Bodybuilding
Created | Updated Sep 7, 2010
Bodybuilding is the use of weights to increase the size of your muscles, either to make you stronger or to improve your appearance. Contrary to popular belief, there haven't always been bodybuilders. The practice started in the late 19th Century with Eugen Sandow. It was the circus strongmen in the early 20th Century - who would test their strength using dumbbells and other implements - that captivated audiences all over Europe. Their influence is still evident today with the Iron Man competition, in which the competitors compete in events that test their strength, including the log lift, lorry pull, and atlas stone lift1, and the body building competitions, which focus on attire and poses.
Medical Advice
Any bodybuilding programme should go alongside along a good balanced diet and plenty of rest.
Before you start bodybuilding, it is important that you seek the advice of your General Practitioner. If you have had major or minor health problems such as chest pains, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, obesity, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis or other respiratory problems, back problems or take any kind of medication, consult your doctor before you step into a gym. Even if you used to train but have left off for a long time, it would be a good idea to get yourself checked out before you start training again. It is especially important if you are a teenager to go to the doctor to get a little bit of advice, as your muscles and bones are still developing.
Muscle Groups
There are fifteen different body parts you can work:
[I put a lot of work into tidying this information up and putting it into a table, but a reliable source has told me that the information in the table is almost completely wrong, so this is never going to make it to an Edited Entry as it stands. Without the table there is not enough in the entry to make an interesting read.]| Area | Muscle | Description | Function |
| 1. Neck | |||
| 2. Traps | Trapezius | The Trapezius starts at the point behind your skull across the left hand side 2across the top of your shoulder and goes to bottom of the spine quarter of the way up from the bottom of the spine is the lower Trapezius | Upper Elevation of the scapular, Middle Adduction of the scapular, The Lower Depression Of the Scapular. |
| Levator Scapular | The levator scapular is the vertebrae from the neck to the shoulder. | The elevation of the scapular. | |
| 3. Shoulder (Deltoids) | Deltoids | There are three parts to the deltoid: The Anterior the muscle on the inside of the shoulder The Middle is the middle of the deltoid The Posterior top of the deltoid | Entire muscle abduction, Anterior Fibers Flexion Medial Rotation, Posterior Fibers extension, Lateral Rotation |
| Rotator Cuff | The rotator Cuff is connected at the top and bottom and gives the shoulder stability | Infraspinatus Teres minor, Lateral Rotation, Subscapularis Medial Rotation, Suprapinatus Abduction | |
| 4. Chest (pectoralis) | Pectoralis Major | The chest is the center of the upper body | Flexion adduction and medial rotation |
| Rotator Cuff | The rotator Cuff is connected at the top and bottom and gives the shoulder stability | Infraspinatus Teres minor, Lateral Rotation, Subscapularis Medial Rotation, Suprapinatus Abduction | |
| 5. Triceps (Triceps Brachii) | Triceps Branchii | The Tricep Branchii is located in the outside of the upper arm behind the Bicep from below the shoulder to the elbow | Extension at the elbow |
| Brachialis | The Brachialis stretches across the elbow | Flexion at the elbow | |
| Pronator Teres | The Pronator is across the forearm at the elbow | Flexion at the elbow, Pronation at the forearm | |
| 6. Biceps (Branchii) | Biceps Brachii | Of all the body parts the bicep muscle is the one that most want quick results it is in between the shoulder and the forearm | Flexion at the elbow And Supination at the forearm |
| Brachialis | The Brachialis streches across the elbow | Flexion at the elbow | |
| Pronator Teres | The Pronator is across the forearm at the elbow | Flexion at the elbow and Pronation at the forearm | |
| 7. Forearm (Branchioradialis) | Pronator Teres | The Pronator is across the forearm at the elbow | Flexion at the elbow and Pronation at the forearm |
| Brachialis | The Brachialis streches across the elbow | Flexion at the elbow | |
| Brachioradialis | The Brachiorialis starts just above the elbo and goes down the forearm to the wrist | Flexion at the elbow | |
| 8. Abs (Rectus Abdominis) | Rectus Abdominis | The Rectus Adbominis are at each side of the stomach going down to the groin | Flexion and lateral Flexion of trunk |
| External Oblique | The External Oblique goes down the sides of the stomach from under the chest down to above the hip | Lateral Flexion of trunk | |
| Internal Oblique | The internal Oblique starts Just under the rib cadge on the left hand side and runs to a point above the groin | Lateral Flexion of trunk | |
| Transverse | The transverse starts under the ribs on the right hand side down to a point at the groin | Compresses abdomen | |
| Erector Spinae | Runs down the left hand side of the spine | Extension of the trunk | |
| 9. Quads (Quadriceps) | Llacus | The Llacus is above the femur at the right hand side | Flexion and Lateral rotation |
| Psoas | The psoas starts at the femur and curves around above the groin *behind the spine * | Flexion and Lateral rotation | |
| Rectus Femoris | The rectus Femoris goes down from the top of the thigh to just above the kneecap | Extension and flexion | |
| Vastus | The vastus goes down each side of the Rectus Femoris the left hand side is the Vastus Lateralis and on the left hand side the smallest of the two is the Vastus Medalis and go down each side of the kneecap | Extension | |
| Adductors | The adductor is just behind the kneecap | Adduction, Lateral rotation flexion, medial rotation | |
| 10. Lats (Latissimus Dorsi) | Latissimus Dorsi | The latissimus Dorsi start under the rotator cuff on the right hand side and goes down to the bottom of the back | Extension, adduction and medial rotation |
| Rotator Cuff | The rotator Cuff is connected at the top and bottom and gives the shoulder stability | Infraspinatus Teres minor, Lateral Rotation, Subscapularis Medial Rotation, Suprapinatus Abduction | |
| 11. Middle Back (Rhomboids) | |||
| 12. Lower Back | Lower Trapezius | The Lower Trapezius starts behind the Rotator Cuff and curves down to the bottom of the spine | Depression of the scapular |
| 13. Glutes (Gluteus Maximus and Medius) | |||
| 14. Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris) | Llacus | The Llacus is above the femur at the right hand side | Flexion and lateral rotation |
| Psoas | The psoas starts at the femur and curves around above the groin *behind the spine * | Flexion and lateral rotation | |
| Rectus Femoris | The rectus Femoris goes down from the top of the thigh to just above the kneecap | Extension | |
| Semitendinosus | The Semitendinosus goes from the top of the leg to the middle of the thigh | Extension | |
| Semimembranosus | The Semimembranosus runs down the outside of the thigh | Extension | |
| 15. Calves (Gastrocnemius) | Anterior Tibialis | The Anterior Tibialis starts at the top of the calves to the bottom of the calves | Dorsiflexion at the ankle and inversion at the foot |
| Peroneus | The Peroneus runs down the side of the leg to around the ankle | ||
| Gastrocnemius | The Gastrocnemius is the muscle at the top of the calves | Plantarflexion at the ankle and inversion at the foot | |
| Soleus | The Soleus is the muscle at the back of the calves | Plantarflexion at the ankle | |
| Posterior Tibialis | The Posterior Tibialis is a little muscle at the top of the calves behind the knee | Plantarflexion at the ankle |
Types of Exercise
There are two main types of exercise:
Isolation exercises work just one group of muscles at a time. These allow you to concentrate on the muscles that need the most development.
