California Dreams - Psychological Effects of Steroids
Some people may state that the wide spread use of steroids among athletes is forcing young and upcoming athletes to use steroids, even though it's against their morals. This is because they know they can not compete adequately against their opponents who are using steroids to achieve higher levels of performance. One might say, this is how competition works though. Race car drivers and gymnasts are out there every day, pushing themselves harder and harder, going just a little faster, or doing a new, more difficult trick.
Many believe they are forced by their own desire to win, and the hazardous risks they take, be it taking a corner a little faster or pulling an extra flip in a routine, are no different than the risks a football player, wrestler, or weightlifter takes when they choose to use steroids to increase their skills. Many believe these reasons make steroid use morally justified, and say their use in sports and other activities are just an added element in boosting their performance.
First, the benefits of steroids are very plain to see. The user gains mass, speed, and strength very quickly. Also, he or she has a more aggressive attitude, which is good for many athletes, especially football players. A weightlifter can gain the strength and mass he wants without having to work as hard as natural body builders do and he or she can get ready for competitions in a much shorter time. A lot of people do not see anything wrong with steroids because the body already produced testosterone; therefore, steroids just increase the amount.
Steroids can also effect family and friends as well. Check out this clip from the TV show Califorina Dreams and watch how taking steroids can not also alter your appearance but also alter your mood and emotions.
There are many female weight training myths...such as, weight training makes you bulky and masculine or women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, they should be very light. Women won't get bulky or huge muscles from weight training unless they want to. Women who weight train don't all look the same. And weight training can actually enhance a woman's physical femininity. Not to mention it's important for women to weight train for body health. Weight training helps strengthen bones, joints, and muscles. And that's far more important than doing it to look sexier. Right?
When it comes to achieving a fit, totally ripped, shredded physique the first thing that comes to most peoples mind is to eliminate fat. Burning fat and converting it into can be a tough task for some but what I want you to read up on is several myths that I've discovered and some helpful tips to get you going the next time you hit the gym!
Spot Reduction Myth Contrary to what the infomercials suggest there is no such thing as spot reduction. Fat is lost throughout the body in a pattern dependent upon genetics, sex (hormones), and age. Overall body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area. Although fat is lost or gained throughout the body it seems the the first area to get fat, or the last area to become lean, is the midsection (in men and some women, especially after menopause) and hips and thighs (in women and few men). Sit-ups, crunches, leg-hip raises, leg raises, hip adduction, hip abduction, etc. will only exercise the muscles under the fat.
Lower Abdominal Myth It is widely believed the lower abs are exercised during the leg raise or other hip flexor exercises. However, it can be misleading to judge the mechanics of an exercise based on localized muscular fatigue. The primary muscle used in hip flexion is actually the Iliopsoas, one of many hip flexors. The Iliopsoas, indeed, does happen to originate deep below the lower portion of the Rectus Abdominous. During the leg raise, the entire abdominal musculature isometrically contracts (contracts with no significant movement) to:
+ Posture the spine and pelvis
+ Supports the weight of the lower body so the lumbar spine does not hyperextend excessively.
+ Maintains optimal biomechanics of the Iliopsoas
+ Hips are kept from prematurely flexing if the lumbar spine and pelvis does not hyperextend excessively
+ Iliopsoas can contract more forcefully in a relatively slight stretched position
+ Bent knee (and hip) sit-ups actually place Iliopsoas at a mechanical disadvantage
+ Counteracts Iliopsoas's pull on spine
+ Many people with weak abdominal muscles are not able to perform hip flexor exercises without acute lower back pain or discomfort
The combination of the local muscular fatigue, or a burning sensation from the isometrically contracted abdominal muscles, and from the working hip flexors produces fatigue in the pelvis area which we mistakenly interpret as the lower portion of the Rectus Abdominous being exercised. In movements where the Rectus Abdominous does Isotonically contract (contracts with movement), it flexes the spine by contracting the entire muscle from origin to insertion. The spine is not significantly flexed during the leg raise. Incidentally, both the spine and hip flexes during the Sit Up and Hip Raise. See Spot Reduction Myth above. High Repetitions Burn More Fat Myth Performing lighter weight with more repetitions (15-20 reps, 20-30 reps, or 20-50 reps) does not burn more fat or tone (simultaneous decrease of fat and increase muscle) better than a heaver weight with moderate repetitions (8-12 reps). Weight training utilizes carbohydrates after the initial ATP and CP stores have been exhausted after the first few seconds of intense muscular contraction. Typically a set's duration is 20 to 30 seconds. For the average fit person, it requires 20 to 30 minutes of continuous aerobic activity with large muscle groups (e.g. Gluteus Maximus and Quadriceps) to burn even 50% fat; fat requires oxygen to burn. Performing a few extra repetitions on a weight training exercise is not significant enough to burn extra fat and may in effect burn less fat. If intensity is compromised, less fat may be burned when light weight is used with high repetitions. The burning sensation associated with high repetition training seems to be the primary deterrent for achieving higher intensities.
