by Anders JP Eskilsson
During this time and era the word “bodybuilder” has started to signify something of a highly advanced complex. I believe this is a problem to some extent especially if you measure the results people receive from base exercises and basic foods. We have moved far away from the core of bodybuilding and also who the bodybuilders actually are.
Being a bodybuilder does not mean that you have to eat 6-10 times everyday, or to compete. or be a person with superb genetic structure to pack on muscles. As I see it everyone who trains at a gym and works towards adding some extra pounds of muscles is a bodybuilder. Even basic pushups increases muscle mass and when the purpose for the exercise is mainly to build a better upper body this is also bodybuilding.
Another thing to add to the subject, it doesn’t matter if you are a little person, a giant, or weighing 100 lbs or 350 lbs and if you never want to compete or if you main goal is to compete. Everyone is a bodybuilder in their own way and be proud of that you found something that takes times of your life and which you love to do.
Internet gurus or bro-scientists do more or less always talk about how you have to use this or that schedule. You must eat this amount of carbs and that amount of protein to get that result. We left the core of bodybuilding – by core I mean the basics and roots of its purpose. To create or build a massive physique does not have to include 1238 different training systems – or nutritional diets including terminology micro – macros from other space if you don’t want it to be. It is too serious at times.
As a matter of fact bodybuilding is about your body no one else and what you want to do with it – you chose your path of creating your own physique by your believe and what feels comfortable for you – this is number one as I see it. Don’t get me wrong though, because I do not disagree with some of the advantages by applying specific training philosophies or different diets to – not at all – everything evolves but at the same time it gets confusing and many people get lost about the whole issue being in a jungle of ideas trying to prove what’s best for your body and tell you what you have to do.
Thereby take a few steps back and stick to the basics before you get involved in the complicated training schedules or diets. Stick to the basics. Basics like deadlifts, squats, bench pressing etc. Learn the fundamentals – correct technique good form during the excises but also that you can create your own way or world of training – a system that works for you.
In addition don’t get too fixated by the flashy food recipes ¬either – stick to basic foods like chicken, fish, rice and pasta for example.
Another I have mentioned it before and I’ll do it again there are people a lot of people who trains and builds muscles who get more happiness and feel good about themselves than many IFBB Pros. Bodybuilding came from basic more or less underground gyms from the beginning and they did more or less miracles to people. Just have a look at the old photos from Muscle beach California back in the 40’s and 50’s – many of the people training during this era had excellent physiques built from basic equipment and simple training ideas. Steve Reeves is one of the greatest example of this.
It’s a sport or a culture where everyone can improve and develop from their genetic outset if they want to.
Today the toolbox of techniques, advices diets bro-science and juicing tips is over flooded with various good and bad ones. This makes bodybuilding hard for a lot of people to grasp and it makes the culture confusing. If you feel this was go back to its roots and origins and the simplicity because bodybuilding is basic.
Furthermore – when it comes to different approaches to the bodybuilding – If you love to eat junk food at times and hates weighing every gram of food you put into your body and likes to combine this with bench pressing at times – do it. Sure it might be better if you eat one pizza a week instead at times this would gradually improve muscularity much better.
What I’m after is that I want you to stay active because Its a hell lot better combine with bench press at times than just combining with basic foods with your sofa than why not?
Then of course advises and science can – and do help people in your journey to become better at what they are doing as I mentioned it gets to complicated at times – and this can be a turn off. Bodybuilding doesn’t have to include competing just as little as running have to include contest phase – you do this basically for yourself and thereby decides how far you want to go compete or not.
In closing – sports changes and progress naturally through time. However is if it always necessarily a good thing? No, not always – it is of course impossible for every aspect to be positive when it comes to development of anything in this world. In addition to bodybuilding and the science around it we do complicate things to much at times and this causes us to get confused especially as a beginner.
Stick to the basics of weight training and building muscles and don’t worry too much or get fixated – trust the fundamentals and keep distance to what you are doing. It doesn’t have to be advanced to create great results. Remember this is your world no one else’s.
Best of luck in the future of your bodybuilding path through life.
