Advice For Starting Bodybuilding/burning Fat?

[Rexyj]

Hi!

So I started working out more seriously roughly three months ago. I've always idolized bodybuilders growing up, wanted to be like them. The strength, power, and size always made my jaw drop (explains why I found this website and am really into muscle worship now haha) and I was wondering what advice any current bodybuilders might have out there for starting? I've been working out every day, alternating between strength training and cardio/core workouts, cut out excess sugar, stopped snacking, and am making more of an effort to be more active throughout the day. I've seen some gains over the course of the last few months and am seeing some definition in my stomach now, seeing the various bulges begin to appear and the muscles start to fill in has been beyond motivating.

Any advice at all would be much appreciated! Thank you so much

 

[Rexyj]

*For reference I'm 20, just in case haha

 

[socalfreak]

First off, kudos to you for making the decision to improve yourself.
I am not a bodybuilder, per se.
Meaning, I've never competed as one & I have no desire to do so.
I started working out, because I was tired of being the "skinny guy".
I made all the typical young guy mistakes.... Bad form, bad dietary habits, using too much weight, etc...
Started getting serious (and better informed) when I got into sports... Hockey, and later on, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu... And eventually, MMA.
Now, I *mostly* train to keep healthy/strong & to see the smirk on @Snarky_succubus face and hear her primal grunt when she sees me naked and gropes me . Lol.

Some of what I'm gonna say here sounds like a cliche.
But, with 30 years of training/nutrition/supplement experience, I've found these to be the most accurate:
Training.
You get out of it, what you put into it.
If you want above average results, you need to put in above average effort.
Anybody can train when they feel great...
Far fewer can train when things aren't perfect. "I'm tired... It's cold/hot/raining ... My headphones are dead... I'm in a bad mood... " Etc etc etc....

Diet.
Quite possibly the single most neglected part of most people's lives.
You are what you eat.
Garbage in... Garbage out.
As a newbie, a sound nutrition plan will serve you well.
I can teach anybody how to lift weights.
But, you have to find out for yourself what works best to fuel your body & hit your goals.
It literally took years to get a handle on what works best for me. Be patient & consistent.
I wouldn't even bother trying to copy anybody's diet, either. NOBODY can scribble out a program for you better than you can do for yourself, once you learn the basics of nutrition.

Supplements.
These have a place for a great many people. I use several & so does my girl.
It's taken a lot of time (and money) to find what really works for us.
Out of the thousands of products out there, the ones that prove to be the most effective & have had the longevity to back it up, are : egg white protein.... Whey protein (syntha 6 by BSN is our favorite).... Creatine.... And a good pre-workout, if you want to go that route.
But, .. And I can't stress this enough.... Food should be your go-to source, whenever possible.

"Following".
In a word,... Don't.
By that, I mean, don't follow what some celebrity/athlete/trainer/YouTuber says & expect to look like them.
All the "experts" will screw up your progress like nothing else can.
Listen, but don't automatically take what they say as gospel.
"Trust, but verify".
Why do what everyone else is doing, just because "that's what everyone does"?
Two quotes here:
"If you want to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back to the crowd."- Mike mentzer.
"Why do what everyone else is doing? How do you know something else won't work?... Because somebody said so??? Try that shit for yourself!"- Rich Piana.

Be consistent.
Be honest with yourself, in regards to your food intake & training intensity.

Hit it hard.
Hit it often.

Good luck!
It's not easy... But, it's totally worth it!

 

[LargeUnit]

First off, kudos to you for making the decision to improve yourself.
I am not a bodybuilder, per se.
Meaning, I've never competed as one & I have no desire to do so.
I started working out, because I was tired of being the "skinny guy".
I made all the typical young guy mistakes.... Bad form, bad dietary habits, using too much weight, etc...
Started getting serious (and better informed) when I got into sports... Hockey, and later on, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu... And eventually, MMA.
Now, I *mostly* train to keep healthy/strong & to see the smirk on @Snarky_succubus face and hear her primal grunt when she sees me naked and gropes me . Lol.

Some of what I'm gonna say here sounds like a cliche.
But, with 30 years of training/nutrition/supplement experience, I've found these to be the most accurate:
Training.
You get out of it, what you put into it.
If you want above average results, you need to put in above average effort.
Anybody can train when they feel great...
Far fewer can train when things aren't perfect. "I'm tired... It's cold/hot/raining ... My headphones are dead... I'm in a bad mood... " Etc etc etc....

Diet.
Quite possibly the single most neglected part of most people's lives.
You are what you eat.
Garbage in... Garbage out.
As a newbie, a sound nutrition plan will serve you well.
I can teach anybody how to lift weights.
But, you have to find out for yourself what works best to fuel your body & hit your goals.
It literally took years to get a handle on what works best for me. Be patient & consistent.
I wouldn't even bother trying to copy anybody's diet, either. NOBODY can scribble out a program for you better than you can do for yourself, once you learn the basics of nutrition.

