WEEK FIFTY-EIGHT :: What Is The Most Important Aspect Of Bodybuilding?

[webmaster]

* Note: How can I win? Answer all questions in the order that they are asked.
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TOPIC: What Is The Most Important Aspect Of Bodybuilding?

For the week of: Jan 5th - Jan 11th
Wednesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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Nutrition, training, supplementation and mindset are all important aspects of succeeding in bodybuilding, but some are more important than others.

What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding? Why?

List in order the importance of nutrition, training, supplementation and mindset. Include detail about the importance of each.

Bonus: Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? What are you least successful? How so? Why do you think you are successful in this?

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Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

The best response will get $75 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it. Become famous!

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Will
Webmaster
Bodybuilding.com

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What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding? Why?

I would say that dedication is the most important aspect of bodybuilding. If you don't have dedication, then you won't be able to keep up with bodybuilding, meaning you won't need all the other aspects. Dedication is what brings you offf your lazy butt and makes you have motivation to do what you want to do. I'll tell you, when I first started off, I hade no dedication to bodybuild. I was like " I'm too tired" and "I'l just not workout today" and then I realized that this was getting me no where and thought to myself " Do I want to grow up unhealthy and out of shape?". So I went back to the gym and worked my arse off to get to what I was hoping foor. This is dedication, to do what you want to do and have no problem of doing it. If you don't have this in life, you won't get nowhere. Dedication and motivation go hand to hand. Both of them equal success.

Dedication+Motivation= Success

This is what kills all those New Years Revolutions. 3 months in and all of them are dropping out. If you can't do it b yourself, get a workout buddy. It can be your husband/wife, your co-worker, or even someone in the gym that you never meet before. Don't stop yourself from getting that body that you are aiming for. The only thing that is blocking you, is yourself.


List in order the importance of sleep, diet, and training. Include detail about the importance of each.

Sleep-Sleep is important mentally, physically and emotionally. It keeps you well balanced in all categories. It helps you function daily in life. The less of sleep you get, the less of motivation you have during day. Sleep also help your muscle repair themselve, by giving them more time to rest. During you sleep, you produce the most growth hormones, helping your muscles to recover from your workouts. If you get less sleep, you will do poorly at work or school and even working out. Sleep is beneficial in all aspects.

If you need more info on sleep and why important, go to : http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/galanis2.htm

Diet- Diet gives you what you need to grow. If you don't have a diet that will help your muscles build and keep you in shape, then you won't go anywhere. Diet is very beneficial in bodybuilding. You will not see any bodybuilders on stage that didn't follow a well-balanced and proper diet, NEVER. I chosed dedication as the most important aspect, but I will have to say, diet equals about 75% of what you need will bodybuilding. You won't get the same amount of gains as someone who does have a diet that is best for bodybuilding. You can even work harder then that guy and still won't get better results then him. Diet, as I already have said, is 75% of the work in bodybuilding, don't leave it out. Fir more help on diet, go to: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/charlie2.htm

training- This is what gets you them boulder shoulders and mountain biceps. Training is what all bodybuilders do. You can't get anywhere with just losing weight or doing some push-ups and sit-ups, you keeps them muscles in overdrive. This is why people quit and have no dedication to workout, the most important aspect. They always say that this will take a long time and won't achieve what they want. And some of them go too far, by taking steroids. Yes, training will take a long time, but Rome wasn't built in a day and certainly your muscles won't. You have to look at this and think to yourself " Can I do this everyday?". If not, don't stop this from stopping you. Get a workout buddy and he/she will help you along.

**************BONUS*********************
Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? Least successful? How so?

I'm most successful in dedication. I have put in my mind, that the only thing that is keeping myself from not reaching 245 lbs of hard muscle, is myself. I have never lacked in dedication, what ever I put my mind up for, I never give up. Nothing will stop me, except for girls, but that actually gives me more reasons to keep on working out.

I suck, or I'm least successful, in diet. I have a diet and then some how end out of bounds. I go for 3200 calories and some how coming out with 2400 calories. It isn't dedication that isn't doing it, it is keeping track of what I'm doing. I never check on what I'm putting in me. I always guess how much protein I'm taking in or how much fat is in a particular food. This really hasn't effected me in gainsl, but is the least successful aspect that I have.

Thank You

Mike Kramer

"Live Strong"

[Andrew.Cook]

What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding? Why?

I feel that the most important aspect of bodybuiding is nutrition. The reason I list this first is because this is really what separates bodybuilders from power lifters and other athletes. It is the intense focus on the foods we eat that helps to create that "contest shape" and that can make or break a champion. Too much water retention, not cutting soon enough, too many carbs, not enough protein... these are all governed by nutrition. There are many sports where big muscles are of value. Power lifting, football, wrestling (olympic style or made for TV). The list goes on.

Next in the order would be training. There are many schools of thought on how someone becomes strong, or big, or explosive, but bodybuilding concentrates on what makes a muscle grow. The training for a bodybuilder is unique in the world of weights, and following a lineman's workout just wouldn't cut it. You might get someplace, but the absolute attention to the symmetrical development of all the muscles of the body takes a different level of concentration and effort. It isn't enough to sling around some weight. Each rep has to be committed towards the end goal of muscular perfection, and the harmonious integration with all the other muscle groups. Having a beach body does not a bodybuilder make. If you can't hit your back with the same intensity that you train your chest, you are just a weight lifter. I don't care how massive your biceps are if you walk on stilts. A bodybuilder's training regimine places equal emphasis on all body parts.

