American Bodybuilding: Doing it the American Way

So you’ve decided to try out American bodybuilding. Great! Now before we go right on to the basics of bodybuilding, let me first tell you how bodybuilding came to America in the first place.

Bodybuilding started in 11^th century India and spread all over Europe during the time of the “gladiating” Romans. Though by the 1800s, bodybuilding gained enormous popularity in Europe, the sport did not make the American cross-over until the time of Bernarr McFadden, the great athlete, and inventor of the “chest expander.” McFadden’s bodybuilding sideshow in New York’s Madison Square Garden greatly helped popularize the sport in America.

Okay, enough with history. Let’s get to the real issue. There is no such thing as American or European bodybuilding, for that matter. Unless you take into consideration the region in which the bodybuilding program is being undertaken, in which case, there is very much an American bodybuilding sport.

There are quite a million things to consider before undergoing American bodybuilding. But first things first. Set your bodybuilding goals. Whether it is to build mass, tighten up your midsection, slim down, or strengthen up your biceps, these are all possible in a good American bodybuilding program.

So the first thing to do before you undertake an American bodybuilding program is to get a physician’s release. This is especially important if you are over 40 or have had a previous injury or physical impairment.

In setting your American bodybuilding goals, be realistic and adopt a positive attitude. Do not aim for 250 lbs. in one week if you currently have 115 lbs. stacked up. Assess your current condition and determine where you want to be in three months, one year, or five years.

At least three months before you dump the bodybuilding program you have adapted for at least three months. The reason for this is that it takes about that time for your body to adjust to the modifications being imposed by your bodybuilding regimen.

Before getting into any sort of bodybuilding program. It is important to know how your exercise program works and why it’s going to be effective.

In the body part of training in bodybuilding, specific muscle groups are trained at a time. Every muscle group, such as the biceps, triceps, and quadriceps, should be trained to prevent muscle imbalance and injury.

Compound exercises are recommended for beginners in bodybuilding. What makes compound exercises good is that they allow movement in two or more joints, thus allowing more muscle input.

In bodybuilding, especially when dealing with weights, you might want to go light at first to get a feel for how your muscles move.

There are countless other ways to consider when starting American bodybuilding, but the ones stated above should get you far enough.