Choosing a correct weight training or bodybuilding program is as important as the efforts you are going to put in following the weight training routines. Especially for beginners, this is a word of caution, while a right weight training program may shift your life balance in a positive manner forever, a wrong choice of weight training program will leave you disheartened and unsure. Not only will you have spent a good amount of time following the workout routines as prescribed in that weight training program but the feeling of failure will leave you unsure even if you decide to change the bodybuilding program for a new one. So, when you have made up your mind that you are going to stop being a guru yourself and pick up an established weight training program, do your research properly and then choose a program that appeals to you. Remember there are over a dozen weight training programs out there in the market. You should choose a program that appeals to you, that makes you think that you can give your 100% to this program. Do not choose a training program just because it is the most popular weight training program over Internet or just because the author of it is a great bodybuilder or for that matter it promises to bring results in seven days flat. Rather look for what it offers to you, if you are a beginner then there is no point selecting a program that is designed for intermediate level or that teaches you how to tone up your muscles for best looks. Similarly, if you are 'skinny' and lean then choosing a program that focuses on burning fat would be a complete waste. If you are looking for some help then consider this review of weight training programs.

First Analyze Yourself & Understand Your Requirements From A BodyBuilding Program

Most of the weight training programs are designed for specific categories of people or body types. There are a very few bodybuilding programs that can be said as universally applicable and if you come across any such bodybuilding program then better stay away from it unless you are a master yourself. It is a very high probability that such a program would be more of a money making plot rather than a committed effort towards educating about weight training and bodybuilding. Most of the good bodybuilding programs are either designed for beginner to intermediate level or for intermediate to advanced level of trainers. It is important to understand where a person stands and choose a bodybuilding program accordingly. There is no fixed criteria for defining a beginner or intermediate level under weight training classifications. However you can use the following general guidelines to see where you fit.

Beginner Level: Someone who is either just starting with bodybuilding say for a period less than six months and is still to make a gain of around 25 pounds since the time of start. Please note that the time period of six month is just a guideline, you might have been training for years without having made any progress and you may be really lacking in the knowledge or efforts required to be classified as an intermediate bodybuilders.

Intermediate Level: These are generally those people who have had a pleasant experience with bodybuilding and made a good start, it may be genetically gifted to them or a result of their dedicated efforts or a combination of both but at the current level they have reached a plateau region where the growth is not coming the way it should come. This is a level that comes along with training, it needs some expert guidance to break out of this dull growth period. Typically, people who have been training for 6- 12 months get classified as intermediates but it is not a good criteria.

Advanced Level: These are normally people who are breaking into their max region where they have become more biased either towards professional bodybuilding or related areas. Normally people training over 18 months with good knowledge and growth get classified into this area.

The first and the most important consideration before you start searching for bodybuilding program is that you should be able to choose that which of the above categories do you belong with. If you think that you are a beginner or still at intermediate level then there is no point going for an advanced course. Most of the people fit in beginner level which makes it relatively easy to choose a bodybuilding program. Its the people at intermediate level, who find themselves in real confusion as to which category of programs should they opt for. The idea should be that if you are looking for gaining muscle mass or fat loss then go for beginner/intermediate level bodybuilding programs, while if you think that you have gained mass and now you need to break of the plateau region and you want to move more towards your body looks while gaining additional mass then go for intermediate/advanced level weight training programs. I have listed out some of the weight training programs in a categorical manner at the end of the page.

Identify Your Primary Requirement From A BodyBuilding Program

The other important aspect that should be considered when choosing a weight training program is to identify your goals. While bodybuilding and muscle mass is the obvious goal of any person who is looking for weight training programs, one needs to go beyond that and identify his own unique goals. E.g. What is your main struggle in gaining a godlike physique, are you too skinny?, or is fat loss your main problem?. Similarly do you want to build a bodybuilder type godlike physique or are you happy with what you are and your concern is to stay fit and in good shape. The approaches that should be followed in each case can be radically different. A program that identifies your need for gaining muscle mass may be very different with one that works in the direction of converting your fat loss into muscle gain. Remember, the author of program is not aware of your needs, it's only you who can make that judgement and choose a bodybuilding program wisely according to it. The weight training program that you choose should meet all your needs.

Most of the bodybuilding programs that have been in the market for sufficient time, do understand the requirement of their users. E.g. most of weight training programs targeting muscle weight gain do carry resources on supplements that can improve your chances of weight gain. The reason for this is that they do not want their users to keep running back to Internet looking for more information and in the process getting distracted. While, if you are not interested in use of supplements then this information would be of no use to you. So, when you choose one of the weight training programs, pick one that meets all your needs. It would be really foolish to have a weight training program and still spend time scouting Internet for more details. The weight training program that you chose should give you a feeling of satisfaction.