Third I would place supplementation. Supplementation is best used as a means to provide the extra nutritional edge that your normal diet just won't provide (unless you dine on exotic roots and bark as a habit). Can you be a bodybuilder without supplementation? Yes. A good one? Possibly... The best you can be? Nope. That is just it. You don't build your body on supplements, you refine it. You don't build a car around a fancy set of tail pipes, you build it on the frame. Nutrition is your frame, your supplementation is the chrome that gets it ready for show.

Now many of you are surely smoking in your seats. "But Andrew" you will spout, veins like garden hoses pulsing at the palpable stress in your collective voices "We are intense! I attack each workout with the rage of a thousand suns" to which I calmly reply "good." Truth is that Mindset is not first nor last. Mindset, intensity, focus, dedication... whatever you call it, is the glue that holds it all together. Your mindset is a part of you, by which you would succeed in anything you do. Mindset creates winners, no doubt about it. The right outlook is crucial to any activity, be it bodybuilding or pig farming. However, the right attitude that makes you a great bodybuilder would also make you a great soccer player, or pianist. What I'm trying to say is that mindset is needed, but great people have the ability to push themselves to limits that would crumple the average person. Do I find it to be a unique aspect to bodybuilding? Nah. I know lackluster people who bodybuild and get lackluster results. But they eat, train, and supplement like Ronnie Colman himself. In all rights they are bodybuilders. Get what I'm saying here people? Bodybuilding is a lifestyle, and anyone can wear the hat but mindset simply determines how far you go. Does it make it important? You betcha, but it isn't definitive to bodybuilding.


Bonus: Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? What are you least successful? How so? Why do you think you are successful in this?

Bonus time! Time to boast and roast... Where do I think I succeed? I would have to say that where I think I have the best luck at this point is the training. I will say that I came from a power lifting origin, and the training is what I know best. It is the part that I get the most immediate feedback from, and the part that brings me the most pride. The nutrition and supplementation is a little trickier. The things you eat today can affect your body an hour from now, a day from now, and a month from now. Wake up one morning and think "I look good, I wonder what supplement and food got me here?" ha ha ha... good luck following that trail of bread crumbs. I do the right things in my nutritional endevours, but this also becomes more tricky as I don't eat much meat (insert gasp of shock and repulsion here). Call it a handicap but I've cut a majority of meat out of my diet (for reasons too numerous to count and none of them are warm, fuzzy or tree hugging, I assure you). So this makes nutrition all the more difficult for me. Thank God I love a challenge!

[acespade21]

What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding? Why?

Firstly, I would have to place training as the MOST important. The reason for this is that without training, you can't succeed in bodybuilding, no matter what. Even if you're on steroids, you're not going to get the gains you want. Proper training means getting to the gym 3-5 times per week to avoid overtraining and getting what you came to do done. No sitting around talking and goofing around, no going to the water fountain 50 times between each set, just hardcore lifting and cardio workouts. Without training, your body is losing around 1% of your muscle mass per week. Studies have shown that training, even if it's done only once a week, can prevent muscle loss. Obviously, sitting around on your butt all day isn't going to get you anywhere, even if you're eating 50 egg whites for breakfast and emptying containers of whey.

Nutrition is the second most important aspect. Nutrition means providing your body with what it needs, and when it needs it. Without receiving adequate nutrition, you can just be packing on fat and gaining little to no muscle. A proper nutrition can take the gains that you're getting from training and multiply them. A proper nutrition includes getting enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats FROM THE RIGHT SOURCES to fuel your gains. Such sources include lean meats and dairy products for protein, simple sugars immediately following a workout, but complex carbs from whole grains any other time, and sources of "healthy fats" such as fish, flaxseed, olive oil, peanut butter, etc. Getting a proper nutrition is not only an important part of bodybuilding, but can also help anyone else lead a healthier, happier life, bodybuilder or not.

Supplementation is the third most important aspect. A supplement is defined as a nutrient or phytochemical supplied IN ADDITION to that which is obtained in the diet. This means that it's just the icing on the cake compared to getting a proper nutrition. However, proper supplementation can multiply your muscle gains even further. Proper supplementation includes getting whey protein, creatine, and simple sugars in your body immediately following your workout. Timing is one of the most crucial parts of supplementation because your muscles are more likely to use nutrients at certain times than they are at others. Using other supplements such as tribulus terrestris, Nitric Oxide, Casein Protein, CoQ10, and the proper amino acids can add to your gains and make you feel more energetic, too.

Mindset is the fourth most important aspect. Mindset is simply your mentality towards what you're doing. It holds your training, nutrition, and supplementation all together because it prevents you from quitting. A good mindset would be getting pumped to go lift, being creative towards what you eat, and not letting yourself skip workouts. A good mindset can keep you from getting bored at the gym and just going through the motions. However, even if you don't have a good mindset and are still lifting the same as you should be, you're still going to get the same gains. Similarly, you're still going to get the same nutrients from a protein bar whether you like it or not. A good mindset can be beneficial for you and can keep your training program from falling apart.

Bonus: Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? What are you least successful? How so? Why do you think you are successful in this?

I think I'm most successful in the nutrition aspect. I read a lot of nutrition articles from magazines and websites such as bodybuilding.com and they help me be successful in that area. I know my diet gives me a big edge over other lifters because I always have tons of energy, and I can see myself getting bigger as time progresses. My diet includes staying hydrated and getting enough lean meats like chicken, fish, and eggwhites. Whole grains are another important part of my diet because they provide you with vitamins and minerals, and keep your blood sugar levels constant. Oatmeal, wheat bread, whole grain cereals, whole grain waffles, etc. all provide me with these. Getting the "good" mono- and polyunsaturated fats are also part of my diet. Flaxseed, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, fish, olive oil, peanut butter, etc. all help me get these. These fats are important because they actually increase your metabolism and stop you from having a testosterone-lowering fat defecit in your diet. I'm least successful in the training area because I often get too busy with work. Some weeks I only have enough time to hit the gym once or twice, but I'm trying to find a way to reorganize my schedule to fit more sessions in.

