Building a better you: A brief booklet to

bodybuilding

Written by Matei Popescu and Maxwell Zi Yi Foong

1
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 3
- About the booklet
- The crucial mentality

2. Diet 5
- Basics of dieting
- Calories
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and maintenance calories
- Weight gain (bulking)
- Weight loss (cutting)
- Macronutrients
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Supplements
- Protein powder
- Creatine
- Multivitamins

3. Training 10
- Plan programming (written by Maxwell)
- Criteria
- Order of exercises
- Variation of exercises
- Training basics (Matei)
- Compound exercises
- Sets and reps
- Volume
- Hitting a plateau

4. Summary 16
5. Bibliography 18

2
1. Introduction
About the booklet
Bodybuilding is for most people more than just a sport. It is a way of life, where every challenge
you encounter in the gym is translated over to the outside world, teaching you about goal
setting, perseverance, discipline, planning and consistency. Whether you are a complete
beginner in weightlifting or experienced, this concise booklet will cover all there is to know
about this beautiful sport.

The information provided here has been crafted through thorough research, including countless
hours of reading articles, engaging in discussions and sharing knowledge with experienced
lifters, watching instructional videos, exploring forums, and utilizing a variety of other methods
to gather valuable information. Moreover, I have also had the chance to apply the knowledge to
myself and saw the results with my own eyes.

This booklet contains general information which is suggested for anyone to follow regardless of
their age, or sex. Although it is possible for such factors to have an impact on the process as well
as the results either positively or negatively, taking into account the general advice and applying
the learned information can guarantee a much better version of yourself from both a physical
and a mental standpoint.

By the time you are done reading this booklet, you, the reader, will hopefully have more than a
basic understanding on the topic of muscle building and how to practice it in a healthy and
efficient manner, without disregarding health aspects, getting the most out of the sport and
taking your body to the next level.

Bodybuilding is one of the fields of research that are constantly developing, with new
information being constantly uncovered. Although the booklet has carefully laid out information
about the sport, you should make decisions and apply the information learned using your own
judgment.

I am happy to be able to provide you with a booklet that serves to inform you without you having
to spend hundreds of hours searching for answers.

The crucial mentality

Before getting in-depth with bodybuilding, it is important to note that this lifestyle is not always
easy to follow. Just like when performing any other rewarding activity, your motivation comes in
waves and it is possible that you might not always feel like following the established plan. This is

3
when discipline kicks in. Discipline is about doing the things you are supposed to do even when
you do not feel like doing them, and this is the element that gets you further than anything else.

There are many factors that can affect your motivation. It is possible that your friend that just
got started managed to lift much more than when you first began your journey or that he caught
up to you in a very short amount of time. It is also possible that you hit a plateau and are unable
to make progress no matter how much you try. A lot of people also stopped lifting because they
did not see progress as fast as they were expecting to see.

Something that could also be detrimental to your mindset is looking up to fitness influencers,
who always post themselves in perfect conditions. When they take pictures, they use techniques
such as leaning forward, having perfect lighting above them that emphasizes their vascularity,
have an empty stomach (without food that could make it bloated), have increased blood flow in
the muscles they just worked out (also known as the pump, where the muscles are enlarged due
to a greater than usual blood supply [1]). Some social media influencers also lie to their audience
and use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs, also known as steroids), making the viewers set
unrealistic expectations, hoping to look like them one day. Moreover, it is no surprise that when
the lifters do not end up looking like them, they lose their will to work out.

Although experiencing these things can be demotivating, it is essential that you keep going and
have the discipline you programmed your mind to have.
It is important to understand that everybody is different and that everyone has a different rate of
progress based on multiple factors, some of which could be genetics. Genetics are your
foundation and limit what you are automatically gifted with and what you can eventually
achieve. For instance, this includes how fast your metabolism is, and even the shape of your
muscles (insertions) and bone structure [2]. You can always grow your muscle mass and
enhance your definition by decreasing your body fat, but it is important to acknowledge that you
cannot change the shape of your muscles, as you are limited by genetics. Allowing asinine factors
to demotivate you is inefficient and harmful to your mental health, so taking into account the
fact that you do not need the perfect genetics to achieve an impressive physique is the best
mentality to have.

Consistency, patience, and persistence is more important than anything else, and the marathon
mentality, which consists of being aware that your weightlifting journey is a marathon, not a
sprint, is what will set you above most people.

