That natural bodybuilding has to be defined as the practice of body building without accessories like drugs or supplements is itself sad testimony to the state of current practice.
Ambitious body builders in search of that perfect physique and six pack abs have gone overboard in their willingness to dope and drug themselves to achieve bigger muscles.
Now, there is a subtle distinction that needs to be made. Some bodybuilders start out “natural” and then hit a plateau. When greater exertions don’t seem to make any significant impact on their appearance, most are tempted to enhance their body building progress by artificial aids. This is not natural bodybuilding. Even if you use such enhancements temporarily, you disqualify as a natural body builder.
So what are the tools in trade of the natural body building acolyte?
There are only two:
- Natural bodybuilding workouts
- Natural bodybuilding diets
Let’s talk about this in greater detail. Any discussion about natural body building methods must touch upon training routines, exercise equipment, nutrition and permissible supplements, as well as touch upon related areas like how to lose body fat and the dangers of doping and injury.
No one can comprehensively cover the entire topic of non-chemical bodybuilding in a single report or article, so this is not a pretence at being the ultimate guide to this kind of body building. Think about it as an introduction to what is becoming a rare and vanishing art form… the devotion to developing muscles without artificial aids or unhealthy enhancements.
Why Natural Body Building?
Building your physique through natural means is surprisingly simple. Many beginners are lured into trying out supplements or steroids because they believe those are unavoidable to build a great body. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It is true that bodybuilding through natural means requires discipline, determination and persistence of a high order. But those factors apply even when you shoot yourself full of steroids or guzzle down liters of bodybuilding supplements.
So don’t get carried away by the myths and hype. You can achieve your dream body just by proper exercise and nutrition. The best part of taking this route is that it is healthier, longer lasting and has no side effects at all, either in the short term or later in life.
So Why Is All Body Building NOT Natural?
Let’s face reality.
Bodybuilding, especially as a sport, has grown incredibly competitive. Not only is there fame and glory to be won by looking sensationally built, but there is plenty of money to be earned through contests and prizes. Whenever such a lucrative combination of cash and pride is at stake, there is going to be strong temptation to push the envelope and use means fair or not to win.
The natural style of bodybuilding shuns, on principle, things like hormonal injections of testosterone, anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and insulin, all of which can speed up muscle growth. While natural bodybuilders also want to develop muscles, they rely on natural methods to do it more gradually.
The sad thing is that most recreational bodybuilders who turn to performance enhancers for rapid results are unaware of the serious long term side effects and dangers of using them. Chronic ailments like diabetes, osteoporosis, muscle breakdown, kidney damage and worse can result from this abuse. These “chemical bodybuilders” are accepting short term gains at the cost of long term pain.
Natural Bodybuilding Workouts
Natural body building workouts are essentially the same as those for building muscle under any other program. The typical weekly routine will involve a 5 day regimen with 2 rest days.
The natural bodybuilding workouts will focus on exercising the chest, abdomen and forearm muscles on one day, the shoulders, triceps and trapezius on the second, the upper and middle back along with biceps on the third day and hamstrings, lower back muscles and calves on the fourth. The last day is spent training quadriceps and thigh muscles.
What matters in natural body building workouts is the sequence of workouts and rest periods. The frequency is most important. Each muscle must be given time to recover from the training before you stimulate it to grow more.
Natural Bodybuilding Diets
Nutrition is a crucial element of natural body building routines. A good natural bodybuilding diet can be the caloric and nutritive equivalent of 3 big protein shakes every day.
You need a total calorie count that is appropriate for your weight. The good news is that you won’t need as many as those who take steroids because your body won’t waste much of your intake in unnecessary heat and wasteful expenditure.
Natural body building diets ensure adequate water intake, at least 1 gram per kilogram weight of protein, and plenty of carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores in muscles. Fat intake should be restricted and you cannot take saturated fats at all. Vitamins and minerals round off the healthy bodybuilding diet and protein shakes can be great natural bodybuilding supplements to enhance muscle growth.
By following natural bodybuilding routines and ensuring the right caloric intake, you’ll be amazed at how effectively you can build muscles and develop six pack abs without recourse to unhealthy or harmful practices to enhance bodybuilding.
A good natural muscle gaining program will be developed around this critical element of bodybuilding success. Mike Westerdal’s Unlock Your Hip Flexors helps hundreds of body builders gain muscle fast.
The information is nicely presented, organized into a logical and structured program to follow over 12 weeks. You can learn more here, or visit the official website at this link for details:
