As bodybuilders we are constantly seeking new ways to improve our physiques
and raise the results of our workouts. We want to continually improve our
bodies and through that we are always searching for the best ways to train.
The bodybuilding industry is a billion dollar industry. This is shown
greatly through the numerous ads, magazines, and commercials we see everyday
and everywhere, though the problems of the industry are another matter
entirely.
The bodybuilding industry has turned into a money driven machine,
and for those new trainees who wish to start their journey, it can be not
only confusing, but also almost downright impossible to find and develop a
routine they feel comfortable with. Because of the hundreds of supposed
systems, supplements and people claiming they have the hidden secret behind
huge gains and super strength, many new and even old trainees including
myself can have a difficult time wading through the useless information. We
all want to have great bodies, and bodybuilding is the main way to achieve
that look we so desire.
There is so much propaganda prevalent today that it
is difficult to find training partners and those who are knowledgeable, but
the main problem is that most people are looking for a "works-for-all"
solution, when in bodybuilding that is impossible. Our bodies all are
genetically different. We have different recovery systems, different muscle
lengths, different fiber types, and many other factors that respond to
training differently then what the fellow bodybuilder will have. Many times
we can be caught up in the hype of something that supposedly gives you
maximum muscle in no time at all, yet for some it will work great, while for
others it won't work at all. There are numerous systems out there: HIT,
Max-OT, Westside Methods, Supersetting, Compound Aftershock, POF, SCT, and
ICE to name a few, but you cannot solely base what you're going to train with
from what results other people have experienced using them.
When discussing
this topic with other experienced and successful teenage bodybuilders one
statement arises from this discussion over and over. "You must try different
things and find out what works for you." What works for Arnold doesn't work
for Yates and vice versa. The pro bodybuilders do routines extremely
different from each other in terms of Mentzer and Arnold, Pearl and Haney,
yet they all have awesome physiques and advocate why their systems are
proven and the best.
They need to put food on the table also, which is why you
should, based on the large base of information available to you, choose
something to start with and then do periods of evaluation and change
according to what works for you and doesn't. Bruce Lee spent countless hours
studying various training styles and systems, and his physique is still held
by bodybuilders and society alike as something amazing, yet he trained much
differently than most bodybuilders. Bruce trained for speed and power, but
look at the muscular development that resulted from this training. He found
what worked for him, and as a result he had not only a terrific physique but
also great power and speed.
Through these examples I hope you realize that
much of training is trial and error. Everyone has to start somewhere, and
with proper nutrition (which is a must if you want to achieve the best body
you can with what you have) and finding what works for you, you have the
ability to develop an amazing body. For all natural bodybuilders, it is my
opinion along with many others that nutrition is AT LEAST 75% of the battle!
One of the many reasons we constantly see people in the gym working out
day after day with little to show is because they are not evaluating their
training or utilizing a good diet. Many people see a system that a pro is
doing and they automatically think that it will work for them, and even
though after 6 months they see little results, they continue with the
program because they feel it worked for the pro and it must work for them.
Sorry to say but the unnatural pros in the IFBB many people look up to,
"train halfheartedly, and have many problems most people have no idea
about". And the sad story is, when natural trainees look up to them they
feel they should look that way and have astounding results, but when it
doesn't work for them they feel they can never develop an amazing body and
give up, when if they'd merely evaluated their training and diet, they could
be well on their way to something great without the use of drugs.
The great
bodybuilders of old were all natural, and because the magazines and hype
promote the dying freaks, people have no exposure to the real natural
bodybuilders whose physiques we should be looking at and evaluating, not
something that is completely unreal and corrupt. For you natural
bodybuilders, base your physique with the legends of old, those are the true
bodybuilders.
To cap it off, we must all realize we cannot let our supposed genetic
limitations stop us from the body we can create. Many great bodybuilders
have apparent flaws, yet they still have awesome bodies. You can develop an
awesome body without drugs. Many of the pros are living lives you wouldn't
believe behind the scenes, and if you want proof of this go read through the
pages of Ironman's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, there is a discussion with
an IFBB pro about what the IFBB world is really like for the unnatural
bodybuilders.
Remember, men like Scott, Reeves, Park, and many others all
proved that natural bodybuilding is worth it and has great results no matter
your genetics. Not even the legends of bodybuilding had perfect bodies,
nobody does. In fact, many people with the best genetics never even train
because they feel they don't need to or don't care, so they will never
develop a body like they could because there is no effort put forth, yet
many bodybuilders start because they want to develop a body they can be
proud of, and look at what hard work does to average men. It turns them into
works of art, and gives self-confidence like nothing else. So don't get down
on yourself if you're "to short", "to skinny" or "your head is too big,"
because if you believe things like that, you're only holding back your
potential for what could be the next champion physique whether competing or
training only for yourself.
Keep at it, and remember you have the potential to go far beyond what you
ever could imagine, it is those people who don't give up, and constantly seek
to improve themselves and those around them who have great impacts upon our
world. Are you going to have an impact, or are you going to let limitations
control your life? Only you can decide.
Motivate each other and learn how to improve your gains by posting and reading posts on our popular Teen Section of the Bodybuilding Forum!
2. Un-natural Pros do not take any supplements at all, it's all drugs and it is
very corrupt and saddening to the sport of the Iron Game.
3. Follow the legends of old, they set the path for you, and they trained
using tried and true principles.
4. Everyone has apparent genetic flaws, yet everyone can develop a great
body. Stick with it. If you ever need motivation to keep going, check out
Fit For Life's article on his Life Story.
5. You must evaluate and change your training over time to find out what
works best for your body. Everyone is different, keep what is useful and don't
listen to the useless.
6. IMO, if you really want to be a pro bodybuilder, keep it natural and
compete naturally. Even though the bodybuilding world may fall and never
attain greatness and naturality as it once did, hopefully someday natural
bodybuilding will take the spotlight once again. If you want it, keep at it,
and you may be able to change things for the better.
8. Keep it real.
