While there really is a lot of questions around bodybuilding, here are some more of the commonly asked ones. 

How Can I Get A Six-Pack?

Contrary to mainstream infomercials, you won’t be able to see your abs by using the latest exercise contraption. You can develop your abs like any other muscle, but if you want to see them, you need to start in the kitchen. In other words, if a layer of fat hides your abs, you need to lean out. That begins by reducing calories. The best place to start is by cutting your sugary carbs and overall carb consumption. Also, make sure you’re eating healthy fats only, and lean protein sources only. It’s best to cut 500 calories at a time. Drop that many calories for a week or two, and monitor your results. Work your abs in the gym and add some serious cardio. You’ll begin to see your six-pack when you’ve reached the right calorie deficit and cardio level. 

How Long Should I Rest Between Sets?

You can rest for 1-2 minutes between your top sets if you're using very heavy weight. Are you using moderate weight but your sets are still intense? Then think 45 seconds to 1 minute. If you’re chasing the pump, go with 20-30 seconds. Some lifters will use their weight training almost as cardio and rest just long enough to get to the next exercise. That can work too, but it makes your routine more about endurance and fat loss and less about muscle growth.

Should I Train To Failure?

This has become a debate of mythic proportions. Some lifters swear by ultra-intense sets taken to and often past failure. Others advocate taking a set to where you begin to struggle. Excessively training to failure and going past it using extended set techniques can drain your nervous system. That means if you train this way you need to take enough rest days to let your nervous system recover. That’s where a split routine comes into the picture. For example, a 3-day split is perfect for this type of approach because it can give you multiple days off if need be.

On the other hand, you can train intensely yet not go all the way to failure. This lets you train more often. As Rich said, you won’t overtrain using this approach, and more volume leads to more mass. The thing to avoid is just knocking out a handful of easy reps and stopping at a predetermined number even though you could do more. The bottom line is you still have to work hard.

How Important Are Supplements?

Ah, the age-old question. No doubt you’ve seen the sites that completely discount the use of supplements. These sites suggest all you need is a good diet and you’ll make great gains. Of course, real food comes first. You have to have your nutrition in line with your goals. Rich Piana was a big believer in this concept. However, once you’ve got a clean, balanced diet dialed in, you can go further with the right supplements. 

Who can deny that a 5% Nutrition pre-workout doesn’t improve your training sessions? Not to mention, how many times do you find yourself struggling to make your meals? 5% Nutrition has multiple real food sources of protein and carbs, from Shake Time to Snack Time to Real Carbs. Then there’s creatine, which has been proven to work time and time and time again. Finally, All Day You May ensures you have the right combination of amino acids when you need them. That’s just scratching the surface!

Recap

So that’s it for this round of Bodybuilding FAQs. Even so, when it comes to working out there’s always a ton of questions. You can be sure we will be answering more soon!