Getting Started with Bodybuilding on the Right Foot: The Beginner's Guide

Bodybuilding is a resistance sport, meaning that the use of additional weights creates a given resistance on a muscle. The stress caused leads to adaptation through muscle hypertrophy. with strength gains. This adaptation of the body is progressive as long as you continue to train regularly. This is measured in days, months, years, and decades of sports practice. Creating physiological stress means that the muscle will have suffered some minor damage to the fibers themselves and that it adapts by becoming stronger and more massive. Let's say that these are the basics of this strength sport. And to get started with bodybuilding, we will review the main training principles that will allow you to gain muscle and become stronger gradually. Indeed, we will review certain basic principles and rules that will allow you to start bodybuilding on a good basis.

As a beginner, what are the main principles related to bodybuilding?

Strength training is based on principles that may seem simple to bodybuilding beginners . However, there are many training methods and exercises. Many data can be taken into account: volume, intensity, type of exercises, techniques and programs… Let’s try to keep it simple, however… let’s say that there are three main methods: Full Body training, which involves working all the muscles of the body in a single session. Then comes Half Body, which involves training the upper body during a strength training session and the lower body the following session. The third method is called “Split” from the English “separate into several parts”. This means that a specific muscle group (or two groups) will be trained during each workout.

Generally, one major muscle group and one minor muscle group are worked in the same exercise session. The major muscle groups are the pectorals, back, shoulders and thighs. The muscle groups considered minor (or smaller) are the biceps, triceps, calves, abdominals. Let us specify that it is rather a question of separating the groups with the greatest number of muscles from those with fewer rather than establishing any hierarchy, which would not make sense. You must naturally know these few obvious facts in order to start bodybuilding on solid foundations. But before all these rules, it is obvious that you must begin each training session with a good warm-up .

Naturally, you can perfectly combine a major and a minor muscle group in the same physical training session, just as you can focus on a single muscle per session. Conversely, you can reduce the number of exercises and work all the muscles; this is the Full Body technique. You can also work the upper body in one workout and train the lower body during the next session. This is called Half Body strength training.

Full Body and Half Body, under what circumstances should these methods be adopted?

To determine under what circumstances Full Body and Half Body training methods can be practiced by bodybuilders, it is necessary to determine two important concepts related to bodybuilding training: the intensity and volume of exercises. It is obvious that a Full Body training will not contain as many exercises for the same muscle group as a Split training. This means that the volume (number of exercises and repetitions) and intensity of this type of training is not comparable with training a single muscle group (or two) per training session. Indeed, if you work the entire body in a single exercise session, it is not possible to do three exercises per muscle group. Conversely, it is entirely possible to do this with a Split training program. Generally, the most advanced bodybuilders work in Split but they can also do Full or Half Body, depending on their athletic goals and physical condition.

• Full Body Workout : One (6 to 8 exercises/session) or two exercises per muscle group
• Half Body Workout : One to two upper body exercises then two to three lower body exercises the following week.
• Split training : 3 to 4 exercises per muscle group per session.

In this sense, it is entirely possible for beginners to intelligently introduce themselves to a Full Body training program for a certain period of time. This type of sports method will allow athletes to learn many strength training exercises by gradually working on mastering the movements. Then, Half Body will allow you to divide the upper and lower body, which will make athletes understand the importance of good thigh training. Subsequently, after one or two years in Full Body or Half Body, a Split program can very well be established. But in all cases, beginners should be surrounded by a coach or professional trainer. Note that it is also possible to start from the first session with Split training. Start by discussing it with your coach, who will decide based on your goals and your initial physical condition. It is entirely possible to develop your short-, medium-, and long-term strength training program based on your athletic goals.

What strength training exercises should be done first?

As for the strength training exercises themselves, we divide them into two broad categories: multi-joint exercises and single-joint exercises. In this case, these are isolation exercises. Multi-joint exercises are part of basic movements like the bench press, squat, or deadlift.

These exercises, as their name suggests, involve multiple muscle groups. For example, the bench press not only involves the pectorals but also the deltoids, triceps, and trapezius muscles. The squat primarily works the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Multi-joint exercises are often considered essential for strength development .

Conversely, isolation exercises only work a single muscle, such as the biceps and triceps, but also the calves and hamstrings. A well-designed training program should prioritize basic multi-joint exercises. However, isolation exercises cannot be overlooked when it comes to bodybuilding. This is obvious because the triceps and biceps can only be trained separately with curls or extensions. Prioritizing basic or multi-joint exercises is important, but you shouldn't neglect isolation exercises if you want to achieve a complete physique. Getting started with bodybuilding is therefore not as easy as it seems. Above all, it requires a little common sense, reflection, and support from competent professionals.

Start bodybuilding with better exercises than others?

From a formal point of view, bodybuilding is about developing muscle mass and therefore, incidentally, about developing physical strength . However, it is not a purely strength sport but a sporting activity for body aesthetics. Thus, gaining muscle strength should serve muscle hypertrophy and not the other way around. You must understand that it is not the weight lifted that will develop your physique but the physiological stress you impose on it. Obviously, lifting weights that are too light will not effectively stimulate hypertrophy or muscle strength.

Conversely, handling weights that are too heavy will significantly increase the risk of injury without any direct correlation to increased muscle mass. You need to know these details to start bodybuilding based on the correct principles. From there, it will be a matter of establishing an exercise program that takes into account strength gain and muscle development. Basic exercises like the bench press and squat should be part of every training program, but isolation exercises should also be present. With these fundamentals in mind, nothing is simpler than starting bodybuilding on the right foot. Therefore, we recommend establishing your training program based on the exercises below.

