Tip! Ashamed to ask for help: The smartest thing I did when I was first started bodybuilding and competing was to ask for help. Knowledge is power when you adapt it to your personality.

Posted on a Bodybuilding Message Board:

Quick And Easy Bodybuilding Guide.

Hi everyone I’m 15 and was wondering what I can take for my muscle to grow? I have heard of muscle boosters or something like that so I was just wondering if there was anything like that that I could take in order for my muscle to get huge.

I might be thinking of steroids.

Answer:

Stop! What the HECK are you thinking? Why are we always looking for the short cut to the biggest gains while still being able to watch T.V.? I guess the word “hard work” isn’t something you really need to do if you know some handy-dandy SECRETS to building muscle.

Clarence Darrow, a famous trial lawyer, once said:

“As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man (or woman) objected and no man (or woman) rebelled, those wrongs would last forever.”

Tip! Teach others what you have learned ? Bodybuilding Champions help others gain knowledge. The best champions are those who share the wealth, teach others and inspire hearts.

Listen closely! The term ‘lifestyle’ means ON-GOING and NEVER ending. A shortcut has no place in bodybuilding and certainly no place in getting into the best shape of your life.

So what?

I can already hear the voices now like waves crashing against a rocky wall “why should I care?” Or the other one “what’s in it for me?”

A Blueprint for your Success:

* The more you know, the more educated you become from a cast of reliable sources and PASS that information on to your friends…

* The better off this industry will become…

* The FASTER you can AVOID mistakes…

* The FASTER you can make better LONG TERM progress!

FACT: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens(NIDA):

“As part of a 2002 NIDA-funded study, teens were asked if they ever tried steroids?even once. Only 2.5% of 8th graders ever tried steroids; only 3.5% of 10th graders; and 4% of 12th graders.”

Tip! Egos: In many ways most people allow their egos to defeat them and get in the way of the full potential. You might not get this but, bodybuilding is NOT about you! Lose it, or keep on losing in life.

Add to this an article I read in the May 2004 issue of Flex magazine by Tom Prince. He profiled his career in a very thought provoking article called “When the Posing Stops.”

Truly Huge Bodybuilding Book. The Secrets To Gaining Muscle Mass Revealed.

Tom Prince went on to explain his steroid use, his mad as a hatter like rush to the top, and eventually the pain he endures and his eventual kidney failure to reach a peak. The descriptions of his crumbling shoulder socket and the pain he must be in made me as sick as a dog.

At the time of the article, Tom Prince was 34 years old! He said:

“I will probably die younger than normal, 65 or something like that, but 65 is better than 35.”

STOP and ask yourself this key question:

Are the youth of today any different then me 16 years ago when I was looking at bodybuilding magazines and wanting to be ripped and muscular? In my mind, I was willing to take all kinds of supplements and do whatever training program I could to look like those guys in the magazine ads. They were my HEROS and inspiration.

Thankfully I didn’t go down that path.

Just last week, my friend (Yes I really have spoken on the phone with him several times) Tom Venuto sent out a issue asking people to take a look at the natural bodybuilders all over the Internet for inspiration.

Tom Venuto wrote:

Tip! Never forget where you come from! ? Bodybuilding Champions never forget what the sport has taught them, where they have been or who has helped them along the way. Bodybuilding and life share the same principles: what you gain inside is more valuable than anything physical.

“There ARE heroes and role models to look up to today, and you will find them in the drug-free bodybuilding movement.”

He’s RIGHT. In fact I know an older gentleman, Scott Hults, who’s a big fan of natural bodybuilding and has done wonders in this sport to educate himself and others around him that taking shortcuts isn’t the way to go and that hard work can pay-off at any age. If I can be in as good of shape as Scott when I’m older, I’d be lucky.

Think about it.

Toss this idea around, if you want to get better at something, you should do everything in your power to make the exercises HARDER, not easier.

Tip! More is not better! ? Bodybuilding Champions work smarter not harder. Efficiency and knowledge is the key to becoming a true champion.

Clearly you can see by now shortcuts simply don’t come without a price. If you are one of those people who wants to make working out and building muscle or losing fat easy as cutting thru a banana cream pie, you’ll never reach the goals you’ve set.

