Bodybuilding for Strength, Health and Fitness

Bodybuilding is the process of maximizing muscle mass through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. Someone who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. As a sport, called competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their aesthetic appearance.

The muscles are revealed through a combination of fat loss, oils, and tanning (or tanning lotions) which combined with lighting make the definition of the muscle group more distinct. Famous bodybuilders include Arnold Schwarzenegger,Dorian Yates, Mike Mentzer, Lou Ferrigno, Steve Reeves, Serge Nubret, Larry Scott, Ronnie Coleman, and Jay Cutler.

Bodybuilders use resistence weight training to increase muscle mass and strength. The process of heavy lifting causes micro-tears to the muscles being trained; this is generally known as microtrauma.

These micro-tears in the muscle contribute to the soreness felt after exercise, called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is the repair to these micro-trauma that result in muscle growth. Normally, this soreness becomes most apparent a day or two after a workout

There is a lot of advice on body building for beginners available on the internet, however when starting a beginner / bodybuilding regime, advice often fails to highlight the dangers of overtraining. Please read the Overtraining Your Body article before starting a beginner weight training routine.

The Early Years of Bodybuilding
The Golden Age of Bodybuilding and onward.
Bodybuilding Nutrition
Overtraining Your Body
Bodybuilding Supplements

Bodybuilding Articles

How I Build Muscle Naturally
Six Keys to Successful Bodybuilding
Beginner Bodybuilding Guidlines and Tips
Bodybuilding Diet Secret: How to Bulk and Cut at the Same Time
Using Bodybuilding Supplements To Build Muscle Mass
Hydration in Bodybuilding

This page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bodybuilding"