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Adopting A Bodybuilding Lifestyle
by Manny Starkner
http://www.femalbodybuilding.com

Bodybuilding, contrary to popular belief, isn't about a
narcissistic, "get-pumped" attitude towards life.

That image, unfortunate as it is, only represents a
fraction of bodybuilding enthusiasts. True bodybuilding
is about improving one's quality of life by managing
diet, exercise, and schedule. Aesthetic benefits from
the bodybuilding lifestyle are like the icing on a cake;
in and of themselves, they're not satisfying as a stand-
alone feature.

Most people think of bodybuilding as strictly a weight-
lifting discipline. Strength training is an integral
part of bodybuilding because it increases our lean
mass (i.e. muscle, bone density, and organs) while
helping to reduce our adipose tissue (i.e. body fat).
Bodybuilders generally complement their lifting with
aerobic exercise, to strengthen the heart and lungs as
well as further reducing body fat, and some kind of
stretching to maintain freedom of movement with their
bodies.

If you own a high-quality automobile, you fuel it with
premium gasoline to get the best performance from its
engine. Your body, like a fine car, requires high-quality
fuel to do its best both in the gym and in the rest of
your life. While a bodybuilding lifestyle doesn't mean you
have to give up all of the foods you love, it does require
that you eat those foods sparingly. Instead, fill up on
high-quality food sources that are as close to their
natural states as possible. We're all different, but we
each have an optimal balance of the macronutrients
carbohydrate, fat, and protein that we should consume
daily, and we need to seek quality sources for them.
Additionally, it's important that we get adequate vitamin
and mineral intake either through our foods or by
supplementing. Remember, this lifestyle is as much about
health as it is about fitness, so keep both in mind when
you make a trip to the grocery store.

Time and stress management are critical skills for one
to master in order to benefit fully from a bodybuilding
lifestyle. Exercise provides a great deal of stress
all by itself. Adding to your stress by putting yourself
into circumstances that adversely affect your health
both physically and mentally doesn't work if you want
optimal health and fitness through bodybuilding. Failing
to get adequate rest and sleep will result in failure
to progress with both exercise and diet. Plus, you live
most of your life outside of the gym with the rest of
the world, so your lifestyle can't just be all about you.
Plan carefully how you can manage your life to be able to
enjoy quality exercise, nutritious and relaxing meals,
adequate rest and sleep, plus fulfilling work and
relationships.

If you want to adopt the bodybuilding lifestyle, the most
important exercise you can integrate into your life right
now is the one that goes on between your ears. Adopt a
mindset of good self-care without taking away from your
other interests and responsibilities.

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