[RippedJordanian]

Most Important Aspect of Bodybuilding

Training:
The most important aspect of Bodybuilding is training, period. You can be the most motivated, dedicated, person in the world who takes all the supplements on the market and eats a perfect diet and you won't make any progress without actually getting your butt into the gym and lifting those weights. Your muscles will not build themselves, popular to common belief if you drink a protein shake or take steroids and don’t lift weights don’t expect that scale to go up! You will always have a little protein moving around in your blood which will be used to build your muscle, but it won't get built without training. Training is stimulating the muscle and tearing it down so that the body builds it up again with bigger mass and stronger fibers this time so that it doesn’t rip as easily as before. That’s how your mass and strength gains are made.

Also contrary to popular belief, training is not going to the gym and squeezing out a few reps without even breaking into a sweat. That won't get you anywhere. The training I'm talking about is the hardcore pumping throbbing pain you will experience when you start to go into extreme lifting. Training should rely on these factors:
1. Most importantly, form: This is a factor so overlooked by beginners and uneducated teens who bicep bar curl and end up giving their back a workout. Form is the most important, you will have to sacrifice some weight, but remember, form is the only way you can hit those muscles and really make your muscles sore.
2. Second, weight: You wont get anywhere from lifting 5 pound dumbbells 100 times, lift heavy, reps not exceeding 12 and not less than 6 for mass. For strength, up to 8 reps. Put a weight where you are physically unable to do the last 1 or 2 reps alone, and need a spotter to give you a small push.
3. Pain: This is the only sport where pain is good! When your muscles start to burn, that’s when the exercise your doing starts to give results, and those last few reps when your muscle is burning and your body is screaming for you to stop, that’s when you'll gain the most. It's important to remember, however, that I'm talking about a specific pain. Not pain in your bones or joints or nerves, if that happens, STOP before you injure yourself! I'm talking about muscle burn.

For some extra info: [/url]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbmaintrain.htm[/url]
Proper Form + Heavy Weights + Pushing Past the Pain Barrier = Excellent Training

Nutrition:
The second most important aspect is nutrition. You want to make your body bigger. Your body is made of food. Then eating food would be the logical answer. Many teenagers and lifters alike overlook this crucial aspect. Where will the protein for your muscle come if you don’t eat it. Where will the calories for the building come if you don’t eat them? You should eat balanced meals with lots of protein and carbs, low fats, and 6-8 meals a day to keep your metabolism up. Without eating enough, and properly, your body will be unable to repair your muscle after you rip it when lifting and workout out. When you lift, you're tearing down muscle fibers. The body needs to repair them to make the muscle grow. That’s why one should eat properly and in high quantity. If you don’t eat and rest enough, you will run the serious risk of overworking and you will loose muscle mass! Eat 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of your body weight. About 2-3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Remember, if you don’t eat enough, you won't grow!

For some extra info: [/url]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbmainnut.htm[/url]
Eating Properly + Eating Constantly = Proper Diet

Mind Set:
Without devotion and dedication to the sport, you won't be able to do anything in bodybuilding. Mind set requires pushing past the pain during training, eating enough nutrition, keeping an optimistic attitude through plateaus and weak days where you feel depressed. It's important to have a powerful mindset to succeed in bodybuilding. Bodybuilding, unlike other sports, is a mind sport. Almost anyone has the genetic potential to have an extraordinary body, it's up to you to reach it through devotion and dedication to the sport. Other sports require skill and luck, over here; we rely purely on the mind! Consistincy is also an important factor, if you start missing out on your workouts, forget about reaching your goals. So stay devoted, here is a link to get you motivated when you feel depressed or down:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbmainmind.htm
Also, try watching lifting videos or looking at pictures that will get you pumped and ready to lift those weights!

Dedication +Consistency= Great Mindset

Supplementation:
Supplements are not usually found in your normal city diet and that’s why they are called supplements. Don’t over use supplements, it's important to use them properly to get the best results. Supplements are very important, don’t get me wrong, but they should be used as a booster, not as your body's main way of putting on muscle, because that won't work! Think of supplements like a sidekick to your body. They are very important for keeping your body in an anabolic (muscle building) state, and to prevent muscle loss during workouts, and to speed up the muscle gaining process. They are the extra decoration for your bodybuilding life. They will help you get to your limit quicker, and give you the extra edge, if you don’t overuse them. Many of today's supplements are overpriced and ineffective. That’s why you should research the supplements you get before buying them to see if they will work for you and if they are compatible with your individual medical problems or conditions. I also recommend looking in different stores to see the best price tag, because may supplements can be pretty expensive. Find the best deal for your supplements (mine is bodybuilding.com) before buying them. Supplements are important for any bodybuilder and most are completely safe, that’s why it’s a good idea to buy supplements if you want to work up to your potential.

Excellent Training + Proper Diet + Great Mindset + Safe Supplements = Safe Quick Bodybuilding to your full Potential!

There is also one aspect which is very important but isn’t in this topic, but I still feel I should talk about it. Sleep! I mean deep sleep at night, not a 1/2 hour nap. Try to sleep at least 8 hours every day because it builds muscle the muscle. Sleep is important for protein synthesis, muscle repair, and secretion of anabolic hormones. Remember to eat lots of protein before sleeping to keep your body in an anabolic state. Also, remember this, you only grow out of the gym!

