by Carl Marshall

Created on: June 24, 2009   Last Updated: November 07, 2010

Bodybuilding is never complicated. There are those in the fitness industry, who may attempt to make people believe there are magic workouts, miracle powders and secrets which only they know about. Shortcuts or secrets to success in bodybuilding, are in the realms of myth. It's about patience, discipline and hard work.

First of all, when considering embarking on a body building program, it is advisable to have your overall health and fitness level assessed by a professional. Someone who is very unfit and carrying a lot of fat in the abdominal region, should spend a few months working on cardiovascular fitness. This will improve aerobic capacity and make resistance training more manageable.

In order for muscles to increase in size, the muscles need to be stressed. For someone in their first year of training, there should be an increase in the amount of weight being lifted each week. After a year, a better approach is to try to shock the muscles by changing your workouts. This means changing the number of sets, reps, the order of the exercises, etc.

For bodybuilding success, diet is the most important factor. It is best to eat five or six meals a day, as this provides the body with a steady supply of nutrients in quantities it can deal with.

Protein

This is required for muscles to recover and grow. The best sources are poultry, red meat, fish, eggs and milk. Approximately one kilogram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight should be consumed, each day.

Carbohydrate

There are two different types of carbohydrates, slow release and fast release. The slow release type is the one which should be eaten in high quantities. Rice and wholegrain are the best sources. This is where the energy comes from. Overall, three times as much slow release carbohydrates as protein should be consumed. The fast release carbohydrates, are the sugars, such as those found in fruit or which are added to food. Most people take in too much of these, don't worry about not getting enough, as this is unlikely as long as you eat sensibly. The best time for the fast release sugars to be consumed is just after a workout where they are converted into fuel for the muscles.

Fats

As with sugars, don't be too concerned about not getting enough, as these are in most foods. Make sure you eat plenty of oily fish, to satisfy your requirements for omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is good for the joints and helps keep the cardiovascular system healthy.

Vitamins and minerals

Eat as many vegetables as you want, there

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