Natural bodybuilding tournament. Competitive bodybuilding. Conditions for muscle growth

Natural bodybuilding is a recently emerged sport. On what principles is it based? Let's look at it below.

What does this concept mean?

The first word in the term “natural bodybuilding” indicates a refusal to use any steroids. Yes, these drugs incredibly speed up the growth muscle mass athlete, but at the same time they disrupt the functioning of all body systems. The result of taking steroid drugs is an attractive appearance, while internal organs serious damage is caused.

Natural bodybuilding offers a different path. It involves giving up special medications. Of course, the formation takes place over a longer period. However, the positive thing about this is that pumped up muscles are created naturally without the help of chemical additives and steroids. At the same time, your health improves.

Conducting competitions

Today it is difficult to imagine any sport without doping. This especially applies to bodybuilding. Natural bodybuilding is a counterbalance to sports that use steroids that are harmful to the body. Competitions have been held in it since the mid-nineties of the last century.

In Russia there is an official organization that supports this sport. This is the Federation of Natural Bodybuilding, which was founded in March 2010. Its president is Stefan Czapovsky, and one of the most honorable members is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supports the very idea of ​​​​the existence of this sport.

The first natural bodybuilding championship in Russia took place in November 2010. Athletes who were divided into four were allowed to participate in it. The first of them included girls and boys under eighteen years of age. Next came juniors and juniors up to twenty-two years old. The third group was represented by adult athletes. Their age was over 22 years. The “veteran” group consisted of masters over forty-five years old.

Differences between types of bodybuilding

Concerning training process, then for “naturalists” and “chemists” it is practically no different. But at the same time, there are some peculiarities in the exercises of those who prefer natural bodybuilding. An athlete taking steroid drugs is capable of more long workouts within one to two hours. The process of growth of muscle mass occurs in a larger volume. The main role in this is played by stimulation of the necessary receptors.

Natural bodybuilding adheres to a slightly different scenario. The training program in this sport is designed for forty to forty-five minutes. The fact is that in the first 20 minutes. Glycogen is consumed in the muscles, and subsequently in the liver. Longer workouts will be harmful to the body. In this case, the athlete will simply lose muscle mass. In addition, the body will overtrain.

The main difference between “naturals” and “chemists” is the process of influencing the cell’s DNA with the information that informs about protein synthesis. In athletes taking steroids, this process occurs with more high speed and to a greater extent.

The benefits of “chemical” bodybuilding

Athletes taking steroid drugs have a much faster recovery process for muscles damaged by training. At the same time, their endurance literally breaks through physiological boundaries.

The basic principle that natural bodybuilding adheres to is “muscle without steroids.” However, without chemicals, only a natural, limited amount of hormones affect the muscles. A person approaches his physiological natural ceiling. The progress of muscle mass growth occurs slowly, and the result does not appear immediately. That is why it is already initial stages many people become disillusioned with this method and start taking steroid drugs to achieve a quick effect.

Progression of loads

There is a method that will allow an athlete to quickly reach his physiological ceiling. One of its features is management, which will reflect the increase in loads.

For those who prefer natural bodybuilding, it is ineffective to work with the same weight. Loads should increase in a certain progression. When working with the same weight, the body will produce its usual amount of hormones. This is not enough to start the process of protein synthesis in the cell. A different result is obtained with increasing loads. In this case, at each training session the body is subjected to a kind of stress, which promotes the production of additional anabolic hormones, to which the muscles must adapt. As a result, their growth occurs.

Increasing working weight

For those who prefer to engage in natural bodybuilding, the progression of loads should look like this: on Monday, bench press a weight of 80 kg 10 times in three repetitions. Next Monday the weight increases. It should be 88 kg. In this case, you will need to do push-ups from six to ten times (as far as the body is capable). An increase in load can also be given with a weight of 80 kg. In this case, three repetitions of eleven times will be required. Thus, the essence of the load progression technique becomes clear. The working weight should be increased. It does not matter how this will be done (by increasing the number of approaches or the load itself).

Periodization

There is another way to achieve a natural physiological ceiling in natural bodybuilding. It lies in the periodization of training. This scheme is quite simple. The training process will require you to take a step back. This will give the body the opportunity to rest a little, after which it will be easy to take two steps forward.

It is advisable to draw up schedules for the frequency of the training process yourself. This can be done only after the very essence of the method, which is a kind of wave, is realized. Small steps back will allow you to achieve new goals.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Bodybuilding

This type of bodybuilding is quite difficult. However, achieving your goals will require hard work and patience. It is also worth remembering that you will never achieve the results that doping bodybuilders achieve. However, the advantage of natural bodybuilding, without a doubt, is training that is not harmful to health. In addition, the athlete does not need to buy drugs that cost a lot of money.