BONUS:
Where I succeed?
I succeed most in training. I train high intensity, high volume workouts and beat my record every time. I also push through the pain for as long as I can until complete muscle failure and until I physically am unable to lift the bar another inch. But that’s just the beginning, I then do static training or x-reps by holding the bar in the middle of the exercise where the force is the strongest, and do a few mini-reps by vibrating my muscle. This gets an awesome pump and lights your muscle on fire! I am in the gym 4 days a week lifting like crazy with proper form and heavy weights. That’s what I think makes me a good bodybuilder, and that’s the aspect I excel most in.180 lb of pure muscle isnt easy within 4 months!

Where I'm not too good?
I think I suck in supplements. Not because I dislike supplements, or because I cant afford them, or because I forget about taking them. Mostly because my parents don’t allow me to take them (it sucks I know). They say they're not good based on rumors they hear from the rest of my family regardless of the thousands of internet articles I found on medical websites which assure them that whey protein powder is fine. I have no incentive to take anything else except vitamins and whey. But hey, it’s a challenge, and that’s what bodybuilding is about!

Thanks
Basil Beirouti

Contact me at: Dark_Knight_Basil@hotmail.com or send me a PM my account is rippedjordanian on the forums.

[VikingMan]

Bodybuilding: The endless pursuit of the perfect body. It’s interesting that we can be so all consumed with perfecting something that doesn’t last. After all, this piece of meat will one day be a pile of dust sitting in a wooden box six feet under. But while we’re here, if we’re going to do it and succeed, then it must be done right. And by far the most important factor in doing it right is your mindset, followed by nutrition, training, and supplementation.

Having an attractive, strong physique is something 99% of people would like. Ask anyone if they would like to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger and as long as they’re male, they are likely to respond, “Yes!” So why don’t more people look like Arnold? There are certainly enough training regiments that will achieve that goal for anyone interested. There is more than enough information out there about the right way to eat if this is what you want for your life. And there are enough supplements on the market to kill a whole ranch full of horses. The reason more people don’t look like Arnold? They simply don’t want it bad enough. The end result of looking like Arnold comes down to a simple question. Why? Why this and not that? Why put yourself through all this pain? Why deny yourself all the satisfaction of eating the way you want to? Why spend the time and money on this if that time and money can be spent elsewhere? If you can’t come up with a damn good response to those questions, then ultimately, something else will attract your time, attention, and money. The result? You will not look like Arnold. So those who succeed in achieving an awesome physique have a driving, burning answer to that simple question, why? All the training regiments, nutritional knowledge, and supplements in the world don’t mean anything if you don’t have enough motivation to apply them. It’s all about the mindset.

The second most important factor in achieving a god-like physique is nutrition. A first class training program will take you about 25% of the way to whatever goal you have. The rest of the way is made through giving your body the tools it requires to do what you are asking it to do. Would you get in a car with a quarter tank of gas and expect it to take you somewhere that requires a full tank? Not without filling up. And so it is with nutrition. If we do not give our bodies the basic building blocks to respond to the training we will put them through, they will only take us so far.

The third most important factor is training. All the best supplements in the world will not help you achieve your goals if you are not challenging yourself in ways that your body requires. We all have different genetics, and natural levels of capability. So it is imperative that we know our own bodies, as well as the right ways to train them. It is also important to understand that the training we did yesterday may or may not give us the same results tomorrow. The human body is a wonderful adapting machine, so at times, the way we challenge it must be changed to keep our body from stagnating.

The last factor is supplements. They are not insignificant, but they are deliberately last. Supplements can give you a little extra edge. Anyone who has used Creatine can attest to that fact. And sometimes, that little extra edge is all it takes to get that last rep, or five more pounds. So supplements cannot be underestimated. The most important though, is protein. It can be difficult to get one to two grams of protein per pound of body weight through eating regular food. And by far the most important substance our bodies need while in a weight training program is protein. So supplementing with Whey protein is extremely valuable.

In my own personal life, I am best at the mindset aspect of this whole game. My reason for being here? For working my butt off every week and choking down tuna, chicken and protein? For reading about training ideas and programs? Simple. I love the feeling that I am doing something right for my body. I love looking down at my arms, chest and legs and knowing that I am strong. I love going out into public and knowing that my arms are bigger than most guys out there. I love living a life that requires this level of discipline. I love that it makes my wife and my daughter feel secure, because they know that daddy cares about himself and that he is strong. I love that my friend’s kids love to come over to my house and play because I can toss them around like their daddies can’t. I just love being strong. It’s not so much about my goals, but what I must become to make it to my goals.

My area of weakness has been in training and nutrition. Until recently my training program was very haphazardly put together. I mostly trained by the seat of my pants. I would try to train every body part once a week, but there was no real thought given to the big picture, to where I was going, and where I was coming from. So recently I have begun studying about different training ideas and principles and programs. I am about to start a new program that is very well tailored to my specific body and level of training. Nutrition was never something I really thought much about till I started talking to another body builder I work with. He is a monster. He can bench 450, squat 550 and deal lift 650. He would tell me that nutrition is 60% of my results. I have since come to agree with him. So my nutrition is starting to look a lot better. I am cutting out bad fats, simple carbs, and upping my intake of EFAs, complex carbs and protein. The effect was almost instantaneous. I saw a tangible difference in my body within days.

In closing, I’d like to reiterate the importance of mindset. It is the choices that we make on a daily basis that define who we are. If we can find a way to make better choices, we can pump out a whole new definition of ourselves. And all that comes down to a simple question. Why?

