No matter what your goals are, the formula for success will guarantee that you get the results you want. The only thing that differs is the way in which each individual has to implement it. This is due to the fact that each individual has different goals. For example, most women like to tone up their waist, legs, and their arms while most men are interested in getting large amounts of muscle size everywhere.
The formula is the following: S=Dx (T+N+R)
Where:
S is the success that you achieve in your program.
D is the determination that you have to achieve success.
T is the bodybuilding training that you'll use.
N is your nutritional program designed for either lean muscle gains or fat loss.
And R stands for rest & recovery.
How to Apply the Formula
Each component in the formula above can only have two values. A value of 1 is given to a component if it is followed completely. A value of 0 is given to any component that is not followed or followed halfway. Therefore, if every single component is followed, you get a maximum value of 3. In this case the person will get the fastest results possible from their program. If the person stops following one of the components inside of the parenthesis then you get a lesser value and not optimal results. However note that if you don't have any determination you get a value of 0 and then your whole program fails as you won't get any results. The reason for this is because determination is by far the most important factor in determining the amount of success you will achieve in your bodybuilding program and we will later see why.
After examining the formula above, now it is easy to see why just purchasing a sophisticated gadget or a couple of "magic pills" at the health food store are not going to cut it. In order to achieve permanent weight loss all of the factors described above have to be present and in perfect harmony. Follow one, but not the other one, and your success will be negatively affected. Now that you have an idea of what it will take to get the body of your dreams, let's go into each of the individual components of the formula for success.
Determination
This is the most important ingredient by far. If you are not determined enough to make the sacrifices necessary to get in shape, then it's not going to happen. Most people usually think that I have all the time in the world to workout (by the way, most people's excuse for not being in shape is lack of time). When I tell them that I am married, I have a child, and work full time in addition to my business they wouldn't believe it. I can certainly understand that we live in a very busy age. However, please don't tell me that you don't have at least 30 minutes 3 times a week that you can spare on taking care of yourself; that is simply unbelievable. The people with the time excuse (which is around 90% of the population) are just an example of people that want something, but just don't have the determination to make it happen. So remember: Be determined and stick to your goal!
Training
There are two types of training:
A. Anaerobic work (i.e. weight training.) is the #1 way to re-sculpt your body. (No ladies, weight training won't make you muscle bound.) Why? Weight training is far superior to any other type of exercise because it increases your metabolism (which in turn helps you burn fat.) and gives shape to your body.
B. Aerobic work (i.e. walking) in your Fat Burning Zone (which is (220 - Age) * .75 = Fat Burning Heart Rate) is a good way to accelerate the fat burning process, as long as it is not overdone, and as long as it is only used in addition to a good weight training program. Aerobics should never be used as a substitute for weight training.
Nutrition
Nutrition and training go hand in hand. Have you ever heard of people that say that as long as you workout you can eat anything you want because the workout will burn it off? Well that is wrong! While it is true that if you made the correct food choice you can eat it much more that you thought you could, you cannot go every day to McDonalds and get a Big Mac with some fries.
Therefore, remember this, if you follow the wrong diet, or follow no diet at all, then rest assured that your training efforts will be sabotaged and you will get no results at all.
Rest and Recovery
You need 7 - 9 hours of sleep each night in order for your body to run efficiently. Deprive your body of sleep and you'll have lousy fat loss. As a bonus, you also get muscle loss, which in turn lowers your metabolism. You also get deprived hormonal production, which makes it difficult to build muscle. Finally there is research that points to the fact that sleep depravation may be linked to the following:
1) Heart Disease
2) Depression
3) Bad Temper
4) Lack of Concentration and Lethargy.
Therefore, make sure that you get your ZZZ's or else you will be forced to live in a body that will not be operating at peak efficiency.
Supplements
If you want to make your program as efficient as possible, then you need some supplements. Why? Because nowadays, foods are so processed that it is impossible to get all the vitamin and minerals that your body needs in order to run at maximum efficiency. Even though supplements are not a component of the formula above, they are a subcomponent of the nutrition one. They make the nutrition component as efficient as possible.
Conclusion
So there you have it. In order to achieve bodybuilding success, you need to take into account all of the variables of the formula described above. No "magic potion", or even steroids, will provide you with any gains if training, nutrition and rest are not maximized. So that takes us back to the fact that in order to ensure bodybuilding gains, you need to have an uncanny determination that will allow you to do what you need to do day in and day out. In this game, determination and consistency are the true keys to achieving bodybuilding gains.
References:
http://bodybuildingabout.com/
http://bodybuilding.com/
Beggining body building
http://bodybuilding.com/
Beggining body building
About the Author
Hugo A. Rivera is an internationally-known best-selling fitness author of over 10 books on bodybuilding, weight loss and fitness.
