[Article] Beginners and Novices: Save your $$$ - Ausbb

Fadi · 31-01-2010, 05:00 AM

First let me qualify who is a beginner and who is a novice bodybuilder. In my opinion, a beginner is one who is just starting out, whilst a novice is someone who has been working out consistently for no less than 12 months. To go further still, an intermediate bodybuilder is one who’s been at it for between 2-4 years. Then we have advance and pro. However in this article I’ll be dealing with the novice bodybuilder.

More often than not, the novice bodybuilder is full of enthusiasm, wanting to emulate the pro bodybuilders he sees in the bodybuilding magazines. Be it a workout routine or some sort of supplement a pro bodybuilder is marketing at the time; the novice wants a piece of that action.

I say don’t pay money, just pay attention! You’ll find a lot more dividends in listening to bodybuilders who have traveled the road before you then you’ll ever find and receive from any nutritional supplement or even anabolic steroids.

Why?!

There’s always that why question. In Olympic weightlifting the why question does not exist. If the coach says it or wrote it; you follow it or just follow the exit sign! Unfortunately that discipline is not to be found amongst young novice and aspiring bodybuilders (generally speaking of course).

Now before anything takes place at the cellular level of your body, where supplement X or steroid Y are going to play their magic, there’s something else that needs to be taken care of first. I’m not speaking about the psychological aspect of training here even though that in itself plays a huge part and has its own massive outcome, be it positive or negative. No, I’m restricting myself to the physiological aspect of training in this small article.

I’m speaking of the neural aspect that needs to take place as opposed to anything else that a new or novice bodybuilder will be facing as he or she progresses through the months of training. An example is in order here. Remember the time you went under the bar and attempted your first ever barbell bench press? How was it? Were you moving all around the place or were you solid and sturdy underneath the iron? Then when you’ve mastered the barbell bench and decided to move onto the d/bell bench, you had to learn to "walk" all over again. I mean what is going on here? That’s the nervous system getting slowly "educated" by your consistent and repetitive workouts to learn and move in the line of power that is safest and most efficient to progress.

Never underestimate the power of your neuromuscular system. Neuron is the nerve and muscular is the muscle. When put together these two begin to learn to "talk" to each other just as the baby learns to walk properly. So it’s not about strength and how much a novice can lift, but rather it’s about communication. Twelve months of what I like to call an intra-neuromuscular communication or INC for short.

But the novice bodybuilder as I’ve said before is really concerned about which creatine is best and which NO-Xplode this or Blow-UP that that is going to give him or her that bodybuilding edge. I say relax and listen to the ones who have paid their dues and I repeat and say, don’t pay money, just pay attention; it’ll be much more profitable in the long run.

Fadi.

Jman_898 · 31-01-2010, 09:38 PM

i agree 100% fadi, ill admit ive tried a few different sups along the way. but im a newbie to lifting big weights... ever since iv read posts on this forum ive learned many things and i think the most obvious thing i noticed was the effects spoken of just via a good diet... training hard... and plenty of rest... my thanks goes out to everyone on this forum who posts their knowledge, and a big thank you to you Fadi, you have an endless amount of knowledge.
i hope to be as wise as you are when i get to your age mate. right now iv got alot of learning to do lol...

Fadi · 31-01-2010, 11:43 PM

Thank you Jman and you're most welcome any time my friend.

Fadi.

Enceladus · 02-02-2010, 11:43 AM

I tried a few different brands of creatine and followed the directions on the label. I also tried loading/maintaining/unloading.
I found that when I ran out of product and didn't resume taking it, I was no worse off. In other words, for me creatine did nothing. I haven't taken it for over 6 months and I'm still growing.
Over the last 4 weeks I've had a growth spurt of lean muscle and lost some abdominal fat (yaaaaayyy!) by changing food volume and timing.
I'm getting by quite nicely taking a protein supplement, fish oil, a multivitamin, but most importantly of all eating well.
I learned from trying different products (HMB, Testosterone initiators, metabolism accelerators, etc etc) that they don't work for me so I stopped spending money on artificial products and more at my fruit/veg and deli shop.
Tastes a lot better too.