[Fit_Femme]

Nutrition, training, supplementation and mindset are all important aspects of succeeding in bodybuilding, but some are more important than others. What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding? Why?

Mindset is by far the most important aspect of bodybuilding. The proper "bodybuilding" mindset includes dedication, motivation, patience, perseverance, and plain old willpower. If you have only these tools, you have everything that you need to be an ultimate success in bodybuilding. The proper mindset will give you the awareness to question what you see, read, and think you already know. This will ensure your continual mental growth, as well as physical. Having the proper mindset will drive you to research and educate yourself about the sport, directly correlating into superb training, nutrition and supplementation. If the dedication and drive are there, the training sessions will be intense and the diet will be in perfect balance to a bodybuilder’s training demands and physique goals.

List in order the importance of nutrition, training, supplementation and mindset. Include detail about the importance of each.

1. Mindset (see above response)
2. Training – While it’s true that without proper nutrition, a bodybuilder won’t ever reach his/her full potential and see the best results, I believe training is a higher priority. If the diet is there but the training is not, the results won’t come at all!
3. Nutrition – A close second to training, most bodybuilders don’t realize that with proper nutrition all the time, they will yield 20-50% better gains and much faster results. In addition, many beginning bodybuilders have only started to delve into the basics of bodybuilding nutrition. It becomes an extremely complicated and scientific issue, but the more you learn, the far better and faster your gains can be made.
4. Supplementation – The “icing on the cake,” so to speak, would be supplementation. With proper implementation of proven-effective supplements, a bodybuilder can complete his/her entire program and have a well-rounded and highly effective strategy.

Bonus: Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? What are you least successful? How so? Why do you think you are successful in this?

I believe that I am equally successful in all aspects of bodybuilding. There were times when I was just starting out that this was definitely not the case. Only through education and research, as well as fine-tuning my program, was I able to balance all aspects of bodybuilding. However, I am still and always will be learning more about training, nutrition and supplementation, because I believe that in this sport, no matter how much you know, you can never know enough.

[Shinobi101]

What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding?

TRAINING.. It is the most important aspect of bodybuilding.. If you want to improve your body you have to train.. You can't expect to achieve your goals if you won't work for it, you cant expect to have a great physique without training..
Train yoursef depending on your goals.. If you want to lose fat, then do some cardio.. If you wanna get big, have big muscles lift weights.. I strongly believe on strict and proper form and the proper volume when lifting weights.. I learned that the worst way.. I got myself an injury.. When i first began to lift weights, i was all excited on lifting heavy poundages and didn't use proper form which eventually lead to an injury.. So lessen your weights so that you could achieve ur desired reps with proper form and not using momentum on lifting the weights.. but sometimes it would help to do some cheat sets.. and when you're training bring some friends with you or make some friends on the gym.. it could get you motivated by being mutual competitors and they could also help by being your spotter and you his spotter..

Train hard.. Train the right way and give it all your best.. Soon you'll be able to achieve your goals..


MINDSET.. Mindset would be second for me.. You should have dedication on your training.. You must put your heart and mind on achieving your goals.. You should prepare yourself mentally towards your training.. Educate yourself on bodybuilding.. its not just a sport but also a science.. Experiment on things you've never done before and see if its effective or not.. Continue to educate yourself.. Dedication on bodybuilding will let you achieve a great body.. and put all your dedication and knowledge into action.. u cant achieve a great body by just being dedicated and having knowledge.. there should be application also.. Be consistent on your training and diet..


NUTRITION.. Diet would be the third.. not the "diet" that you would not eat.. But proper diet.. Eating the right amount of calories a day and divide it onto six small meals.. Getting most of the carbs on your first two meals 'coz that would fuel your day.. I think diet would be the most important thing to consider if you're already huge.. But that does not apply to most people..


SUPPLEMENTATION.. it would be the last thing for me.. You'll acquire muscles even if your not using supplements...
BUT.. If you want to achieve the best of the best results at the shortest of the shortest of time.. Then consider buying some supplements.. Supplements helps you achieve your goals.. It only helps not get you there.. Well, that is.. for me.. Using supplements are best than not using supplements.. It really.. and i do mean REALLY helps..


Bonus: Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? What are you least successful? How so? Why do you think you are successful in this?

I would say least successful for me is the diet&supplements.. i don't cook the meals so i cant decide what to eat.. and supplements.. supplements are hard to find in our place and is expensive.. im still a student.. cant afford on buying all those big-time supplements..

I'm most sucessful at training and mindset.. Training.. i would've suck at training if it wasn't for my injury.. i'm not saying "go get yourself an injury to be successful in training".. Its just that when i had my injury.. It let me see the light.. hehehehe.. I learned proper form due to that injury.. Mindset.. i always mentally prepare myself before any workout.. i've seek knowledge about bodybuilding mostly on magazines and www.bodybuilding.com which is the best site on the web about bodybuilding.. i've always been dedicated on the bodybuilding since i got real serious on it..





P.S.

Stick with your program for awhile.. Don't change your old one for the new program that you'll discover.. Stick with it for at least 3 months..

TRAIN, EAT, SLEEP (repeat)

Thanks,
Shinobi101

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What Is The Most Important Aspect Of Bodybuilding?

Bodybuilding is not a sport that you just wake up one day and decide you want to try. This sport takes years of sweat, tears and blood. Bodybuilding is only for the hardcore athlete; the kind of athlete that tells them self that no matter what they will succeed. These athletes realize it takes countless hours of training, mountains and mountains of the proper food, a good nights sleep and above all else dedication to reign superior in their world.

