Bodybuilding?

I'm thinking of maybe starting on some form of serious bodybuilding, but not entirely sure where to begin. If there are suitable plans for someone who is a beginner but having success so far, it would be great to know how to work towards them. keep in mind I'm more looking more at a strength outcome and don't want a "ripped" body from what I've seen
thanks!

Replies

  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    There are several great programs out there. I agree that you should work on strength first. Consider either strong lifts 5x5 or New Rules of Lifting for Women, both of which are suitable for a beginner. Enjoy!

    Allan Misner
    NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)
    Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast
  • FireYankee
    FireYankee Posts: 45 Member
    001bridget wrote: »
    I'm thinking of maybe starting on some form of serious bodybuilding, but not entirely sure where to begin. If there are suitable plans for someone who is a beginner but having success so far, it would be great to know how to work towards them. keep in mind I'm more looking more at a strength outcome and don't want a "ripped" body from what I've seen
    thanks!

    IMO... Lower body training will develop strength and size. If you are looking for a good strength and base beginning for bodybuilding I would look at Cory Gregory's Squat Everyday. There is a beginning 30 day program and then there is a "2.0" program that follows that really hits on power lifting and strength training.
  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
    Go to bodybuilding.com....they have all sorts of workouts. One bit of friendly advice...don't mention the world "tone" EVER on a serious bodybuilding site. You'll find out why in due time. Good Luck!
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Look into Strong Lifts 5x5. It's a beginning strength program. Lots of good vids to ensure correct form on their website. Run it for a couple cycles and then you'll have a better idea of what you want for the next step.
  • mer1cose
    mer1cose Posts: 90 Member
    Check out 5/3/1: How to Build Pure Strength
    https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/531-how-to-build-pure-strength
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    001bridget wrote: »
    I'm thinking of maybe starting on some form of serious bodybuilding, but not entirely sure where to begin. If there are suitable plans for someone who is a beginner but having success so far, it would be great to know how to work towards them. keep in mind I'm more looking more at a strength outcome and don't want a "ripped" body from what I've seen
    thanks!

    The "ripped" look comes from having low body fat. You won't accidentally achieve that. Follow a strength routine to build strength. Stronglifts, Starting Strength, Madcow 5X5, or Icecream Fitness 5X5.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    Go to the Bodybuilding.com forum and ask if you have potential. You'll get lots of feedback.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    Don't confuse "strength training" with "body building" They are two different sports, and train differently. There are a lot of similarities but they are two different things, especially at the "serious" level. Pick one or the other, find a program and go for it. I strength train, and personally i have not had good experiences on bodybuilding.com, its nothing but advertising and pros promoting themselves. Its a slow loading site, different to navigate around. Maybe there is good info in there, but i gave up trying to use that site. Follow some of the programs that other posters have mentioned like stronglifts, etc. And you said you are thinking about "serious bodybuilding" , when that time comes most serious body builders get trainers and dietitians, etc. It all depends on how serious you wanna get.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    Bodybuilding.com has articles mostly related to "bodybuilding" (makes sense, right?). I haven't found a ton of useful information there about "strength training." T-Nation.com is geared more to strength. Also, try startingstrength.com (might be useful info there). And getting ripped has a lot more to do with diet than training...I have yet to become ripped.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    If you're more interested in strength than physique, you may want to love into powerlifting. Bodybuilding tends to focus more on...well, building the body. Many, if not most, bodybuilders do cycles of cutting (losing weight, optimizing fat loss and muscle retention) and bulking (gaining weight, optimizing muscle gains over fat gains) in order to achieve a certain type of physique that they find aesthetically pleasing. Many of them do focus on gaining strength as well, but how the body looks is important to them.

    A powerlifter's focus is strength. Lifting heavier and heavier weights, pushing their bodies to the limit, and eating plenty of food in order to fuel their intense workouts. Some powerlifters are "ripped," but pretty much all the ones I've seen are not. As someone else said, the shredded look is achieved by a low body fat percentage. In order to achieve a lower body fat percentage, most of us have to eat in a deficit and lose weight. Powerlifting in a caloric deficit isn't ideal.

    And you don't really have to be either. There's plenty of gray area. If you just want to lift weights, lift weights. It's all about your own personal goals and finding whatever you enjoy doing.

    But before we get too ahead of ourselves, I suggest starting a beginner lifting program before you think about getting "serious" with anything. If you're new to lifting, you need to familiarize yourself with the exercises and focus on form. Someone who has never lifted on a consistent basis probably shouldn't be looking into any powerlifting competitions, obviously. I started with StrongLifts 5x5 and think it's a great program. There's also New Rules of Lifting for Women, Strong Curves, and a few other popular beginner programs out there. Check these out and start from there.
  • 001bridget
    001bridget Posts: 8 Member
    FireYankee wrote: »
    001bridget wrote: »
    I'm thinking of maybe starting on some form of serious bodybuilding, but not entirely sure where to begin. If there are suitable plans for someone who is a beginner but having success so far, it would be great to know how to work towards them. keep in mind I'm more looking more at a strength outcome and don't want a "ripped" body from what I've seen
    thanks!

    IMO... Lower body training will develop strength and size. If you are looking for a good strength and base beginning for bodybuilding I would look at Cory Gregory's Squat Everyday. There is a beginning 30 day program and then there is a "2.0" program that follows that really hits on power lifting and strength training.

    Thanks, I'll take a look at that. Also, I am more interested in lower body, but at what point should I start on upper body training for strength?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    001bridget wrote: »
    FireYankee wrote: »
    001bridget wrote: »
    I'm thinking of maybe starting on some form of serious bodybuilding, but not entirely sure where to begin. If there are suitable plans for someone who is a beginner but having success so far, it would be great to know how to work towards them. keep in mind I'm more looking more at a strength outcome and don't want a "ripped" body from what I've seen
    thanks!

    IMO... Lower body training will develop strength and size. If you are looking for a good strength and base beginning for bodybuilding I would look at Cory Gregory's Squat Everyday. There is a beginning 30 day program and then there is a "2.0" program that follows that really hits on power lifting and strength training.

    Thanks, I'll take a look at that. Also, I am more interested in lower body, but at what point should I start on upper body training for strength?

    Upper body progression is slower and will stall quicker than lower. The only reason to wait to do upper body is if you are injured.
  • christch
    christch Posts: 238 Member
    Have a look here for the forum called SL5x5 for women. It's got some great info and lots of really knowledgeable women who give great support.
  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    001bridget wrote: »
    Thanks, I'll take a look at that. Also, I am more interested in lower body, but at what point should I start on upper body training for strength?

    If you're looking for a good program specifically for building lower body strength, you could check out Strong Curves by Bret Contreras.
  • CaptianAmer
    CaptianAmer Posts: 120 Member
    Yes you need to be doing full body. Most people just focus on upper body and not lower. Then they run into not seeing any change their strength is at a stand still. So I tell them to start increasing there leg training it's so important it gets the blood flowing in your body helps get the toxins out. And don't forget to do cardio it helps in the same way. And it also helps burn calories so you can Intake more to feed the muscles for growth and strength. Swole