Higher volume weight training (i.e. 3 sets versus 1 set of each exercise) with short rest periods of approximately 1 minutes can stimulate a greater acute growth hormone release (Kraemer 1991, 1993; Mulligan 1996). Growth hormone is lipolytic in adults. It is hypothesized that maximal effort is necessary for optimizing exercise induced secretion of growth hormone. Growth hormone release is related to the magnitude of exertion (Pyka 1992) and is attenuated with greater lactic acidosis (Gordon 1994).
Intense weight training utilizing multiple large muscles with longer rest between sets may also accentuate body lipid deficit by increasing post training epinephrine. Intramuscular triacylgycerol is thought to be an important energy substrate following repeated 30 second maximal exercise with 4 minute recovery intervals (McCartney 1996, Tremblay 1994). Rest periods lasting approximately 4 minutes between maximal exercise exercise of very short duration is required for almost complete creatine phosphate recovery required for repeated maximal bouts (McCartney 1986). Insufficiant recovery may compromise the intensity of the exercise and in turn, possibly decrease intramuscualr triacylgycerol utilization following anaerobic exercise with significantly shorter rest periods.
For individuals attempting to achieve fat loss for aesthetics, the intensity of weight training can be a double edge sword. When beginning an exercise program, muscle mass increases may out pace fat losses, resulting in a small initial weight gain. Significant fat loss requires a certain intensity, duration, and frequency that novice exercisers may not be able to achieve until they develop greater tolerance to exercise. If an exercise and nutrition program is not adequate for significant fat loss, a lighter weight with higher repetitions may be recommended to minimize any bulking effects, although less fat may be utilized hours later. If an aerobic exercise and nutrition program is sufficient enough to lose fat, a moderate repetition range with a progressively heavier weight will accelerate fat loss with a toning effect. If a muscle group ever outpaces fat loss, the slight bulking effect is only temporary. For a toning effect, fat can be lost later when aerobic exercise can be significantly increased or the weight training exercise(s) for that particular muscle can be ceased altogether. The muscle will atrophy to a pre-exercise girth within months. Higher repetitions training may be later implemented and assessed.
It still may be recommended to perform high repetitions (e.g. 20-30) for abdominal and oblique training. It has been theorized muscular endurance may be more beneficial for lower back health than for muscular strength. Furthermore, moderate repetitions with a greater resistance can increase muscular girth under the subcutaneous fat, particularly in men, who have greater potential for muscular hypertrophy. Increasing the thickness around the waist with existing abdominal fat may further increase bulk, particularly in men who typically have greater intra-abdominal and subcutaneous fat in this area. The abdominal muscularture is composed of relatively small muscle mass as compared to the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, chest, and upper back. Performing high reps with a lighter resistance should not compromise metabolism or muscle increases, as would performing high reps with light resistance on other, larger muscle groups. See Spot Reduction Myth above.
It is plausible that the high repetition myth was originated and later propagated by bodybuilders that used calorie restrictive diets to shed fat before a contest. Because of their weakened state from dieting, they were unable to use their usual heavier weights. When asked about their use of lighter weights, they explained they were "cutting up" for a contest. This is merely a theory, but it is easy to see how it may have been misunderstood that the lighter weight was used to reduce fat instead of actually being a result of their dietary regime.
Typically with weight training alone, the fat loss is equal to the muscle gain, give or take a few pounds. Certain dietary modification can have much greater impact on fat loss than with weight training alone. The ideal program for fat loss would include the combination of proper diet, weight training, and cardio exercise.
Winter is the time to focus on your goals and ramp up your intensity so when the warm weather rolls around, you're ready to strip down. Don't use winter as an excuse to slack off from your program and hide your ever expanding waist line under layers of bulky clothes. One of the biggest obstacles people face in winter is getting their workouts done. It's cold and dark. There's ice on the car windshield. The last thing you want to do is make the trek to the gym. So don't. You can get a great weight training or cardio workout right in your own home. And you don't need a ton of home gym equipment to do so. These fitness tips will help keep you on the right track whether you want to build muscle or lose fat.
