Everyone, even Arnold, had to start somewhere. For the beginner, body building can be confusing. Use your head, learn all you can, and follow these smart beginner body building tips, and rather than just following the example of some muscle-headed guys who never succeed, you’ll end up cut AND healthy.

Beginner Body Building Tip #1:

Research, learn, and go in with a smart beginner body building plan. You can’t just go to a gym, jerk some weights, drink protein powder and walk out rippling. There are smart ways to do it, and really dumb ways. Learn the right way first and you’ll come out ahead.

Beginner Body Building Tip #2:

Don’t trust everything you read in magazines. Many of them are owned by nutritional supplement companies. Guess which products they’ll push? Many are nothing more than glorified ads aimed at beginner body building hobbyists. Ask around and find unbiased advice. Hey, you may become such a perfect specimen that you end up on a magazine – and you won’t even need a touch up!

Beginner Body Building Tip #3:

Don’t even think about using steroids. Too many beginner body building enthusiasts, steroids seem like the quickest path to success, but they’re really nothing but trouble. There are incredibly effective natural ways to stimulate your muscle development without putting your health and life in danger.

Beginner Body Building Tip #4:

Understand how your muscles work. You build muscle by taxing it then allowing your body to repair the microscopic tears you caused. This takes time – about a week for each targeted muscle group - and patience. If you’re tempted to overdo it, a common beginner mistake, it’s like taking the lid off a pot of water you want to boil. It’ll never happen because you keep interrupting the process.

Beginner Body Building Tip #5:

Beginner body building injuries come from trying to lift too much weight for too long. Don’t work out more than an hour a day five days a week. Go past that, and your workout’s working against you. If you work efficiently, you don’t have to live at the gym.

Beginner Body Building Tip #6:

Watch your form. Jerk up. Drop down. Repeat, right? Do yourself a favor and take a course on beginning body building, or hire a coach and learn it right. Extending to the full range of motion is a very smart way to get faster results. Don’t get sloppy. Don’t rush. Bad form just wastes your time. Good form takes balance, flexibility, and concentration – all good things. Use good form…and you get great results.