The Secrets of Natural Bodybuilding

What are the secrets of Natural Bodybuilding? As a Bulgarian Natural Bodybuilder people ask me this question all the time.. After all almost everybody has heard of the Bulgarian weightlifters as well as the Bulgarian wrestlers..So, they think because I am Bulgarian I have been enlightened with some secret knowledge..

But don't you know of so many great Natural bodybuilders not from Eastern European origin? The answer is yes. So, let's dig some in this field to see if we can find out what it is that the top natural athletes poses that makes them look as if a sculptor made them out of stone.

Are you ready?

While some top natural athletes aren't really that natural.. most of them are. Let me share with you what makes the real natural guys stand out.. It's not a secret they have stumbled into while on their own jorney towards a better and healthier body. It isn't anything covered in mystery...

The first thing (and the one you can't change no matter how much you want that) is genetics. Great athletes are born with good genetic potential. That's the simple truth. Don't give up just yet, though. There is some possibility to mask some areas of the body by developing certain muscle groups in a certain way, covering problematic areas or even muscles in remote areas it that will enhance the look.

Here is an example. I was born with too much space between my pec muscles (chest). That hasn't prevented me from placing always in the top 5 in World natural championships. What I did is I developed my arms and legs to look bigger and this way take away judges' attention from my weaker mid chest.

Let's go further. Apart from good genetics everything else is in your control. Here are the most important aspects in the sport of Natural Bodybuilding as well as in almost any other sport:

- Proper training
- Proper nutrition
- Proper recovery

Now read carefully!

The most important thing in the sport of Natural Bodybuilding is to do everything possible to keep the body out of catabolic state as much as you can!! The main focus must be applying that major rule to each of the mentioned above aspects. Let's see how it works:

The "secrets"..

Proper training

* Keep the duration of the workout sessions around 40-50min. per a session. This way you'll avoid the release of catabolic hormones, which is one of the most important things in the Natural Bodybuilding.

* Lift relatively heavy weights and take short breaks between the sets. However, the breaks should allow for about 75 - 80% breath recovery. It's also important to be mentally ready for the next set. Believe it or not your nervous system takes more time to recover.

* Train a particular muscle group till you get the feeling of soreness, coming from the micro-tears in the muscle tissue.

* Use partial and negative reps as well as other methods for increasing the intensity of a workout in order to promote strength enhancement and muscle growth. However, be aware that these techniques could be dangerous if performed too often. They can lead to injuries and overtraining.

Proper nutrition

* A 20 – 30g whey protein shake should be the first thing to be ingested in the morning. Due to the fasting through the night while slipping, your body is in a catabolic state. With other words your own muscles use amino acids for energy, pulled from the very same muscles. Whey protein shake is the fastest way to get your body out of catabolic state and preserve your muscles.

* Your breakfast should include sufficient amount of carbohydrates. About 30% of these carbohydrates should come from simple sources as well as complex sources with high Glycemic Index (GI). The rest of the carbohydrates in this meal and in the following meals should come mainly from low Glycemic index sources. Exception of that rule is the post-workout period of about 2-3 hours when you must ingest some good amount of simple carbs (in a couple of meals) along with good protein.

* Stay away from high carb – high fat combinations. These promote fat deposition.

* You should eat carbohydrates mainly in the first part of the day and not so much during the rest of it.

* You should eat protein throughout the day. Along with the solid sources of protein, you should intake enough whey protein during the day to provide sufficient amounts of all the necessary amino acids your body needs.

* Don't get too crazy about the amount of protein you eat a day. 1 gram per pound is enough. More of that is just going to make your system more acidic - not a good thing.

* Cycle the amount of calories you ingest throughout the week. That will keep your metabolism faster thus keeping you from getting fat if in a positive calorie balance.

* You should take also Multivitamin and Mineral formula, extra Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Calcium, Fish Oil, and B-complex.

* You should eat enough fats, most of them to come from monounsaturated fat as well as omega-3 and –6 fat sources.

* You should keep your body hydrated at all times. Drink more than 8 glasses of water a day. This is the absolute minimum. By the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated.

Proper recovery


* Go to bed early. The body recovers and heals best and fastest during the slow-wave phase of sleep or the deep sleep. That is the time during the night when you don't dream. Deep sleep cycles are a lot longer earlier in the night.

* Keep the level of stress under control as this will keep your body from getting more often in to a catabolic state.

* Engage in other types of physical activities (best with friends) like hiking, bicycling, etc.

* Introduce some forms of self-control and meditation. This will help you keep the stress level low and also recover faster from the intense workouts.


To wrap this up I'll tell you this. If you apply in your daily routine at least 70% of what you just read you will be on your way to personal success and heights no matter what genetic potential you possess. It is not hard. It's a matter of establishing habits. After that it becomes a lifestyle and before you know it you can't imagine to ever live your life any different way. Take that from me..

-Ivan Nikolov
Natural Bodybuilder and Musclemania Top 5 finalist

P.S. If you liked my little article tell me what you think. Leave a comment..