Building an impressive body is not as easy as many people think. If this were so, the planet would be inhabited by 8-10 billion people with magnificent pumped up bodies.

But this is not so, many do not know how to set specific goals and understand their true desires. But there are those among us who shock the world in the good sense of the word. They proved that with perseverance and a positive attitude we can reach heights we never dreamed of.

Below is a list of six, you will learn the stories of the transformation of each of them since they first began to engage in bodybuilding.

All of them are true champions who have demonstrated gradual progress.

Born on July 12, 1994, he is a rising star in bodybuilding and is considered one of the top five fitness models on the planet.

Let's add that the number of subscribers to Jeff's Facebook page has already exceeded a million and amounts to this moment 1.2 million people.

Your favorite?

We all have our idols. Tell us about your idols among " natural» bodybuilders and fitness models. Write in the comments below.

relief body for them it is a special ideology and leading a certain way of life.

Bodybuilders or bodybuilders are athletes who constantly perform exercises with various types of weights. They believe that bodybuilding is a whole philosophy of life, and not just sports discipline.

A clear testimony to these words are the millions of people who engage in bodybuilding. The number of professionals competing in competitions is much smaller, but this does not affect the popularity of the sport.

general information

For building perfect body It is necessary to completely reconsider the general life routine, to include in it:

• strength physical training with lifting weights, training on simulators;
• a diet with high energy value, which involves increasing foods rich in carbohydrates and protein;
• consumption of proteins and gainers;
• taking diuretics, hormones, fat burners, steroids, and anti-catabolics that remove excess fluid when the need arises.

basis strength training is muscle hypertrophy, getting rid of fat deposits, creating muscle relief with a clearly defined venous pattern.

To achieve this, the training program includes types of aerobic exercise such as exercise on exercise bikes, swimming, and running. This allows you to achieve harmony and aesthetics in building a beautiful body.

Athletes who practice this way are people who are distinguished by their fortitude and who persistently strive to achieve their goals.

If in powerlifting and weightlifting special attention is paid to how much weight an athlete can lift, then in bodybuilding this aspect is not so important. Strength and endurance are of primary importance for bodybuilders. They directly affect the productivity of classes.

Professionals taking part in bodybuilding competitions pose as part of performances that evaluate their overall level physical development, volume, symmetry and aesthetics. Participants take both compulsory and optional poses. The first place is won by the bodybuilder who has the most perfect body.

Young men and teenagers who have decided to devote themselves to this discipline are interested in what time they can start bodybuilding. Medical experts are of the opinion that strength training should begin at the age of eighteen. At this age, the hormonal background is already stable, the musculoskeletal system is almost finished forming.

History of bodybuilding

The desire for spiritual and physical perfection has been inherent in man at all times. Sculptures from ancient times are excellent confirmation of the harmonious development of the body. The beginning of the emergence of bodybuilding in the form that is known to modern man, began at the end of the nineteenth century.

The security forces and weightlifters of those times were strikingly different from the bodybuilders of our time. They looked more like members of a beer club. Some of them, having decided not to focus only on strength training, began to work on building a harmoniously developed body. Among them was Evgeniy Sandov. This athlete is considered the founder of bodybuilding.

It was he who organized the very first bodybuilding competition in 1901, and later created a training program aimed at increasing volume and increasing muscle strength.

He was deservedly considered the strongest. Rib cage Sandova supported the weight of a platform with three horses. With his hand he could lift a barbell with two adults.

Those who win the Mr. Olympia competition are awarded a bronze profile.

Bodybuilding reached its apogee of glory in the second half of the last century. Comic book characters published in the fifties and sixties developed clearly defined muscle definition. Hollywood directors began inviting bodybuilders to appear in films.

Steve Reeves became the first significant film actor-bodybuilder of those years. The role of Hercules brought him fame. In the seventies, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who became Mr. Olympia several times, gained popularity and recognition among viewers. His mass and muscle volume were significantly superior to the bodybuilders before him. He made an invaluable contribution to the popularization of bodybuilding.

The modern bodybuilding industry is structured in such a way that athletes who win qualifying competitions are considered professionals. Such bodybuilders receive a special card, the issuance of which is supervised by the International Federation of Bodybuilding. This document allows you to take part in the Night of Champions or Arnold Classic competitions.

