The Best Bodybuilding Supplements of 2012!

What is the best supplement for bodybuilding?

 You don't have to be a body builder to take supplements. Plenty of average joes who work out casually (or maybe a bit harder than most) supplement with supplements every day.

Supplements range from energy enhancers, muscle recovery aids, strength increasing aids, to shakes to take before bed. In between is about another couple hundred products that are all hype and should be avoided.

So which ones are the best then?

Protein Powder is an essential supplement to any body building (or muscle building) program. It is one of the oldest supplements and most effective. Most come in a powder form you can use in a shake - or if you are quirky, you can incorporate it into food.

Protein powders main goal is to give you the protein needed to recover and aid in muscle building. With as much as 30 grams of protein per scoop, it's a good way to meet your macros in a day.

Lots of protein powder also include other ingredients that help aid your body in other ways. It's a great supplement that can be taken year round.

Creatine is another great and well researched supplement. It too has been around for a long time and everyone from athletes to casuals use it. Creatine is a natural occurring acid in red meats and your body that helps fuel cells in your muscles.

Taken mostly in a micronized (or pill) form - creatine is tasteless in most cases and is easy to take. It's cheap, effective, and will give you the most immediate results for your buck. Creatine is often cycled every month as well to keep the body fresh.

Pre-Workout's isn't just what you do before work out - it's a supplement you take before a workout! A Pre-Workout supplement (yes that's its real name) will aid you in many ways you never thought possible through a supplement.

Usually taken in powder form mixed with water - it will provide you with an energy blend to help pep you up and focus in the gym. I'm talking insane, mental, focus. You know, the zone? A pre-workout will put you in the zone and provide you energy for your entire workout.

Pre-Workouts feature a variety of ingredients so be sure to read what your getting. Again the main focus is the energy blend which can be anything from caffeine to coffee.

Bam, that's it! Yes just three big supplements that we feel are the best. Sure, they're other products on the market - but I don't find them to be as effective as the three I listed in this article.

Be sure to consult with a doctor before supplementing with anything to make sure you are healthy enough to do so.

For more on supplements and weight training check out the 10rate Best Supplements section for reviews, top 10 lists, and more on supplements! Don't have a workout plan? Check out some of the Best Workout Plans also!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Bravio

Hardcore Body Building

The sport of body building, for many people, can be quite hardcore.  By that, we mean it can be intense and all-consuming.  But another way to look at hardcore body building is gaining mass and muscle tone in a natural way without the benefit of artificial hormones such as steroids.

Some people who are really into body building think of the sport as hardcore in and of itself.  Building body mass and toning muscles involve hard work and dedication.  Hardcore body building is having a commitment to shaping the best body possible with hard work and sweat.

It’s easy for hardcore body builders to fall into the trap of obsession with the sport.  They want to be the biggest and the best.  The quickest way to achieve this is to take synthetic steroids or growth hormones.  However, hardcore body building doesn’t have to involve these substances.  You can still grow your body without them.

Body building is a whole body and mind experience that focuses on training specific muscle groups and growing those muscles to often extreme proportions.  This is achieved through a proper diet, a safe workout plan, and a mentality that lends itself to hardcore growth.

There are natural supplements on the market for the hardcore body builder that are safe to take and will allow amazing growth of muscles with the right weight lifting regimen.  You have to be dedicated, you have to stick with it, and above everything else, you need to know how to perform the exercises correctly.

Body building as a sport creates beautiful, well-sculpted bodies in the men and women who are willing to work hard for their physiques.  When you undertake a weight lifting program, you will want to pay special attention to the way your muscles respond to the weights and feel the resistance that the weights provide.

The old adage “No pain, no gain” really applies in hardcore body building.  You must push yourself and your body if you are interested in sculpting a well-toned body.  However, you must also be aware of your limits and not push too hard as you can cause injury to your body.

The sport of body building can be quite hardcore if you want it to be.  If you are interested in becoming a hardcore body builder, you must pay special attention to each muscle group on your body and work it until it is toned and defined.  Hardcore body building is not only a sport, it’s molding a beautiful body.

Body Building Exercises

In a body building program, the exercises that you do can make all the difference between an effective program and one that won’t do much good.  The good thing is that there are many, many body building exercises you can incorporate into your workout that will help grow your muscles and keep you fit and trim.

For big legs, you’ll want to do a lot of barbell squats and dead lifts.  The resistance you are putting on your legs when you perform these types of exercises will push your muscles to make them grow.  That’s the point of an intense workout program in the first place.  Lifting weights with your legs instead of your arms will help the quadriceps and hamstrings become tight and fit.