If you'll be training at home even on a semi-regular basis, I highly recommend you also check out this Winter Workout Guide. The beginner's all-dumbbell workout routine:
Dumbbell bench press (chest)
Dumbbell side lateral raise (shoulders)
One arm dumbbell row (upper back)
Dumbbell extension behind head (triceps)
Dumbbell Bicep curl (biceps)
Dumbbell Lunges (thighs)
Dumbbell One leg calf raise (calves)
Dumbbell leg curl (hamstrings)
Crunches (abs)
There you have it. Simple and effective.
If you're just starting, do this routine for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise, except calves and abs which you can go up to 20 reps.
Rest 1 minute between sets. You'll train your whole body in each workout, 2 -3 three days per week, non-consecutive days.
If you're more advanced, you can try a weight training split like this:
Day 1 - Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Dumbbell Bench Presses
Flat Dumbbell Flyes
Incline Dumbbell Presses
Seated Dumbbell Presses
Dumbbell Upright Rows
Lying Dumbbell Extensions
Seated Overhead Extensions
Dumbbell Workouts Day 2 Legs
Dumbbell Squats
Dumbbell Stepups
Dumbbell Lunges
Dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts
Day 3 Back, Biceps and Abs
Dumbbell Shrugs
Dumbbell Pullover
One arm dumbbell rows
Two arm dumbbell bent over rows
Seated Dumbbell Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curls
Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Weighted Crunches
Reverse Crunches
As you can see, you can do all the necessary exercises in your dumbbell workouts.
The only other piece of exercise equipment besides the dumbbells is an adjustable weight bench.
If your dumbbells don't have enough weight for certain exercises, like the dumbbell squat, you can do your reps in 1 1/4 style.
During a squat, when you come back up from the bottom, only come up a quarter of the way, then go back down and then come all the way up.
You can also do that twice. So it's squat to bottom, come up a quarter of the way, squat back down, come up a quarter of the way, squat back down and then all the way up.
By the time you finish reading this series of eating tips you will have the basics down to eating to build muscle fast! If You want to build muscle fast you have to eat right to build muscle! So Part One will focus on this crucial yet misunderstood element to build muscle fast. Building muscle fast takes much more than just eating to build muscle though. In this course we will cover 5 awesome tips to build muscle fast. By time you are finished reading this mini course you will be well on your way to knowing what it takes to build muscle fast...even build muscle explosively!!
Tip-1: Eat Enough Food To Build Muscle Eating enough food to build muscle for us skin flints is not as it seems. In order to build muscle I have seen consistently with my tests on over a thousand skinny males that the usual recommended calorie intake of 12- 14 calories per pound of bodyweight is not enough to build muscle.
So if this is not enough to build muscle what is? For skinny guys, A total daily calorie intake of 19 calories per pound bodyweight seems to be the magic number. Of course when you are eating this much it is important to be eating the right foods in the right combinations and times.
Tip-2: Eat the Right Types of Food So You Increase Muscle...Not Turn Into a Fat Pig!! Eating to build muscle is not as simple as just eating enough calories. You need to eat the right calories! What are the right calories? I recommend foods that are high in nutritional value to promote building muscle and not fat gain!
An example of this would be to eat a steak with green vegetables totaling 600 calories than deep fried chicken nuggets for 800 calories.
Another example would be to eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast instead of a bowl of Captain Crunch Cereal.
Eat nutritionally dense foods and to get the most out of your meals combine foods together that are compatible for best digestion.
Tip-3: Combine The Right Foods Do you want to build muscle without gaining excess fat? Or how about avoid indigestion? (Indigestion is bad for assimilating nutrition out of food for building muscle) or... stop blowing sick farts at work, in class or worst of all when you meet new people in elevators!
Then you need to systematically combine your foods at every meal. Combining foods is a science but luckily easy to learn. For now I will give you some examples of good food combinations and bad food combinations for building muscle:
Good Food Combinations for Building Muscle:
Protein and fibrous carbs (steak and spinach salad) Protein and fats (Chicken Cordon Bleu)
Bad Food Combinations For Building Muscle:
Protein and simple carbohydrates (many weight gain powders, most meal replacement bars ) Carbohydrates and fats (cheese bread,pizza)
Once you are eating good food combinations at each food serving it is important to follow the next step:
Tip-4: Eat Consistently On a Schedule Eating consistently on a schedule is crucial to provide quality nutrients for building muscle when your body needs them.
