Bodybuilding?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.