The most significant competition for bodybuilders is Mr. Olympia, held since September 1965. It is supervised by the International Federation of Bodybuilding.

The first time it was held in New York, but since 1998 it has been an enviable constant in Las Vegas. An analogue of the competition also exists for women who are professionally interested in bodybuilding.

It runs parallel, and its winner becomes Miss Olympia.

Over the history of this championship, 13 people have become winners. The record holder is Ronnie Coleman from the USA, who has won the top prize eight times, followed by American Lee Haney and Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger, who have won seven times each.

Types of bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is divided into many types, but several areas are most widespread.

Natural

This is the process of pumping up muscles and building a beautiful, sculpted body without taking any steroid drugs that accelerate anabolic processes. This type of bodybuilding was especially popular in the nineties of the last century.

Proponents of natural bodybuilding urge athletes to completely abandon steroids, doping and other drugs that stimulate muscle growth. The purpose of training is mainly to improve health and physical fitness, and not pumping up a mountain of muscles. Priority is placed on a harmoniously developed and proportional body, healthy heart, development of stable immunity.

There are a huge number of international organizations focused exclusively on natural bodybuilding, in which it is unacceptable to take any drugs that affect muscle growth and related processes.

Classical

A relatively new and officially accepted direction in bodybuilding in the international association. It, unlike other types of bodybuilding, is completely focused on developing an aesthetic and harmonious physique, and not on increasing muscle volume.

Athletes involved in conventional bodybuilding, like weightlifters, must have a certain mass. Classic bodybuilding does not impose such restrictions. The division of bodybuilders in this discipline is more focused on height rather than weight.

A distinctive feature of fans of this trend is the complete absence of pronounced muscle hypertrophy. The ideology of the movement boils down to the fact that a person cannot look like a mountain of muscles, but must have an aesthetically attractive and developed body with ideal proportions and defined relief.

Female

It has existed for quite a long time, but official competitions in which women were evaluated according to bodybuilding standards began to be held only in 1978.

the goal of this type of bodybuilding is a harmonious combination of pumped-up muscles and graceful female body. The attention to muscles in the discipline is not as close as in the male discipline. The popularity of female bodybuilding has waned a bit.

This is due to the emergence of such received wide use sports like fitness.

Beach

The strength direction of bodybuilding, whose adherents do not develop excess muscle mass.

Athletes involved in this type of bodybuilding have a fit, harmoniously developed physique without excess muscles. Beach bodybuilding competitions prohibit wearing swimming trunks.

Participants perform exclusively in shorts and do not use oil, makeup or other attributes that classic bodybuilders use.

The benefits and harms of bodybuilding

This sports discipline has a positive effect on a person, which is expressed in increasing muscle endurance and strength, and gaining a harmoniously developed physique.

Physical activity and training can improve the condition of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and increase immunity.

An invaluable advantage is that a person with developed muscles looks attractive in the eyes of others.

Bodybuilding is certainly useful, but only in moderation. There is a category of athletes who want to achieve quick results overloading their body. This causes overtraining.

Doctors are of the opinion that intense physical activity improves health with a rational approach, while exhausting training, on the contrary, is harmful.

Excessively high load can harm blood vessels, heart muscle, and muscles.

The risks of harming one’s own body are high even with the bodybuilder’s increased enthusiasm for various types of steroids. These drugs activate and enhance the anabolic processes occurring in the body. Being hormonal drugs, they can provoke a number of the following serious complications:

• gynecomastia, that is, hypertrophy mammary gland, as well as testicular atrophy in representatives of the stronger half of humanity;
• masculinization, that is, the “rebirth” of a woman’s body into the likeness of a man’s body;
• renal and liver failure;
• heart attack, ischemic heart disease (cardiac ischemia);
• erectile dysfunction;
• infertility.

These effects develop only as a result of long-term use and increasing doses of hormonal drugs. Professional bodybuilders are officially prohibited from taking anabolic steroids. This does not apply to amateurs, among whom are those who want to get a quick increase in mass without much effort. Therefore, doping is a major problem in bodybuilding.

Source: http://BuilderBody.ru/chto-takoe-bodibilding/

- one of the many sports that is ideal for those who want to be, first of all, healthy, keep their body in sports uniform and always feel in a positive mood.

Definition of bodybuilding– the process of building and developing muscles through exercise exercise with weights and high-energy nutrition, with an increased content of nutrients, in particular proteins, sufficient for growth muscle fibers.

The main three components of bodybuilding:

1 . Competent and the right occupation physical exercises with weights.

Bodybuilding Exercises

2 . High energy and proper nutrition , high in nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates.