4
2. Diet
Basics of dieting

The majority of experienced bodybuilders would claim that working out consists of 80% diet and
20% weightlifting [3]. While this is not necessarily wrong, it should not be taken literally, since it
would be very difficult to write a correct statistic / percentage for that. This saying exists for the
sake of emphasizing how important keeping track of your diet is in relation to weightlifting.
Many people would say that the people who do not know how much they are eating in a day are
wasting their time in the gym. This is something that I personally agree with. Ever since I started
bodybuilding, I have always tracked my calorie intake. Two years later, the same people I used to
work out with when I began my journey have not made any progress, while me, being on a
structured diet, have made steady progress.

Many people claim that calorie counting can become an obsession and is bad for your mental
state. This is something that I do not necessarily disagree with, but it is not something I have
personally experienced. By doing this activity for so long it became a habit (just like brushing
your teeth, for instance), and is something natural to me. Counting your calories for the day is
an activity that does not take more than 20 seconds and it is something extremely basic and
fundamental to your bodybuilding journey.

That being said, I am an extremely strong advocate for calorie tracking and for structuring your
diet, to the point where I would skip a workout in order to make sure I hit my calorie goal for the
day.

Calories

A calorie by definition is a unit of measurement for energy. In the context of nutrition and
bodybuilding, it is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one
gram of water by 1° Celsius. Converted to joules, the SI (International System of Units) unit of
energy, it is equal to 4.184 J. [4]
When consuming food, you are essentially taking in a specific amount of energy, which is
utilized by the body to perform a variety of functions, some of them being linked to muscle
repair. This is why it is important for people to be aware of the amount of “energy” they take in.
This is in order to maximize efficiency and minimize unwanted occurrences (such as excess
weight gain) due to a lack of planning and control over your body. [5]

5
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and maintenance calories

The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy used by the body at rest in order to
perform basic functions, such as breathing, circulation, and cell production. The basal metabolic
rate is influenced by factors such as level of activity, age, sex, etc. [6]

Maintenance calories, also known as Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) are the calories
required for your body to maintain the current body weight, taking your level of activity into
account. It is simply calculated noting both the basal metabolic rate and the level of activity. [7]
When determining your maintenance calories, it is advised to have a balance of listening to your
own body as well as taking professional opinions into consideration in order to fully grasp the
unique needs and nuances of your metabolism and individual lifestyle.
However, one way to calculate both the basal metabolic rate and your maintenance calories is
using an online calculator, just like calculating your required grams of protein a day.

Weight gain (bulking)

In the weightlifting community, there are various informal terms that people use (same as the
word “pump” mentioned in the introduction). Two of the most common terms that you will
surely hear in the future are “bulking” and “cutting”. These two terms are categorized as weight
cycling, and they offer you the most effective way to build muscle mass. [8] By having a good
understanding of energy expenditure, it is much easier to understand the science behind weight
cycling.
A bulking cycle is defined as a process where the athlete undergoes a calorie surplus while
engaging in strength training. It involves eating a daily number of calories above the calculated
total energy daily expenditure. [9]
Muscle building is a fuel intensive process, which requires a large amount of calories. When
there is an abundance of energy through, the body starts creating additional muscle. If a bulking
approach is taken during your weightlifting journey without a strong training stimulus, the
added calories are not going to be utilized and the body is simply going to store them as fat. This
is also a reason why a recommended calorie intake during a bulking cycle is only 300-500
calories above your maintenance level. [10]
On a side note, due additional calories taken in, a higher level of energy is expected, which when
used in the gym effectively it can promote additional muscle stimulation.
There are multiple reasons why people take up a bulking diet. Few examples are to reach a
desired weight for a specific sporting competition, to gain enough strength to reach a specific
weightlifting goal, to gain a satisfactory amount of muscle mass, etc. Due to people having
different goals when using this dietetic strategy, there is no recommended period for a bulking
cycle. Thus, it is important that when following such a diet, you listen to your own body and your
own goals.