02-02-2010, 01:19 PM

well said Fadi, its amazing how when most people start all their concerned with is making a sucsess full lift, then after a while most are just concerned with the Pump.

monk_13 · 03-02-2010, 07:02 PM

Getting the body used to the movements (again) is what I am currently doing, more so than stacking on the weights. In BP, I find that if I don't concentrate on the movement fully, then my arms start waving around in the air, like a teeny bopper at a Hanson concert. Same with my squats, my legs move around more than I feel they should.

In the last couple of weeks, I have been limiting the amount of weight that I use, say 75%, whilst doing a few more reps than usual, in an attempt to train my body into feeling alot more stable. And it most definitely seems to be working.

The effort spent in not waving around like a tree in the breeze, is becoming alot less, I feel alot more supported, and now its time to start bumping up the weights again.

Thanks Fadi.

04-02-2010, 12:44 AM

Screw me Monk,get rid of that tatt and you couldn`t tell us apart.
Oh, except I am waaaay huuuge!!!

I`ll get a back shot done and post it up.

Sorry for thread hijack

patterson · 13-03-2010, 09:42 PM

Where were you two years ago fadi? The money I wasted on creatine and fat burners back in the day was pathetic. I look forward to taking the full matrix of your recomended supps.

I will ask two questions though... Do you think creatine has a role in bodybuilding at all then? Do you use it or have you ever used it?
Posted via Mobile Device

broncs · 13-03-2010, 10:38 PM

That is so true Fadi !
The excitement takes over and you want to try everything you can to achieve the results you are after .

Hard work , dedication , good food and learning from guys like yourself is the best investment i think .

Thanks !

Shrek · 13-03-2010, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaucheharbor

Where were you two years ago fadi? The money I wasted on creatine and fat burners back in the day was pathetic. I look forward to taking the full matrix of your recomended supps.

I will ask two questions though... Do you think creatine has a role in bodybuilding at all then? Do you use it or have you ever used it?
Posted via Mobile Device

Of course creatine has a role. It has scientific evidence to back it up, although I am a non-responder. Bad luck for me.

31-01-2010, 05:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
Fadi Super Moderator Ausbb's resident Yoda Join Date: Jul 2009 Gender: Posts: 3,415	Beginners and Novices: Save your $$$ First let me qualify who is a beginner and who is a novice bodybuilder. In my opinion, a beginner is one who is just starting out, whilst a novice is someone who has been working out consistently for no less than 12 months. To go further still, an intermediate bodybuilder is one who’s been at it for between 2-4 years. Then we have advance and pro. However in this article I’ll be dealing with the novice bodybuilder. More often than not, the novice bodybuilder is full of enthusiasm, wanting to emulate the pro bodybuilders he sees in the bodybuilding magazines. Be it a workout routine or some sort of supplement a pro bodybuilder is marketing at the time; the novice wants a piece of that action. I say don’t pay money, just pay attention! You’ll find a lot more dividends in listening to bodybuilders who have traveled the road before you then you’ll ever find and receive from any nutritional supplement or even anabolic steroids. Why?! There’s always that why question. In Olympic weightlifting the why question does not exist. If the coach says it or wrote it; you follow it or just follow the exit sign! Unfortunately that discipline is not to be found amongst young novice and aspiring bodybuilders (generally speaking of course). Now before anything takes place at the cellular level of your body, where supplement X or steroid Y are going to play their magic, there’s something else that needs to be taken care of first. I’m not speaking about the psychological aspect of training here even though that in itself plays a huge part and has its own massive outcome, be it positive or negative. No, I’m restricting myself to the physiological aspect of training in this small article. I’m speaking of the neural aspect that needs to take place as opposed to anything else that a new or novice bodybuilder will be facing as he or she progresses through the months of training. An example is in order here. Remember the time you went under the bar and attempted your first ever barbell bench press? How was it? Were you moving all around the place or were you solid and sturdy underneath the iron? Then when you’ve mastered the barbell bench and decided to move onto the d/bell bench, you had to learn to "walk" all over again. I mean what is going on here? That’s the nervous system getting slowly "educated" by your consistent and repetitive workouts to learn and move in the line of power that is safest and most efficient to progress. Never underestimate the power of your neuromuscular system. Neuron is the nerve and muscular is the muscle. When put together these two begin to learn to "talk" to each other just as the baby learns to walk properly. So it’s not about strength and how much a novice can lift, but rather it’s about communication. Twelve months of what I like to call an intra-neuromuscular communication or INC for short. But the novice bodybuilder as I’ve said before is really concerned about which creatine is best and which NO-Xplode this or Blow-UP that that is going to give him or her that bodybuilding edge. I say relax and listen to the ones who have paid their dues and I repeat and say, don’t pay money, just pay attention; it’ll be much more profitable in the long run. Fadi. __________________ Squat 200kg, FSquat 195kg, C&J 160kg, PC 140kg, MP 90kg. Last edited by Fadi; 31-01-2010 at 05:04 AM.

