Health Articles > Muscle-building > Bodybuilding for Beginners - A Simple Approach to Build Muscle

Over the past thirty years, the once ‘cult hobby’ of bodybuilding has become an incredibly popular mainstream sport. Unfortunately this has led to an influx of greedy companies, corrupt magazines and self-appointed fitness experts that feed on the naivety of their targets. New supplements, workouts, exercises and programs are constantly being produced, but are only adding to the confusion surrounding the theory of muscle building. In this article I will clarify what the beginner bodybuilder must focus on to achieve their goals.

Firstly, someone new to the sport needs to find a workout program that suits their personal needs and what they hope to achieve from weight training. I suggest a full body workout that is based around proven muscle building compound exercises. Such exercises include (in order of effectiveness): Squats, dead-lift, bench press, pull-ups, dips and military press. If you incorporate these into your workout I assure you that you’ll be more than one step ahead of most of your gym buddies! So I beg you to please stay away from preacher curls and tricep kickbacks! Before you go packing plates onto the bar I highly advise beginners to learn the correct form on all these exercises, for both your safety and better results.

There are several rules to a full body workout that must be followed to achieve the best results.

1. Train 2-3 times per week - no more no less.
2. Train heavy and lift to failure each set.
3. Perform one exercise per muscle group. So choose wisely!
4. Keep your workouts to under an hour.
5. Have a hit of protein before and after your workout.
6. Mix up the order in which you perform your exercises during each workout.

It is vital that you train hard but also that you train smart. Ensure that every time you walk into your gym that you give it 110%. In performing a full-body workout you should aim to achieve maximum muscle contraction with heavy weights. In saying this, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to fully recover before each workout. If you find that your body is still aching from your last workout it is not time to hit the gym. Instead, I recommend making a protein shake and hiring “pumping iron” from your local video store!

Before moving on I must establish that in suggesting a full body workout I do not deny the effectiveness of a split program. In fact, I feel that once you are experienced with the full body workout it is best to gradually work into a split.

Another key to success to build muscle is progression. Many ‘gym-goers’ never accomplish the results they want because they refuse to increase the intensity of their workout. By 'intensity', I refer to the amount of weight, reps, sets and the time in which a trainee takes to complete these. For every workout it is absolutely essential that you aim to improve on your last workout.

For a beginner level I suggest that you focus on increasing the weight that you are lifting while keeping the sets, reps and time constant. Don’t worry if you increase the weight one week but can’t hit the same number of reps, you’ll get it next time! Not long ago I was new to the weightlifting scene and like you, I was confused and overwhelmed by the multitude of information, not to mention the supplement companies that promised me impossible results.

Do not fear though, there is hope! Reliable information is out there, the solutions to your problems are available, you just have to ask the right person. This article is simply designed to put you on the right track to build muscle. Integrate the simple rules I have outlined into your training and you will be on your way to success.