Effective Bodybuilding Schedule
- To build muscle, you need a well-planned bodybuilding workout program that includes five days of workouts as well as planned time to give your muscles a rest so they can heal properly
- Part of that bodybuilding schedule is assigning days to work on certain muscle groups – no muscle group should be worked more than twice in one week
- You also need a bodybuilding diet plan, plenty of sleep, and at least one gallon of water per day
A common misconception of bodybuilders is they are lifting weights every day and spending hours in the gym to get that body. The reality is that type of bodybuilding schedule would deliver few benefits and would end up causing more physical harm than benefits. Before you start working on increasing your muscle mass, you need to have a clear and effective bodybuilding workout program laid out. Here are some tips and suggestions for doing just that.
The Need to Rest Your Muscles
When you do bodybuilding, you are actually causing injuries to your muscles. The idea is for your body to fix those injuries and make those areas stronger in the process. However, the muscles need to be rested in order for those repairs to be made. Without proper rest, your muscles will only continue to be injured which could leave you with permanent physical problems.
A golden rule is not to work the same muscle group more than twice per week. If you’re a beginner, you might want to keep that to just once per week. Most bodybuilding professionals will also tell you not to exercise 7 days a week. Five should be your limit and no training session should go beyond two hours. Violating these rules is asking for a serious injury.
Putting Together a Bodybuilding Schedule
If you are just getting started, consider alternating between weight training and aerobics. For example, on Monday you might work on your triceps and on Tuesday go for a run. As you become more comfortable working out, you might try something like the following bodybuilding workout program:
• Monday – Chest & Triceps
• Tuesday – Back & Biceps
• Wednesday – Aerobics and cardio
• Thursday – Legs
• Friday – Triceps & Biceps
On each day, you’d want to choose several different exercises to work those targeted muscle groups. For example, on Monday you might use the incline dumbbell press, the cable crossovers, tricep pushdowns, bench presses, and one or two other activities that will work those muscles.
With each of the activities, you’ll do several sets. Generally, you will do more repetitions in the first set and decrease the number of repetitions in each set thereafter. For example, If you are doing four sets of the incline dumbbell press, you might start with 15 repetitions with your first set and decrease to only eight repetitions by your fourth set.
On the day you do the aerobics and cardiovascular workout, you can also work your abdominal muscles. Follow the same guidelines you use for the other muscle groups when you work them.
Other Parts of the Plan
Building muscles is not just about working out. You also need to have a bodybuilding diet plan that will ensure you are getting the proper nutrients needed by your body to repair those muscles so they are stronger. That means you’ll need to eat a high protein, low fat diet. Carbohydrates are also a necessity for energy.
Water is also essential. At a minimum, you should drink one gallon of water per day. The water is needed for the healing process and to prevent you from getting dehydrated during your workouts.
Additionally, you need to maintain a sleep schedule that will give you at least eight hours per night or more. This is when your body heals itself so you need as much rest as your body can get.
The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.
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2 Responses to “Effective Bodybuilding Schedule” |
i am doing gym since 5 years this month last i like to go one contest so can you please give me a contest scheduleAugust 10th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I'm lucky in that I have a gym where I work and I go on my lunch hour to work out. I alternate cardio with toning every other day so that some weeks I have three days of cardio and two toning and vice versa. This has really worked out well for me and on the weekends I go for walks with the family. It's a good way to get started.April 8th, 2009 at 12:21 pm