Bodybuilding Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Slaughter Fit Warrior

Hello Warriors! For those of you who have been keeping up with my fitness journey on this blog, you know that I'm on a mission to get in the best shape of my life! This year, it was the first time I got to learn about the different stages of bodybuilding and why they're important. You can find my post about the bodybuilding stages here. The Three Stages of Bodybuilding - What are They? When are They in Season? As of today (9/27/21), the bulking stage of bodybuilding is right around the corner! Bulking season is the time when you can eat more calories and not worry so much about carbs for 4 months. You'll definitely get bigger in this stage, as you'll gain more mass. But you'll also gain a layer of fat. But that's okay, because when it comes time for shredding, that unwanted fat is coming off! Just you see! So, in order to help you with your bulking experience, I'm going to give you tips on how you can make it through bulking season! Brain Over Brawn I wouldn't recommend you go full tilt with this experience and try to do exercises you don't know how to do. Otherwise you'll end up making bonehead mistakes and you'll set yourself up as not being able to do the exercise. I would recommend you do simple exercises for each muscle group, nothing too fancy. You're in the gym because you have a job to do. You're not in there to show off. Right? Right. Another thing, don't try to lift more weight than you can handle. Listen to your body and anticipate what it's telling you. If you feel what you're lifting is too heavy for you, then lower the weight. If you're doing an exercise until failure, I would recommend you stop when you start to feel fatigue, when you feel you can't do any more reps. Track Your Progress I would highly recommend you do this if you're just getting started in bodybuilding. Now, if you feel intimidated keeping track of your progress every single day, it's okay. I was there too. The way I would track my progress is I would make a checklist of the days when I'm supposed to go to the gym and get in a workout. Not to mention all the meals and macros I have to eat throughout the day. I would personally recommend that you make a checklist on paper that you can print and put on your wall, like your fridge or something. Check off each day's workout and each meal you eat in pencil, that way you can start it all over again the next day. It goes full circle, you know! Don't Quit Whatever you do, do not quit or give up! That's what cowards do and that's not you! You're better than that! There's a saying I'm sure many of us have heard in our lives, it goes like, "those who say they can and those who say they can't are usually right." Even on the days when you don't feel like going to the gym, if you want to make a transformation that badly, you just have to do it. No excuses. Stay Positive It's always important to have a positive mindset. If you miss a day because you're injured or sick, don't beat yourself up over it. Just remember to get back on your horse afterwards. Don't make it a habit to keep taking days off. Save your days off for when you have a cheat day. Having a positive mindset will also help boost your confidence, and help you get that drive, that momentum to want to keep going. If you have a negative mindset, then you're not going to reach that desire to want to get to the next level. Just remember to not get bent out of shape if you miss a day. Just be like, crap. Forget it, next day, and let's move on. So you got to stay positive. Be Patient Remember, you're not going to get from point A to point B overnight. You have to be patient with it and trust the process. Bulking season is 4 months long, from October through January. This whole thing is a journey! And this is just part of the journey! Don't be the guy who goes for the short term gain, long term loss. In other words, steroids aren't the answer. I remember reading in my grade 7 science textbook a long time ago that in the long run, anabolic steroids or some other type of PED's (performance-enhancing drugs) can damage your kidneys, your liver, and even your heart. Anabolic Steroids DrugFacts - National Institute on Drug Abuse Trust me, if you just be patient, trust the process, and put in the work, then the results will feel so much more rewarding. You'll feel good about yourself knowing that you put in the work and you earned it. If you try and cheat your way to success, it will come back to bite you in the butt. Remember, winners never cheat. And cheaters never win. Don't Be Too Strict About Eating Clean While Bulking During bulking season, you don't have to worry too much about cutting out certain food groups. You'll be in the stage where you're trying to add mass. So I would recommend you follow 2 philosophies when it comes to eating during bulking season. One is the 80/20 rule. If your eating matches at least 80% of your targets or more, you will be just fine. The other is the I.I.F.M.M., which stands for "If It Fits My Macros." This one sort of goes into play with the 80/20 rule. If you're feeling a craving for something that you would typically eat on a cheat day (pizza, ice cream, burgers, fries, etc.) then you can make it fit your macros. But beware...don't make it a habit! Give Yourself One Day per Week for Recovery Recovery is super important in bodybuilding. Every bodybuilder I know of is in the gym training for 6 days on, and 1 day off (including eating right) I don't know a single bodybuilder who trains all 7 days of the week. So 6 days on and 1 day off is what I would recommend to you. Pick one day of the week to be your cheat day. The day where you can let your body recover from the rigorousness of the gym, and you can eat whatever you want, to your heart's content, just for one day! If it's your cheat day and you're craving the fun food, like a burger and fries, or a stuffed crust pizza, or a big tub of ice cream, then by all means, have at it! It's your cheat day! Just remember to return to the grind when it's time to train and eat right again. It'll feel very rewarding on your next cheat day if you go hard on your training days. The First Week is Always the Hardest Whenever you're committing to something new, understand that the first week is always going to be the most difficult. Trust me, I can speak from experience on that. My first week of bodybuilding was extremely difficult. I felt as if my limbs were just going to fall right off. But I adapted to my new training routine and it was off to the races. In the words of the late and great Kobe Bryant, "It's all about being able to adapt." Nike Zoom Kobe VII commercial - Adaptation It's that simple. Once you adapt to your routine and get comfortable with it, it will become part of your lifestyle. Closing Words Before, September 2020 After, September 2021 So remember, don't be too strict on the eating, as long as you follow the 80/20 rule, mind over muscle, and stay motivated, these next 4 months should be a snap! Once you get past the first week, it'll be so much easier, that I promise you! Stay positive, eat your macros, get to the gym, and don't quit! You can do it! I know you can! Now, LET'S GO INTO BATTLE! Good luck! Slaughter Fit Warrior