Natural bodybuilding involves a training regimen similar to what normal bodybuilders do, but no supplements or enhancers are used so the body builds muscle the natural way and relies on a proper diet to do so.

A lot of ingredients, chemical or naturally composed, are included in the making of bodybuilding supplements and enhancers. Drugs such as anabolic steroids are also used by some, gaining muscle mass in an incredible amount of time. A simple look at these ingredients would reveal the truth and determine if they are really helpful or not. One popular bodybuilding supplement is Creatine, believed to be the most popular bodybuilding supplement, which is an organic acid naturally present in our muscle cells. Creatine absorbs valuable water from different organs in our body and deposits them to the muscle cells, causing dehydration and muscle cramps. Creatine is also been known to increase the growth rate of tumor cells. In natural bodybuilding no such side effect could occur, provided that the bodybuilder follows a proper diet.

Andro supplements or testosterone boosters could cause baldness, facial hair growth and in some studies, breast cancer. Sexual dysfunction is also a noted side-effect of the drug as a result of the boost in testosterone level and would reduce your sex drive. Bad news for married men, unless you already have 10 children, but no such side-effect would occur through natural bodybuilding. Glutamine is also present in bodybuilding supplements, and excessive consumption could lead to manic depression, stomach upsets, inability to concentrate, nausea and body aches to name just a few. Nitric Oxide is a component also present in bodybuilding supplements and an overdose of the drug could cause nausea and migraines. Other much harmful side effects include severe breathing problems, asthma and weakness. In fact, the list goes on and on, with most scientific data still undergoing further study as more diseases and ailments are being linked to an increased intake in bodybuilding supplements when working out. Natural bodybuilding holds no such risk, as scientific studies at UCLA concluded that a proper diet is enough to enable the body to build muscle without the use of supplements and other drugs. The results vary, but with proper training you should be able to achieve the results you want and fell better in the end.

There are no shortcuts in life and the same holds true for bodybuilding.

Natural bodybuilding allows you to add muscle without the use of supplements thru a proper diet and a specific training regimen designed for your own merit, with no harmful side effects and behavior-altering characteristics that would prove disturbing and harmful in the long run. Think twice before taking that supplement.

No matter how small the dose, remember that you are what you eat, and what you put in your mouth could eventually harm you ten to twenty years from now.

Natural Bodybuilding Allows You To Avoid Nasty Side Effects is a post from Bodybuilding Articles

There is the right way and the wrong way of doing things, and opinions in between. In order to gain quality weight, the bodybuilder must have a proper diet of the highest quality food possible, that is in accordance with your training and exercise regimen. As in most cases in natural bodybuilding, no supplements and enhancers are used by the bodybuilder in the process, thereby relying on food intake to supply the nutrients to build muscle. The diet however must be executed and applied correctly and to the last detail to gain the desired benefit, otherwise too much bulking up would lead to more fat gain than normally desired and negate the reason to maintain a 10% body fat when starting the program. It would be hard to start natural bodybuilding with a very high fat index.

The best time to bulk up would be after dieting, to which the body will respond well to the increased intake of nutrients and couple this with the right training regimen the results will surely follow. Never consume vast amounts of food that would only increase your recommended intake of carbohydrates and protein, as an intake of 1.5x per pound of body mass in protein is enough to supply your body for increased muscle growth. In natural bodybuilding, this means an increased amount of tuna, shrimp, turkey meat, egg whites and salmon consumption, to name just a few. An increase in carbohydrates consumption is also necessary to give our body fuel to burn during our workout, and to help the amino acids be absorbed by the muscle for proper growth. A recommended increase of 1.5 to 2 grams per pound of body weight is essential to build muscle in natural bodybuilding, and to monitor your intake of pasta, brown rice and sweet potatoes would enhance results as well.

But bulking up does not necessarily mean that essential fats should be taken out of the equation, as a lack of essential fats in natural bodybuilding would result to a dive in testosterone levels. Omega fatty acids ensure proper hormone production and brain function, and these are essential to achieve desired muscle gain. These essential fatty acids are not manufactured by the body, so a specific amount of these fatty acids (normally found in tuna and other lean fish meat) must be supplemented by an increased amount when working out.

