Most guys who hit the gym aspire to get big. They see pictures of guys online, or even in their own gym, and aspire to be like them— they want to be bodybuilders. So they start copying the workouts of these big guys. Then they go online and buy all the supplements they’re told to take. Yet the years go by and their gains are minimal. So they feel dejected and give up entirely.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. The problem is that most guys want to become bodybuilders overnight, but it’s just not going to happen like that. There are no quick fixes or magic bullets here. It’s something that takes years, and it’s a lifestyle that a person needs to adopt.
The Most Important Factors
Being a bodybuilder isn’t for everyone. In fact, it’s for only a select few men out there. What it takes to get huge comes down to a number of factors, most of which people are not willing to adhere to. So what does it take? Here are a few of the most important factors.
Diet
Bodybuilders’ diets are strict. They rarely ever go off of their diet, and junk food and sweets are mostly out of the question. This is for a number of reasons. For one, bodybuilders have to stick to a prescribed amount of calories and macronutrients. If they eat a few hundred calories of sweets, it’s going to make them gain a bit of extra fat which they don’t want. It may spike their blood sugar, causing a drop in energy. Though eating a candy bar may not seem like a big deal, it’s something bodybuilders don’t want to have to deal with.
In addition to eating the right foods, they have to eat them at the right time. Meals are consumed every 2-3 hours. Protein shakes are consumed right after workouts too. Some hardcore bodybuilders even bring coolers with them when they go out. The coolers are usually filled with fish or other meats.
This is all very time-consuming, but also costly. If you want to truly be a bodybuilder you’re going to have to allocate a significantly larger portion of your income to your diet.
Workout
See the big guys in the gym? They’re always working their tails off. They have dozens of sets per workout and grind it out on every single one. This volume and intensity is what gives bodybuilders their mass. We’re talking at least 10 sets per body part at the minimum, but usually closer to 20. And they are usually in the gym for 6 days a week! This is way too much for most lifters. It’s something that only comes with time, but to be the best, that’s often what it takes.
Bodybuilders also give 100% on every set. They are dialed in and focused for each set, making sure to hit the prescribed number of reps. This intensity is hugely important, because one of the most important aspects of lifting weights is the concept of progressive overload— adding intensity each and every workout. For novices this can be done in the form of increasing weight, but overtime that becomes difficult for bodybuilders and therefore they have to find other ways to increase intensity such as supersets.
Also make sure that you have plenty of time for your workouts. Bodybuilders can spend upwards of 2 hours in the gym.
Supplements
Lifters should not rely on supplements to pack on size and strength as the majority of their gains should and will come through diet and training alone, but for bodybuilders supplements take on a much more important role. This is because bodybuilders need every small advantage they can get. And because their diets and training regimens are already dialed in, supplements like protein powder and creatine will give them the slight edge they need to take their success to the next level.
Supplements do come at a cost. They can cost hundreds of dollars per month when you add everything up. This isn’t even including anabolic steroids and other chemical compounds that most bodybuilders take. And remember, this is on top of an already large grocery bill.
Social life
A lot of men aspire to be bodybuilders because they want to either get lots of girls or impress other men. Having an aesthetic body certainly helps, but it’s a catch-22 because getting that body, let alone maintaining it, requires bodybuilders to reject the traditional social life needed to achieve those things.
Bodybuilders can’t go out every weekend and party. Not only will drinking alcohol throw off their gains from the gym, but they need to hit the gym the following day with intensity- hangovers certainly will destroy that.
Most people who have read all of the above will be thinking: “There’s no way I can do all that!” It’s certainly not easy. In fact, being a bodybuilder is a lifestyle. Your job, your family, friends etc. all have to be cool with what you do. If not, you’re going to fail to meet the needed criteria of being a true bodybuilder.
Traits of a Champion
Even more important than that is your mindset. You have to have numerous characteristics that are conducive to being a successful bodybuilder. Here are a few:
Dedication
Bodybuilders don’t miss workouts- period! And while being sick or hungover is one thing, not having the motivation to hit the gym is another. Being dedicated goes even deeper than that. It means being passionate about something and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal.
Focus
One problem that a lot of novice bodybuilders face is that they’re always trying to find the next best workout. Bodybuilders on the other hand have taken years to find what works best for them. So their workouts, while varying in the details, are always based around the same principles.
If you want to be successful bodybuilder this means two things. First of all it means that you’re going to be willing to spend the time to find what exercises, rep schemes etc. work for you. After that, you’re going to have to stick to that regimen. Focus on the long-term goal at hand.
Again, don’t get discouraged, but being a bodybuilder isn’t easy and you have to be realistic. Though if you truly put your mind and body to the test, you will most certainly achieve great things.
If you want to see more of what the bodybuilding journey is actually like, then check out Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autobiography: Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder
Atiqullah Paykar says
Hi
I am starter bodybuilder and poor guy. I want to do whatever it takes but money is the biggest challenge I face. So I wanted to know is it still possible to become a bodybuilder without spending much money?
Thanks