6
Weight loss (cutting)

A cutting cycle is the opposite of bulking and is a process where the athlete undergoes a calorie
deficit.
During the cutting process, it is expected for the bodybuilder to lose muscle, since the body does
“eat itself” in order to ensure that the basic body functions are covered. However, the priority of
cutting is minimizing muscle loss and ensuring fat loss. [11] This can be achieved through a
strong training stimulus, a smaller calorie deficit, and a higher protein intake. Stimulating the
muscles in such a way causes the body to use the body’s fat storage as the source of energy,
making you gradually achieve more muscle definition. A safe and advised range of calorie intake
is 500 to 1,000 calories per day below your maintenance level. [12]
During the cutting process, it is possible to experience a decrease in energy, since you do not
provide your body as much “fuel” as you used to on a bulk.
A calorie deficit diet also has no recommended period. However, a large part of bodybuilders
who cut do so in order to reach a satisfactory level of muscle definition, which is then followed
by the next bulking cycle, therefore repeating the process. [13]
This means that in order to build muscle effectively, it is advised for the body to shift between
cutting and bulking cycles.

Macronutrients

Macronutrients are essential nutrients that the body requires in large quantities in order to
function optimally. Macronutrients can be classified into three categories: proteins,
carbohydrates, fats. [14]

Protein
Protein is an essential macronutrient that is responsible for the structure, function, growth and
repair of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs. It is made up of building blocks called amino acids
that are linked together. There are 20 amino acids that are classified into two groups: essential
amino acids, which the body cannot produce on its own and must be obtained through the diet,
and non-essential amino acids, which the body can produce and are not mandatory to have in
your diet. [15, 16]
There are thousands of different proteins in your body that are each responsible for different
functions. The sequence of amino acids is what makes the protein take a different shape and
what gives the protein the specific job in the body. [17]
In the context of bodybuilding, protein intake is of great importance. During workouts, the
muscles undergo stress and are subjected to microtears, requiring repair. The microtears are
what triggers the body to repair itself, and the proteins are what helps the body achieve that.
[18]

7
There are various ways to determine how much protein your body needs. Some people prefer
going by the rule of 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight or 0.7–1 g per pound of body
weight. Others, however, choose to simply use an online protein calculator, where they are
required to select how active they are throughout the week as well as their body weight and
height. [19]

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, a crucial macronutrient, is the body’s main source of energy. When consuming
carbohydrates, the body breaks them down into glucose, which in turn is converted to energy
and used to perform various bodily functions. [20]
The rate at which carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars is dependent on what type
they are. Carbohydrates can be broken down into two types: simple and complex.
Simple carbohydrates are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream at a faster pace than
complex ones, providing the body with energy quicker. Examples of simple carbohydrates are
sugar, honey, candies, etc. [21]
Complex carbohydrates are digested at a slower rate due to their more complex molecular
structure, meaning that they provide a more sustained energy release as opposed to a spike in
energy (in the case of simple carbohydrates). Foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates are
oats, brown rice, beans, broccoli, etc.
A good advice to follow in the case of carbohydrates is ensuring that your diet consists of
nutrient-rich complex carbohydrates, while eating simple carbohydrates in moderation to
mitigate health risks. [22]

Fats
Fats are another important macronutrient essential to the human body. The same way proteins
are made up of amino ads, fats are made up of smaller units called fatty acids. In addition to
giving your body energy, fats are known to protect your organs, promote cell growth and help
keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. [23]
While keeping track of your fat intake is not as important as your protein intake, having a
balanced diet that consists of healthy sources of fats (unsaturated fats, such as avocados, olive
oil, and eggs) is a great way to regulate the body’s hormones, including testosterone, which is
essential for muscle growth and recovery. [24]

Supplements

Supplements are quite self-explanatory. They are not necessary by any means, but are meant to
supplement your diet. Realistically, everything can be obtained from food. However,
incorporating them into your diet is an effective way to achieve your goals in a more efficient
and healthier manner.