It should be remembered that your natural bodybuilding training regimen must be specifically tailored to your body type and fitness level.

An average 3 to 6 days a week of intense training should do the trick. A maximum 60 minutes of intense exercises per training session must be observed to avoid a drop in testosterone level, which others counter by the intake of bodybuilding supplements but with proper guidance and training, natural bodybuilding could be just as effective.

Natural Bodybuilding Bulking up and Weight Gain Tips is a post from Bodybuilding Articles

When you consider natural bodybuilding as your choice of training regimen it is important to know that there is a difference between natural bodybuilding and “true” natural bodybuilding. While the former is not “false” at all for starters, the wide array of techniques employed by different bodybuilders throughout the years have brought confusion to the fundamentals of what “natural” bodybuilding is all about. Some athletes claim not to use muscle enhancing drugs but admit to using performance enhancing supplements which, to purists of the “true” natural method, is unacceptable. One has to consider natural bodybuilding as being “true” and devoid of any substance, legal or illegal otherwise. The clash of ideas which inevitably resulted in different opinions regarding natural bodybuilding is not meant to alter the overall meaning of the regimen but rather, people consider it as more of a choice, and is classified on how big and muscular you really want to become.

There are certain limits that we have to understand with bodybuilding and having a realistic approach to your training will certainly serve well on what kind of natural bodybuilding, whether true or otherwise, you would prefer. But true natural bodybuilding is the choice of the minority, saying to consider natural bodybuilding as devoid of ANY performance or muscle enhancing supplement is the way to go, as supplements usually bring more harm than good, negating the need to have a great looking body at the expense of having bad kidneys, shrunken testicles and eventually, disturbing psychological effects to name a few.

In the name of a healthy lifestyle, bodybuilders from around the world have proven that its possible to obtain muscle mass thru the use of natural bodybuilding, even claiming that strong, muscular men depicted in story books and biographies would reveal that having a well-rounded and muscular body was achieved even on those times when supplements are not available.

And it’s actually true. Others claim to use performance enhancing supplements so as to achieve a much faster result, urging them to work harder and squeeze more repetitions in their training regimen but these athletes usually end up dehydrated and dead tired the next day, which is not a preferred technique of some. To consider natural bodybuilding is to avoid the intake of such supplements that may harm the body and disrupt its equilibrium. The combination of a proper diet with the right training regimen specifically tailored to your age and body fat would achieve the same results without the use of supplements.  A brief consultation with a healthcare fitness professional would be advisable before starting a training regimen, whether going natural or not.

In conclusion, it all boils down to preference. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. But the logical choice still remains for some: consider natural bodybuilding as your training regimen. As long as you work hard, eat properly, get enough rest and incorporate natural bodybuilding in your lifestyle the results would surely follow, even without the use of possibly harmful supplements.

Natural Bodybuilding Is The Way To Go is a post from Bodybuilding Articles

Testosterone is the most dominant hormone in the androgen and is sometimes referred to as “the male hormone” and is responsible for a man’s deep voice, higher muscle mass, facial hair and aggressive behavior. Testosterone is also responsible for sexual function in men and keeps bones dense and strong. The normal production of testosterone in the body is highest during puberty and gradually diminishes upon reaching the age of 30, which is why some health and bodybuilders agree that natural bodybuilding would be most beneficial during the ages of 19 to 26 when testosterone levels in the body are at it’s peak, thus enhancing muscle mass without the use of supplements. A decline in testosterone would cause lean muscle loss, weight gain, decreased libido and reduced bone density as well, which is not good when doing a natural bodybuilding workout.

Studies have shown that testosterone levels of an average normal male would decrease by 1% each year after reaching the age of 30, wherein by age 40 the results could be greatly felt by then. It’s not all bad news though. A proper diet and a sensible eating plan would help enhance testosterone levels in the body even without the use of pills or injections.

