You could read countless articles, tips, and even scientific papers about how to become a bodybuilder. But before you weed through an endless array of information, you need to know that bodybuilding comes down to one word — balance!

Here’s why:

– You’ve got to balance out your time at the gym

For a truly defined look, you’ve got to focus on one muscle group at a time. For example, instead of trying to tone your entire arm at once, you need to do some bicep work, then a little bit of tricep work, followed by some lifting that targets your deltoids. If you don’t balance out these workouts, you’ll wind up with arms that don’t look quite right.

– Your workout schedule has to be balanced

Even if you’ve got a specific problem area, you can’t go all-out trying to tone it because muscles need about 48 hours to recover from a tough workout. But while your arms are recovering, don’t just take the day off. Instead, tackle some leg workouts. This balanced approach will help you generate results faster, without putting too much strain on your body.

– Your meals have to be carefully balanced

Your workout plan isn’t the only thing you need to balance. If you want to learn how to become a bodybuilder, you’ve got to understand what kind of fuel your body needs — and which foods can give it to you.

You probably know that protein is important, but don’t make a rookie mistake and focus SOLELY on protein. Yes, you need to cut down on fats and choose your carbs wisely, but you can’t cut these two things out of your diet completely. After all carbohydrates give you energy, and without at least some healthy fats, your body will start using your protein source as fuel — a giant problem if that protein is supposed to be building muscle!

As long as you’ve got the right balance, you’ll start to look like a bodybuilder in no time!