It’s quite obvious that the ultimate goal of serious gym-goers is bodybuilding. We’re not talking about the sport where bulky men and women compete. We are talking about natural bodybuilding. The newest health regimen. In which the body’s muscles are developed naturally.

            Now, by natural bodybuilding, we mean exactly that. No steroids, no drugs, and no so-called “light” muscle enhancers. This bodybuilding is just plain exercise and a good, old healthy diet.

The Strategy: Natural Bodybuilding Regimen

            Well, we all know that no self-respecting bodybuilder goes without a proper training program as a guide. After all, how a person trains is a part of what defines bodybuilding. For bodybuilding in a legitimate way, there are three basic strategies: weight training, good nutrition, and rest.

          Natural bodybuilding resistance weight training causes microtrauma to the muscle being trained. Microtrauma in turn causes muscle soreness called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). The repair process of microtrauma is what causes anabolism or muscle growth.

Six rules to follow in any natural bodybuilding program:

• Sessions should be short.
• The maximum number of minutes should be sixty. After this, hormone levels for muscle building and growth begin to drop.
• Rest between two sets would be 60 to 90 seconds. This will improve cardiovascular outcomes and muscle volumizing.
• Sets should be 6-15 cycles for each exercise. This helps maximize growth hormone levels and increase the circulation of blood and nutrients.
• Lastly, bodybuilding should be progressive training.

            Now, of course, for a muscle to grow and repair itself, it would need something to fuel the process. This is where nutrition comes in. The average bodybuilder needs 500-1000 calories per day and bodybuilding enthusiasts require around the same figure in calorie intake.

Natural bodybuilding enthusiasts take in complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple sugars as their major calorie and energy source. It is imperative that

bodybuilding aficionados keep in mind that too much consumption of simple sugars may lead to fat rather than muscle development and in extreme cases, can cause Type II diabetes.

Protein is another key nutritional value for bodybuilding for it helps build and develop the muscles. Every natural bodybuilding follower should take in one to two grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to achieve maximum body development and recovery.

The best sources of protein are chicken, whey, and egg whites, which are preferred by almost all bodybuilders due to their low-fat content.

The third basic component of natural bodybuilding is rest. The quality and quantity of sleep a bodybuilder gets can very much affect the success of his bodybuilding regimen. Rest gives the body the opportunity to recover and build.

Now, as you might have found out, natural bodybuilding is far from rocket science. It is as simple as one-two-three. And we mean that literally.