Proper nutrition

3 . Sports nutrition, in particular protein powders, creatine, vitamin complexes that the body needs under increased stress.

Sports nutrition

These three components are enough to gain the desired muscle mass and be in ideal shape.

Bodybuilding classification

Professional bodybuilding – IB Professional League

In the modern bodybuilding industry, a professional is usually a bodybuilder who has won an amateur qualifying competition and earned professional card– Pro Card from IB (International Federation of Bodybuilders).

Bodybuilders who became the owner PRO cards, automatically become professionals and have the right to compete in tournaments that are one step higher than amateur bodybuilding. For example, in such as “ Arnold Classic", "Night of Champions", as well as other professional IB tournaments with significant prize pools.

Winners and athletes, in turn, who have shown high results in professional tournaments, are given the opportunity to participate in the Mr. Olympia competition. Mr. Olympia title is highest award in the field of professional bodybuilding.

Amateur bodybuilding – Amateur Bodybuilding

Amateurs in bodybuilding include all athletes who are involved in this sport, but have not yet become holders of a PRO card. However, there are huge differences between athletes who practice professionally and ordinary amateurs.

Professionals As a rule, they do 5-6 workouts a week, and several times a day, in order to achieve maximum results, they use professional equipment during the training process and strictly follow a diet. Sports nutrition is a must in their diet. Amateurs work out every other day, but they don’t always have time to get to training. They do not focus much attention on nutrition, and their attitude towards sports nutrition is neutral.

The most important difference is that professional bodybuilding is hard work, which involves the use of additional necessary drugs for the body, and amateur bodybuilding, in turn, brings pleasure and health.

Natural bodybuilding – “no chemicals”

There are organizations such as NANBF (North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation) and NPD (Natural Physique Association) that promote the so-called natural bodybuilding. These associations are trying to eradicate the use of anabolic steroids and other pharmacological drugs in bodybuilding.

Athletes involved in “chemical-free” bodybuilding believe that their method is more focused on natural competition and healthy image life.

Bodybuilding female

The foundation of women's bodybuilding can be considered the first women's national Physique championship, held in the USA in 1978 in Canton, Ohio. This championship is the ancestor female bodybuilding, in which the winners were judged solely on their muscles.

Since then, many women's competitions have been held, the most prestigious of which is “ Miss Olympia" Rachel McLeish became the first Ms. Olympia title winner in 1980.

Conditions for muscle growth

Workout and classes in the gym.

Correct nutrition necessary for muscle recovery and growth.

Good and healthy rest and dream.

Workouts for muscle growth

All people are the same from a physiological point of view regarding bodybuilding. The principles of training methods are unchanged for everyone and have been proven.

However, people who are the same physiologically and anatomically can have muscles that are different in composition. Muscle fibers are divided into “white” and “red”. The former are responsible for short-term maximum load, the latter, on the contrary, for endurance and the possibility of long-term work.

People's muscles can vary greatly in the ratio of muscle fibers. Due to this, successful training methods Two equally built athletes can have completely different ones. It is through trial and error that you can achieve maximum results and become a bodybuilding star.

Proper nutrition for muscle growth

High rates of muscle recovery and growth require bodybuilders to adhere to specialized diet. Generally speaking, bodybuilders require more calories than the average person of the same weight to provide protein and energy for training, recovery, and actual muscle growth.

Reducing the level of dietary energy received in combination with cardiovascular exercise allows bodybuilders to lose excess fat, which is important in preparation for various competitions. The ratio of dietary energy obtained from carbohydrates, proteins and fats can vary depending on the bodybuilder's goals.

Meals for bodybuilders

An average person needs to eat three times a day for proper nutrition. Bodybuilders try to eat 5-7 times with an interval of 2-3 hours.

This method helps achieve the following goals:

– increases the metabolic rate in the body;

– eliminates excessive insulin secretion, which is caused by a large and one-time meal.

Proteins for muscle growth

Protein– the main building material for muscle growth. It is the main nutritional component in the diet of bodybuilders. A bodybuilder needs more protein than an ordinary person.

The required amount of protein for muscle growth per day:

1. For moderate exercise: 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight;

2. With increased loads and constant training: 4 or more grams of protein per kilogram of weight.

In this case, protein should make up 25-30% of the total calorie intake.

Main sources of protein:

– meat – chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb, fish;

– legumes and nuts;

– high protein dairy products. For example: cottage cheese.

To provide the necessary amount of protein to their body, many bodybuilders use essential protein supplements in their diet, such as whey protein and casein.

