Body Building Guides

For anyone interested in weight training, bodybuilding guides can offer a comprehensive overview of the practice.

Consult bodybuilding guides to find out how the combination of weight training, increased calorific intake and rest can help you develop muscle fibres.

Whether you're interested in becoming a competitive bodybuilder or simply keen to build up muscle mass as a means towards weight loss, there are a whole range of bodybuilding guides on the shelves that can help you find out everything you need to know.

Here are some of the areas of advice and information that such publications cover:

Getting started on resistance training

A range of books are available to advise beginners who want to know how to start their weight training programme.

How do bodybuilders increase their muscle size?

Resistance weight training causes micro-tears in the muscles being trained, known as micro-trauma. It is actually repair to these micro-tears that results in muscle growth. The micro-tears are what cause the muscles to feel sore after exercise, usually a day or two after a workout. This is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).

How to choose a mode of exercise

Options include free weights, machines or your own body weight. Machines offer the safest workout for beginners. Free weights use a bigger range of muscles so give you a better work out, but there is also a higher risk of injury.

Tips for training safely

Choose the amount of weight you lift by making sure that at the end of 8-12 repetitions you can't do the exercise any more. Do every repetition in a controlled way, without jerking the weights, and work out at a constant speed. Take enough rest between exercises to have enough energy for the next one, and be patient; you won't see results overnight.