Wouldn't it be great if we could all walk around with that lean, ripped, and shredded bodybuilder physique that we all know and love? I'm sure everyone reading this knows someone or knows someone that knows someone that has that look all the time. How do they do it? Why don't we all look like that? Let's face it; some people are literally born to look that way. It runs is the family so to speak. They have always had the washboard abs, broad shoulders and bulging biceps. But is that the only way to obtain a physique like that - to be born into it? Certainly not. This article discusses some important aspects of gaining a "bodybuilder's physique" without the use of supplements or illegal anabolic steroids.



Fact number 1 - if you want to change your physique you have to change your diet. There is no way around this and any one that tells you different either doesn't know any better or is flat out lying. We've all heard the phrase "garbage in, garbage out" right? Well it certainly applies here. If the majority of the foods and beverages you consume are "garbage" then it only follows that your body will look like, well - garbage! Ask yourself this question - can I really expect to look lean and ripped if everything I eat is fatty, greasy, salty, and/or chocolaty? (I through chocolate in there because that is my weakness!). Your answer should be a resounding NO! Does it make more sense that if you want to look lean and muscular then you have to eat foods that are low in fat and seemingly healthy? Your answer here should be a resounding YES!

Bottom line - you need to eliminate foods that are high in saturated fat, salts, sugars, or at a minimum, minimize their intake including simple carbohydrates. You need to balance your meals with complex and starchy carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats. This ratio should be around 50% to 55% carbohydrates, 30% to 35% proteins, and 15% to 20% healthy fats per meal and per day. If you won't take the time to measure each portion of food then use this simple technique to balance your portions. Envision your plate - 50% of it should be covered with carbohydrates, 30% should be covered with proteins and 20% should be covered with healthy fats. You should begin eating 6 smaller meals per day vs. 3 or 4 large meals. Eating several times a day will assure that your body is nourished throughout the day which will help keep your metabolism active.

Fact number 2 - you need to BURN calories! You cannot achieve a lean muscular appearance if you are not burning off more calories than you are taking in. Your goal here is to reduce your body fat percentage. You have muscles. You just can't see them because you have too much body fat covering them. It follows then that if you burn off body fat (reduce your body fat percentage) then your muscles will show through better. In order to do this you have to start and consistently perform some type of cardiovascular exercise. This could be walking, running, swimming, biking, hiking, etc. It doesn't really matter as long as you start doing more physical activity than you are doing right now. This increased activity will cause you body's metabolism to work harder for longer periods of time so it will burn more calories. In addition to the cardiovascular training the healthy foods that you are eating will also stoke your metabolism causing it to burn more calories. So your fat burning system gets a "double whammy" from the healthy foods and the exercises.

Fact number 3 - you need to begin a weight training program. In my opinion weight training is the best way to tone, firm, and develop your muscles. Weight training forces your muscles to grow and become more shapely when done properly. Your weight training program does not have to be elaborate or require a lot of fancy equipment. A weight training program can consist of 5 to 6 basic movements and a few different sets of dumbbells of varying resistances. From there it's just a matter of increasing the number of repetitions and sets you perform to keep your muscles challenged. In addition to the benefits mentioned above weight training will increase your metabolism causing you to burn more calories. Add this to the calorie burning effects of eating healthy and performing cardiovascular exercises you'll be giving your body's fat burning system a "triple whammy" causing it to burn more calories over a longer period of time. This will ultimately result in a reduction in your body fat percentage leading to a lean, muscular appearance.

Fact number 4-Keep your reps low. Any time you are doing more than say 6 or 8 reps, you'll actually be stimulating the slow twitch muscle fibers. These are the ones that long distance runners try to grow, and are the muscles with the smallest growth. They to finding out how to build big muscles is to lift heavy, and lift it only a few times. If you keep your reps low, you are making sure you are lifting something which is on the very edge of your ability, ensuring that your muscles are working their way to new growth each time.

Hopefully this guide will shed some light on how to build muscle fast for you.It takes commitment to achieve a lean, muscular physique. By setting goals and establishing a plan of action and then applying that plan you can change the way you look and feel. You're only limited by the limitations you place on yourself.