Working your pecs isn't just about the bench press, although it's a good basic exercise

1. Bench press for strength with effective multi-joint work
2. The incline bench press to stimulate your pecs at a different angle than the bench press
3. The lying or inclined spread to train the pectorals in isolation and according to their natural adduction movement
4. Crossover to modify the angles of attack and continue chest isolation

The bench press  is a good basis for training the upper body, the pectorals, shoulders and triceps in particular. However, don't make it an obsession with every workout. Instead, think about varying your exercises so as not to fall into a counterproductive routine. The incline bench press allows you to locate the upper pectoral a little more precisely, but in a relatively limited way. On the other hand, the lying (or incline) flyes as well as the Crossover are excellent isolation exercises. They allow you to isolate the pectoral on its fundamental movement of adduction of the shoulder forward. Don't neglect these two exercises; try to include them often in your training program.

Back training relies as much on pulls as on rows

1. The high pulley bar pull, a basic exercise for training the width of the latissimus dorsi and all the back muscles
2. The rowing machine or low pulley, the second basic exercise to obtain better thickness of the back muscles
3. The T bar row, a classic back exercise to optimize the mass of the back and the smaller muscles of this important muscle group

The first exercise, the high pulley bar row, more or less replaces the fixed bar row with the advantage of being able to vary the load lifted, unlike the fixed bar where it is a question of lifting the body weight. Rowing exercises will work on the thickness of the lats, even if it is an approximation. It is true that pulling exercises will stimulate the width of the latissimus dorsi, while rowing focuses on thickness. However, these are fairly relative considerations.

Shoulder training, a muscle group too often neglected by bodybuilding beginners

1. The barbell neck press, an essential basic exercise for working the mass of the deltoids on the three heads, anterior, medial and posterior
2. Dumbbell lateral raises, the standard exercise for focusing stress on the medial deltoids
3. Front raises, also a great classic that works the front part of the deltoids
4. Dumbbell raises, a dumbbell exercise that can replace the neck press, giving you a slightly greater range of motion than using a barbell.

Deltoid training is unfortunately one of the muscle groups most often overlooked by beginners. This is a real shame because well-developed shoulders, combined with a very slim waist, will give your physique impressive width. Among the most important multi-joint exercises for the shoulders, the barbell overhead press or dumbbell raises will allow you to gain mass and volume on all three deltoid bundles. When you're starting out, don't waste too much time on the rear deltoids. After a few years of training, there will always be time to work them using a specific isolation exercise, on a bench or a reverse peck deck.

Biceps and triceps exercises, muscle isolation for maximum arm muscle growth to get you started in bodybuilding

1. The curl is a classic biceps workout. It can be performed bilaterally with a barbell or unilaterally with dumbbells. Most biceps isolation exercises are variations of the curl.
2. Vary the angles by using benches like the Larry Scott or the bars on the low pulley to stimulate the biceps in a more varied way
3. Just like with the biceps, angle variations allow you to work all three heads of the triceps in a balanced way if you vary the exercises: low pulley extension, dumbbell extensions behind the neck, extensions lying on the bench, etc.

As you've probably guessed, arms are isolated with specific strength training exercises. Bicep curls and tricep extensions are isolation exercises. Angle variations should be favored, as should curling exercises behind the body (grab curls on an incline bench) or in front of the body by bringing the forearms forward (like the Larry Scott, for example).

The development of the thighs and quadriceps in particular responds well to basic exercises such as the squat or the Hack Squat

1. The squat is an essential multi-joint exercise for developing your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.
2. The leg press is a machine that can be interesting for diversifying exercises and increasing the total training volume, but the high loads can pose a significant risk of injury for beginners.
3. The Hack Squat is a squat variation that is particularly effective at stimulating quadriceps hypertrophy.
4. The “Leg Extension” or leg bench is a quadriceps isolation exercise that is particularly useful for effectively warming up the thighs or for increasing the intensity of a workout at the end of a session.

Thigh training is often overlooked by bodybuilding beginners. However, a physique will never be complete without strong, voluminous thighs. While the squat is one of the best quadriceps exercises, the Hack Squat, an incline version of the classic squat, is also very effective. The leg press is also a machine that can serve as a good exercise for developing the quadriceps. The “Leg Extension” is the only quadriceps isolation exercise, and it deserves to be practiced frequently. Over time, don't forget to work the hamstrings; here too, effective isolation machines will help you. Developing the hamstrings will then allow you to gain strength and volume in the quadriceps.

Starting bodybuilding on the right foot requires you to know which exercises will help you progress the most.

Aside from these useful considerations for bodybuilding beginners, you shouldn't forget to work your abs frequently with specific exercises such as planks or crunches, for example. Naturally, targeted lower back work will be just as essential. Abs and lower back muscles complement each other. You can also train your calves twice a week to maintain a good balance with your quadriceps.

We will then have the opportunity to review the different bodybuilding methods, allowing you to develop your training program (push-pull method, etc.) in order to obtain the greatest possible benefits from your sports sessions. Be patient and consistent in establishing a serious training program with your coach. This is the only way you will obtain rapid results in strength and muscle mass. Also consider some useful accessories that are not actually useful. I am talking to you for example about elastic bands used in bodybuilding. The stress they impose on the muscles worked is very interesting because it is completely different and complementary to work with bars and dumbbells.

In any case, you can tell yourself that starting bodybuilding is not necessarily easy when you are a novice. Rely on the initial advice given in this article and on those of a qualified and competent coach. Bodybuilding is a complex sport, which is based on biomechanical rules that seem simple but which take time to be mastered. Do not practice exercises that you do not know, you risk injuring yourself. Be patient and do not get discouraged, bodybuilding is a long-term sport but whose benefits are infinite and last throughout your life.

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