A good rule to follow is to eat every two to three hours and never space two meals more than five hours apart. If you are eating the right foods consistently like this then you should always keep your body in an positive muscle building state.
But for us hard gainers there are some underground secrets you can follow to really boost muscle growth from a nutritional stand point. The next trick to sustain an explosive growth spurt is to eat the right foods at the right times.
Tip-5: Eat The Right Foods At The Right Times By modifying your meals slightly at particular times during your daily routine you can increase lean muscle growth. There are two times when we modify our meals for maximum energy,assimilation to build muscle most effectively, breakfast time and after our workouts.
This has been a hot topic for the last couple of days, the now infamous CNN Interview with Wrestling Superstar John Cena. In the interview John Cena was asked if he's ever used steroids or performance enhancing drugs, the video below is his response to the question asked.
The biggest problem right now is Cena's response was edited and made to totally destroy his persona and character, the second video is the Unedited Clip from the CNN interview, you can definitely see how the media spliced the interview to demean and destroy Cena's character.
The current situation right now is John Cena (who is recovering from a torn pectorial tendon and is expected to return to action next summer) is requesting that CNN apologize for its obvious and intentional misportrayal of his personal character during its special report.
Study Finds Steroid Injections Into Carpal Tunnel Do Not Put Median Nerve At Risk
November 2007
SEATTLE — A study of steroid injections into the carpal tunnel showed the technique used does not injure the median nerve, but fails to consistently allow the drug to disperse freely in a cadaveric model. Investigators utilized the same technique in 34 cadaver hand/forearm specimens and passively flexed and extended the fingers before actually injecting the drug. They injected the specimens and then dissected them to determine the distribution of the solution and if the median nerve was violated. "We actually found the injection results in five different distribution patterns," Joseph E. Robison, MD, said in a presentation at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.
Steroid and dye
Investigators injected specimens with 1 cc Depo-Medrol (methylprednisolone acetate; Pfizer) with dye via a 5/8-inch 25-gauge needle. To ensure their technique was consistent, they identified the intersection of the wrist flexion crease and midline of the ring finger ray and directed the injection distally in line with the ring finger ray at 45?. They stopped when the needle's hub contacted the skin. They flexed and extended the fingers noting if the needle moved and then completed the injection, leaving the needle in place to confirm the injection site. Investigators dissected the carpal tunnel (CT) and found the following solution dispersion patterns and frequencies:
Free Distribution, 16;
Flexor Tenosynovium Or Tendon Sheath, 9;
Nonspecific Tenosynovium, 5;
Ulnar Sidewall Of Ct, 3; And
Subcutaneous, 1.
Needle motion association
No needle motion occurred in 13 specimens and four had a pattern other than free distribution, "where the injection was actually into the wall of the CT or the subcutaneous tissue," Robison said. If there was no needle motion, there was a more free distribution of the steroid. Investigators concluded injections were delivered into the CT, that a high percentage resulted in a focal deposit of solution, and that the median nerve is at low risk during the technique. Limitations of the study were injections may behave differently in live tissue and it only analyzed time-zero after injection. The authors believe that the clinical success of this procedure is based upon the distribution of the steroid in the clinical setting over succeeding days. Also, any of the distribution patterns could possibly provide patients with CT pain relief days or weeks later, Robison said. source: http://www.orthosupersite.com
The 10 Most Dangerous Pitfalls To Making Progress Bodybuilding In Your Physique
Are You Making These Mistakes?
Putting on muscle is easy if you have the know-how and combine it with hard work. But even if you have the right training program and work hard, staying on course can be challenging at times.
There's a pitfall at every corner of the gym, waiting for both the complacent and the overzealous. In this piece, I have outlined what I believe are the ten most dangerous pitfalls to making progress on your physique. Ignore them at your own peril.
1. Not Training Hard Enough: You may think you're training hard enough, but are you really pushing it on each set? If you're not pushing yourself to the point where you cannot perform another repetition on each set, you're not training hard enough.
In order to stimulate muscle growth, you have to push each muscle group to the point that it fails, i.e., where you cannot perform any additional unassisted repetitions. It is at this point that your brain receives a signal from the muscles indicating that it needs to stimulate additional muscle growth in preparation for the next bout of exercise.
Your goal throughout your workout should be to progressively fatigue the target muscle group more and more with each succeeding set, until you reach point where that muscle group is totally fatigued. This is called training to failure.
