Natural bodybuilding, focused on achieving extraordinary physical goals without the use of performance-enhancing substances, is a pursuit that many fitness enthusiasts embrace. The path to successful natural bodybuilding requires a combination of dedicated nutrition, structured training and consistent effort.

When it comes to natural bodybuilding, training is the part that everyone looks forward to. Understanding how to properly train a specific muscle group with the right intensity, volume, and other acute variables looks easier than perfecting your meal planner or supplement guide. This comprehensive list contains the top 15 secrets to success when your goal is to build natural muscle. Use it as a quick reference to keep yourself on track!

In this guide, we'll explore the principles of natural bodybuilding while optimizing your chances of attracting users interested in "natural bodybuilding" with advanced topics and tips.

1. Set clear goals for your natural bodybuilding journey

Start your natural fitness journey by setting clear and achievable fitness goals. Whether you aim to gain lean muscle, shed body fat or increase overall fitness, having specific goals is crucial. Specific goals not only motivate you but also act as a roadmap for your progress.

2. Emphasize nutrition for natural bodybuilding success

The king of healthy fats, omega-3 fatty acids, are found in fish such as salmon, oils such as flaxseed oil, and seeds such as pumpkin seeds. Here are more examples of fats you may want to include in your diet:

Avocados
olive
cashew nuts
cashew nuts
hemp seed
Chia seeds
olive oil
canola oil

Don't forget your vegetables

When it comes to a bodybuilding diet, the focus is always on animal products and rarely do fresh products get a moment in the spotlight. Just because you're trying to build muscle doesn't mean you should eat six to nine servings of vegetables every day.

Balanced Diet:

Maintaining a balanced diet is the foundation of natural body building. Prioritize whole foods with lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and a variety of fruits and vegetables to provide the nutrients your body needs.

Protein intake:

Adequate protein intake is important for muscle repair and growth. Make sure you are getting 1.2-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight every day. Quality protein is the building block of muscle. Although individual protein needs vary from person to person, there is a general guideline for the amount of protein you should consume each day. It is recommended, if your goal is to gain weight, to consume at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. For "hardgainers" and more advanced bodybuilders, up to 2 grams per pound may be required.

When it comes to selecting the highest quality protein, you won't find anything better than the classic staples: eggs, whey, and meat. Eggs are the perfect bodybuilding food: high in protein and zinc. Eggs are also convenient, cheap and highly bioavailable. They can be prepared in a variety of ways and can also provide healthy fats from the yolk.

Whey protein powder is another great way to get a quick serving of quality protein. It is important to use a high-quality whey that is not full of artificial chemicals or carbohydrates. It is also important to ensure that the whey protein is not amino-spiked.

Another option is protein from classic dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cottage cheese. Milk is a relatively inexpensive way to get protein, calcium and vitamin D. However, be aware that milk also contains fat and lactose, which can be a potential disadvantage for some people. For hardgainers or those who need a high amount of calories to gain weight, this can be a perfect option. Cottage cheese is actually the slow-digesting casein portion of milk, so it's no surprise that it's a solid protein source. Yogurt, in addition to being rich in protein, can be an excellent source of immune-boosting, gut-healthy probiotics. Yogurt can also contain sugar and fat, depending on the brand, so keep an eye out!

Finally, the meat! While meat, in general, is great for bodybuilding, it is recommended to stick to cleaner cuts. Local poultry, grass-fed beef and lean pork are excellent examples of clean complete proteins that can provide your body with all the amino acids it needs.

Calorie Management:

Adjust your calorie intake according to your fitness goals. A surplus is essential for muscle gain, while a deficit is essential for fat loss. Balancing your caloric intake will significantly affect your progress.

Strategic meal timing:

Optimize your meals throughout the day to ensure a consistent supply of nutrients for muscle recovery and energy during your workout.

3. Advanced Training Techniques for Natural Body Building

Harness the power of advanced training techniques to accelerate your natural bodybuilding progress:

Here's what a sample program might look like:

Natural Bodybuilding Sample Workout Routine

Upper body workout

Bench Press: 4 sets of 5 reps
Rows: 4 sets of 5 reps
Shoulder press: 3 sets of 5 reps
Pull-ups/downs: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Bicep Curl: 2 sets of 10 reps
Tricep extension: 2 sets of 10 repetitions
Lateral raises: 2 sets of 12 repetitions

Lower body workout

Squats: 5 sets of 3-5 repetitions
Leg press: 3 sets of 6 reps
Lunges: 2 sets of 8 repetitions
Leg Extension: 2 sets of 12 repetitions
Hamstring curls: 2 sets of 12 reps
Calf raises: 3 sets of 15 reps
Hanging leg raises: 2 sets of 15 reps

Remember that you should always try and do more with each workout. It indicates progress. As often as possible, add more weight to the bar. However, if you can't do this (because you won't be lifting weights every session), add another rep, do another set, or change your exercises slightly. Do something to challenge your body in a new way with each workout so you give the body a reason to adapt and grow stronger and bigger.

Compound exercises:

Prioritize compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and pull-ups to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, promoting substantial muscle growth.

Progressive Overload:

Challenge your muscles by constantly increasing the weight, repetitions, or intensity of the workout. This technique ensures that your muscles continue to adapt and grow.