8
The supplements that are going to be mentioned in this booklet are the ones that are most
commonly used when bodybuilding, namely protein powder, creatine, and multivitamins. These
three supplements are some of the most well recognized products in the world of bodybuilding
and are used on a daily basis by many lifters. [25]

Protein powder
Protein powder is a great supplement to take to assist you on your bodybuilding journey. With
an increase in protein intake, it is expected for your body to be offered additional support in
your muscle growth and recovery. It is ideal to consume the supplement immediately after your
workout, since by providing the necessary amino acids right after causing microtears, the body
can kick-start the recovery process. [26, 27]

Creatine
Creatine is a compound made up of three amino acids that is commonly found in foods such as
seafood and red meat. Due to the very small quantity of it found in food, lifters take creatine
powder as a supplement in order to maximize their performance. [28]
During activities such as muscle contractions resulting from weightlifting, Adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), which is the source of energy at the cellular level of the body, is rapidly
depleted. Creatine supplementation plays a crucial role in the rapid regeneration of the ATP
cells, providing the body a quick burst of energy to ensure an intense workout. Moreover, having
more readily available energy can result in an increase in strength and the ability to perform
more repetitions, leading to additional muscle stimulation and adaptation. [29, 30]

Multivitamins
Multivitamins taken in the recommended amount are always a great addition to your overall
health and your bodybuilding journey, providing you essential nutrients and enabling you to
take advantage of your body’s full potential.
Many multivitamins are custom made, meaning that its contents and quantities are adapted to
the needs of the individuals based on factors such as sex, age, activity levels, etc. However, the
vitamins that would be important for a weightlifting athlete to have in moderate quantities are
vitamin B (improves cell health and promotes brain and nerve function), vitamin D (ensures
strong bones), zinc (boosts immune system), and magnesium (improves sleep, mood, exercise
performance). [31, 32, 33, 34]

9
3. Training
Plan programming (written by Maxwell)
When creating a programme that best suits you, there is a set of criteria which you should
consider at any point in time throughout your lifting journey, this will help you to optimize and
correctly go through a workout and working week. The different parts of a programme are going
to be what could be considered meso and micro cycles, both parts having their own specificities
and concepts. Meso cycle being the week, what you are going to train and on what days, making
sure you have ample rest and adherence to each day, a micro cycle is then a single day, what you
are going to be training on that day, the structure and order of the workout and what exercises
you might consider.

Criteria
Adherence
The absolute most important thing when you consider a workout plan is adherence to the plan,
regardless of how scientifically optimized a plan may be, if you feel that you are unable to stick
to the plan with reasonable amounts of discipline and you absolutely hate the things that you are
doing in the gym, then do not follow such a plan. The subjectivity that is your situation for how
you are able to workout is absolutely the most important. However, do not be closed minded to
the science behind different variations of exercises or programmes, have a first hand experience
with an open mind before making a personal judgment.

Rest and recovery

Throughout your workout and your week, you are going to need to recover in order to let your
body recover from your hard work. According to how you programme your week, make sure that
you have dedicated rest days that fit into a pattern with the rest of your training days in the
week. Aside from this, each muscle group should have around 48 hours of rest before your next
training session, because of this, 3 day splits are very popular as you are able to have this
rotation of sessions in succession without a rest day between every rotation.

Structure / splits
Starting off with the meso cycle, you might have heard of the term workout split, this is
essentially the way that you are going to break up your weak so that you are training different
musculature on different days and having rest before hitting the same muscles again. There are
different types of splits with many variations which you can consider, often enough, you can
think about different splits as kind of units of a pattern and as long as you are able to format a
pattern out of the different days of a split or potentially multiple splits. Here are some examples
of popular workout splits which you may try to mix and match.

10
Push Pull Legs (3)
Push Pull Legs (PPL) is probably one of the most famous splits as it provides very individual
sessions which tend to not collide or affect the other sessions of the split. This split includes
Push, a session in which you use every muscle that pushes things, shortening of musculature
when abducted at the joint. This is your pectorals (Chest), anterior and lateral deltoids (Front
and side shoulder) as well as your triceps (Underside of arm). Pull, a session in which you use
every muscle that pulls things, shortening of muscle when adducted at the joint. This is the
different parts of your back, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, rear delts, teres major and
minor, erectors and biceps. Legs, the different parts of your legs are your quadriceps, hamstrings
and calves, if you wish to train abs then you will do so on leg day.

A typical Push Pull Legs split would look something like this:

Upper lower (2)

This split is quite literally what it sounds like, one session you will train your upper body, The
major muscle groups are going to be, your chest, shoulders, arms . The next session you will do a
lower body. This split can be utilized in a few different ways, you could potentially do a 4 day
work week with upper lower upper lower, your rest days where you find fit. Otherwise this is
often used as an addition to a 3 day split to make it a 5 day split instead of having an odd day in
the rotation of the 3 day split used. A typical upper lower split looks like this:

11
Arnold split (3)
The Arnold split, named after famous bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, is another 3 day split
similar to push pull legs. The order of sessions for this split are Chest and back, Arms and
shoulders and then legs, a typical example of this split would look something like this:

To further understand the general exercises in these splits and why you do them in what order,
read the next section, order of exercises as well as training basics.

