A Beginner's Guide to Muscle Building

If you are a complete beginner, then great! But, if you are a little more advanced, you can still benefit from this article by simply skimming to points you find interesting. Sound good?

Everyone will be at a different starting point so you can understand how it would be impossible to give advice to please everyone. But I trust this article will help the people who truly need it.

The 5 Most Common Mistakes Of Beginners

Mistake #1 – Impatience
Yes, you read correctly, impatience is by far the biggest mistake most people make when first starting out in fitness and trying to accomplish goals and body transformations.

Nothing happens overnight and there are even people who have been doing this thing for over 20 years who are still learning today so just know it will be a long road ahead. Instead of being impatient, just be sure to enjoy the experience and know that you will get to where you want to be in time so long as you stay committed, open minded and focused.

Mistake #2 – Being Naïve
Alright, so I think everyone has been fooled at one time or another and in muscle building, it won’t be any different. You see the majority of people you see in magazines, in competitions or being exposed on every miracle supplement out there did not build their physiques over night.

Sometimes you might hear a claim that you can build 10lbs of muscle in 7 days and although you might be excited at first, realize that the likelihood of this happening is slim to none. It’s easy to fall prey to these advertisements but try to avoid this false logic as it will only lead you to disappointment.

Mistake #3 - Overtraining
Overtraining is a topic often covered but people continue to do it. This side effect can be apparent no matter what your training level is but as a beginner it is important that you understand that training less is the most beneficial to gain muscle and size.

In the beginning stages, a person can achieve above average results by training with less volume simply because our bodies are not accustomed to weight training and the stress it puts on our muscles. Take advantage and enjoy the ‘newbie’ gains you will make but understand, that rate of growth you experience will not last forever.

Mistake #4 - The Wrong Program Selection
So if you want to look like someone in particular, you have to workout like them right? Wrong! It couldn’t be further from the truth.

Say you see a guy on a magazine cover advocating that he performs a certain workout to get the results you see in the photo. Your initial reaction may be to start using that workout to get the same results. The problem is that it’s not that workout itself that built his body but rather the accumulation of years of training and more than likely several different phases and programs.

Be warned, you can perform the workout and you could potentially see good results, but in the end you will need to put in constant effort over time to see noticeable results.

Mistake #5 - Missing The Basics
Everyone wants to increase their bench, squat and deadlift or be able to shoulder press the 100lb dumbbells and look like they belong on a magazine cover, but before getting ahead of yourself, have you ever thought about the foundational principles?

Of course not because it’s just not exciting enough am I right? But often times, people will increase the weights they use at the expense of sacrificing form and technique which can often lead to injuries down the line. I always recommend people use a lighter weight when first getting familiar with exercises and concentrating on using good form and technique before increasing the weights.

Form first and load second. This rule will lead you to progress better in the months and years to come. If your foundation is shaky, your results could inevitably crumble upon adding weight to your exercises.

>> Click here for Joey Vaillancourt's Bones to Buff training program