What Does “Natty” Mean in Body Building? Is It Good or Bad?
September 24, 2023
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Bodybuilding is a demanding sport that requires dedication, commitment, and perseverance. It’s a journey that requires you to push yourself beyond your limits, test your mental and physical strength, and persist through the challenges.
Building muscle and achieving a sculpted physique takes time, effort, and discipline, but there are ways to speed up your progress. In this article, we’ll share six tips to boost your bodybuilding journey and help you achieve your goals faster.
The first step in any bodybuilding journey is to set realistic goals. A clear vision of your goal will help you stay focused, motivated, and on track. Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
For example, instead of saying, “I want to get ripped,” set a goal like, “I want to lose 5% body fat in the next 12 weeks,” or “I want to increase my bench press by 10kg in the next three months.” Setting realistic goals will help you stay motivated, track your progress, and celebrate your achievements.
Training is the foundation of bodybuilding, but it’s not just about lifting heavy weights. You need to train smart to maximise your gains and speed up your progress. This means focusing on the correct exercises, using proper form, and varying your workouts.
Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and rows should be the core of your training program. These exercises work for multiple muscle groups and stimulate growth hormone release, promoting muscle growth. Proper form is crucial to prevent injury and ensure you’re targeting the right muscles.
Finally, varying your workouts will help prevent boredom, muscle adaptation, and plateauing. Try different exercises, rep ranges, sets, rest periods, and training splits to keep your body guessing and your progress moving forward.
Nutrition is the fuel that powers your bodybuilding journey. To build muscle and achieve your goals, you need to eat for gains. This means consuming enough calories, protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to support muscle growth, recovery, and performance.
Aim for a calorie surplus of 250 to 500 calories daily to ensure your body has the energy and nutrients it needs to build muscle. Consume one to two grams of protein per pound of body weight to support muscle repair and growth. Carbohydrates provide energy for your workouts and help replenish glycogen stores, so aim for two to three grams per pound of body weight.
Finally, healthy fats like omega-3s, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats help regulate hormones, support brain function, and reduce inflammation, so aim for 20 to 30% of your total calories from fats.
Rest and recovery are just as important as training and nutrition in bodybuilding. Your muscles grow and repair during rest periods, so giving your body enough time to recover between workouts is crucial.
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night to allow your body to repair and regenerate. Then, take at least one rest day per week to allow your muscles to recover and prevent overtraining. Finally, incorporate active recovery techniques like stretching, foam rolling, massage, and mobility to improve blood flow, reduce soreness, and avoid injury.
Supplements can be a valuable tool in bodybuilding, but they’re not a magic bullet. The most important aspect of bodybuilding is your training and nutrition, but supplements can help fill any gaps or provide an extra boost. The best supplements for bodybuilding include whey protein, creatine, beta-alanine, caffeine, and BCAAs.
Bodybuilding can be a lonely journey, but it doesn’t have to be. A support system can help you stay motivated, accountable, and on track. This can include a workout partner, a coach, a nutritionist, or a community of like-minded individuals.
Surrounding yourself with people who share your goals and values can help you overcome challenges, celebrate successes, and stay committed to your journey.
Bodybuilding is a challenging but rewarding journey that requires dedication, commitment, and perseverance. Following these tips can speed up your progress and help you achieve your goals faster. Remember, the most important aspect of bodybuilding is your mindset. Believe in yourself, trust the process, and stay committed to your journey; you’ll achieve the desired results.
If you want to learn more about bodybuilding in Perth, check out YNF. We offer Australian bodybuilding competitions for various age groups and experience levels. Join YNF and sign up today!
Our goal is to not only have a prestige show here in WA but run YNF shows in other states and further down the track other countries, then we look forward to having State, National and World Titles. We know our passion for this industry will take us far in the Natural Bodybuilding world.
Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, Figure and Mixed Pairs routines are optional. We present a trophy for the best routine for these categories.
Tracey Kaye and her team are our on-site hair, tan and makeup artists. With a high level of experience in tanning, they will have you stepping on stage with the correct shade to look incredible under stage the lighting. Contact Tracey Kaye to confirm a spot.