Richie Smith, a personal trainer with more horsepower in the gym then a Bugatti Veron, said “When you are child, your parents tell you to keep your hands off the stove?they tell you not to put your hand into the flame, because if you do, you’ll get burned. If you’re serious about bodybuilding, you have to un-learn what you were taught as a child. When I train people, basically I’m telling them to put their hand right into the fire and keep it there. I have them train into and beyond the pain zone. That’s what makes you grow.”

Tip! Leave your ego at the door! ? Bodybuilding Champions focus on the process and not on themselves. Your life should not center on you and you alone.

Are you beginning to see how building muscle and changing your body is work but it’s fun? Building your body isn’t like FedEx … it simply, positively DOESN’T happen overnight. But one could also say … it’s human nature to avoid hard work.

Tom Venuto wrote in his natural bodybuilding blog, “Most people are on a constant search for the path of least resistance. A drug, a supplement, a ‘breakthrough technique’ a new machine, a shortcut in exercise form?anything and everything they think will help them reach their goals with less effort and in less time. This is typical human nature. Unfortunately, this is also faulty thinking and you will NEVER become a champion with this type of attitude.

Tip! Get a mentor- Bodybuilding Champions are never afraid to ask for help. Champs know that knowledge is power.

You can clearly see what I’m saying is certainly true…

If I could give you a training strategy that is GUARANTEED to increase your muscle and burn more fat, would you be interested?

Copyright 2006 Marc David

Stop spending time searching for answers and learn the REAL truth about natural bodybuilding and how to train right, eat right and supplement right with proven step by step methods in the Beginner’s Guide to Fitness & Bodybuilding. http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

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Okay here’s a subject that really gets my blood boiling. Bodybuilding is intended to be the creation of the perfect physique…right? That means that the chest, shoulders, legs, arms and back are suppose to be developed to their full potential while keeping the waist muscular but small. Some bodybuilders may have one genetically gifted part that has a tendency to be superior to another part.

The normal goal is to emphasize the training of the weaker body part while curtailing training to the more responsive body part. This is done to obtain proportional muscle size. In achieving the perfect physique, the waist is meant to be small compared to upper body parts and the legs. The smaller the waist the more dramatic the surrounding muscles appear. The Back will look like a flared cobra’s head when attached to a tiny waist.

I remember the physiques of the past, Arnold, Bob Birdsong, Franco Columbo, Bob Paris and Frank Zane achieved this dynamic look. Darin Lannaghan, Bill Davey and Stan McQuay have produced this look in modern day bodybuilding though they may never be seen at the Arnold Classic Competition.

So What’s Changed?

In mid 80’s, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and Insulin became popular drugs with professional bodybuilders. The net result, with these top level competitors, is the “Roid Gut”. Now days, we have bodybuilders sporting a 40-46″ waists. I am guessing, of course, since no competitor would dare share the mammoth size of their waistlines. If they did, I would bet they would shave the number down an inch or two.

Unfortunately, the Roid Gut has a repulsive appearance contrary to the original intent of the sport. When Jay Cutler in his early years hit national prominence, his youthful physique still had the small waist. Today, Jay’s waist is absolutely gross. Sure he may weighs 270+ lbs, but also he sports a waist line of a sumo wrestler. Most of the top bodybuilders, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates and Craig Titus, all exhibit this similar phenomenon. These competitors are simply meeting the expectation of what the judges are condoning and encouraging by accepting this look at as the “champion” physique.

Tip! Never forget where you come from! ? Bodybuilding Champions never forget what the sport has taught them, where they have been or who has helped them along the way. Bodybuilding and life share the same principles: what you gain inside is more valuable than anything physical.

I am writing this article to discourage the use of these drugs. They are sucking the lifeblood out of the Sport, destroying the potential aesthetics of the physique, and taking the bodybuilding back to the freak show era of the past. THIS SHOULD NOT BE!

HGH, “Huge Gut Hormone?”

Okay so what does HGH do to the body? In a normal person, HGH is produced by the body and causes the normal body growth process. The HGH drug was originally developed for children that exhibited stunted growth and were found to have a low production of this hormone. Doctors would administer HGH in small amounts to stimulate a normal growth pattern.

In a few people, HGH production is overactive (from birth) it can also create person of gigantic proportions. Andre the Giant had this condition. Robert Wadlow was another and he grew to be 7′11″. He had many health problems and died at a very early age.