Choose A Bodybuilding Program That Makes You Feel Confident

When choosing a bodybuilding program, look for a program that speaks your language. This implies that the program that you are choosing should make sense to you. You should have sufficient reasons for choosing that one over others. Lots of people look for the number of bonuses or they count the number of books that come with a weight training program. I had been one of them at certain stage of time, remember a bulkier weight training program does not means a bulkier you. It all depends on the author's style of presentation. While some bodybuilding programs like The Musclehead's Guide To Godlike Physique do not carry any bonus, and everything is packed into main package itself, other successful training programs like Sean Nalewanyj's Truth About Building Muscle come loaded with unparalleled number of bonuses. However using this as a criterion will result in a poor selection. It is very easy for any author to take away a few chapters from the main book and pack them into separate bonus books to make it look bigger. Similarly, quite a few people look for the amount of content in the book, this translates to the number of pages in the book. But is this what you need?, remember your objective is to gain a lot of muscles and build up a great physique, your objective is not to write a thesis on the topic of bodybuilding or weight training. So do not get blown away by such marketing ideas. When picking up a weight training program, look at the entire program and evaluate what all does the program offers to you and your style of learning. Having too many bonuses may just confuse you right at the start and you may find yourself jumping from one book to other while a package with only one book may become monolithic. Its about your style and requirement.

Find Out If The Training Program Offers Any Kind Of Personal Support

Good bodybuilding programs try to connect to their users. Most of the programs try to do so by offering personal coaching through email. Although at first glance, this looks like just any offer and most people wonder if they will be ever using that option but if you consult any successful bodybuilder then you will realize that having a good mentor is equally important. Although most of the weight training programs are designed as self sufficient guides to minimize the need of any personal coaching or interaction but time and again you will land up into spots where you will need some query sorted out, or if you are transiting from beginner to intermediate level and finding your muscle gains slowing down then this kind of personal coaching can be real help. Some of the packages like The Musclehead's Guide offer you such personal coaching for lifetime in the basic package itself, while some others like the Sean Nalewanyj's Truth About Building Muscle, offer this in their upgraded version only. I recommend that do take up this option with the weight training program that you are choosing. If you get a right start with this kind of coaching there are very high chances that you will be successful in your mission. Also this kind of coaching keeps you motivated and answerable.

The author of bodybuilding program should be someone who is answerable to you. Most of the bodybuilding programs normally have a team of people to answer the queries of users, it is seldom that the author would be doing it all by itself. Think of a program like Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, that have been in market for quite some time, they have a large number of users and it will be impossible for the author to answer all the users themselves. The only thing is that you should have some kind of response if you query them. Feel free to drop a mail before you even start using to see what kind of response do you get.

Evaluate A BodyBuilding Program For Its Value For Money And Not Price

One of the very important consideration to keep is to make sure that you are getting value for money. These bodybuilding programs cost from a little over hundred dollars to as cheap as a few dollars. Remember, diamonds are precious, some of these bodybuilding programs are costly because they are offering value for money. Some of these are cheap because there is no buyer for them at high prices. If a program is popular and selling for a higher value it means that it has people who have found it useful and feel satisfied even at those prices. Price in this case, though not the best criteria but is still a fair indicator of quality. This does not mean that you should buy the costliest program, keep in considerations the factors mentioned above, but do not let pricing deter you from buying a good program. Most of these programs are cheaper than what a single session with some of these trainer will cost you in person or even your local gym coach will cost you more than that in a week. When you look at this from that perspective you will understand what value are you getting for the money that you are paying. Stay away from free bodybuilding programs because they are normally advertisement supported and may bring you more harm then benefit. Also you do not get proper service with any of these free bodybuilding programs. Remember your body is going to be yours for lifetime, any investment into it is going to repay you for as long as you live, so do not let it go waste to save few extra bucks.

Specialized Bodybuilding Programs

Specialized weight training programs, there are certain weight programs that come under category of specialized weight training programs, it is because they cater to one particular area of bodybuilding. One such example is Creatine: A Practical Guide. It is a relatively cheap book that is just meant for those people who plan to use Creatine as body supplement, but it is really one of the most effective ones in that area. I suggest you use this book as a supplement when you feel need but if you are already an advanced level trainer then this might be the magic pill that you have been needing.

Format Of Bodybuilding Program

Most of the good Bodybuilding programs are available in form of completely digital products, few of them come in form of DVD's and physical products. As such it makes should make no difference to you, we suggest that if you take a digital program you can always print and use it. A physically delivered product may save you from printing but takes some time to for delivery and restricts you to carrying it wherever you go.

Here are some of the bodybuilding programs that I have classified on basis of above considerations highlighting each of the above facts in respect to that program.

NOTE: A program with Fitness level of Beginners/Intermediate does not means that it is restricted to that, rather it means that it starts at a level appropriate for beginners and intermediates and builds up from there. Similarly a program for advanced may be adopted by beginner but he will surely find it hard to follow.