Bodybuilding can be very confusing, especially for a beginner. There are many different training methods and routines, all of which are effective. The key is to follow a sound routine that is best for you. If possible, get guidance from someone with a personal trainer certification.

Bodybuilding programs are going to differ from person to person based on many different factors. Beginning bodybuilders are going to need to do it differently than those who are more advanced. Though there will be some similarities, what works best for men will not be as effective for women. Age is also a factor. Regardless of these particular differences, there are fundamental aspects that will be true of any good routine.

Here are some things, other than anabolic steroids, that are common to successful bodybuilding routines.

Keep It Short

The old adage, “the more the better”, is incorrect when bodybuilding is the focus. Your weight training sessions will not take a lot of time. They should be short, kept between 30 and 75 minutes. If you are spending hours in the gym each day you are doing it wrong. If you are truly working at a high intensity it will be difficult to go for longer than an hour.

Shorter workouts are better because your natural muscle building and fat burning hormone levels start to decline somewhere between 60 and 75 minutes after starting your session. Anything longer than that is, at best, a waste of time. Over training will really cause problems as it can lead to injury. Also, in a shorter workout your work intensity can be kept higher. The time it takes your hormone levels to start to decline will differ because of gender and age, which is why there is such a large window of time to workout.

In the Gym

Weight training should be progressive and varied. What I mean by progressive is that you should be increasing the amount of weight you use or how many repetitions you perform per set. For the best hypertrophy (muscle building) results , 8 - 15 repetitions per exercise set is best. This allows for a great amount of blood flow into the muscles being worked and with blood comes muscle building nutrients and hormones. As for variation, your workout routine should be changed every 3 - 4 weeks. For 3-4 weeks you should be performing hypertrophy training and for a week you should perform strength training. Your repetition range when strength training should be between 5 - 8 repetitions per set. An increase in strength will in turn produce an increase in muscle mass.

Depends on the Goal

You’re probably asking now, “How many sets should I be performing?” Here’s your answers: depends on the goal. If you are following a full body routine 3 days a week, you should perform one set per body part/muscle group. If you are using a split training routine, you should perform 3 - 5 sets per exercise for each body part/muscle group.  

With a split routine you should be performing 3 - 4 exercises per body part/muscle group. During your week of strength training, if you are doing 3 days of full body, you only need to change the number of repetitions you are doing not the sets. If you are working on a split routine, back off a little and go to 2 - 3 sets per exercise for each body part/muscle group.

Keep It Moving

Rest is an integral part of the muscle growth process, every bodybuilder knows this, but when you are in the gym you have to keep it moving. You can take a break between sets but it has to be minimal. You should be resting for less than 90 seconds. There are good reasons for this.

By moving somewhat quickly from set to set you will keep the work intensity high. This keeps blood flowing to the muscles.  Also, your cardiovascular system is stressed by this level of intensity, resulting in cardiovascular improvements. Additionally, your muscle building hormones will be output at their highest levels.

With all the many different training methods and programs available to the bodybuilder it can seem overwhelming. Bodybuilding routines can get incredibly complicated. Take the time to choose the routine that is best for you.  When you have a good routine you need to stay consistent so that you get the maximal benefits from it.