Unlike other failures in life, this is a good failure to have because it signals growth. In between sets, you should rest only long enough to catch your breath, which will give your body the ability to cancel the oxygen deficit that builds up during each set. Once you have caught your breath, it's time to go on.
This leaves very little time for chatting with friends in the gym or indulging in other distractions. It should be your goal to get into the gym, get the job done and get out. Do not mistake training hard with training for a long time.
It's not the amount of time you spend in the gym that counts, it's the quantity and quality of the work you put in. Keep the intensity high and keep the growth coming.
2. Training Too Long: If you're spending more than an hour in the gym, you're training too long. The time trap is a common pitfall, especially amongst beginners, who often think that if 30 minutes of exercise is good, 60 minutes will double their results. That is absolutely not the case.
There is an inverse relationship between intensity and workout duration. In other words, you can train hard for a brief amount of time, or you can train with sub maximal effort for a long amount of time, but you can't both train hard and train long.
Staying in the gym too long leads to poor results. In the best-case scenario, your workouts will be ineffectual, because you never truly reach the point at which your muscles are fatigued. A workout comprised of a series of less than maximal sets will do little to stimulate further progress.
In the worst-case scenario, you end up over-trained. That means you end up doing much more than your body can recover from, and hence, your progress takes a beating. A good rule of thumb is to train intensely, limiting the work out for each muscle group to 20-30 minutes. Get in the gym, get the job done, and get out.
3. Eating Too Much: In the old days we were told to train hard and then eat as much of meat, potatoes, milk, eggs and other high calorie foods as we could, but in retrospect, this only addressed the caloric part of the nutrition equation.
Focusing solely on calories doesn't address other very important nutritional factors like macronutrient ratios at each meal and meal frequency throughout the day. Yes, you need to consume more calories than you're burning off on any given day.
After all, a small surplus of calories is necessary for growth. But additionally, the macronutrient profile of each your meals needs to stay within a specific range; I prefer a diet that is 50% complex carbohydrates 30% protein and 20% fat by calories when I am trying to put on muscular size.
All too often, the "all you can eat mentality" that is adopted by those eager for muscle size destroys well laid plans. Eating too much at one meal overtaxes your digestive system, making it difficult for you to be hungry when it's time to eat again three hours later.
Meal frequency is more important than pigging out. Every serious bodybuilder needs to consume 5 to 6 small meals during the day. If you act like a human waste disposal at each meal, your appetite is going to be destroyed when it comes time to eat again 3 hours later. So eating indiscriminately can hurt your progress. Eating the right things is important.
I start out every day with Lean Body Breakfast MRP, which supplies me with 40 grams of protein, 35 grams of complex carbs, 7 grams of fiber and EFA's. Then throughout the day I will eat a well rounded diet consisting of 5-6 small meals that contain at least 40 grams of protein, plus lots of complex carbs, fruits and vegetables.
4. Not Resting Enough: Too much of a good thing can hurt you. Training is wonderful, but you have to be able to recover from it. You must rest at least 72 hours in between large body parts and at least 48 hours in between small body parts to fully recover. Many seasoned professionals won't train a body part more than once per week.
When you are expending maximal effort in the gym, i.e. you're training as hard as possible with very heavy weights, it taxes your body tremendously. Remember that it is outside of the gym, while you are resting that your muscles are actually growing. Rest time must not be underestimated.
Quality sleep is important; research shows that we actually need more sleep than we think. 8-9 hours for a growing bodybuilder is a minimum.
If you are a hard gainer, or you have a fast metabolism, you should limit your extracurricular activities outside of the gym.
Working out and then participating in highly energy intensive activities such as playing basketball, football, etc. several times per week will actually increase the recuperative time needed in between workouts, not to mention increasing nutritional needs. Keep these things in mind as you are trying to put on muscular weight.
5. Not Sticking To Basic Exercises: In bodybuilding, the steady ship wins the race. Stick to basic heavy exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and military presses as the foundation of your training at all times. These exercises are compound movements which incorporate the use of more than one joint and several large muscle groups. They have the most profound effect on muscle growth by taxing the maximal number of muscle fibers in the major muscle groups.
Many beginning bodybuilders lose sight of the fact that it takes time to gain muscle. When muscle gains don't come as fast as they would like, or the first time they hit a plateau, they think about changing basic exercises. Many will look to the pro's programs featured in muscle magazines for ideas. This leads them to discard time-proven basic exercises.