Diet, training, dedication, sleep, etc. are all important aspects of succeeding in bodybuilding, but some are more important than others.

What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding? Why?

List in order the importance of sleep, diet, and training. Include detail about the importance of each.

#1 Dedication
Without a doubt the number one most important aspect of bodybuilding is dedication.
Dedication is such a key aspect of bodybuilding because without it you’re planning to fail. You need to have enough motivation to get your ass in the gym no matter how you feel or what’s got you down, and lift. You need to be motivated enough to get in there and pump out rep after rep until you have nothing left to give. Dedication does not just strike in the gym. You need to have enough dedication to refuse alcohol when out with you’re friends because you know it will just hinder your gains. Also, setting aside time each day to make food for the following day can be pretty monotonous, but has to be done. Building a body worthy of statues takes time. It takes years and years of persistence and an attitude that says no matter what tomorrow brings I will be in the gym training likes it’s my last day on earth.

#2 Diet
The second most important aspect is diet. The diet is what separates the bodybuilders from the fitness enthusiast, the men from the boys, the hardcore from the…. well… weak. Your diet is what decides how much mass you will be putting on, and more importantly what kind of mass. The diet of a bodybuilder takes mounds of self-control and discipline; it’s nearly impossible to stay consistent with all the micronutrients you need to be stuffing down each and every meal. Your diet is so important because what you eat fuels your body with what it needs to grow. For example, carbs give your body the energy to keep pushing and protein helps repair those muscles. There are tons of other nutrients your body needs to receive from food too.

#3 Training
Thousands of hours put in through trial and error to determine what your body responds to. As a bodybuilder you put in theses hours with one goal in mind, being the largest most ripped freak on stage. Your training needs to be serious and intense. Your muscles won’t grow without proper stimulation; you only get this stimulation through a good workout routine. You need to be lifting huge weights with strict form while also hitting cardio to make sure you are as lean as possible. Being a bodybuilder you need a good solid split to make sure every week you’re hitting each muscle group as hard as you possibly can to ensure maximum growth.

#4 Sleep
Sleep is an aspect that most people look at as unimportant. Without a proper sleep your body has no time to recover. Muscle grows when we sleep, and if we know that muscle grows when we sleep why do we not think sleep is an important aspect of bodybuilding? For most of us it could be that balancing a career along with a life, family, diet and training is hard to all fit into one day. So where could we find time to sleep? The simple fact is, though, bodybuilding is your life. You have to be willing to sacrifice everything for those 8 hours of sleep every night.

#5 Supplements
Supplements are a nice way to help give your body that extra boost. Weather it’s using some no2 to extend that pump or some whey to get in some extra protein every now and then. Supplements are a nice addition to any bodybuilder’s diet; they do everything from speed recovery to increasing your metabolism. Make sure you know however, supplements are a great addition to any diet, not a substitute. Supplements are not needed to see gains in the gym, but when added to your daily routine can definitely help speed things up.

Bonus: Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? Least successful? How so?

I personally succeed most in my training. I love training. Hitting the iron and setting new personal records is the greatest feeling in the world. I live for the pump and will put in as many hours as it takes to get it.

Where do I fail? I fail at having a consistent high protein clean diet. I just love fast food and find myself cheating almost every few days. I know it’s no excuse but with my current schedule at work I have no time to eat. That will all change soon enough.

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What is the most important aspect of bodybuilding? Why?


Mindset


To my way of thinking, mindset is certainly most important aspect of bodybuilding. Mind is most powerful tool in human body. Good mindset can create a successful bodybuilder from a skinny kid, while poor mindset can destroy already good one. You must have a clear vision of you as bodybuilder. Simple – if you want to be one, you must think like one. You must love what you are doing if you want to achieve something. Think about all current sport legends such as Michael Jordan in basketball, Tiger Woods in golf and Arnold Schwarzenegger in bodybuilding also many other great athletes. Do you think any of them achieved this level without absolute dedication to their sport and unimaginable motivation? I don’t think so…


Reason that I choose mindset over another three is simple. You just can’t train, eat and supplement properly without a right mindset. You can’t achieve a decent training if you have no motivation to train intensely. It’s impossible to achieve a good shape if you don’t understand the way exercises works. If you don’t have true dedication to bodybuilding, you will always find an excuse to skip few last reps, set or even a workout. Consistency is a key to success in bodybuilding. You will never push yourself to the limit. Training without mind just does not work.


And how about nutrition? It’s probably toughest part of success in bodybuilding. Eating old canned tuna and tasteless chicken breast all year round is certainly not the easiest thing to do. Avoiding certain food all the time is even more exhausting. You see your friends eating burgers and drinking coke while you are trying to push another bowl of oats towards your stomach. Without a doubt it’s mentally hard. Very few can handle this without fall downs. I don’t believe that anybody could do such sacrifice for fun. It’s tough, it requires much willpower and dedication, but results will come in time. It’s a part of the game, part of success…


Setting goals is another part of mind game. You are less likely to succeed if you don’t have clear goals and clear vision of yourself in future. It’s impossible to achieve a good physique with chaotic training and lack of plans. Also choosing somebody better than you is also beneficial. You should have ideal in everything you do. It could be famous bodybuilder with similar body type as yours.


Learning from your mistakes is another essential part of way towards success. Failure at anything and anytime should not discourage you. It should stimulate you to reach perfection and your goals even more.


A few tips for success in mental part of bodybuilding:


• Vision – Try to establish a clear vision from the first day you hit the gym. “I want to be a champion bodybuilder and no one can stop me from achieving my goal”. You won’t achieve anything if you are always hesitating and you are not sure what you want.


