How do I Choose the Best Bodybuilding Routines?

Effective bodybuilding requires the exact balance of exercise, diet, and rest. The best bodybuilding routines are specialized programs based on the practitioner's body frame, metabolism, and commitment. An individual's growth is solely based on his ability to adapt and recover from intense muscle fatigue.

The phrase "no pain, no gain" is well known within the bodybuilding community. This pain comes from hours of dedication in the gym and in the kitchen. A bodybuilding program is a complex schedule of diet, exercise, rest and recovery. This program should be customized for an individual based on his goals and current body composition.

The hard-gainer is the bodybuilder who can't gain weight. He can workout for hours a day and eat much food without gaining a pound. Creating growth for this type of body requires focus and dedication. The best bodybuilding routines for the hard-gainer include power lifting with high carbohydrate and protein diets. The hard-gainer can easily cycle his daily calorie intake to 5,000 calories a day before real growth will occur.

The hard-gainer routine is based on a nutrition and weightlifting program that suits his high metabolism. The exercise program should be based on a combination of isolation and compound movements with focus on core power-weightlifting techniques. These include squats, bench, and military press with limited attention to cardio routines. The program should be condensed into 60- minute sessions with three sessions per week.

The heavy weightlifter is trying to cut weight. This heavy body frame is usually found on an individual with a slow metabolism. The bodybuilding routines for this person should include frequent eating, and fast-paced weightlifting to increase the metabolism. This program is all about losing fat and gaining muscle.

Some good bodybuilding routines for the heavy lifter include lifting four to five days per week with mixed cardio of running, walking, and biking. Additional focus should be placed on managing fewer carbohydrates with a daily calorie intake of 2,500 calories per day. Once the body weight gets closer to the goal weight, the diet and weight training program should level into a maintenance phase.

The normal bodybuilding frame describes an individual who is slightly overweight or underweight with little muscle definition. A person with this frame only has to pay attention to diet and exercise. The program for a normal bodybuilding frame is similar to the maintenance phase bodybuilding routines. These programs should focus on a full body workout at least three days per week. The diet should be managed at about 3,000 calories per week with enough calories to account for effective cardio training.

All bodybuilders should follow a proper diet of water, carbohydrates, protein, and minerals. Eating should be based on a schedule of four to six meals per day. Most serious bodybuilders keep a daily log of exercise, diet, and supplements. This tool is an effective method for tracking progress throughout the program.