More about proteins

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates in bodybuilding is an uncompetitive source of energy. The physiological tone of the bodybuilder and the success of his training depend on them. It is necessary to increase carbohydrate intake when gaining muscle mass, during intense training and heavy loads.

If, on the contrary, it is necessary to reduce body weight, due to overweight, it is advisable to reduce the amount of carbohydrates, as well as fats, to a minimum.

Article about carbohydrates

Rapid muscle growth is impossible without rest

Although stimulation of muscle growth occurs in the gym due to weight training, the muscle growth occurs during rest, the main peak of growth is in the first 40-50 minutes after training, and lasts for several hours. At this time, the body simply needs protein!

Without adequate rest and sleep, muscles do not have the opportunity to repair and grow.

The average required amount of sleep for bodybuilders for full muscle growth should be 7-8 hours. However, there may be exceptions when 5 hours or less is sufficient.

Overtraining

Too little rest between workouts or too much load leads to overtraining. If you start next workout Without enough rest, fatigue will accumulate and progress in muscle growth or strength will disappear if the goal is heavy weights.

It is important to find the right period and start gradually. There are examples when people need up to 9 days of rest. On average, you can start with 2-3 workouts per week.

Some professional bodybuilders have up to six workouts per week, 1-3 workouts per day.

Exercises

Source: http://bodysportal.com/bodibuilding

Bodybuilding: history and modernity

Every year bodybuilding is becoming more widespread. But where did it all begin? This article describes the main milestones in the development of this area of ​​sport.

Every year it becomes more and more widespread. But where did it all begin? This article describes the main milestones in the development of this area of ​​sport.

What is bodybuilding?

Bodybuilding refers to the process of maximum development of muscle groups by an athlete and the construction of certain body proportions through a combination of strength training, rest and a certain nutritional system. As a sport, bodybuilding has its own competitions, during which participants demonstrate their physique to the judges, for which they, in turn, assign a certain number of points.

The idea of ​​bodybuilding is that every person, by working on himself, can build the body he dreams of.

The origins of bodybuilding lie in weightlifting, but unlike this sport, a bodybuilder does not care how much weight he lifts.

But it matters how the working weight affects appearance and the proportions of the body, how much he was able to work large and small muscles, how prominent and voluminous they are, what is the ratio of fat and muscle tissue in the body.

To achieve significant results in bodybuilding, training alone is not enough; the athlete must pay special attention to his regimen: he must get enough sleep ( night sleep at least 8 hours), maintain a certain diet, take nutritional supplements, and give your muscles enough time to recover.

In modern bodybuilding, the problem of doping is acute. Many athletes, both professionals and amateurs, risk their health and start taking steroid drugs for quick and impressive results.

However, anabolic steroids should not be confused with nutritional supplements, which contain vital nutrients, which every athlete needs so that the body can cope with heavy loads and recover effectively.

From the history of bodybuilding

Start. Eugene Sandow

The first person who began to develop serious training programs, became Eugene Sandow, he is called the pioneer of modern bodybuilding. The most honorable award for a professional bodybuilder - the figurine of the winner of the Mr. Olympia competition - depicts precisely the pioneer of modern professional bodybuilding.

Eugene Sandow, a native of Germany, began his career by demonstrating power tricks to the public. However, over time, he realized that it was not only the weight he could lift that was important, but also the beauty of his body.

He developed harmonious, powerful muscles and based his performance program on imitating the poses of ancient sculptors, demonstrating his muscles. Eugene took this show all over Europe and America.

In England, he created a network of athletic clubs, published a specialized magazine, published teaching aids, published his training programs, and held the first bodybuilding tournament in 1901. He was even appointed personal trainer English King George V. Eugene Sandow died in 1920, according to the official version, as a result of a stroke.

A new level of bodybuilding. Wider Brothers

At the time when the Wider brothers entered the game, bodybuilding did not stand still, it had already reached a certain level: training manuals appeared, specialized magazines were published, GYM's, competitions were held. However, the brothers were able to take bodybuilding to a new level.

It is with their name that the creation in 1946 is associated International Federation bodybuilding (IB) and the beginning of the most prestigious competition among professional bodybuilders, Mr. Olympia.

It was thanks to the Weider brothers that Arnold Schwarzenegger, a bodybuilding legend who became Mr. Olympia seven times, came to America from Austria.

The world of professional bodybuilding

According to unofficial data, today there are about 200 professional bodybuilders in the world (to get a professional card, you need to win an international competition). Each professional is assigned to a federation, which pays him money for training and competing.