12
Order of exercises
The examples stated above are very basic and general forms of the splits, however the general
form of how the exercises are formatted and the amount of exercises per muscle group should be
that general even when deciding your own or looking to other sources of information for
examples of these splits. The order in which you do your exercises is definitely something to
know before you even find out or try out what exercises you might want to do, and in the
training basics section you will find out about different exercises and variations of them. Starting
off your session, there are two options, either start with a muscle that you are not going to use
whatsoever in your other exercises, or a muscle that requires the other muscles you need in
order to train it. A good example is on a push day you could either start with a lateral delt or the
side of your shoulder as it is not used to train your other muscles, or you start off with a bench
press as training your chest often requires the use of your arms which involves your anterior
delt(front shoulder) or tricep. You then follow this idea, picking exercises that use muscles that
require supporting muscles before having exercises for those supporting muscles themselves.
Which is why a typical push day (see example above) starts with chest movements, they require
both your shoulder and triceps, then your shoulders since they require your triceps as well, and
finally triceps since they are isolated in those movements.

The next concept which will come into this section of the criteria is grouping of exercises. Almost
always you should have exercises which train the exact same muscles one after the other, this is
because while your blood is flowing to the muscles which you were using, if you were to have
another exercise training the same muscles, you should then train those together. This concept
is also derived from the first, if you were to not do the same muscles in a row you would violate
the first section by having a bigger exercise after a smaller exercise, however in the case of
equally used muscles, such as biceps and triceps, if you were to do an arm day, you would not
necessarily order which to do first, as long as you then kept this concept and did bicep after
bicep and tricep after tricep.

Variation of exercises
Last and least important of these criteria is variation of exercises, this might not necessarily be
kept, but is something good to think about but is mostly subjective to your preference. You
should not be redundant with your exercises, for a few different reasons. If you were to do very
similar movements for the different exercises of a singular muscle group, your muscles have
more neural stimulus on how to do the movement, or more commonly known as muscle
memory, this inhibits muscle stimulus as it does not force your muscles to be used in a way in
which your body thinks needs more muscle and hence your growth will not be as great. It is also
more motivating simply because you are doing something different and do not necessarily feel
bored, however this is subjective. You should also swap out some exercises for different
variations for the same reason, do this as you feel since it is mainly dependent on your judgment
of your body and what you feel might work better or is just more enjoyable to do. An example of
this could be if you decided to use dumbbells for an exercise as opposed to barbells.

13
Training basics (Matei)

When bodybuilding, just like any other sport, there is a possibility of an injury. To ensure safety
when doing an exercise, it is crucial to have the right form and technique. While there are a
variety of exercises a lifter can perform, each one typically has its own standardized form. Thus,
when it comes to performing exercises, you do not have to worry about subjectivity and finding
what you might prefer.
Biomechanically, there is an objective way to do each exercise with some variation or flexibility
depending on a person's body or preference. However, the technique will still be relatively the
same. Understanding basic biomechanics can therefore be helpful to know whether or not your
technique is correct, as it will also allow you to manipulate the exercises in creative ways to train
closer to what you intend or to what is closer to your personal goal.

Compound exercises
For compound exercises (e.g. bench press, shoulder press, any squat variation, deadlifts), it is
important to consider the involvement of each muscle group and other key factors that apply to
these movements. To better explain this point, the form during bench press will be examined:

● Arched back: The pectoral muscles use the rib cage as leverage since they originate at the
center of it and insert at the top of your upper arm. Arching your back allows for your
chest to get a better stretch and receive additional stimulus as a result.
● Relatively wide leg stance: Stability and leg drive help with keeping your back arched.
● Hands slightly wider than shoulder width: With the insertion of your pectoral muscles,
you typically want more movement in your shoulder while limiting movement in your
elbow. Thus, having it slightly wider than shoulder width will be putting shoulder flexion
at a maximum and elbow flexion/extension at a minimum. [35]
● Arms should be around 45-60 degrees away from your body: Avoiding having your
shoulders higher up helps involve them less and puts less pressure on them as a result,
mitigating the risk of an injury.
● Straight wrists, with weight stacked on the forearms the entire time: This prevents injury
or tension in your wrists. [36]