Tip! Teach others what you have learned ? Bodybuilding Champions help others gain knowledge. The best champions are those who share the wealth, teach others and inspire hearts.

If HGH is administered to an adult, muscle growth restarts. HGH is very different than steroids. HGH causes production of new cells. Steroids cause only the enlargement of existing cells. The new cell growth seems to target only with the soft tissues and rarely skeletal system. Unfortunately, not only are the muscles cells multiplying but so are the internal muscles like the intestines and heart.

Furthermore, organs, like the liver, kidneys and pancreas are growing too. When the growth of these internal muscles and organs occur in a fixed chest cavity, there is only one direction for this extra mass to go and that is out the abdominal area. Starting to get the picture?

Insulin’s Additive Affect

Now what is insulin’s affect on the body? Insulin is a super steroid that funnels the nutrients and sugar into muscle. When combined with hard workouts, recovery is very quick. Properly taken, it drives cell growth better than any other steroid. However if you screw up in taking insulin at the wrong time or dosage, you can throw yourself into insulin shock and die. Also long term use can make you a diabetic, a condition that shortens life. When Insulin is combined with HGH, the muscles are set to make significant gains.

The downside of insulin is that it is also active in creating the storage of fat in the body in the event of starvation. These fat deposits are stored internally to body and not on the exterior muscles. This is wonderful for the bodybuilder’s appearance but not for this health. These fat deposits called visceral fat are found around the internal organs of the liver, pancreas, heart and kidneys. Couple this additional weight with growth of the internal muscles and organs and you have enough extra mass to create a really protruding Roid Gut.

Tip! Pay your dues and do not cheat by taking steroids ? Bodybuilding Champions SHOULD do it the right way, without drugs! You can never replace hard work, and hard work always pays off. Others may not know you are cheating, but at the end of the day you do.

“Side Bar” Story

Let me tell you one story that comes to mind back in the very early 80’s. Tim Belknap, then a great in the world of bodybuilding, announced that he was diabetic. I have no reason to doubt he was, but I am now convinced that Tim found the secret to using insulin to maximize his bodybuilding potential. During that era, Tim was by far the most vascular bodybuilder on the scene. I also notice, he had a semi-protruding waistline.

At the time I felt sorry for Tim being handicapped with diabetes but admired that he had accomplish a world class physique under this condition. Now looking back, I am sure Tim was able to apply his insulin to his bodybuilding benefit.

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You be the Judge

I am convinced that these “super heavy weight” competitors at 270+ lbs might really weigh 240 or so if you stripped the mass out of their guts. But then again they might only weigh 220 if they lost the additional muscularity as a result of these two drugs. Let’s return to the aesthetic builds of a few years past. I hope that even if judges don’t award the small waist competitor the winning trophy, you will agree, that creating a Roid Gut is neither attractive nor healthy!

Tip! Get a mentor- Bodybuilding Champions are never afraid to ask for help. Champs know that knowledge is power.

Scott Jameson is a bodybuilder and trainer for over 30 years. He has a passion for bodybuilding and helping other achieve this success. He regularly applies the techniques in this article. See more of his articles at http://www.bodybuildingprogramzone.com

If you want to more information on a Bodybuilding Program – Check out the Zone, the site with a passion for you to succeed.

Not only has John Cena found worldwide fame as a professional wrestler, he has also found amazing respect in the body building world as a great example of what effective bodybuilding can do.  He is constantly featured at the Arnold Expo and many people want to emulate his body as well as his workout regimen.

Most people get into bodybuilding to sculpt a beautiful body.  John Cena is no different.  He wanted a great body, but he also wanted to be super strong.  When Vince McMahon approached him about joining the WWE, the temptation was just too much to resist.  But, really, when you think about it, it’s a natural transition.

Professional wrestlers all have amazing bodies.  Their muscles are tight and toned just like professional body builders.  They just use their muscle mass for different entertainment purposes.  That doesn’t make John Cena any different than Arnold Schwarzeneggar.  Cena just chose to use his physique in a different way.

One of the best parts of John Cena’s bodybuilding career is that he pursued the sport as a profession.  He graduated from Springfield College with a degree in exercise physiology.  When he couldn’t find work in his chosen field, he opted to go with professional wrestling in his career path.  And nothing could have proved to be a better choice than that for him!