The Mr. Olympia competition is open only to professional members of the IB. In addition, members of this organization are not allowed to take part in competitions organized by other associations.

The International Federation of Bodybuilding holds competitions among professionals in various categories: "Mr. Olympia" (men's bodybuilding), "Miss Olympia" (women's bodybuilding), "Fitness Olympia" (women's fitness) and "Body Fitness Olympia" (women's body fitness), in which participants winners of intermediate competitions in the relevant categories.

Arnold Schwarzenegger annually holds the Arnold Classic (men's bodybuilding), Miss International (women's bodybuilding), Figure International and Miss Fitness International competitions. Also popular are the Mr. Olympia for Veterans competitions (for bodybuilders over 40 years old) and the Night of Champions.

"Mr. Olympia"

The first annual international competition among professional bodybuilders, Mr. Olympia, was held in 1965 in New York. The first winner in the history of these competitions was Larry Scott (he received the title of Mr. Olympia for the second time in 1966).

Arnold Schwarzenegger won 7 Olympia statuettes from 1970 to 1980, his record was broken by Lee Haney, the “Black King of Bodybuilding,” who became an 8-time Mr. Olympia champion.

Also worth noting are two more “Olympians”: Dorian Yates, the “British Hippopotamus” won 6 Olympia titles (1992-1997). He was succeeded by Roni Coleman, who has now won this international competition seven times.

He has every chance to repeat, and perhaps even surpass, Lee Haney's achievement.

Women's bodybuilding

Women's bodybuilding as an independent discipline began to develop at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1965, the first Miss Universe competition was held, and in 1980, the Miss Olympia competition.

The first record for the number of victories in the Miss Olympia competition was set by 6-time winner of the statuette Cori Everson. Only Lenda Murray, who climbed to the top of Olympus 8 times, was able to overtake her ( last time in 2003).

21st century trends indicate a decrease in interest in female bodybuilding, so financial support from sponsors is also moving downward. IN last years The popularity of fitness competitions is rapidly increasing. These changes have even encouraged four-time Ms. Olympia Kim Czyzewski to lose muscle mass and switch to fitness competitions.

Development of bodybuilding in the USSR and Russia

Since bodybuilding has American roots, then, of course, in the Soviet Union this sport was considered a relic of the bourgeois system, which a real man shouldn't do it.

In January 1966, under the auspices of the “Sporting Life of Russia” and “Moskovsky Komsomolets” on Malaya sports arena Luzhniki hosted the first official bodybuilding tournament in Russia, in which 27 athletes participated.

Will help speed up the process of gaining muscle mass sports nutrition– protein, creatine, gainer, arginine, BCAA, amino acids. These supplements are specially formulated for athletes and fitness active people different levels preparedness. Such drugs are completely safe, and their effectiveness has already been proven.

In addition to the traditional posing of bodybuilders, the competition program also included strength competitions: squats with a barbell and bench press. Igor Petrukhin was named the winner. Over the next year and a half, he participated in 12 more competitions in Moscow, Belarus, and the Baltic states, in which he also became a winner.

Then the authorities began official persecution of athletes who were involved in bodybuilding. Competitions moved underground, and star Igor Petrukhin now performed in the circus as a power juggler and bear trainer.

Currently, bodybuilding in Russia is carried out by branches of foreign federations and associations that exhibit their athletes at international competitions. This is the Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness of Russia (FBFR), which is part of the IB, NABBA and WABBA associations (World Amateur Bodybuilding Association, WABBA).

In our article we will talk about such a direction as natural bodybuilding, and let's try to figure it out - is it reality or fiction. Even 20 years ago, bodybuilding was simply impossible to imagine without pharmacology. The fact is undoubtedly depressing, since the principles underlying this sports movement are based on building the body according to the Greek model. In the era of Antiquity, when science was in its infancy, athletes achieved results that their modern colleagues often cannot achieve even with the help of muscle growth stimulants. Paradoxical but true. Famous Russian physiologist Alexander Konstantinovich Anokhin rightly noted that we have forgotten how to use force and have lost the invaluable experience of our ancestors. Fortunately, in recent years the situation around bodybuilding has gradually changed for the better.

Natural Bodybuilding: Principles

Basic the principle of natural bodybuilding is a complete rejection of “chemistry” in the process of gaining muscle mass. Its adherents set a goal not to build a mountain of muscles, but to create a healthy and harmonious developed body. Since it is almost impossible for “naturals” to compete with their “chemical” brothers, separate tournaments are held for them. Unlike classical bodybuilding, where doping has long become the norm, each participant in “clean” competitions undergoes a thorough check for the presence of prohibited drugs in the body. If necessary, a suspected steroid user may even be forced to take a lie detector test.

