the percentage of protein eaten with food.
Of course, it would be nice to reconsider your diet a little: minimize harmful fats and fast carbohydrates, maximize the protein so necessary for muscles.
The coolest, in my opinion, doping for bodybuilding enthusiasts is the sports nutrition industry. And without going into details, remember one truth: if you gain weight, buy a gainer, if you lose weight, buy protein.
At one time (while my daughter was little) I stole baby food from my daughter and drank it after training. And I can safely say that such doping will make a lot of people sick! A prerequisite for bodybuilding enthusiasts is to drink plenty of fluids. Still water helps the body improve metabolic processes, and an athlete should drink at least two liters of H2O per day.
The main components of bodybuilding:
- Workout
- Proper nutrition
- Sports supplements
- Recovery physical and mental
1. Competent and correct exercise with weights.
Bodybuilding Exercises
2 . High-energy and healthy nutrition , rich in nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates.
Proper nutrition
3 . Sports nutrition , in particular protein powders, creatine, vitamin complexes that the body needs under increased stress.
Sports nutrition
Recovery : sleep, rest, bath, swimming pool, massage.
These components are quite enough to gain the desired muscle mass and be in ideal shape.
Video: What is bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding complex for beginners
Beginners in bodybuilding do not need a long set of exercises, especially those beginners who cannot fulfill the standard for pull-ups and push-ups of the GTO in strict technique.
If you are starting bodybuilding training from a sedentary lifestyle, then push-ups, pull-ups and air squats will be enough for you for the first weeks.
It’s better to start with simple three exercises, but do them with strict technique.
Strict technique is the “1/2 technique”: one second up, two seconds down.
If you do 8 push-ups in a set, then the set will inevitably last at least 24 seconds.
Strict technique is not only a slow performance in a rhythm of 3 seconds per repetition, but a full amplitude.
If squats, then to the floor; if push-ups, then until your chest touches; if pull-ups, then until the chin touches.
Often, beginners strive to quickly complete the intended number of repetitions, violating the rigor of the technique.
Bodybuilding is about strict technique, not tricky kipping like CrossFit. The goal of bodybuilding is muscle growth, not numbers in a training diary.
Although the numbers should also grow, but not in accordance with the flight of fantasies of a beginner, but in accordance with the growth of muscles.
If you can do more than 8 repetitions in five sets using strict technique, then the exercises can be made more difficult or heavier.
From push-ups, you can move on to dips or bench presses with more than 70% of your body weight.
In pull-ups, you can place a disk or dumbbell between your legs on a mounting belt or replace them with a vertical block row with a weight greater than your body weight.
Air squats can be replaced with air jumps, Bulgarian lunges, or barbell squats.
In the first year of training, the exercises will change as the muscles grow, but the movements will be the same: press, deadlift and squat.
After all, push-ups are the same as a bench press, only not with barbells on a bench, but with your body off the floor.
A set of exercises for beginners in bodybuilding consists of only three basic movements, which take on the form of different exercises as the muscles grow from week to week.
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