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There is a lot of talk out there these days about what does it really mean to be a ‘natural’ bodybuilder or even building muscle in the most ‘natural’ way. So what does it really mean to be ‘natural’?

The most basic definition would be to be without steroids. In other words you don’t use any enhancing ‘drugs’ to help you to build your physique. Some have taken it a step further to include most of the supplements on the market like pro-hormones, NOx, and other enhancement supplements. Most would consider basic supplements like creatine and protein to be ok, but I’ve even seem some people say that in order to be truly ‘natural’ you should only eat whole foods and that’s it.

For the most part, if you want to be considered in the ‘natural’ category, stick with the basics like creatine and whey protein and some other basic supplements that are normally found in your diet in smaller quantities. Building a natural body has many benefits. First of all, if you build your body in a natural fashion it will bring with it a sense of pride to know that you didn’t cut any corners, you built a great body from scratch. You also won’t be dependent on any drugs or crazy supplements to maintain what you have.

Is there anything wrong with not going natural? Well, that’s up to you. Everyone has to look at their own personal values on this one and decide what they think would be best for them.

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Hopefully by now you’ve heard that its very important when trying to pack on muscle that you use the ‘bigger’ lifts. Sometimes these are called multi-joint or compound movement lifts. Basically they’re the lifts that use multiple muscles to lift the weight.

Here are the Big 3:

- Bench
- Squat
- Deadlift

So are you using these lifts consistently in your workouts? If you’re trying to really gain muscle then you need to be sure to use these lifts. Don’t just focus on isolation exercises, focus on the big lifts that have been proven to build the most muscle.

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Back towards the beginning of this year and end of last year we posted several times about the importance of having goals and working to achieve them. Well, we’re almost done with the first quarter of the year and its probably time to check with your original goals to see how you’ve done so far!

Are you on track? Have you accomplished or surpassed what you set out to do already? If so, good job! Your work is to be commended and you should feel rather proud of yourself!

Or are you a little behind and not quite on track to where you’d like to be? If so, then now is a great time to readjust your goals and start to move forward again. Don’t get discouraged, just pick yourself up and start moving towards your goals again. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that 2007 is already ruined and you’ll take some time off and restart in a couple months. Start up again ASAP and get back on track. You still have plenty of time to accomplish some great things this year!

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Have you ever stood in front of the mirror and looked at your self but not been happy with what you saw in the reflection? I think that all of us have done this at one time or another. The sad thing is that unless we change the way that we see ourselves, we’re never going to change! Its like the age old truth that the person that thinks the most about being sick is always sick. The people that talk the most about aches and pains always seem to have aches and pains. The person that talks the most about being ugly seems to be that way because they see themselves that way! So, if you really want to see a change in the way you look you have to start to change the way you see yourself! Its time to visualize what you want to be, not where what you are.

I heard a statement the other day that really rang true with this concept. The idea is that if you look at yourself and judge yourself the way you are today you’re really just looking at what you ‘were’, and so you’ll always be stuck there. What you are today is a culmination of the past! So if you want to change your future, stop looking at the past (or in other words where you are today). Instead, start to visualize what you want to be and you’ll actually start to become that.

So next time you stand in front of the mirror take a good look at yourself. Then close your eyes and get a picture in your mind of what you want to look like. Do this on a daily basis and really feel and picture what you want to look like. Don’t make it just a mundane routine, really get into it. This will help you to stay motivated and also help you to accomplish your goals even faster because you’re involving your mind in changing your body. There is a really correlation between the mind and body. If you really want to achieve lifetime fitness you have to start including your whole body in the process.

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When you look at all the different parts of what is necessary to build a better body, one part that a lot of people don’t seem to take into full consideration is the effect that rest has on your body’s development. You can find plenty of books on other parts of the equation like how to eat right, what are the right and best exercises to do, what supplements work, etc. But when was the last time you saw a book that only talked about how sleep is a crucial part of developing your physique? If there is one out there, I have never heard of it.

So how much sleep do you need? Most sources will tell you 7-9 hours, or something like that. Funny how this is the same recommendation that we’ve all heard since we were kids, but how many of us actually follow it? Instead we try to operate on 4-6 hours of sleep and build muscle at the same time. You’re not stacking the odds in your favor if this is what you’re trying to do. A good number of the articles that you read will mention that rest is probably the most important thing that you have to include in your lifestyle if you really want to build your best body. If that’s the case, its time to take a look at your own sleep habits and start to take it more seriously!

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Simply put, your body is like a machine. If you keep it in good condition, properly oiled and maintained it just tends to function better. Let ‘rust’ or other pollutants clog up the gears and you’ve got a real mess on your hands.

So for running an effective machine and getting rid of the pollutants, you’ve got to build some muscle. Having muscle is part of keeping the body machine well-oiled and functioning properly. Below is a link to an article that we found the other day that goes over the concept of building muscle to get rid of fat and why that’s important. Check it out!

How to Turn Your Body Into a Fat Burning Furnace

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Think about this: If you’re really trying to improve your body in some degree, you are a body builder. Now, before you start thinking about someone that’s all loaded up on steroids, that’s not what we’re talking about. Just like a person that is in construction doesn’t necessarily build the same type of building all the time, a person that is working on their body isn’t necessarily the same as what you would think of when you picture a ‘body builder’ in your head, but you could still consider yourself to be one. And that is not a bad thing!

The reason I believe its better to consider yourself a body builder rather than a dieter is the overall goal. Dieting is focused on just one aspect of having a healthy, well developed body. But, if you consider yourself some type of body builder you’re looking at the big picture. Unless you’re looking at building a better body as one whole project, you’re not getting the whole picture. Yes, there are phases that you’ll go through like bulking a cutting, but these are all parts of the whole plan.

So look at the whole picture and don’t be afraid to think of yourself as a body builder, even if you don’t tell it to anyone but yourself.

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