This trend originated in the mid-90s of the last century, when anabolic steroids were recognized as hazardous to health and banned for distribution in a number of countries. However bodybuilding without doping arose long before the start of the fight against prohibited anabolic steroids. Forefathers natural bodybuilding considered legendary (Eugene Sandow) and his follower Charles Atlas , who actively promoted the cult of the beauty of the human body almost 100 years ago. In addition, in the 20th century there were other legendary athletes who promoted sports and a healthy lifestyle, for example.

Modern natural bodybuilding found many supporters around the world. Federation of Natural Bodybuilding of Russia is based in St. Petersburg, and the first competitions under its auspices were held in the fall of 2010. The head of this organization is Stefan Czapowski , nicknamed for his striking resemblance to the famous Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone, the “Russian Rambo.” Looking at Stefan’s anthropometric data, you understand that he deservedly received his pseudonym. At the same time, the 39-year-old athlete built up his muscle mass exclusively using natural raw materials, devoting 25 years of his life to strength training.

Natural bodybuilding: training features

Let's consider the fundamental features natural bodybuilding training.

• The load must constantly progress. Power training stimulate the production of male hormones testosterone, which has an anabolic effect, that is, it encourages muscles to grow. However, achieving a hormonal surge is not so easy for a novice athlete. For this purpose, not insulating ones are well suited, but multi-step exercises, involving several muscle groups at once. These include those well known to all bodybuilders deadlift, barbell squats and chest presses and the like. The number of exercises in one workout should not exceed 3-5. In this case, each exercise is performed for 3-4 approaches, between which you need to rest for at least 2 minutes.

At the same time, the working weight must increase so as not to allow the muscles to be stressed. Otherwise, a condition may occur training plateau, often prompting athletes to quit training or switch to steroids. It is recommended to start with a load of 75 percent of the maximum working weight that the athlete can lift in one repetition. In addition, the work program must be changed every 3 months and constantly alternate exercises in order to “shock” and not allow them to stagnate.

• Using micro-periodization. Simply put, one week we train with a lighter program, and the second with a heavier one. This will allow the muscles to recover faster and start the process super compensation, that is, a significant increase in mass.
• Training time should not exceed 40-60 minutes. Athletes taking steroids can endure longer workouts than natural bodybuilders. Therefore, in order to prevent overtraining, followed by the production of catabolic hormones (mainly cortisol) classes must be conducted according to a shortened schedule and at a moderate pace.
• Long rest between workouts. As we know, muscles do not grow during exercise, but during rest, when the body starts anabolic processes. Without giving the body enough time to recover, we risk triggering a catabolic reaction. In natural bodybuilding, it is recommended to train every other day and sleep at least 8 hours a day.
• Low number of repetitions. It has been observed that the maximum release of testosterone occurs in the range of 6 to 10 repetitions. First of all, this applies to “fast” muscles that are easy to train (biceps, triceps, and so on).
• Complete exclusion of aerobic exercise. IN natural bodybuilding This is an unshakable rule that allows you to preserve muscle potential. Athletes resort to cardio training only during the “ drying"when you need to outline the relief of the body.

Natural Bodybuilding: Nutrition

It's no coincidence nutrition in natural bodybuilding is given special importance. Athletes know that gaining weight naturally is a long and painstaking process, and the slightest violation of the diet can negate the results of many months of effort. Let's see how to eat if you decide to join the ranks natural bodybuilders:

• Necessary create a calorie surplus, that is, consume more than you spend in class. To do this you need to eat complex carbohydrates, increasing the body’s energy resource: pasta, grains, legumes, cereals, vegetables, fruits and berries. But it’s better to completely avoid fast carbohydrates: sweet pastries, confectionery, sugar, honey, chocolate in order to avoid excess fat deposits.
• Important maintain protein balance. Don't forget to fuel your muscles with protein on time. It is found in red and white meat, fish, eggs, dairy and fermented milk products.
• Divide your daily diet into 5-6 meals. This will keep your metabolism at an optimal level. And don't forget about Golden Rule bodybuilding: when we gain weight, we eat more at one time, when we are “dry,” we eat less.
• Sports nutrition V natural bodybuilding not only allowed, but encouraged. By receiving the necessary amounts of necessary minerals, the body copes better with physical activity and responds with an increase in muscle mass. In this regard, sports training can provide invaluable assistance to the athlete. food supplement"Leveton Forte", which contains the following components: Leuzea roots, bee pollen, drone brood. Thanks to this, this drug has three properties: anabolic, anti-catabolic and androgenic. Using this correctly sports nutrition, you can achieve high results.

