# NATURAL BODYBUILDING FAQS



## michaelkaram (Dec 11, 2015)

*Hello every one i'm new in this forum after seeing a lot of questions on this forum I decided to create one topic that can help a lot of people and I hope this will answer all of your questions about natural bodybuilding *

*my name is Michael Karam , I studied personal training , sports nutrition , workout designing , strength and conditioning , i'm natural bodybuilder , I used supplements but no drugs used . *

*are you ready ?! well , we will start ! *

*1.0 Nutrition
2.0 Training
3.0 Diet & Supplements
4.0 Training Logs*

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*1.0 Nutrition

Q: How do I lose (cut) or gain (bulk) weight?*

1. Determine "Caloric Maintenance"
2. Decide if you are Cutting or Bulking
3. Track calories using My Fitness Pal

Cutting: Caloric deficit. (-100 to -500 cals from your maintenance. The goal is to lose .5-1 pounds per week)
Bulking: Caloric surplus (+100 to +500 cals from your maintenance. The goal is to gain .5-1 pounds per week)

To minimize muscle loss during a cut you'll want to go into a deficit slowly - In contrast to minimize fat gained during a bulk you will want to go into a surplus slowly.
Maintenance calculators:

- http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bmr-and-daily-calorie-calculator.html
- http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
- http://swole.me/calorie-calculator/

- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
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*Q: What is the best macro split (carbs, fats, and proteins)?*

Members of this forum generally recommend a 50c/30p/20f split.

There is some flexibility here - some people prefer slightly higher fat intake - it's most important to track your total calories so that your intake matches your daily caloric intake goal. Please note that MFP is calibrated to sedentary people so you'll need to adjust the calculations to fit your own caloric and macro requirements. Just be sure that your Fat intake is >= 20% & <= 28% and Carb intake is >= 50%

General board consensus indicates that low-carb dieting and high protein diets are highly inefficient.

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*2.0 Training*

*Q: Beginner Training Programs*

Strong Lifts -
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

Ice Cream Fitness -
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout

Elliot Hulse Beginner (PAGE 19) -
http://www.hulsestrength.com/videos/advanced5x5_finaltrue.pdf
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*Q: Intermediate/Advanced Training Programs*

PHAT -
http://www.simplyshredded.com/mega-feature-layne-norton-training-series-full-powerhypertrophy-routine-updated-2011.html

5/3/1 -
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/how_to_build_pure_strength

Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) -
http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/push-pull-legs-split/

German Volume Training (GVT) -
http://www.simplyshredded.com/german-volume-training-a-new-look-at-an-old-way-to-build-mass-strength.html

West Side Barbell (WSBB) -
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Basic_Westside_Barbell_Template
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*3.0 Diet & Supplements*

Meal Timing -

Meal timing is irrelevant. Get your macros and calories in at any point during the day

You can eat bread, fruit, pasta, white rice, whatever - A carb is a carb.

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*Q: What are the best supplements?*

While eating whole food is the best thing you can do for your diet, supplementation can help.

Supplementation suggestions:

- Multi-vitamin
- Fish oil (caps or oil, doesn't matter)
- Creatine Monohydrate

Although it isn't necessary, Whey Protein can be convenient for hitting high protein requirements.
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*Q: What Creatine is the best?*

Creatine Monohydrate - Though you may see creatine with fancy names and all kinds of claims, they all do the same thing and are absorbed the same way.
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*Q: How to take Creatine.*

Drink 5g of Creatine Monohydrate per day every day FOREVER. No cycling, loading, or sniffing required (sorry Scarface).

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*4.0 Training Logs*

*Q: What's a "Training Log"?*

A Training Log is basically a thread containing your exercises and day to day thoughts, ideas, questions, and nutrition. Typical format for a Log is:

Age:
Height:
Weight:
Body fat% (Optional):
Bench: XXX lbs/kg (where XXX is your 1 rep max)
Squat: XXX lbs/kg
Deadlift: XXX lbs/kg
Experience Level: (Amount of time you've been weightlifting)
Goals:
Progress/Transformation/Starting reference photos (Optional)

Typical Content Format:
Day/Body Part being trained - Ex: "Chest day" or "5/3/1 Bench Day"
Exercise being done:
REPSxREPSxREPS x WEIGHT Where x simply means "by". Ex: 5 reps by 5 reps by 5 reps at 150 lbs = 5x5x5 x 150
Training Notes - Questions - Thoughts - Life Events - Nutrition

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*5.0 Body Fat Estimate*

*Q: What is my body fat percentage?*



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*I think this topic will help you all , and if you have any question send message on the inbox ! *


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

Where to begin lol

*1.Q: What is the best macro split (carbs, fats, and proteins)?*

*Members of this forum generally recommend a 50c/30p/20f split*. .........Do they? Haven't seen much of it tbh.

*2.General board consensus indicates that low-carb dieting and high protein diets are highly inefficient*......Really? Me and lots of other people find low carb dieting very good.

3. *You can eat bread, fruit, pasta, white rice, whatever - A carb is a carb**............*Really? Lol All carbs are not equal.

I think you need to do some more research my friend.

Also you seem to know lots about what we recommend on this forum for someone with 1 post.

Post a pic.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

FelonE said:


> Also you seem to know lots about what we recommend on this forum for someone with 1 post.


 He made an identical first post on bobybuilding.com this morning...


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

Ultrasonic said:


> FelonE said:
> 
> 
> > Also you seem to know lots about what we recommend on this forum for someone with 1 post.
> ...


All copy/paste bollox....bet he doesn't even.....


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## barksie (Nov 23, 2014)

knows more than me , but gets a bit tiresome when you see these new guys making out they genius and know more than the regular 10 year plus bodybuilders on here, bah !! taxi !!!


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

barksie said:


> knows more than me , but gets a bit tiresome when you see these new guys making out they genius and know more than the regular 10 year plus bodybuilders on here, bah !! taxi !!!


He probably doesn't mate,he's just copied and pasted articles.


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## Bish83 (Nov 18, 2009)

FelonE said:


> He probably doesn't mate,he's just copied and pasted articles.


 Didnt someone on here cut and paste all the stickie threads into a pdf and charge people to download it some time ago...

Its free. Choose to read the thread or not. Nice thread regardless of alterior motive.


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## Fluke82 (Sep 10, 2015)

Although you have just copied and pasted it.

Nearly everything there is correct and should be the fundamentals for natty and enhanced.

It's still a good post.


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## AestheticManlet (Jun 12, 2012)

The bf estimate pics first few would never apply to a natty :whistling: .


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## Quackerz (Dec 19, 2015)

michaelkaram said:


> *Hello every one i'm new in this forum after seeing a lot of questions on this forum I decided to create one topic that can help a lot of people and I hope this will answer all of your questions about natural bodybuilding *
> 
> *my name is Michael Karam , I studied personal training , sports nutrition , workout designing , strength and conditioning , i'm natural bodybuilder , I used supplements but no drugs used . *
> 
> ...


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