How to Become a Bodybuilding Champion - the Art of Recuperation!

What? Less is more! Yes, less is more! For the firstLess is More:
three bodybuilding competitions I over trained. I thoughtOver training body parts can do more damage than
the more weight, the more sets and the more the fatgood. Be careful not to think the more you do the
that was cut out of my diet the better the finishedbetter.
product would look. This mind set ended up costing meHeavy vs. Light Training Days:
championships.In order to achieve a balanced looking physique, less
In 1987 after training in Florida with Mr. Universe Brianjoint aches and better muscle recuperation, training
Silk, I learned a valuable lesson. Brian was doing halfshould consist of heavy - strength days and lighter -
the weight, half the sets in half the time I was knownshape days. In other words, in your rotation of body
to do. He taught me the importance of allowing theparts work certain muscles heavier on some days and
body to rest, recuperate and rebuild. It just did notlighter and more repetitions on others. This allows
seem logical to me, I thought. "What if I lose all thisbetter quality of rest between training days in the short
muscle I worked so hard to develop?" But if he lookedterm.
that way, I was willing to try. One year later I won theBody Language:
Mr. Michigan Bodybuilding championships. RememberWhile this may be the hardest to master, it may be the
these things if you want to become a bodybuildingmost important. Learn to listen to your body and not
champion:your ego. Rest is important. In the short run you will not
Workout Cycling (Periodization):lose what you have worked so hard to develop.
Set a time frame of ten to twelve weeks on aHowever, if you do not learn to listen, you will
workout plan, and then take a week off.eventually be forced to take a break by the body
Body Part Cycling:shutting down. If your joints ache, sleeping patterns are
Train each body part twice in seven days. There areoff, more sore than usual after a workout or irritable,
different opinions about this, but my experience tellsthen chances are you need a short rest.
me to teach you to train body parts twice in a week,Mastering the art of recuperation may be the biggest
one heavy day and one lighter weight day.obstacle you will have in becoming a champion.