Maybe you don’t consider yourself a bodybuilder just because you’re not into competition or aren’t looking to grow huge muscles. Well, guess what… a bodybuilder is anyone that’s striving to lose fat and build muscle, regardless of the level they’re targeting.

Maybe you don’t consider yourself a bodybuilder just because you’re not into competition or aren’t looking to grow huge muscles. Well, guess what… a bodybuilder is anyone that’s striving to lose fat and build muscle, regardless of the level they’re targeting.

So now that you know that this article applies to you, let’s take a look at nine of the biggest blunders in bodybuilding, so you can avoid them.

Blunder #1

Ignoring Interval Cardio

If you want to be as strong as a bull, without looking like one, you need to get your body fat down into the single digits. That’s where interval cardio workouts come in – metabolism boosting and fat burning. You can only burn so many calories with weight training and reduce your caloric intake so much. Three 20 minute interval cardio sessions per week is a good starting point.

Blunder #2

Missing your Daily Protein Requirements

Rather than concentrating on getting a massive dose of protein immediately after your workout, you’re better off to focus on your total daily protein needs. Make sure you’re getting at least one gram of protein (from at least 4 different protein sources) per pound of body weight, each day.

Blunder #3

Eating Three Square Meals per Day

Besides giving your body enough nutrition to build muscles, you also need to give it at a rate that allows it to take best advantage of that nutrition. Two or three meals per day is not that rate. Five or six small meals, 2 -4 hours apart, will rev up your metabolism and keep it there. And make sure your caloric intake is at least 17 times your body weight.

Blunder #4

Focusing on Supplements

It makes no sense whatsoever to think about supplements if you don’t even know what your diet already consists of. Thinking about creatine, BCAAs or MCT oils, when you don’t even know exactly how many calories you’re already consuming is downright dumb! Don’t put the cart before the horse… start with the basics and work from there.

Blunder #5

"Shocking" your Body

Some athletes like to push the "shock your body" approach. While this can bring some gains, it can also backfire badly, if overdone. See, when you’re shocking your body, there’s absolutely no way for you to monitor and measure your progress. A better approach would be to remember that over time, progress brings results, and focus on always making progress. As Lee Haney (Mr. Olympia) says, "Stimulate, don’t annihilate."

Blunder #6

Program Hopping

I hate to see people decide that something isn’t working for them, without giving it a chance. Two or three weeks isn’t enough to show results… it sometimes isn’t even enough for the body to get efficient at performing new exercises. I’ve been building my body for 10 years to get to this state, and the visual changes never appeared until my body made the neuromuscular adaptations.

Blunder #7

Neglecting the Weakest Body Parts until Last

Training your weakest parts late in the week or last in your workout makes no sense. Hit them when you’re fresh! When you’re tired, you’re more prone to bouncing and swinging, in order to manage the weight. The problem is, "manage" implies "control" and if you’re bouncing or swinging, you don’t have control. Without control, it’s too heavy for you, and if you lighten the weight, you’ll get less benefit. Work the weak areas first and focus on constant tension – not load.

Blunder #8

Thinking Like a Weightlifter, instead of like a Bodybuilder

If you’re a weightlifter, your main interest is ego-driven: impress the bystanders by the sheer amount of weight you can move. But a bodybuilder should be concentrating more on developing his muscles than in building his ego. Bodybuilders should never (let me stress that – NEVER!) be using momentum to move their weights. Constant tension is the key to muscle development.

Blunder #9

Giving the Body Insufficient Time Off

Don’t become your own worst enemy by crossing the line from training to punishing. The stress you put on your muscles, joints, metabolism, as well as your hormonal, nervous and immune systems, necessitates rest periods now and then. Take at least two days per week off from weight training and a whole week every three or four months, so your body can recharge. Be consistent, not constant.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional bodybuilder or just starting out, it’s critical to remember to work with your body, not against it. Learn how it works, what it needs, what its weaknesses are… then focus on augmenting all three with a sensible, balanced training program. The results will make it worthwhile.