Studying the Method: Bodybuilding Books
Every sport has its theories. The methods behind the madness, the meanings behind the actions. While learning from a coach is good, reading up on the history of the sport is even better; sometimes the intellectual undertones of a sport hide the secrets of success. But books have practical uses as well; books are more than words. They are diagrams and lists, contact information and plans. While acting out moves is necessary in any sport, discovering what to act out is even more important, and this is information books can easily provide.
Bodybuilding books are especially useful as power lifting is a sport not very widely known. Why any kid can go down to the local part and shoot around or hit fly balls, that same kid would have a lot of difficulty going to the local gym to pack on the muscle. Bodybuilding requires specific exercises, specific nutrition and specific knowledge, all things that bodybuilding books can readily provide. Beginners especially have a lot to learn even before they hit the gym; they cannot simply mimic the other guys or girls they see doing squats or pumping iron on the bench press. Such rash behavior can lead to injury and even to the loss of muscle. Beyond a doubt, all bodybuilders, especially beginners, can benefit from the hints and tips included in bodybuilding books.
Behind the Words
Bodybuilding books provide a lot of information necessary to get started in the sport. They contain lists of exercises and the order in which they should be done, including the number of sets, repetitions, weights and daily breakdowns. Aside from exercise schedules, they also provide nutritional schedules, not just what to eat and when to eat it, but how to eat it. Proteins and carbohydrates are a bodybuilder's fuel, but there are times to eat them, and times not to eat them. A mistake in nutrition can be as disastrous as a mistake in lifting.
All of this information is crucial for a beginner, but bodybuilding books are useful to experts as well. While champion lifters may not need to be told what to eat and what to lift, they do want to be kept up-to-date on new equipment, new competitions, new supplements and new theories in the sport. Maybe an exercise physiologist has discovered a new way to increase metabolism, or to quicken the rate of muscle synthesis. Only with bodybuilding books can an athlete become aware of these developments; otherwise, he or she will continue lifting, disconnected from the bodybuilding world, never truly reaching his or her potential.