While most people exercise to keep their body generally fit and healthy, others bring their regimen to a more purposeful bodybuilding level. Although bodybuilding used to be a competitive activity that promoted muscular development as a form of artistic expression, it later became fashionable to have a mass of symmetric muscles eliciting aesthetic appreciation.
Benefits of Recreational Body Building
Those who achieve their bodybuilding goals also experience mental health benefits; such as constantly being in a good mood, with improved concentration and enhanced alertness. Maintaining their body building achievements became a form of recreation, as each gym session not only relieves them of mental stresses but also keeps them in high spirits.
After all, a well-built muscular body gives successful recreational bodybuilders a more positive outlook about their respective image, without feeling the pressures of competition.
What Do Body Builders Do to Achieve Muscle Building Goals?
While the rewards of body building are increase in muscle size and well-developed musculature, successful bodybuilders commit to properly execute the plans and processes, including the preparation of liquid meals.
Recreational bodybuilding involves three main phases, namely: bulking, cutting and maintaining. Those who are into it for competition enter a fourth phase, which is preparation.
The Bulking Phase
Bulking is that stage in which the main goal is to add muscle mass and improve strength. Here, more calories are consumed by the body during a set period of time, usually within 4 to 6 months of weight training. During the bulking phase, the body also accumulates body fat as part of the results of excessive consumption of calories.
After the bulking period, the next phase of the plan is to cut down the excess body fat; but with a goal to retain the gained muscle mass.
The Cutting Phase and Process
Cutting or the fat-shedding phase is carried out by way of a gradual decrease in the amount of calories taken, in while shedding the excess body fats by increasing aerobic training activities. This is the part of body building recreation that allows the development of muscles into having brawnier and more sinewy appearance. Once the muscle mass building and cutting goals have been achieved, successful builders have to give careful attention to the maintenance phase.
Maintenance Training Phase
The maintenance phase actually takes up the largest aspect of the training phase. It is during this stage and period when builders have to train their body to gradually take in increased calories and engage in training exercises at their peak; until their body recognizes them as the “new norms. That way, the musculature and strength developed during the bulking and cutting stage will be retained without having to deal with weight fluctuations.
However, as some individuals feel frustrated that their personal circumstances prevent them from achieving their body building goals, they are inclined to take a fast-acting but legal androgenic anabolic supplement like dbol.
Although pro-steroid proponents recognize that supplements can be effective in achieving muscle gain they also warn that steroids have harmful side effects if not administered with proper consultations and under medical supervision. Otherwise, physicians recommend that bodybuilders stick to the traditional approach of bulking, cutting and maintenance training to eliminate unnecessary health risks.