When working your arms, the body building exercises you should count on will consist a lot of barbell and dumbbell curls and well as bench presses.  It’s easy when performing these exercises to just concentrate on lifting the weights, but what you really need to do is focus on the strain the weights are putting on your arm muscles.  Really push them as you are lifting and feel how they are working in response.

Great abs are formed much in the same way as any other muscle group.  They need to be worked, strained, and pushed in order to become toned.  You can get that toned, sculpted look by doing simple sit ups and crunches, but weights can help too.  Try hanging from a chin up bar and lifting your knees up, or get on a machine specially designed to tone the ab muscles.

When working the upper back, a pull-down bar machine will make all the difference in the world.  This is a two handled curved bar that is attached to weights with a pulley system.  You pull the bar down with your shoulders behind you.

It’s important when choosing body building exercises that you pick the ones that you are physically able to do.  Then be very conscious of the way the exercise is supposed to be performed.  If you don’t pay special attention to your form, you risk injury which can set back your body building program significantly.

Do your research on what types of body building exercises will work specific muscle groups and then incorporate them into your workout regimen.  Pick a variety of exercises that will make your body everything you dreamed it could be and do them on a regular basis.  The reward is a toned, fit body that you can be proud of!

Body Building for Girls

The term “girl” is generally thought of to be a young female, but when we’re talking about body building for girls, we’re really referring to female body building for teen girls.  Body building isn’t a sport just reserved for the male sex.  Girls can get strong, fit, and toned just like boys although their approach needs to be different.

Girls need to set realistic body building goals when they are trying to figure out just what they want to accomplish with their weight training.  Some girls just want to lose weight.  Others would like to become toned and firm.  Still others are using body building as a way to excel at sports.  Set goals and keep those goals in mind during workout programs.  Don’t lose sight of those goals and use them as motivation to keep going.

Guys – especially teen guys – produce much more testosterone than girls do, so remember that, as a girl, you won’t be building muscle in the same ways as your male counterparts.  You can, however, tone your muscles and sculpt a beautiful body when you keep an eye on the end result you want to achieve.

When it comes to nutrition, girls who are starting a body building routine need to keep a few things in mind.  First of all, girls need different nutrients than boys.  They require much more iron due to blood loss during menstruation, and they also can benefit from more protein.  Protein provides muscle building material in the body, so it should be consumed both through diet as well as supplements.

When speaking of supplements, girls should shy away from testosterone replacement supplements.  These types of artificial substances can make a woman or girl look more like a man and can seriously impede health.  While they will make your muscles grow stronger and quicker, they should still be avoided for girls who are body building seriously.

Keep in mind that both girls and boys who are body building need to get lots of rest.  This is very important for any young person, but when you are working your body, you really need to get a lot of rest.  Muscles are grown when the body is in a sedentary state.  While you sleep, your muscles will grow and you will be repairing any damage you’ve done while working out.

Get the advice of an adult before you undertake a body building program.  It’s very possible for girls who want to use body building as a fitness program to make beautiful bodies that they can be proud of.  Just be sure you do it safely and know what you are doing before you start.  Then watch the results and enjoy what you’ve done!

Body Building for Fitness

People undertake the sport of body building for all sorts of reasons, but fitness is probably the biggest one of all.  There’s no doubt that people who take the time to focus on the muscles in their body and honing them to a chiseled state are probably among the most fit of athletes.  We can easily use the terms body building and fitness interchangeably with each other.

We are a fitness conscious society, and body building fits in nicely with that concept.  Fitness means more than just losing weight and having a trim body.  It means living a healthy lifestyle and chiseling the best body you can through a variety of methods.

Body building for fitness is a great way to become the person you’ve always wanted to be.  Because becoming an effective body building means having the proper diet, you will realize a level of fitness you never knew was possible.  You should eat a well-balanced nutrition plan that gives you the nutrients you need to have a great body.

Because you are eating in this way, you will be giving your body essential nutrients that will make you healthy just by consuming them.  Body building requires a very specific diet with lots of protein and lots of carbohydrates.  Body builders are also very aware of what they are putting in their body, so fitness is achieved in the diet just by concentrating on what you eat.

Body building also requires a demanding workout schedule where you lift weights and perform exercises that focus on specific muscle groups as well as specific muscles.  When you begin to chisel those muscles, they become very well defined and healthier.  That’s why body building is great for a fitness regime.

Fitness is very important in living a healthy and full lifestyle.  Staying fit both in body and mind contributes to a sense of well-being that you won’t find when you are neglecting your health.  It is a million dollar industry that helps us stay fit and trim, and the help is out there aplenty when you look for it.

Body building for fitness is the best way you can go about not only losing weight but also gaining body mass and becoming stronger.  When you achieve the level of fitness you are desiring, you will be able to look in the mirror and be proud of what you see.  Why?  Because you did it yourself and you did it for YOU!