How to Start Bodybuilding for Beginners

Knowledge is the first thing you need if you want to learn how to start bodybuilding and want a successful career in the sport or if you just want to bulk up for the ladies. Both goals, however, require the same initial approach. You need to learn what exercises work what muscle, the basic terminology, and the correct diet and sleep patterns that are associated with the best bodybuilding results.

First, you'll want to learn about the major muscle groups that you'll want to work. The first is the chest, which is primarily used to move your arms closer together or to push things away from you. Your chest is one of the most noticeable parts of your body. You also have your arms and shoulders, which are associated with a lot of the same lifts that the chest is. Next you have your upper and lower back - these are two areas that are sometimes neglected by starting bodybuilders. Your core will grant you the most strength, but is actually hard to get "ripped up" in, while your legs are one of the easiest parts to build and also the most overlooked.

Now that you know the major muscle groups you're going to work, you need to understand that isolation lifts in these groups will do little for you if you're just starting out. You want to stick to lifts that work multiple muscle groups at the same time, since this will give you good strength and a solid base for bodybuilding. Examples of lifts like these include the squat, deadlift, bench press, pull up, rows, and lunges. There are many more that I didn't mention, but these are the main ones. You'll want to incorporate mainly these exercises into your starting bodybuilding workout.

You'll want to eat plenty of food if you just start bodybuilding because you may actually lose muscle if you don't consume as many calories as you burn. Many bodybuilders will consume well over 5000 a day and you should do the same. Remember that diet is important and you'll want to eat plenty of protein. Whey protien supplements can help you achieve this goal.

Finally, here are some bodybuilding terms with which you may not be familiar.
Volume - the amount of overall repetitions you do of an exercise.
Reps - how many lifts you do per set.
Set - a single exercise that you do for x number of reps.
Core - the muscles surrounding your hips and legs are considered your core and are the strongest muscles in your body
Basal Metabolic Rate - how many calories your body burns over the course of a day, not counting from activity