If you're a hardgainer or natural bodybuilder, you already know how difficult it
is to get sleeve-busting muscles. Learn how to avoid these common unforgivable bodybuilding
sins that not even the Pope will excuse!
Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #1:
Training through the motions instead of training for results
How many times have you gone to the gym and casually lift the same weights; same
exercises; same workout order; and same lack of progress? This is called insanity;
doing the same thing but expecting a different result. It is also known as training
through the motions. Your body is present but your mind is absent. Training through
the motions is fine if you are simply interested in stress release and improving
your energy levels, but if you are trying to build a body you can be proud of, this
won't cut it.
Only results matter, if you expect to see progress.
Consider the analogy of starting your own business. Starting your own business may
earn you praise for being a hard worker, disciplined, skillfulness and many other
nice compliments but if your business does not make money, the latter perks don't
really matter. Whether you agree or not, money is a measurement of whether your
hard work, discipline and skillfulness are paying off or not. Lifting more weight,
squeezing out more reps in a workout, and completing more work in less time are
all signs of measurement.
How to make this sin forgivable?
Stop training through the motions and you will no longer have the illusion that
you are improving. Focus on measuring your results and out doing yourself from workout
to workout and there will be no doubt that you are moving forward.
Unforgivable Bodybuilding Sin #2:
Not keeping a training journal
Not keeping a training journal piggy backs on the last sin. Imagine trying to run
your brand new business without keeping records. You have no idea what's coming
in or what's going out. You have no idea why you had a bad month. You have no idea
why you had a good month. Training is no different.
History has a tendency to repeat itself
If something worked in the past, why wouldn't it work for the future? If something
did not work in the past, than most likely it won't work in the future! If you are
not tracking what works and what fails, than your training progress is doomed.
Instead of just recording what you did at each workout, start recording the details.
If you had a great workout, let's determine
why?
• Is it from the amount of sleep you got the night before?
• Was it a new workout drink you used?
• Was it a different time of the day?
• Did you warm up or stretch longer?
• Did you take an extra day off?
• Were you in a better mood?
How to make this sin forgivable?
The more you know, the more control you have of experiencing the same feeling the
next workout. On the flip side, if you had a terrible workout, consider all the
same factors to prevent it from happening in the future.
Human nature always want to out do itself.
Your natural instincts will strive for improvement. If you know what the numbers
were last workout, you will want to
out do yourself. You will want to complete
your workout in 47 minutes instead of 50 minutes. You will complete all ten reps
instead of eight. You will increase your weights 2.5 lbs instead of stay the same.
The numbers don't lie.
A training journal will keep your progress honest and not deceive you. You might
feel incredible after a workout and consider that a sign of improvement
but than be disappointed when you realize that you were actually weaker meaning
no sign of improvement. Treat your training like a business and it will catapult
your muscle progress forward.