• Motivation – You should keep yourself motivated as much as you can. Don’t let motivation fade away, always encourage yourself to train. Watching movies and pictures of great bodybuilders surely helps at this case.


• Setting Goals – You should set goals for everything! From the very first workout – think about your future. You should set long-term goals and then divide them into shorter periods. You should also be wise when you set a goal. It should be realistic and achievable. You don’t want to discourage yourself with failure.


• Learn from your mistakes – As I mentioned above – it’s very important part of bodybuilding. You should always try to avoid your previous mistakes. You are less likely to succeed if you repeat same mistakes over and over again.


• Muscle and Mind – One of keys to success in your workouts is mind and muscle connection. You should practice to feel every muscle when you train. You should think about the muscle and not about weight. Only then you will be capable to push yourself to the limit.


List in order the importance of nutrition, training, supplementation and mindset. Include detail about the importance of each.


Training


Training in bodybuilding is definitely most important subject after a proper mindset. Once you decide that you want to succeed in bodybuilding – you just need to train with weights to achieve a decent shape. In bodybuilding contestants are judged by muscular development and training with weights is best and fastest way to build your body. Weightlifting ignites muscle growth and improves many functions of your body. Everyone is very individual so you must choose your training wisely. You should understand your body composition and specifications of it. Once you start training, you should focus on these aspects of weightlifting:


• Exercises, Sets, Reps – Unless you don’t have a strong base, I recommend doing mainly free weight compound type exercises with low sets and low reps. They involve many muscle groups and are good mass builders. Best compound exercises for mass:

Chest – Bench Press, Dumbbell Press

Shoulders – Military Press

Bicep – Barbell Curls, Dumbbell Curls

Tricep – Close Grip Bench Press, Dips

Back – Barbell Rows, Deadlifts

Legs – Squats


Concentrate on isolation exercises only when you will have a solid package of mass. Then you should involve more isolation exercises with machines to shape the muscle. You should also increase number of sets and reps, because it’s risky to do isolation exercises with heavy weights. These movements are not natural to the body and unusual to your joints, so you will be more injury prone.

You should also focus on technique instead of heavier weight. Cheating sometimes helps to go over a plateau, but it should be only rare way of training. Full range of motion is also very important if you want to achieve maximum muscle stimulation. Negative phase of exercise is even more important because you recruit most muscle fibers when you lower the weight. Muscle contraction is also a thing to be looked at.

Recovery time must be adequate to your workouts. If you train very intensely you might need even 5-7 days to fully recover after a workout. However it should be judged very individually. Just make sure that you recover properly before you hit the gym next time.


• Cardio Exercises – Without a doubt cardio has many benefits, which are sometimes under looked. Cardio improves your cardiovascular health, muscle endurance, recovery time, it also increases metabolic rate. Cardio exercises helps while losing fat. You increase metabolic rate and burn more calories while exercising. Duration and intensity of a best cardio workout is still very discussable aspect in bodybuilding. I believe that short and intense cardio workouts are best for maximum fat loss, muscle preservation and overall health.

I would recommend doing 3-4 cardio workouts a week. Workout should last 20-30 minutes and should be intense enough.

If possible you should do your cardio workout when you have off day from gym. In worst case you can do both workouts same day, but you should be sure that your recuperation time is sufficient.



• Injury Prevention – Stretching exercises and light weight acclimation sets are essential if you want to stay joint and muscle injury free. You should do stretching exercises for all muscle groups before and after every workout. You should also avoid exercises like “Behind the Neck Presses” and “Chins behind the neck” because they put enormous stress on a shoulder joint. There are many better substitutes.

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Nutrition


Even if I’ve put nutrition to third place, it’s live or die thing when we are talking about nutrition in bodybuilding. When you are training hard, your body needs sufficient amount of energy and enough raw materials. Providing that energy and raw materials is the role of nutrition. Nutrition involves learning how to bulk up and then get lean. Nobody and I say nobody had ever won a bodybuilding competition without a proper view to diet. Nutrition is not less important than training.


Good nutrition starts with understanding the role and usage of basic nutrients:


• Protein – It’s organic compound composed of various amino acids. It’s essential to a structure and function of all living cells. Protein is building material of muscle. When digested it’s broken down to amino acids. Protein is probably most important nutrient for a bodybuilder because it’s used by the body to build, repair and maintain your muscle. However it’s a big difference between sources of protein. Some foods don’t have complete amino acid composition, it’s not best for muscle growth, while others have poor bioavailability and are not usable by the body so well.


Good sources of protein for a bodybuilder: Egg Whites, Tuna, Lean Beef, Chicken Breast, Cottage Cheese, Milk. Generally these products contains maximum amount of high quality protein with minimum amount of fats and carbohydrates.


Bodybuilders might need a lot more protein than average person with low activity levels. I recommend getting at least 1.5gr of protein for 1 Lbs. of bodyweight. You should get about 20%-30% your daily calorie intake of protein.


• Carbohydrates – They’re body’s primary and most easily digestibly source of energy. Often bodybuilders try to avoid carbohydrates, because they are paranoid that carbs are stored as fat. That’s certainly a silly approach to bodybuilding. When you are training, you exploit loads of energy and carbs are best source to get that energy from. I would suggest a high carbohydrate diet. You should get 50%-60% your daily calorie intake of carbohydrates.


However not all carbs are good to use. Commonly they are divided into simple (sugar) and complex carbohydrates. Also they are sorted out by glycemic index. Usually by high and low GI. Bodybuilders should use more complex, low glycemic index carbs. They provide steady energy for a long amount of time. Although simple, high GI carbs are good for post workout glycogen stores replenishment.


