Effective Bodybuilding Programs

Fotolia.com"> Bodybuilders use many different weightlifting programs during their workouts. nude torso of man image by Solovieva Ekaterina from Fotolia.com

Bodybuilders use a variety of weightlifting programs to help them achieve their goals. When bodybuilders are training for a contest, they usually divide their workout programs into different cycles. These include first adding muscle mass and shaping and defining muscles as the contest date draws nearer. Exactly how long each program lasts will depend on the bodybuilder's overall progress in relation to the date of the contest.

Mass Building

Fotolia.com"> Mass-building exercises increase strength and muscle size. Barbell image by Semfamily from Fotolia.com

A mass-building program usually requires a bodybuilder to lift heavy weights. These include barbells and dumbbells, also known as free weights. The bench press, dead lifts and squats are examples of exercises that many bodybuilders use during the mass-building cycle. During this stage of a bodybuilder's training, he will eat more calories to add size and give him more energy. The bodybuilder will also keep cardiovascular work to a minimum during this stage of his training. Exactly how long a bodybuilder will stay in the mass building cycle will depend on the goals he has for his physique and how much time he has to prepare for a contest.

Split Training

Fotolia.com"> Split training is a popular method for dividing up a workout routine. fitness equipment image by Sunshine Photos from Fotolia.com

Split training is a method many bodybuilders use to divide up their workouts. This allows them to train different muscle groups on different days instead of training their entire body in one session. A common split training method is to train the chest and arms on Mondays, the back and shoulders on Wednesdays and the legs on Fridays. Split training allows bodybuilders to increase the intensity of their workouts by performing more repetitions or adding more exercises during a session, which can lead to faster muscle gains. Bodybuilders also do not have to spend as much time in the gym when they separate muscle groups into different workouts.

Super Sets

Fotolia.com"> Super sets add more difficulty to a workout. weights and measures image by John Sfondilias from Fotolia.com

Many bodybuilders add super sets to their workouts. To perform a super set, do two exercises in a row without resting between sets. For example, do a set of dumbbell shoulder presses and then immediately do a set of barbell bent-over rows. This particular exercise combination is known as the push/pull super set method because the two exercises involve first pushing a weight overhead and then pulling a weight toward your body. You do not need as much rest between the two sets because you are working two different muscle groups. Super sets are also popular because they reduce the amount of time that you need to spend in the gym because you perform the exercises with no rest between sets.

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