What does John Cena say about body building?  The answer is that he advocates pretty much what the other expert say:  Choose a program that fits your lifestyle and your goals; never give up on your aspirations; work like you’ve never worked before and always remember why you are doing what you are doing; and make sure that you work all your muscle groups equally.

John Cena has forged a remarkable amazing career using his mastery of bodybuilding.  He simply has a beautiful physique and is a great model for what can be done with the human body.  For those wanting to build a strong, toned body, you could do worse than take a few hints from John Cena.  He’ll certainly show you how to build a great body with outstanding strength.

When Arnold first started out in his body building career, he was just a young man.  He started out as a “98 pound weakling” and grew into Mr. Universe.  His transformation was an incredible display of body building might along with some amazing dedication.

There is probably no better body building story than that of Arnold Swarzeneggar.  He worked a variety of jobs including that of street worker in Santa Monica, California.  The entire time, he was also devoting all his off hours to honing and sculpting a beautiful body.  In 1970, he was awarded the ultimate body building title of “Mr. Universe” and became a household name.

He kept on with his body building until he decided that a film career was the way to go.  He found success as an actor in such films as “The Terminator”, “End of Days”, and “True Lies”.  While he never won any type of award for his acting work, he still garnered the respect of many Hollywood elite for his strong performances in these films.

Arnold’s first approach to bodybuilding was fairly atypical. When he was 13, he played soccer, but felt very dissatisfied with a team sport. “I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t be personally gratified” he declared. He tried other endeavors: track and field, boxing, javelin throw and weightlifting. But only when his coach suggested he tried working with weights (to strengthen his legs), Arnold found his true vocation.

When he first walked into a gym he was literally awed. “I found myself in a gym, in awe of muscles I had never seen before and of which I didn’t even know the correct name. The bodybuilders were powerful, Herculean. Before my very eyes, my true future opened up: I had found the answer I had been looking for.” Thus began, at 16, the career of the greatest bodybuilder of all times, the man who would be crowned Mr. Olympia for a record seven times.

As his physique started developing, so did his self-confidence. Very soon he discovered the thing somebody described as the “power of size”. And, as his muscles grew, so did the respect he was receiving from his peers. The growing of his muscular mass, started influencing his relationships with other young men and, of course, with women too. He realized that some women were decidedly turned on by his physique, whereas others seemed to be disgusted by it. “I wanted to become even bigger, so that I’d be able to really impress the girls who dug muscles and… irritate even more the ones who disliked them.”

It is fair to say that Arnold Schwarzeneggar is the embodiment of the beautiful body building physique.  If you are serious about bodybuilding and developing a great physique, following the advice of the governor of California could be the answer!

When you are seriously body building, proportion is so important.  Many people overlook their calf muscles because they are so small.  More often than not, the calf muscles are difficult to notice as well.  But, the calves are just as important as any other muscle in your body.  Don’t neglect those calf muscles and work them to their fullest potential.  Use wide and narrow stances when lifting to hone the calf muscles.

Many people want to develop their deltoid muscles because they are one of the most prominent muscle groups on the body.  The delts are in your shoulder area and can make you look proportionally fit and trim.  Doing lateral raises can work your delts to new heights, but do these raises leaning slightly forward.  It’s normal to want to try and lean a bit backward, but if you do this, you won’t be working this muscle group fully.

If you really want to grow some strong muscle mass, you will need some type of a supplement.  Most often, you will get the best results from a protein supplement.  These help bring the necessary energy into the body that you will need for some strong, intense, and prolonged workout sessions.

It’s a good idea to work with a training partner during your body building workout.  A partner can provide motivation as well as tips and advice to help you maximize your training and concentrate on your goals.  They can also push you beyond what you feel your limits are and make you work harder than you could on your own.

Nutrition is very important to a body builder.  Probably the best body building tip we can offer up is to stay very hydrated and eat well.  Instead of three big meals a day, eat 5 or 6 smaller ones that are well-balanced and filled with protein and carbohydrates.  The carbs will provide you with energy and the protein will contribute to your body building power.

It is always wise to remain wide open to help and advice when first setting out on a body building program.  Many people love to share what they have learned through experience and the hard school of knocks.  Body building tips abound, so keep those ears pricked and mind open.  Listen to the help being given and take advantage of all the free help you can find!