Compound exercises work a number of muscle groups at a time, which may be necessary if your time in the gym is limited, or if a suitable isolation exercise for the particular muscle group doesn't exist.
Examples of isolation exercises include:
- Alternate incline dumbbell curl
- Close grip standing barbell curl
Both of these work the biceps without affecting any other muscle group.
Examples of compound exercises include:
- Hammer curls - these work the biceps, but also the forearms.
- Pull ups - these work the Biceps, but also the Forearms and Lats
- High Cable Curls - these work the biceps but also the triceps.
Sets and Repetitions
It is very important when doing repetitive exercises to keep track of exactly how many you have done. The normal way to do this is to divide them into sets, each set consisting of the same exercise repeated a number of times. Repetitions of the basic exercise are known as 'reps'.
If you do too many sets or repetitions on your first exercise, your muscle will get fatigued, which will mean that you won't be able to do your full set of repetitions, will struggle to complete your sets and will have to decrease your weights for other exercises.
Repetitions (Reps)
Reps are the number of times you move the weight from point A, which would be the starting point of the weights, to point B, which would be the correct finishing point of the weight. For example:
Exercise: Hammer Curls
With a dumbbell in each hand, start with your arms hanging at your sides with your palms facing each other keeping your elbows locked into your side. Your upper body and elbows should stay in the same place during the whole of the exercise (Point A)
Keeping your palms facing each other, slowly curl the weight in your right hand up in a semi-circle towards your right shoulder. Squeeze the biceps hard at the top of the lift. (Point B).
Slowly lower the weight back to its original position. Do not turn your wrists during this lift. (Point A)
This can be done a total of twelve times using one weight. Or you can do the repetitions another way, where you start at your lowest weight and work up to your highest, decreasing your reps as you move to each weight. For example:
12 reps of 10kg
8 reps of 12kg
3 reps of 14kg or as many as you can push out if you do more than the reps needed on the last weight you need to put increase the weight [not sure what this means]
Remember as your top weight goes up you lose your bottom weight so it would now be:
12kg 14kg 16kg - your reps stay the same
Sets
After you have completed the 12 Repetitions that is classed as one set as a rule of thumb it is two sets per exercise that would be twenty four reps
Equipment
If you are starting out, it is important that you not only know the correct equipment to use for the exercise but also that you use the correct weight. This will avoid any injures when trying to lift the weight or injury due to incorrect technique. If you are in any doubt, ask one of the trainers at the gym.
Dumbbells
The dumbbell a weight for holding in one hand. It has a central bar where it is gripped, with a roughly cylindrical weight on each end, and is approximately 30cm in length. When using a pair of dumbbells, it is a good idea to making sure they are both the same weight. Dumbbells come in two main types:
Fixed weight dumbbells are not adjustable in any way. They are often coated in rubber, so they won't break or get dinted when they are dropped. They come in a number of different weights.
Adjustable dumbbells have a central bar onto which is attached different weights. The weights may be clipped in place or screwed on.
The dumbbells can be used as part of free weights for Neck, Traps, Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, Chest, Forearm, Abs, Quads, Middle back, Lower Back, Hamstrings and Calves.
Barbell
The barbell is approximately 168m [whoa! you'd need some gym to hold that!] in length and, like the dumbbells, the weight are already fixed onto the bar so don't require any clips [wrong again, I believe] and the discs are made from rubber and have a big silver disc on the end to stop the discs from falling off or being removed.
[?]The barbell can be used as part of free weights for Neck, Traps, Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, Chest, Forearm, Abs, Quads, Middle back, Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstrings and Calves.
Other Equipment
Note Pad - to help you keep track of the weight you are using for each exercise. You can use a pocket note pad or an exercise book.
Gloves - there will stop the build-up of calluses (hard skin) on the palm of your hands just under the fingers and will also give you a bit more grip.
Weight-lifting Belt - this is a good idea later on in training when you are lifting the heavier weights. The belt will give extra protection to the lower back. If you are just starting training, make sure you stick to the golden rules: don't arch your back or use your back to swing the weight - this should limit any weight-training-induced back problems later on.
