What's the best way to begin bodybuilding?

[BeowulflBoy]

I'm 41, a non-smoker and have been slender all my life. However, I've been told by some gym friends that my body shape is good for bodybuilding and that I should get into it. Should I first of all eat a lot more for a few months before hitting the gym, or should I just start the eating and the gym simultaneously? Also, should I have a heart test before I begin all this? Is there anything else I should know at this early planning stage? Thanks!

 

[Korza]

You don't need to eat lots before you start lifting. Start lifting small weights and build your body up slowely, I suggest eating a lot of protein after work outs (e.g eggs, spurillina or protein shakes) Also eat lots of carbs, like rice and pasta etc. It's important that you eat a lot when building muscle. I'm not sure about the heart test, but it might be safe to check?

 

[Reece]

Eating a large quantity of food whilst strength training is considered bulking, now i'd say if your body fat percentage is anywhere around 16% or higher i wouldn't recommend is as that fat could be an issue when it comes to the cutting stage.

what i would recommend is eating healthy, always remember to eat all the right nutrition. now if you're planning on bulking then you need to eat a daily basis where carbs and protein is around 35% to 40% in your daily diet. doing this will gain mass but you do risk of gaining a little more fat.

When it comes to the gym focus your repetition range to around 8, if your mates are doing 15 or more then i'd say they're doing it for more endurance then size. but yes 8 to 9 is a great number for building size and strength. is you just want to increase strength then perform reps of around 4-5. now when it comes to the weight, you need a weight to lift which becomes a struggle at around last rep,

if you're going for cutting which is losing fat and getting lean then try going for HIIT training, long continuous cardiovascular activity will decrease your muscle mass for the sake of endurance.

hope i've helped

 

[zollarsmeece]

I think that at your age I would start out using body weight exercises. Pushups situps pullups dips etc. Get good and strong on these before you move onto lifting weights.