Supplements.
These have a place for a great many people. I use several & so does my girl.
It's taken a lot of time (and money) to find what really works for us.
Out of the thousands of products out there, the ones that prove to be the most effective & have had the longevity to back it up, are : egg white protein.... Whey protein (syntha 6 by BSN is our favorite).... Creatine.... And a good pre-workout, if you want to go that route.
But, .. And I can't stress this enough.... Food should be your go-to source, whenever possible.

"Following".
In a word,... Don't.
By that, I mean, don't follow what some celebrity/athlete/trainer/YouTuber says & expect to look like them.
All the "experts" will screw up your progress like nothing else can.
Listen, but don't automatically take what they say as gospel.
"Trust, but verify".
Why do what everyone else is doing, just because "that's what everyone does"?
Two quotes here:
"If you want to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back to the crowd."- Mike mentzer.
"Why do what everyone else is doing? How do you know something else won't work?... Because somebody said so??? Try that shit for yourself!"- Rich Piana.

Be consistent.
Be honest with yourself, in regards to your food intake & training intensity.

Hit it hard.
Hit it often.

Good luck!
It's not easy... But, it's totally worth it!

So much good info there— No need to reiterate it. He’s right ....
You have to get uncomfortable when you’re at the gym....remember that.
As the infamous Arnold once said,
“You can have results or excuses— but not both”

 

[Rexyj]

First off, kudos to you for making the decision to improve yourself.
I am not a bodybuilder, per se.
Meaning, I've never competed as one & I have no desire to do so.
I started working out, because I was tired of being the "skinny guy".
I made all the typical young guy mistakes.... Bad form, bad dietary habits, using too much weight, etc...
Started getting serious (and better informed) when I got into sports... Hockey, and later on, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu... And eventually, MMA.
Now, I *mostly* train to keep healthy/strong & to see the smirk on @Snarky_succubus face and hear her primal grunt when she sees me naked and gropes me . Lol.

Some of what I'm gonna say here sounds like a cliche.
But, with 30 years of training/nutrition/supplement experience, I've found these to be the most accurate:
Training.
You get out of it, what you put into it.
If you want above average results, you need to put in above average effort.
Anybody can train when they feel great...
Far fewer can train when things aren't perfect. "I'm tired... It's cold/hot/raining ... My headphones are dead... I'm in a bad mood... " Etc etc etc....

Diet.
Quite possibly the single most neglected part of most people's lives.
You are what you eat.
Garbage in... Garbage out.
As a newbie, a sound nutrition plan will serve you well.
I can teach anybody how to lift weights.
But, you have to find out for yourself what works best to fuel your body & hit your goals.
It literally took years to get a handle on what works best for me. Be patient & consistent.
I wouldn't even bother trying to copy anybody's diet, either. NOBODY can scribble out a program for you better than you can do for yourself, once you learn the basics of nutrition.

Supplements.
These have a place for a great many people. I use several & so does my girl.
It's taken a lot of time (and money) to find what really works for us.
Out of the thousands of products out there, the ones that prove to be the most effective & have had the longevity to back it up, are : egg white protein.... Whey protein (syntha 6 by BSN is our favorite).... Creatine.... And a good pre-workout, if you want to go that route.
But, .. And I can't stress this enough.... Food should be your go-to source, whenever possible.

"Following".
In a word,... Don't.
By that, I mean, don't follow what some celebrity/athlete/trainer/YouTuber says & expect to look like them.
All the "experts" will screw up your progress like nothing else can.
Listen, but don't automatically take what they say as gospel.
"Trust, but verify".
Why do what everyone else is doing, just because "that's what everyone does"?
Two quotes here:
"If you want to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back to the crowd."- Mike mentzer.
"Why do what everyone else is doing? How do you know something else won't work?... Because somebody said so??? Try that shit for yourself!"- Rich Piana.

Be consistent.
Be honest with yourself, in regards to your food intake & training intensity.

Hit it hard.
Hit it often.

Good luck!
It's not easy... But, it's totally worth it!

Thank you so much!!! I honestly really appreciate the advice. I'll do my best!!!

 

[Rexyj]

So much good info there— No need to reiterate it. He’s right ....
You have to get uncomfortable when you’re at the gym....remember that.
As the infamous Arnold once said,
“You can have results or excuses— but not both”

Really. I didn't expect replies that detailed whatsoever. Beyond motivating honestly.

 

[twoton]

Consistency is key.
And don't be afraid to change routines if you're not seeing results you want. Don't get stuck. It's really easy to get stuck in a routine rut.