Now you know what the fundamental difference is natural bodybuilding from the classic. The best way check is it reality or fiction– start training, following our advice.

The Federation of Natural Bodybuilding was created to support athletes who train without the use of doping

On November 14, 2010, the Federation of Natural Bodybuilding of St. Petersburg, headed by the domestic Rambo - Stefan Chapovsky, held the first open championship of the city. The background for the event was an exhibition of retro cars from the 1950s to the 1990s, located in the Lenexpo pavilion. Perhaps those who were left bewildered by the championship itself were partly consoled by the magnificent spectacle of old cars - the same age as bodybuilding.

In his welcoming speech, Stefan Czapovsky spoke about the peaceful and constructive coexistence of different approaches to bodybuilding, greeted generations of trainers and teachers - representatives of eminent and honored federations. The representatives he named were present in the hall, but were not noted in any way in the return greetings.

Alas, the duration of the fanfare, greetings, performances, regalia, and applause, as often happens, turned out to be inversely proportional to the content of the competition. Sometimes everything that happened on stage seemed to return bodybuilding to the times of 20 years ago, when the participants had no practice in performing, and the only guidelines for posing were photographs of Western magazines. In the retro environment of cars from the 1950s to the 1990s, this inexperience would seem like a good technique: to remember how it all began in the 1980s. However, there was no retro emotion. Laymen could still perceive what was happening as an unusual spectacle with many unknowns, and people experienced in bodybuilding could not contain their surprise - the composition and level of the athletes was too bizarre.

Stefan Czapowski as Rimbaud with his idol S. Stallone

There were seven participants in the championship.

In the first round, men performed 4 turns to the right and 8 mandatory poses (to the seven accepted in the FBI, “frontal maximum muscularity” is added). Mikhail Kryukov represented the juniors. The guy demonstrated a good level of home preparation and poor ability to stay on the podium. This, however, distinguished most of the participants. Thus, Alexander Shirokov, who performed in the veterans category, with all due respect to him, gave the impression of an elderly man of strong build who suddenly decided to undress on stage. And this is not a complaint against him at all, but rather against the organizers, who did not feel the line between sport and competition, good amateurism and the championship of a city like St. Petersburg, by the way, the birthplace of domestic bodybuilding and many dozens of national, European and world champions.

Pavel Bury, representing the category of men under 30, looked the most prepared, dense and harmonious in the 1st round, but in free program he lacked imagination and artistry. But Igor Almukhamedov (under 45 years old), who looked more than modest in the 1st round, caused a storm of applause with a superbly choreographed and executed number, which included a brilliant tango with a mop and a chair, expression, and polished winning poses. Of the three girls, not one, in my opinion, corresponded specifically to the ideas about bodybuilding. During their appearance on stage, it was difficult to escape the feeling of being in a nightclub. And it’s not at all about provocative or vulgar costumes or body movements. It’s just that these figures were not athletic enough, and the quality of the girls’ training might have been a credit to the student club, but not to the city championship.

And among women, the aesthetics and meaningfulness of free compositions turned out to be significantly higher than in the first round. We must pay tribute to junior Anna Isashina - the fiery gypsy girl in her performance, the extremely expressive plasticity of her hands was simply mesmerizing, it was true choreographic art. And in comparison with the 1st round, everything in this dance began to sparkle - both the calves and the tone of the legs - at least, questions about the girl’s involvement in fitness were removed: yes, perhaps, this is bodily beauty, formed by physical exercises and expressed aesthetically set movement.

Two other girls - Kristina Zazhirilo and Razia Ramazanova - also danced dashingly, demonstrating some muscular potential and even good abdominal development, but still there was a feeling of not fitting into the genre: with much more justification this could have been a beach erotic dance competition than fitness .

I deeply sympathize with the ideology of doping-free sport and the idea of ​​the coexistence of different approaches and attitudes towards achieving sporting success. But it’s wrong when a tournament calling itself the First open championship St. Petersburg, is perceived as a provincial competition “Strength and Beauty”.

Just by the way I have to choose words to evaluate, it is noticeable that such a championship evokes only condescending interest, and not at all a desire to encourage everyone to follow this path. The point is not that “the first pancake is lumpy” and that there are still few participants. The point is the discrepancy between the claims - and the level, the swing - and the result.