by Robert Clarke

First and foremost, I should make myself clear and tell you all reading this that it is an article for bodybuilding practice. Power lifters and Olympic lifters, while sharing the basic requirement of progression, go about their task(s) in different ways and to varying degrees. That is not to say that non-bodybuilders won’t benefit from this article, but for the most part, this is primarily focusing on those wishing to improve body composition and general aesthetics. It is also designed in regards to newer lifters, although I do hope that the more advanced can benefit in some way from it.

One of the things I see regularly in my gym are the lifters who are there each week religiously doing the same (excessive volume) workouts and using the same weights week in, week out. Y’know the types – the ones that never seem to grow (in some cases even when they decide they’re “hardgainers” and resort to steroids). All they have with them are their water bottles, their gloves, their straps (I saw someone using straps for preacher curls today, incidentally) and their weight belts. The latter being something they seem to wear no matter what body part(s) they are hitting that day. I’ve seen people get ready to bench but then breaking their focus because they forgot to put their belt on. It is really quite laughable. One thing I strongly believe they would benefit most from, as pitiful as it sounds is a small notepad and pen.

Albeit, this isn’t some fancy named brand of supplement that promises amazing gains in a very short period of time, but it is something that will aid you in the long run. If you keep track of every workout in one week, then you are left with a baseline. You now have something to improve upon. The following week you should try and lift more weight or the same weights with more reps. This is the basic principle of progressive overload. If you have a brilliant memory, then power to you, but I most certainly can’t recall every exact weight and reps achieved for every exercise I do. My training log has proved to be invaluable to me.

Amy Kessler figure competitor, fitness model, glamor model

by Daniel Roberts

Whether you’re a bodybuilder, powerlifter, strongman or general strength athlete, there’s an established wisdom about eating and training which never fails – you need a high protein (roughly 1-2g/lb of lean bodyweight), nutrient-dense diet that meets the calorific needs of progressive overload training.

The best training methodologies and diets weren’t created in a lab; they are intuitive and proven time and again by experience.

Sandow did it, Reg Park did it, Arnold did it, and every successful athlete before or since has done it. Some spread their meals, some ate three meals a day, some ate very little until after training and then gorged, but at the end of each day, they’d all eaten enough protein, carbohydrate, and fat to meet their individual requirements.

In short, they kept it simple and there hasn’t been a study to date to prove any of their approaches wrong, but have there been any studies to show a better approach?

Is there an optimal way to consume nutrients to maximise muscle and strength gains? Marketing hype would have you believe so, so let’s start with the most basic approach.

Three Squares a Day vs. Small and Frequent

The aim of any diet is to provide the macronutrients necessary to support the goals of the athlete whether that’s hypertrophy, fat loss, or strength. Determining the amounts is the tricky bit and it is highly individualized.

Amber Strauser fitness model, bikini model, glamor model

by Ron Harris

Note: ‘Taking it to the next level’ is the second article in a two part series. The first article can be found here - So You Wannabe a Bodybuilder?

A breed apart

If you have made it this far, give yourself a nice pat on the back. Many people that set out to become bodybuilders never make it past the beginner phase. They quit for several common reasons. Most often it’s because they failed to see amazing results right away.

With the unrealistic expectations fed by dramatic ‘before and after’ photos in ads, untold thousands of would-be bodybuilders prematurely give up on their goals out of frustration and impatience. Maybe they gave it their all for a few weeks or a few months, but at some point they became so dissatisfied with the progress they had made in terms of muscle or strength gain and/or fat loss that they decided they were wasting time and effort. It’s unfortunate, but we now live in a ‘microwave oven’ society. Thanks to technological advances like the Internet, most people have been conditioned to expect nearly instantaneous results.

But you, my friend, you didn’t give up. You saw some progress, and even if it wasn’t anything to shout about from the rooftops, you understand that sculpting an exceptional physique does take significant time and effort. That’s why it’s a special thing to be built like a bodybuilder. Regardless of your genetics, nobody gets a great body overnight, and nobody looks like a bodybuilder without having put in their fair share of gym time. If you have consistently trained for at least six months to a year, you have made it past the beginner stage. Consider yourself an intermediate bodybuilder.

What does ‘Intermediate’ really mean?

Amber Sine bikini competitor, fitness model, glamor model

By James Collier

There are a huge range of nutrition bars out there, so how the heck are you to know which ones suit you, or indeed which ones are good for you and are not just junk confectionery bars?!

Nutrition bars are quite varied and can be classified under a number of different headings based on their make up and general nutrition they provide. They can be labeled as meal replacement, protein, energy, low carb or flapjack bars. Nutrition Bars can be useful supplements for health and sports enthusiasts, especially bodybuilders who struggle to consume enough food to meet their requirements. They are a convenient way of adding extra nutrition to a food and supplement plan as they are easily transported and eaten on the go. Nutrition bars should not replace any of the main meals of a diet, but are useful replacements for 'snack' meals, especially for people with busy lifestyles.

Obviously the first factor to consider when selecting a bar is what you want from it. If you want an energy boost, then go for an energy bar; if you want it to contribute to a good protein intake, opt for a protein bar; if you want it to act as 'complete nutrition' for a significant snack then pick a meal replacement bar; or if you simply want to enjoy a bar which has more nutrition than confectionery, then any will do.

The best bet when you're deciding which nutrition bar to choose is to read a bar's description and if reviews are available look at them too. Things to look out for include the sources of protein, fats and carbs they contain. Many nutrition bars do unfortunately contain trans fats - these are the bad hydrogenated fats which ideally should be avoided. So try and look for bars which contain no trans fats.

Amber Garrison figure competitor, fitness model, glamor model, bikini model

This is a big one; of the possible questions in bodybuilding questions this one is huge, but for most people in the bodybuilding world it's a complete no-brainer. Look in any bodybuilding or even health and fitness magazine, on any website and you see ads for supplements – lots of them. There are enough articles to keep us in recycling for a millennium, and enough tubs of supplements sold to store the world's production of nails and screws ten times over. It would seem then the answer is a resounding yes.

And that could be the end of the article, however, in reality it is not that simple; the answer is, there is no definitive answer, but the answers are; yes, no, maybe, and depends on the individual and their circumstances. I will start with the no. There is a big school of thought that you do not need supplements. The more radical members of this school will insist that supplements are bad for you, toxic, contaminated and you are playing Russian roulette if you use them. Sadly many members of this school have RD and MD after their name. Their reasoning is that you can get all you need from a good diet; people with illnesses and disease, however, may need nutritional supplements. Athletes don't need supplements.

If you unpack this a little you find that people who are sick need supplements because demand is outstripping supply available from food (for various reasons). Which of course asks the question – can an athlete create a condition where demand outstrips supply? If they can then of course supplements would be an option.