Each of the aforementioned ideas can be generalized in order to understand broader concepts
which apply to a variety of other exercises:

1. Muscle position, range of motion and alignment:

As seen with the bench press, the importance of having an arched back was to create a
better stretch. The idea behind this is that muscles work similar to rubber bands. Getting
a stretch on the muscle means that it is able to produce more force and also undergo
more tension. [37] This is often referred to as the concentric movement, which is the
force produced by your muscles when they are going from a lengthened position to a
shortened position, which refers to the pressing up during a bench press, or the pulling

14
 down on a lat pull down. Optimizing this portion of the movement is usually what is
important for more stimulus. To do so, it is essential to ensure that you are utilizing the
full active range of motion of a muscle as well as getting a proper stretch and sometimes
a proper squeeze. Moreover, it is important to consider the range of motion in line with
the muscle fibers of the muscle which you want to train. This links to the idea of the
alignment of muscles, following the same concept of the muscles being a rubber band.
Therefore, it is logical to argue that the rubber band will produce force opposite to the
direction you are stretching it in, or directly in the direction which it is pointing toward.
In the same way, it is recommended to move the weight you are using in the same line as
the muscle. Although this might be common knowledge, when acknowledging compound
exercises, the point would be to optimize the concentric of the muscle in focus. With the
example of the bench press, the pectorals, deltoids and triceps are all involved. Thus, it is
advised to minimize the stimulus of the surrounding musculature, such as the triceps
and deltoids in order to have as much stimulus on your chest. [38]

2. Stability
When doing any exercise, you want to make sure you are locked into a position where
only the limbs which need to be moved are moving. When it comes to the bench press,
especially on narrow benches, keeping a wider stance to prevent instability is important.
At the same time using the legs to keep the back arched is a great way to add to the
stability. This idea is often missed with a lot of exercises, and you may often find yourself
doing an exercise that is not necessarily stable. For example, lateral raises, face pulls and
barbell rows, all lack a form of stability which you could easily gain by leaning on a bench
or using any other equipment that offers additional support.

3. Safety
The last general concept of lifting which is just as important as the other ones is the
safety of your body. This mainly refers to the tension on the joints, as well as tendons,
ligaments and bones. You generally don’t want to be putting tension on a joint that you
personally feel is causing you pain in some way. There are always good alternative
exercises you might want to immediately implement during a workout, but ultimately
trying to find the cause of the pain on the joint (which is not always obvious such as with
the bench press) is the key in order to return to doing the exercise the way you originally
wanted to.

Sets and reps

Choosing the number of sets and reps is dependent on your goal when weightlifting. When
performing a set with the chosen amount of repetitions, the muscles over time adapt to the type
of stimuli you are subjecting them to. For example, in the case of powerlifting, which is a sport
that is also based around weightlifting except the athlete’s goal is to build strength, the athlete
aims to perform a number of repetitions that is between 1 and 5 in order to focus on
neuromuscular adaptations, which results in a strength increase over time. [39]

15
With a number of repetitions above 12, the athlete focuses more on muscular endurance as well
as cardiovascular health due to the increased oxygen demand during longer sets. [40]
In the case of bodybuilding, where the emphasis is placed on building muscle mass, the athlete
is advised to stay within the range of 8 to 12 repetitions. When performing the set amount of
repetitions, the weight should be chosen so that the athlete fails in that range of reps, meaning
no more can be performed. The specified number of repetitions for bodybuilding is chosen due
to a combination of factors, but the most important reason is that 8 to 12 reps provide the
muscle the ideal time under tension, stimulating hypertrophy. [41]

Volume
When aiming for muscle hypertrophy, the amount of sets that an athlete is recommended to
perform during an exercise is between 3 to 5. This range of sets subjects the muscle to the right
amount of stress in order to cause hypertrophy. [42] Moreover, in order to optimally build
muscle mass, it is advised to perform exercises that target a specific muscle twice a week. This
way, the lifter has a sufficient frequency of muscle stimulation for growth while also allowing
optimal recovery between sessions. [43]

Hitting a plateau

At some point in your journey, you are going to hit a plateau, which could potentially affect your
level of motivation, as discussed in the introduction section. However, this is not a problem,
since this is a perfect opportunity to make a change. There are multiple ways to break out of a
plateau, such as altering your training plan, as well as making a change in your diet by calorie
increase / decrease or by having a different ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. As
previously mentioned, everybody is different, so some people could also break out of it by simply
taking some time off weightlifting, such as half a week, which could be enough to stimulate your
muscles to grow.