Foods that are rich in Zinc are found to naturally increase testosterone in the body. These foods are essential in natural bodybuilding for peak performance at all times. Oysters are rich in zinc and are known in other countries as an aphrodisiac, increasing libido and sperm production which helps give a big boost to fertility and potency.  Other testosterone rich foods include animal protein, dairy and poultry products such as milk and eggs. Nuts and beans are beneficial too, but it would be interesting to note that Zinc obtained from beef or red meat is more readily absorbed by the body than from any other sources.

An important thing to remember to boost testosterone levels in a natural bodybuilding workout is to increase protein consumption accordingly and monitor the amounts of carbohydrates taken during the duration of your training. Carbohydrates that are very high in simple sugars would increase the level of insulin produced by the body, thereby affecting testosterone production negatively. Essential fatty acids are needed as well, and the increased consumption of fish such as tuna, sardines and mackerel would benefit your lean muscle building too.

The importance of testosterone in natural bodybuilding could never be denied as it plays a big part in our physiological and psychological behavior.

By observing our body before, during and after training, a more accurate assessment of the training regimen could be made, as well as adjusting one’s diet to ensure proper testosterone levels for a more effective muscle-building workout. Supplements are available in the market, but it has been proven that the right amount of testosterone foods is enough for proper metabolic function. A true natural bodybuilding workout negates the need for such supplements hence the need to focus on proper food consumption and nutrition to boost testosterone and energy levels during intense training to produce lean muscle the natural way.

Natural Bodybuilding Testosterone Boosting Tactics is a post from Bodybuilding Articles

Acute soreness after a natural bodybuilding workout could last up to an hour or more, as a result of a reduction in normal blood flow to the muscle and a buildup of metabolic byproducts such as lactic acid. This is normal as long as the pain subsides in a normal amount of time but if the pain inevitably lasts for more than a day or two, then post exercise muscle soreness is the culprit. DOMs or PEMS is though to be caused by muscle-tearing and repairing after a workout and usually lasts 2 to 3 days or longer depending on the intensity of the workout and the damage to tissue that has occurred. The body would eventually heal itself in the process but repeated application of very strenuous flexing could lead to permanent damage of the tissues, cartilages and joints. Pain should not be a motivator when doing a natural bodybuilding workout and soreness should not be an indication of successful muscle growth. Let your body heal properly by getting enough rest and let the soreness subside before working the muscle again. It may not sound like too big of a deal but dealing with soreness could be difficult as it interferes with your other daily routines, even sometimes affecting the way that you walk or move your arms, which could be disconcerting.

Having a training journal to keep track of your natural bodybuilding progress would be the best way to avoid muscle soreness, as the individual could keep track of the exercises performed, hence knowing which exercise caused the particular sore and to adjust the repetition and exercise accordingly. A training journal is a valuable tool in natural bodybuilding as it shows detailed progress of the training session, no matter how miniscule the improvement is. The goal is to be better each time but must be done safely. The training journal evaluates the overall direction of your exercise regimen so it would be wise to have one at the start of your natural bodybuilding program.

But persistent pain or muscle soreness could sometimes mean irreversible damage to the body part involved and this will put a sudden stop to your natural bodybuilding training!

A close look at the kinds of muscle soreness would help decipher the pain and its origins. It should be worth knowing that DOMS and PEMS are not completely understood but are covered under 3 kinds of hypotheses: connective tissue damage, skeletal muscle damage and spasm hypothesis. Either way, DOMS and PEMs could be avoided in a natural bodybuilding workout by paying close attention to your body’s limitation. Not all people are made the same and we all have different fitness levels and physical boundaries to consider in a natural bodybuilding workout. Never push yourself to the limit and focus on a realistic goal instead. Remember that acute pain is not an indication of a successful workout and that muscle soreness could lead to permanent injury, meaning more down time, and would hamper your natural bodybuilding regimen hence an increase in duration to experience muscle growth.

Natural Bodybuiding and Deciphering Pain is a post from Bodybuilding Articles