Structured Program:

Adopt a structured workout program, rotating muscle groups on different days for an effective and balanced training routine.

Consistency is key:

Consistency is key in your training routine. Make sure you allow enough time for recovery between workouts to prevent overtraining and reduce the risk of injury.

4. Recovery and wellness for natural physique

Optimal recovery is essential for muscle repair and overall bodybuilding success. Ensure:

Prioritize sleep:

Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, allowing your body to rejuvenate and grow.

Supplements:

While whole foods are sufficient to meet your nutritional needs, some natural bodybuilders find value in supplements such as creatine, BCAAs, and protein powders to support their training and recovery.

5. Stay hydrated and monitor nutrition

Don't forget the importance of proper hydration. Stay well hydrated, especially during your workouts. Be aware of portion sizes and avoid consuming excess calories from unhealthy foods.

6. Moral essence of natural body composition

One of the pillars of natural bodybuilding is a commitment to abstaining from banned substances. Prioritize your health and integrity by avoiding performance-enhancing drugs and adopting a natural bodybuilding philosophy.

7. Patience and progress tracking

Natural bodybuilding requires time and unwavering commitment. Be patient and regularly track your progress, adjusting your diet and training to meet your evolving goals.

8. Continuous learning and adaptation

Learn about effective training and nutrition strategies for natural bodybuilding. Everyone's body is unique, so be prepared to adapt your approach based on your body's response.

Now that we've covered the workout side of things let's talk about nutrition.

The Natural Bodybuilding Diet: Eating for Shape

When it comes to building muscle, exercise is really only half the game. In fact, diet can easily make or break your progress.

Think of it this way: If you're building an addition to your house and you hire a team of 10 people and give them all the hammer and nails they need (but no wood), how far will they go?

Not far at all. They can swing those hammers all day long, but new additions to your home will never be made.

To build it, they need raw materials. Food is the raw material for your body. Without it, you won't be able to build more muscle than you have right now.

To see muscle mass increase, you need four things:

A calorie surplus: You must be consuming more calories than you burn during the day.

Adequate lean protein: Protein will provide the building blocks that muscle tissue is made of.

Adequate Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates provide energy that the body uses to assemble those building blocks (proteins) into muscle tissue. Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of fuel. You can use protein and fat for energy, but this involves more complex processes within your body.

For the most part, when eating carbs you'll want to focus on complex carbs that are digested slowly. Carbohydrates low on the glycemic index (such as whole-grain rice, pasta, bread and oatmeal) are your best options. Simple carbohydrates like white bread and white potatoes are basically simple sugars that digest quickly. These types of carbs will usually spike your insulin and cause a crash.

Complex carbohydrates are digested at a slower rate, resulting in a steady rate of release of nutrients into the bloodstream. Most importantly, complex carbohydrates are used efficiently.

A general guideline for carbohydrate intake is 2 to 3 grams per pound of body weight per day. The exception is a cutting phase where you reduce your carbohydrate intake by 1 gram per pound of body weight per day. This, of course, can vary greatly depending on the individual.

Adequate dietary fats: These also provide energy, but more importantly, help normalize key hormones (such as testosterone) that are necessary to drive the muscle-building process.

How many of these do you need?

Take your calorie surplus to about 250-500 calories beyond your daily maintenance requirements. This will typically result in your gaining about 0.5-1 pound per week. Remember that eating more does not mean more muscle. This means a higher chance of gaining extra fat.

To effectively build muscle, 0.8-1.2 grams of protein/pound of body weight should be consumed. Consuming 0.2-0.25 g/lb immediately after a workout may provide additional benefits to aid in faster recovery, increased strength, and increased muscle size.

And finally, carbs and fat can fluctuate based on your own personal preferences. However, most people will find that they eat 100 grams or more of carbohydrates per day and no less than 0.35 grams of fat/pound per day. In most natural bodybuilding programs, your intake of both of these nutrients will exceed these numbers.

Once your numbers are down, you need to consider your food choices. Some people adopt an 'if it fits your macros approach', meaning they eat whatever they want as long as they hit their number for the day.

Others adopt a 'clean eating' style, meaning they eat only natural and unprocessed foods.

Both of these methods can provide results but remember to eat clean, healthy foods to increase your chances of building lean muscle mass, staying healthy, nourished and feeling energized throughout the day. For most athletes, it's just the way up.

That doesn't mean you can't indulge occasionally, but keep it to a minimum for best results.

In terms of meal frequency, eat anywhere from 3-6+ meals per day, feel free to portion out your meals as you like. Just make sure you eat a good breakfast and get some protein and carbs into your body after your workout as much as possible. These two periods are when eating must be done for best results. In addition, eating within 2 hours before exercise will help ensure you have the energy available to complete that exercise session.

Beyond that, it's even more important to time your meals and frequency in a way that works with your lifestyle.

In short, natural bodybuilding is a journey of self-improvement, health and discipline. It offers a path to achieving your fitness aspirations naturally. By including advanced topics and tips, you can further your understanding of natural bodybuilding and attract like-minded users interested in this challenging yet rewarding pursuit. Vegetables are very important because they provide your body with powerful nutrients that will only play a positive role in your results.