Bodybuilding and Its Pros and Cons

Just like with most of the things we do in life, there are two sides to them: the good and the bad. For example, although we get a wealth of information from the World Wide Web, we also find info and images there that can be abhorrent.

If you plan to get into bodybuilding to get all buffed up, you also have to know its advantages and disadvantages so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into. Remember that old age, ‘Look first before you leap.’ Another expression that expresses the same caveat is ‘forewarned is forearmed.’

Here are some of the pros and cons when it comes to bodybuilding:

The Pros

Learning discipline – If there’s one thing you’ll learn when you’re in a fitness program, it’s discipline. As it is with any other sport, you have to develop a commitment to your routine. When you know you have to be in the gym regularly to meet your goals, it instills that self-discipline for you to keep going and stick with your schedule.

Maintaining and improving your health – Ensuring our physical well-being entails optimum physical activity. Bodybuilding is a well-rounded fitness activity that requires one to lead a healthy lifestyle, which means staying away from unhealthy food, beverages, practices, and vices.

Boosting your self-esteem – When you look and feel healthy and physically fit, you also feel more confident. Those who feel good about themselves can easily improve their self-esteem compared to those who think they don’t look good enough (although looks don’t necessarily make a man).

The Cons

Potential muscle damage – There are those who can get overzealous and lift weights that are beyond their capacity and even outside of their program. Needless to say, doing something beyond our body’s capacity can be risky. Lifting too much and too often is inviting damage not only to our muscles, but even to our bones.

Danger of dehydration – When you do intense workouts, you also sweat excessively. When there’s too much water being dispelled instead of taken in, you increase your chance of getting dehydrated. Dehydration can cause your body to lose electrolytes and eventually lead to dizziness and even arrhythmias.

Taking too much protein – Protein is, without question, needed by anyone, even those who are not into bodybuilding. However, excess protein can actually put a lot of stress on your organs, especially on your kidneys. Just like with anything, take and do things in moderation and consume only the right amount for you.

Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of bodybuilding equips you with the info you need to avoid its harmful effects and just enjoy its many benefits (you can check this article to read more about bodybuilding).

 

The Shocking Truth about Cardiovascular Exercises

Photo credit: Caroline Schiff Photography (flickr.com)

No matter how we try to avoid it, cardiovascular exercises are important routines that should always be included in our work out routines. These exercises should always are included in our fitness plans.

Cardiovascular exercises are exercise routines that usually get the heart pumping and working extra. Cardio exercises promote the blood flow in the body. Cardiovascular exercises are believed to burn off extra calories in our body, the more you burn, the leaner your body gets and the more muscles you develop.

Fat loss in not the only thing that we can benefit from cardio exercises – there is more to it. Listed below are a few of them.

A Healthier Health

We often forget that our heart is a muscle. The more you work it out, the stronger it gets. The less you pay attention on it, the weaker it will get in time. A weak heart will definitely bring a lot of complications and problems in the future.

In doing cardio exercises, be sure to start with the basic and improve gradually trough time. Avoid pushing yourself too much because this is not good for you heart. Start from the basic exercises and gradually introduce energy consuming ones as you improve.

Include bodybuilding supplements in your diet. Muscle pharm assault supplements are very advisable pre-workout supplements that will help you in achieving your fitness goals.

Fires up Metabolism

We burn a lot of calories when we do cardio exercises. Calories are unused energy in the body which is in the form of fats. The faster and frequently we burn fats in the body, the better our metabolism will be. The more intense your exercises are the more intense and fired-up your metabolic rate will be. With these, weight loss and building muscle is pretty much enhanced.

Improved Hormonal Profile

Doing cardio exercises is like drinking the happy pill. You feel better and more confident about yourself. You also tend to walk away from the symptoms of depression and stress. People who regularly do cardiovascular exercises tend to have a more positive outlook in life compared to those who do not frequently do it.

Improved Recovery Ability

Cardiovascular exercises that are lower in intensity help you recover faster. Doing the treadmill or a few minutes in the stationary bike will help you fasten your body’s capability to repair itself after a rigorous work out activity. It also reduces the delayed onset of muscles soreness in the body. Fresh oxygen is also being transferred in the body making the recovery process even faster.

Cardiovascular exercises are not just regular going to exercise to lose fats and to build a stronger heart. There is more to cardio exercises than you could ever imagine.

Resource Link:

Workout Supplements: Important of Pre and Post Workout Food (healthmeup.com)

Working Out the Right Way – Tips for the Ladies (healthierpost.com)

Bodybuilding: More Than Just Buffing Up

When we see men and women all buffed up, we can sometimes perceive them simply as narcissistic people who just want to flaunt their bodies. The truth is, there are those who pump iron in the gym to build muscles not only to look good but also to improve both their physical and mental health.

What Is Bodybuilding?

That may sound like a dumb question, but there’s more to bodybuilding than meets the eye (and the mind). Bodybuilding benefits not only the body but also the mind. Of course, the primary goal of this physical activity, which is also a sport, is to have a proportionally shaped body, although there are those who want to increase muscle mass only in specific parts of their body.

Improving Physical Health

Aside from getting a great-looking figure, bodybuilding can actually help decrease the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Sweating it out in the gym is certainly not only about achieving a body worthy of a spread in a bodybuilding magazine. By getting into weight training and aerobic exercise, you’ll have more chance of reducing and controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as curbing obesity. This beneficial physical activity also keeps our muscles strong and flexible, which helps a lot in our daily activities that involve physical strength and flexibility.

Improving Mental Health

Ever heard of the saying ‘A sound body is a sound mind?’ This expression makes perfect sense. Although some people have the tendency to stereotype bodybuilders as mindless persons trying to look good, there are mental benefits that bodybuilding provides. It can boost our mental well-being. It helps in reducing stress, anxiety, and even depression. Many people who are into bodybuilding also gain more confidence and self-esteem.

 

Image credit: Fitness.is (flickr.com)

Improving Nutrition

We all know how the food we eat figures in as far as our overall well-being is concerned. When you start training in the gym, you also become more particular with the food you eat. In fact, it is a requirement that you have a specific diet when doing weight training or aerobic exercises. This means taking healthy foods and beverages, as well as taking bodybuilding supplements that can improve our health in many ways. And since you have to lead a healthy lifestyle to optimize your training, you also have to stay away from unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking. You’ll also develop the habit of getting enough sleep every day.

Indeed, the benefits of bodybuilding are not limited to just being in good shape and looking great and fit. It’s also about building a strong and healthy mind and leading a positive lifestyle.