DIU Blog

One of the biggest mistakes that aspiring body builders make is to follow steps that they get from television or a magazine. Individuals must understand that the exercising requirements of different individuals are unique and the same training routine cannot be applied to a group of people. Moreover, those people who appear on television and in magazines are usually genetically gifted to have muscular bodies, so their regimens would definitely not suit the average person thinking of building muscle mass.

The average individual must follow a different approach for building muscle mass, which should not stress him out both physically and mentally. Before building muscle mass, the individual should think of gaining some strength and stamina. These traits are required if the individual wants to withstand the pressure and toughness endured during the training sessions. Starting with small weights is a good way to start the strength gaining regimen. Once the individual feels that he has gained enough strength, or if he feels that the weights do not feel very heavy anymore, he can add on more weight.

In the beginning, it is always advised that people go for free weights, or weights that are not attached to stationary machines. Dumbbells may feel stressful but they help in gaining muscle mass. At this point in time, it is best to stay away from machines.

Machines force the user into fixed and unnatural body movements which the beginner may not be accustomed to, and as a result there are very high chances of the individual injuring himself or pulling a muscle or two. With machines, individuals will not be able to gain as much muscle as they probably could with free weights. The reason is that free weights require the user to balance them, whereas machines balance the weight themselves thereby bringing down the stress levels on the user.

Without enough stress on the muscles, users would also see a sharp decline in the muscle mass they acquire through these regimens. And moreover the amount of flexibility and versatility free weights offer to the user is incomparable to the ranges of exercises one can do on a machine. Free weights are a lot cheaper, too, when compared to machines, which are not only expensive but also eat up a lot of space.

When exercising in the beginning, it is essential that the whole body gets a full workout. Giving attention to only the arms and the shoulders would create an imbalance in the body which would have adverse effects on other parts of the body. Therefore, it is necessary that the legs, thighs, abdomen and other parts of the body be given equal importance in the training program. Beginners are advised to go with full body workouts which include lots of cardio sessions as well.