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Bodybuilding on a Budget – It Doesn’t Have to Put Your Wallet in a Wheelchair

by Marc David, author of The NoBull Bodybuilding Program

As you probably remember the last time you looked at a proposed grocery list or visited the nearest supplement store, you realized you needed to take out an equity loan first in order to get your month’s supply of food and supplements.

Believe me…

I’ve had my fair share of large bills especially when I’m trying to bulk up and gain weight.

Am I right about this so far?

Don’t’ worry… there are some really overlooked and rather inexpensive methods to get all the food you need without breaking the bank.  But I have an even better idea… let me just start off with a quick list of foods that you can find at most grocery stories and warehouse locations that are cheap and are excellent sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Low Cost Bodybuilding Foods (in no particular order):

1. Tuna
2. Nuts
3. Olive Oil
4. Whey Protein Concentrate, in bulk
5. Pasta
6. Chicken legs
7. Beans

Of course you’ll want to get servings of fruits and veggies but normally it’s the other foods that are expensive in bulk.  With just the above foods, you can get many of them in bulk or for discounts and have plenty of wholesome foods for your bulking, cutting, and bodybuilding endeavors. By now, you’re probably wondering… Okay, that’s a nice list of general foods I can use but I am taking some supplements. And they aren’t so cheap.  I’d like to try everything I see in the latest muscle magazines but I really only have time for what works.  Where’s the cheap list of supplements? Inexpensive (best bang for your buck) supplements:

1. Multi-vitamin
2. Fish oil
3. Whey concentrate
4. Dextrose
5. Creatine Monohydrate

Fact is… I try a lot of supplements myself. I’m curious. I want to know what works and sometimes I stumble across something that is worth it. But the above list is the basic supplement list that I always return to no matter what. It’s part of the vitamin closet in the kitchen. If I have no time, no money, or no desire to try anything new, I know that above is the only stash I need to make any gains I’ll need. So let me summarize and review… Bodybuilding on a budget is real. If you look for specific foods that are great sources of protein, carbs, and healthy fats and mix and match, you have a really well-rounded selection to make many meals. No matter if you are on a bulk phase, cutting phase, or just want to eat healthy, it doesn’t have to be the most expensive thing you’ve ever done.

About The Author: Marc David is a Certified Personal Trainer, natural bodybuilder, and the creator of the “The NoBull Bodybuilding Program.” He can show you how to reduce your body fat thru diet and how to gain weight or create more muscle thru an abundance of workout tips by training LESS! Not more. He dispels many “bodybuilding myths,” tells you what most people never realize about nutrition, and what the drug companies DON’T WANT YOU to know.  Go to: http://www.muscle-build.com/no-bull-bodybuilding to find out more about The NoBull Bodybuilding Program.

Often, when you read bodybuilding-related blogs and websites, you’ll see the term “heavy.” But what does “heavy” mean?

Let’s say you can Bench Press 315 pounds one time. For you, that’s the heaviest you can go, right? But is 285 for 2 reps heavy? Hell yeah.

Is 225 for 20 reps heavy? If 20 is the most you can do, then yes, it is heavy.

Bottom line: If you cannot do another rep, it’s HEAVY.

It’s not the absolute weight, but rather the effort that is involved.

Maximal effort = HEAVY

Now, if you’re doing 50 reps, you’re probably not going to grow much, and that’s the whole idea behind bodybuilding, right? So, stick to a rep range for the upper body of 5-12 reps, 8-20 for the lower body. Make your “last” rep the last one possible. If your last rep, #12 in a Bent Row for example, is “easy” (meaning you could have done 1 more), then do 13. Your “last” rep ought to be a near-maximal effort. We’re talking full reps here.

Here’s a rule of thumb (provided you have a good spotter and/or you can safely do this by yourself) -

On your last rep, try to do another. If you can, then try another. If you cannot, you’ve done another 1/4 or 1/2 rep; there’s nothing wrong with that!

And also remember that this “last rep” is on your last set. I rarely recommend more than 3 sets of an exercise, so we’re talking 2 sets that build to the 3rd – and last – set. It’s on this last set where you would try for that “last rep.”

Got it? Make sense? Let me know your thoughts in the Comments!

Workout Rules

Okay, this goes for just about anything you really care about (i.e., RESULTS).

1. Set a goal (or goals) and measure progress (log your workouts!).
2. Do your workouts in your head before you step foot in a gym (visualize).
3. Enter the gym with a clear head and don’t think about the outside world. If you need to, bring your iPod and some tunes that don’t let you think about anything but the weights and how your body feels pushing or pulling those weights.
4. Do full, complete reps. You can cheat, but do full-range reps.
5. Feel the weight. You don’t have to train with super-heavy weights. If you are deliberate with your reps (i.e., feel them, note how your muscles feel), you can reduce your weights by at least 20 percent and get a better workout! (Better on the joints, too.)
6. Pre-workout protein! (Add some creatine.)
7. Post-workout protein! (Add some creatine here, too.)
8. Strive EVERY workout to a) increase your weights lifted, b) increase reps performed, OR c) reduce rest intervals (raise your intensity).
9. Variety is the spice of life. There are only a few basic exercises you ever need to do (think “compound”), but you can (and should!) change up their order or do variations of them.
10. Remember that rules are made to be broken. Next up: Why breaking the rules will make you bigger, stronger, and faster!
    

I just finished a project called “Bodybuilding for Beginners,” an instant digital download that I wrote specifically for folks new to bodybuilding and weight training. You can get it here.

You get the exercise sequence, sets, reps, nutrition, rest – all the important stuff to kick off a great career or pastime with bodybuilding.

And it’s only $9.

I’m putting together a “Bodybuilding Hall of Fame” series on Muscle-Build.com. I’ve got the Top 20 Bodybuilders of All Time up there, but I have yet to fill in the “bios” on each. Right now, I’ve got some info for Arnold, Lou Ferrigno, and Larry Scott. Obviously, I have a lot of work to do!

I’d like help from you on two things:

1. Do you have suggestions on who else I might want to put in the BBHOF? I’ve left out a LOT of folks, and I’ve only included men. Women most definitely should be here, too!
2. Do you want to write up some bios for me on the bodybuilders you like and/or think ought to be included? I’ll put up what you write (I reserve the right not to post OR to edit as I see fit) and I’ll even put up a backlink to your site, if you have one!

Can you help me out? Comment or email me at billspaced [at] muscle-build [dot] com.