31-01-2010, 09:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jman_898 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: sydney Gender: Posts: 248	i agree 100% fadi, ill admit ive tried a few different sups along the way. but im a newbie to lifting big weights... ever since iv read posts on this forum ive learned many things and i think the most obvious thing i noticed was the effects spoken of just via a good diet... training hard... and plenty of rest... my thanks goes out to everyone on this forum who posts their knowledge, and a big thank you to you Fadi, you have an endless amount of knowledge. i hope to be as wise as you are when i get to your age mate. right now iv got alot of learning to do lol... Last edited by Jman_898; 31-01-2010 at 09:42 PM.

31-01-2010, 11:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
Fadi Super Moderator Ausbb's resident Yoda Join Date: Jul 2009 Gender: Posts: 3,415	Thank you Jman and you're most welcome any time my friend. Fadi. __________________ Squat 200kg, FSquat 195kg, C&J 160kg, PC 140kg, MP 90kg.

03-02-2010, 07:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
monk_13 Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Perth Gender: Posts: 53	Getting the body used to the movements (again) is what I am currently doing, more so than stacking on the weights. In BP, I find that if I don't concentrate on the movement fully, then my arms start waving around in the air, like a teeny bopper at a Hanson concert. Same with my squats, my legs move around more than I feel they should. In the last couple of weeks, I have been limiting the amount of weight that I use, say 75%, whilst doing a few more reps than usual, in an attempt to train my body into feeling alot more stable. And it most definitely seems to be working. The effort spent in not waving around like a tree in the breeze, is becoming alot less, I feel alot more supported, and now its time to start bumping up the weights again. Thanks Fadi. __________________ ----------- Cheers, Shane

02-02-2010, 11:43 AM	#4 (permalink)
Enceladus Rookie Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sydney Gender: Posts: 23	I tried a few different brands of creatine and followed the directions on the label. I also tried loading/maintaining/unloading. I found that when I ran out of product and didn't resume taking it, I was no worse off. In other words, for me creatine did nothing. I haven't taken it for over 6 months and I'm still growing. Over the last 4 weeks I've had a growth spurt of lean muscle and lost some abdominal fat (yaaaaayyy!) by changing food volume and timing. I'm getting by quite nicely taking a protein supplement, fish oil, a multivitamin, but most importantly of all eating well. I learned from trying different products (HMB, Testosterone initiators, metabolism accelerators, etc etc) that they don't work for me so I stopped spending money on artificial products and more at my fruit/veg and deli shop. Tastes a lot better too.

02-02-2010, 01:19 PM	#5 (permalink)
toasted Guest Posts: n/a	well said Fadi, its amazing how when most people start all their concerned with is making a sucsess full lift, then after a while most are just concerned with the Pump.

04-02-2010, 12:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
Zarkov Guest Posts: n/a	Screw me Monk,get rid of that tatt and you couldn`t tell us apart. Oh, except I am waaaay huuuge!!! I`ll get a back shot done and post it up. Sorry for thread hijack

13-03-2010, 09:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
patterson Active Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Gender: Posts: 1,219	Where were you two years ago fadi? The money I wasted on creatine and fat burners back in the day was pathetic. I look forward to taking the full matrix of your recomended supps. I will ask two questions though... Do you think creatine has a role in bodybuilding at all then? Do you use it or have you ever used it? Posted via Mobile Device

13-03-2010, 10:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
broncs Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Gender: Posts: 172	That is so true Fadi ! The excitement takes over and you want to try everything you can to achieve the results you are after . Hard work , dedication , good food and learning from guys like yourself is the best investment i think . Thanks !