When you’re just starting out trying to add muscle to your frame, it can be tempting to look up to the biggest guys in the industry. The bodybuilders, physique athletes and fitness models.
And for good reason. These are the top guys in the business and it makes total sense to look at the people that have already done it when trying to achieve something yourself.
However, clearly we shouldn’t just try to be our favourite bodybuilder. So what should we take and what should we leave alone?
Work Ethic, Intensity And Progression
These are the elements that it is massively useful to have in our training regimes if we’re training to build muscle. Work ethic, intensity and progression are key fundamental corner stones of any good bodybuilder’s routine.
Now, your eyes might glaze over at this advice because it’s not sexy, shiny or eye catching. It’s not new and it’s not novel – but here’s the thing: it works. And it’s pretty much the only thing that does.
There are lots of people in this industry worth listening to – but often you can get just as much (if not more) information by watching what they do instead of listening to how the speak. Watch the intensity, the effort, the execution these guys put into their training.
It’s often said that success leaves clues and by far the most common trait all the top guys have is an incredible work ethic and drive to better themselves. You can’t consistently half-arse your workouts if you’re serious about making progress.
Muscle building isn’t a naturally easy process for most people. Our bodies naturally want to protect life at all costs, and therefore won’t change unless a stimulus strong enough is applied to cause an adaptation.
That’s what muscular development is: an adaptive response to a stress placed upon the body. If that stress isn’t high enough, the body just won’t have any reason to change and you’ll stay exactly where you are now (except you’ll waste a ton of time for the privilege).
Progression is just as important to take from a bodybuilder’s toolbox and apply to your own training. Progressively getting stronger over time, progressing your execution of movement, progressing your intensity. Without progression, you won’t move forwards and you’ll hit a plateau pretty fast.
Don’t Blindly Copy People
As impressive as the top guys in the industry are, and as tempting as it might be, don’t blindly copy what they do.
It might seem cool to follow the latest workout program that some top guy has posted on Instagram but this is the thing – it’s THEIR workout program. It has no relevance or specificity to you, your structure, muscle fibre makeup or training experience/tolerance.
In the same way that you wouldn’t jump straight into an A-Level maths exam on your first day of school, when you’re first starting out in the gym you aren’t equipped to follow an IFBB pro’s workout routine. You need to put in the time and effort to learn the basics and generate some intensity in your training first.
Spend the time executing basic movements. Squatting movements, pulling movements, horizontal & vertical presses & pulls, hip hinges. Things that are going to not only build muscle and strength but also have a universal carryover to the rest of your training.
Wrapping Up
A short article today, but hopefully it gives you some context on the useful and not-so-useful elements of what we can take from the leading athletes in this industry.
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Cheers
Andy
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