What most fail to realize is that the professionals featured in magazines have built the bulk of their physiques using basic exercises and that the exercises presented in their magazine workouts are advanced and used for shaping and polishing their physiques.
These finishing exercises do not do as much as the basic exercises in promoting muscular bulk, so if you want to grow stick to basics. Leave the shaping exercises to advanced bodybuilders and pro's.
6. Lack Of Motivation: In order to succeed, you must be a person who is able to perform hard work repeatedly over a long period of time. Persistence is one virtue that bodybuilding has taught me over the years. You must have something that "fires you up" and gets you into the gym.
You must clearly define your purpose for being in the gym and expending the hard work in the first place. And let's face it, the diet needed to support your workouts is not easy either. It requires a commitment of discipline, time, energy and effort. Motivation can be built, just like a muscle. But it requires a crystal clear idea of why you are doing this in the first place and constant reinforcement of that idea.
7. Not Setting Goals And Timelines: It is all too easy to fall into a routine. Over the long run, routines can be beneficial, but they can also be self defeating if you fall into the habit of just "going through the motions."
To keep yourself positively motivated in the gym you should always have a goal in mind whether that is an extra half-inch on your arms, getting into the best shape of your life for an upcoming competition. It is important not only to set goals but to also to put time lines on them.
In other words, you might give yourself a timeline of 8 weeks to attain that half inch you want on your arms. Once you have a goal and a timeline, you can positively motivate yourself to reach it. You become a man on a mission, so to speak, and all of your efforts take on new meaning. Always have a goal and a timeline in mind when you go into the gym to train.
8. Not Competing: Not everybody wants to become a competitive bodybuilder. Competing bodybuilders are those who enter bodybuilding competitions such as those sanctioned by the NPC around the country. But there are other ways of competing that don't involve stepping onto the posing dais.
You should compete against yourself at least once per year. But if not on the contest stage, then how do you compete against yourself? Quite simply, set a 10-12 week timeline to get into the best condition possible.
During this time, commit to restricting your calories and increasing your aerobic activities and training to shed excess body fat, just like you would if you were competing against others in a bodybuilding show. Take before pictures and after pictures.
The best time of the year to do this is in the spring after a heavy fall and winter phase of mass building.
It is my experience that I have become a better bodybuilder after each of my competition periods. Why? Because "cutting up" does several things for you:
First, it gives your digestive system a break from all of the extra calories during the year. This makes it more efficient, so that when you do start increasing your calories again, your absorption of nutrients is improved.
Secondly, dieting down combined with hard training results in the release of growth hormone, which helps the physique to grow again in the post diet phase.
Third, muscle quality improves. Most pre-contest training consists of higher repetitions and more sets, which contributes to muscle quality, i.e., muscularity, vascularity, and separation. Most importantly, competing gives you a clear idea of just how good your physique truly is, and helps you identify weak points and strong points.
If you want a forum to help you compete against yourself, enter the 12 week Lean Body Challenge by visiting www.bodybuildingtoday.com and signing up for my free weekly on-line newsletter. I will help you.
9. Skipping Workouts: If you want to grow, consistency is the key. Your system is a biological organism, and as such, it needs stimulation at regular intervals. For maximum progress, you must keep a regular schedule. Skipping workouts just retards progress, and at the very best is a step backwards.
Now, every so often I will either skip a workout or do a lighter workout intentionally if I'm feeling that my body is not completely recovered. However, skipping multiple workouts for no reason other than it didn't fit in your schedule or you just didn't feel like it is a losing proposition.
This sets you up for failure both physically and mentally. Physically because you won't see the progress you desire and mentally because it creates a bad habit. Stay consistent with your workouts and you will enjoy the best results.
10. Failing To Expand Your Horizons: This is a pitfall that primarily plagues bodybuilders who are well advanced in the number of training years. What happens is that these advanced bodybuilders get set in their ways and develop hard and fast habits, which are hard to break.
Most of these advanced bodybuilders are so sure that what they're doing is right and that their way of training is the only way of training that they fail to expand their horizons by trying new things. New techniques should be incorporated from time to time. By trying out new things, you can break out of training plateaus and enjoy new muscle growth.
While it's important to keep your base of fundamental exercise, it is also important to try new things to jar muscle growth. It is also important to use a variety of exercises both to round out your physique and keep your workouts fresh. Keeping your bodybuilding workouts fresh not only helps you to develop more muscle in but also keeps the workouts interesting, an important factor in keeping your motivation high.