4. Summary
I hope that you will make use of the valuable information acquired from this booklet and that
you now have a greater understanding of the sport, as well as have a stronger mentality than
ever before.
There is no doubt that if the advice from this booklet is followed, you will achieve greatness and
your results are guaranteed to be observed. It is simply impossible not to grow if the right things
are done.

16
To conclude this booklet, ensure you push yourself to the limit and show perseverance and I
wish you best of luck on your bodybuilding journey.

17
5. Bibliography:
1. Cnc, A. S. M. C. (2022, December 21). Muscle Pump: What it is (And How to Get it).
Marathon Handbook. https://marathonhandbook.com/muscle-pump/ (accessed 30
March, 2023)

2. Hall, S. (2022, February 13). How Important are Genetics in Bodybuilding. Revive
Stronger. https://revivestronger.com/genetics-bodybuilding/ (accessed 15 March, 2023)

3. The 80/20 rule for diet and exercise. (2023, January 31).
https://www.nolimitsfitnessfl.com/the-80-20-rule-for-nutrition-exercise (accessed 28
March, 2023)

4. Convert cal to J. (n.d.). https://www.unitconverters.net/energy/cal-to-j.htm (accessed 4

April, 2023)

5. Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics. (2023, January 18). Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/art-20048065
(accessed 7 April, 2023)

6. Frothingham, S. (2023, May 5). What is basal metabolic rate? Healthline.

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-basal-metabolic-rate#purpose (accessed 16
May, 2023)

7. Hall, A. (2022, January 9). TDEE Calculator: Calculate your total daily energy
expenditure. Forbes Health. https://www.forbes.com/health/nutrition/tdee-calculator/
(accessed 15 April, 2023)

8. Hullett, A. (2022, May 18). Is bulking and cutting the best way to build muscle? Greatist.
https://greatist.com/fitness/bulking-vs-cutting#how-to-cut (accessed 1 June, 2023)

9. Kandola, A. (2020, September 29). Bulking: What it is and how to do it safely.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/bulking (accessed 2 June, 2023)

10. How to determine calories for a lean bulk. (n.d.). Bulk Nutrients.
https://www.bulknutrients.com.au/blog/muscle-building/how-to-determine-calories-for-a-l
ean-bulk (accessed 5 June, 2023)

11. Rd, R. R. M. (2021, January 26). How to follow a cutting diet for weight loss. Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cutting-diet (accessed 8 June, 2023)

18
12. Harvard Health. (2020, July 11). Calorie counting made easy.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/calorie-counting-made-easy (accessed
10 June March, 2023)

13. Ebt. (2020, May 24). When to bulk and when to cut. Evidence Based Training.
https://www.ebtofficial.com/when-to-bulk-and-when-to-cut/ (accessed 10 June, 2023)

14. Dolson, L. (2022, September 27). Macronutrients 101. Verywell Fit.

https://www.verywellfit.com/macronutrients-2242006 (accessed 12 March, 2023)

15. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Protein. Better Health Channel.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/protein (accessed 10 April, 2023)

16. Libretexts. (2021, March 6). 2.2: Structure & function - amino acids. Biology LibreTexts.
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Biochemistry/Book%3A_Biochemistry_Free_For_A
ll_(Ahern_Rajagopal_and_Tan)/02%3A_Structure_and_Function/202%3A_Structure__F
unction_-_Amino_Acids

17. Protein structure | Learn Science at Scitable. (n.d.).

https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/protein-structure-14122136/ (accessed 1
May, 2023)

18. UHBlog. (2018, February 5). How microtears help you to build muscle mass. University
Hospitals. https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2018/02/microtears-and-mass
(accessed 3 April, 2023)

19. Dieter, B. (n.d.). Protein metabolism: How to optimize protein intake for muscle gain and
weight loss [Video].
https://blog.nasm.org/nutrition/how-much-protein-should-you-eat-per-day-for-weight-loss
?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=organic&utm_content=safean
dhealthyweightloss (accessed 25 April, 2023)