Good sources of complex carbohydrates: Oats, Potatoes, Brown Rice, Pasta, Beans, Vegetables. Fruits contain simple carbs but they are good of high fibre content, you should include some fruits in your nutrition regimen.


• Fats – They are most energy dense of all macronutrients. While 1gr of protein and carbs provide 4kcal, 1gr of fat provides 9kcal. Fats in the body serve few functions. They provide stored energy (body fat), fat protects major organs, it also acts as insulator preserving body heat. They should contain about 20% of your daily calorie intake.


You shouldn’t avoid fats completely because they are responsible for many important functions of your body, they also regulates normal muscle growth. Good sources of fat are: Fish, Nuts, Sunflower Oil, Soybean Oil, Flaxseed Oil.



• Water – Water is main component of our bodies. Body is made from up to 60% of water and muscle is composed of 72% of water. Proper hydration is extremely important to a bodybuilder because it clears out toxins, helps metabolize fat and reduces fluid retention. You should drink at least 1 gallon of water a day. You can take even more if you are cutting or taking creatine.


• Vitamins – Vitamins and Minerals are other important nutrients for our body. Our organism neither would function properly without adequate doses of vitamins and minerals. You should always get required dose of B complex vitamins, Biotin, Folate, Vitamin C, A, D, E, K. Minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Iodine, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Chromium. Any deficiencies can cause serious problems. You should be aware of overdosing some vitamins and minerals too.


Conclusion – If you want to succeed in this sport you just must understand the role and importance of macronutrients. But probably most important thing is your total daily calorie intake. You should be very careful with it. If you will eat less calories than your body uses, you will lose weight. If you will eat way more calories than your body needs – you will store fat. You need to find balance when your body gains maximum amount of muscle and stores minimum amount of fat. It’s tough but manageable task. Good Luck!


Supplementation


At last, we came to the last point. Supplements! It’s not essential part of bodybuilding but if you enhance your already good training routine, nutrition program, and dedicated body with wise supplementation, you can achieve incredible, tremendous results! Sport supplements are getting more popular every day. Perhaps every person in nowadays world has heard about creatine. And why it’s got so popular? Because it simply works. Thousands athletes already experienced effect of good supplementation. Some skeptical people might say – you don’t need to use any supplements if your diet is already good. But supplements can really make your progress and goals come faster. I will list few most popular and effective supplements in a market today.


• Protein Powders – Bodybuilders needs really high dosages of protein and it get’s hard to get all protein from raw food. Then protein shake comes into play. Whey is probably most popular protein today. It's digested very quickly, that’s very good for post workout nutrition. Bioavailability is also very high, so everything makes whey as best source of protein. My favorite whey protein is Optimum 100% Whey Protein.


• Creatine – Creatine Monohydrate caused revolution in sport supplement industry. Few years ago it was probably most powerful legal and natural supplement in the world. Everybody got good results, but however creatine is absorbed poorly and a new invention was made. Creatine Ethyl Ester is same creatine with ester attached. It greatly improves absorption. I would recommend CEE to every person who is training with weights. My favorite creatine is Higher Power Creatine Ethyl Ester.


• Amino Acids – Amino Acids will always be one of the best supplements for bodybuilder. They aid in growth, recovery and repair of lean muscle tissue. Organism can always benefit of some extra aminos given to him. I would especially accentuate BCAA’s. In my opinion it’s best supplement after creatine. When taken before and after a workout they prevents protein breakdown, prevents muscle damage, loss of glutamine. My favorite BCAA’s product is SciVation Xtend. Glutamine and HMB is also worth trying products.


• Multivitamin – As I mentioned above, vitamins and minerals are absolutely essential part of your nutrition. If you don’t get amounts you need you are not reaching your best potential. Good multivitamin should always be a part of your supplements stack. My favorite multi is Universal Animal Pak.

• Nitric Oxide (NO2) – It’s a quite new product in a market, but it already became very popular. It promotes crazy pumps and lean mass gain. It increases blood flow to muscle and more nutrients are delivered. If you like that extreme pump – I would certainly recommend nitric oxide product to you. My favorite NO2 product is Controlled Labs White Blood


• Testosterone Boosters – Testosterone levels starts to decline when you are over 25 and by that time you should consider trying a good natural testosterone booster. It may raise your strength and improve performance at gym tremendously. Main ingredient in all testosterone boosters is herb tribulus terrestris. Some product come along with stimulants which may increase alertness and focus to hit the weights harder. My favorite testosterone booster is Diesel Test.


Bonus: Which aspect of bodybuilding are you most successful in? What are you least successful? How so? Why do you think you are successful in this?


It’s hard to answer this question. I always try to reach the best I can at every aspect of bodybuilding. I don’t separate mindset, training, nutrition and supplementation. All these parts combine a success in bodybuilding. I don’t neglect any of them. I would say that I’m quite successful in all 4 big things. Why? Because I really love bodybuilding. I enjoy what I do. I’m not a lazy person and I’ve quite motivated. So even a strictest diet wouldn’t be a problem for me.

However we all have some weaknesses. So probably I’m least successful in sleeping. I always found it hard to go to bed early. Sometimes, when I delay my jobs and I go to sleep even later. It surely affects my gains. Sometimes I miss my last meal and it’s certainly not the best thing to do. Usually I’m out of mood and tired on mornings. Things get better when I get afternoon nap, but it don’t fully compensate what I’ve lost at night... This is aspect that I definitely need to improve soon.