20. Professional, C. C. M. (n.d.). Carbohydrates. Cleveland Clinic.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15416-carbohydrates (accessed 4 May,
2023)

21. Mentzer, A., & Kurzaeva/Moment/GettyImages, A. (2019, July 22). Foods that are
difficult to digest. LIVESTRONG.COM.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/309180-foods-that-are-difficult-to-digest/ (accessed 6
May, 2023)

22. Professional, C. C. M. (n.d.-b). Carbohydrates. Cleveland Clinic.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15416-carbohydrates (accessed 9 May,
2023)

19
23. Harvard Health. (2021, April 19). Know the facts about fats.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/know-the-facts-about-fats (accessed 7
May, 2023)

24. The friendly side of fat. (n.d.). https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/metabolism/fat

(accessed 7 May, 2023)

25. Bodybuilding.com. (2021, March 29). The best bodybuilding supplements for muscle
growth.
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-8-supplements-for-strength-athletes-and-body
builders.html (accessed 13 June, 2023)

26. Leonard, J. (2023, March 10). What are the benefits of protein powder?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323093 (accessed 14 June, 2023)

27. Brown, V. (2021, October 13). Fact or fiction: The Anabolic Window. Byrdine F. Lewis
College of Nursing and Health Professions.
https://lewis.gsu.edu/2021/10/13/fact-or-fiction-the-anabolic-window/ (accessed 14 June,
2023)

28. Staff, S. (2023, April 27). Natural creatine: The 5 best food Sources. SWOLY.
https://getswoly.com/blogs/articles/natural-creatine (accessed 17 June , 2023)

29. Dunn, J., & Grider, M. H. (2023, February 13). Physiology, adenosine triphosphate.
StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553175/

30. How does creatine work? | Creapure. (n.d.).

https://www.creapure.com/en/how-does-creatine-work (accessed 5 July, 2023)

31. Cronkleton, E. (2018, April 2). Why is vitamin B complex important and where do you get
it? Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/vitamin-b-complex#benefits (accessed
10 July, 2023)

32. Website, N. (2020, August 3). Vitamin D. nhs.uk.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/ (accessed 11 July, 2023)

33. Rd, J. K. M. (2022, November 28). Zinc: Everything you need to know. Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/zinc#benefits (accessed 11 July, 2023)

34. Rd, R. a. M. (2018, September 8). 12 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Magnesium.

Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-benefits (accessed 11 July,
2023)

20
35. Bodybuilding.com. (2021, May 26). How to bench press: Proper form to gain strength
and muscle.
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/how-to-bench-press-layne-norton-complete-guide.
html (accessed 2 July, 2023)

36. Best way to bench wrists cocked back or bent. (n.d.). 1 up Nutrition.
https://1upnutrition.com/blogs/training/best-way-to-bench-wrists-cocked-back-or-bent
(accessed 2 July, 2023)

37. Lindström, E. (2011, November 15). Research into rubber-band effects in muscles and
tendons. https://akademiliv.se/en/2011/11/8575/ (accessed 29 June, 2023)

38. Padulo, J., Pupo, J. D., Laffaye, G., & Chamari, K. (2013, July 5). Concentric and
eccentric: Muscle contraction or exercise?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3899915/

39. Bodybuilding.com. (2020, October 23). Reps and sets: How many reps should you do?
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/how-many-reps-should-you-do.html (accessed 27
June, 2023)

40. Kamb, S., & Kamb, S. (n.d.). How many sets and reps should I do? (Building a workout).
Nerd Fitness.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/the-correct-number-of-reps-per-set-in-the-gym/
(accessed 26 June, 2023)

41. Stoppani, J. (2018, June 30). Rep Range for hypertrophy. Jim Stoppani.
https://www.jimstoppani.com/training/rep-range/ (accessed 27 June, 2023)

42. Stull, K. (n.d.). Built to order: strength and size considerations.

https://blog.nasm.org/strength-and-size-considerations (accessed 30 June, 2023)

43. How often should you lift to build muscle? (2021, September 7). Iron Bull Strength -
USA.
https://ironbullstrength.com/blogs/bodybuilding/how-often-should-you-lift-to-build-muscle
(accessed 4 July, 2023)

21