Sport
Bodybuilding and physique sport are judged on stage rather than by what you lift: bodybuilding, classic physique, men's physique, bikini, figure and wellness each have their own rules. The training is ordinary muscle-building training, and training injuries are uncommon. The health risks come mostly from long contest diets, peak-week practices and drugs.
This guide covers the categories and how they're judged, drug-tested and untested federations, how to train for muscle growth, what contest preparation does to hormones, periods, mood and strength, eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia, peak week, and the harms of steroids and other drugs. It gives no calorie, body-fat or weight-loss targets. There are two workouts with 3D demos of every move, an upper-body and a lower-body day. We're not connected with any federation.
Competitors are compared in set poses or quarter turns. The International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) runs bodybuilding in weight or height classes, classic physique in height classes with a weight limit for each height, and men's physique, bikini, figure and wellness in height classes.
More hard sets a week bring more growth, with diminishing returns; going to failure adds very little; and split and full-body routines build muscle equally. Our how-to-build-muscle guide covers the details.
Bodybuilding had the lowest injury rates of the weight-training sports, about 0.24 injuries per 1,000 hours in German competitors, though almost half had pain while training.
In women dieting for fitness competitions, hormones including testosterone and thyroid hormone fell and periods became irregular; most recovered within months, but not all. Mood and sleep worsened during preparation.
Almost half of 348 women physique athletes had disordered eating, and muscle dysmorphia, worrying that you aren't muscular enough, is more common in bodybuilders. Our eating disorders guide and the charity Beat can help.
The National Health Service (NHS) lists heart attack, stroke, liver and kidney problems, infertility and addiction among the harms of anabolic steroids. Long-term users had more torn tendons and weaker heart pumping than non-users. This guide gives harm information, not advice on use.
In IFBB men's bodybuilding, judges compare competitors in 7 mandatory poses, "looking for muscular bulk, balanced development, muscular density and definition", and the finalists repeat the poses and finish with a posedown. Classic physique uses height classes with a maximum weight for each height. Men's physique, for a "less muscular, yet athletic" look, and the women's categories are judged mainly in quarter turns. The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation (BNBF) judges symmetry, muscularity and a routine.
In 235 competitive men, most used split routines (85.5%), trained 4 to 7 times a week, worked each major muscle about twice a week, and did 3 to 4 sets per exercise of 7 to 12 repetitions with 1 to 3 minutes' rest; aerobic exercise went up before competing. Competitors' year runs off-season, pre-contest, peak week and post-contest.
The Compendium of Physical Activities rates vigorous weight lifting, "power lifting or body building", at 6.0 metabolic equivalents (METs), and a session of several exercises of 8 to 15 reps at 3.5.
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Shoulders, elbows, the lower back and knees in training, and tendons, especially in people who use anabolic steroids.
Months of eating less than the body uses, with more aerobic exercise, often followed by a "peak week" of changes to carbohydrate, water and salt. In 51 high-level natural competitors, preparation lasted about 22 weeks on average. What this does to the body is covered below; this guide gives no numbers that could be read as targets.
Competitors hold hard muscle contractions on stage for minutes at a time, and practise posing routines. No study has measured what posing asks of the body.
Studies counted injuries in different ways, per lifter per year, per 1,000 hours of training, or as an injury ever, so figures in different lines aren't comparable. Most were surveys asking lifters to remember.
The numbers, by group:
The commonest training injuries, with more injuries in lifters over 40, and many lifters training with pain that didn't stop them. Our shoulder pain, elbow pain, back pain and knee pain guides cover these.
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In 142 experienced bodybuilders, long-term steroid users had about 9 times the risk of a torn tendon, and upper-body tears happened only in users (17% against none). A quarter of tears followed earlier pain in the same area, and only a fifth happened while lifting. In a series of 6 bodybuilders with torn chest muscles, the surgeons thought steroid use may have contributed, and of 4 published cases of torn triceps tendons in bench pressers, 3 followed oral steroid use. Our pulled chest muscle and torn pec, distal biceps, kneecap tendon tear and elbow pain guides cover these.
In 395 men who injected IPEDs, recruited through needle and syringe programmes in England and Wales, 1.5% had HIV, 9% had been infected with hepatitis B and 5% with hepatitis C. Redness, swelling and abscesses at injection sites were common.
Case reports describe bodybuilders paralysed by dangerously low potassium: a professional bodybuilder, where the doctors warn that diuretics must always be considered as a cause; a young man after a large binge following a contest, who also had muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis); and a man taking thyroxine and clenbuterol before a contest. These are single cases, but the harms are serious. Our rhabdomyolysis guide covers the warning signs.
Long-term steroid users' hearts pumped less well than non-users' and had more plaque in their arteries. In male IFBB competitors, sudden cardiac death was more common in those competing at the time, and in professionals than amateurs. The drugs and harms section below gives the figures and their limits.
Common in physique sport, and covered in their own section below. Our eating disorders guide explains how to get help.
No prevention programme has been tested in bodybuilding. The training itself is low risk; the big risks come from drugs, extreme dieting and peak-week practices, so most of this section is about those.
Training injuries are uncommon, and no study has tested a way to prevent them. Our progressive overload, rest between sets, deload and warm-up guides apply: build up gradually, leave reps in reserve on the big lifts, and take a lighter week every so often.
Upper-body tendon tears happened only in steroid users, and a quarter of all tears followed earlier pain in the same area. Our reading: pain building in a tendon is a reason to back off and get it checked, and a pop with sudden weakness or a change in shape needs urgent help.
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Reviews of natural bodybuilding preparation recommend losing weight slowly to keep muscle. In a trial in 24 elite athletes from other sports, the slower of two planned rates kept and added muscle and raised some strength scores, and the faster didn't. Athletes described "the harder the prep, the harder the recovery" and said planning the recovery early helped, and a survey of 15 bodybuilding and powerlifting experts stressed planning the recovery. The reviews give their advice as numbers; we leave them out, in line with our eating disorders guide.
Cutting water and manipulating salt before a show "can be dangerous, and may not improve appearance", in the words of one review, and another found "a dearth of evidence" for peak-week practices. Diuretics can cause dangerously low potassium, which has paralysed bodybuilders. They're banned at all times in tested sport and by the BNBF.
The natural bodybuilding review says competitors "should be aware of the increased risk of developing eating and body image disorders in aesthetic sport and therefore should have access to the appropriate mental health professionals". Women physique athletes' dieting was mostly guided by coaches and other athletes, and the researchers advise registered nutritionists instead. Australian sports bodies want disordered eating handled by a team of at least a doctor, a sports dietitian and a psychologist, and an International Olympic Committee group asks for body composition data to be treated "as confidential medical information".
Without good evidence:
Each extra hard set a week added a little muscle growth in 15 studies, and higher volumes beat lower ones, with diminishing returns. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) found growth improved with 10 or more sets a week. Our how-to-build-muscle guide suggests building towards 10 or more hard sets per muscle a week, starting at 6 to 10.
Going all the way to failure gave only a trivial extra effect on muscle growth. Growth rose a little as sets ended closer to failure, but strength didn't. Our how-to-build-muscle guide uses 2 to 3 reps in reserve on big lifts, and 0 to 2 only on the last set of small exercises.
Rests of more than 60 seconds between sets helped muscle growth a little, with no extra benefit past 90 seconds. Our rest between sets guide uses 2 to 3 minutes on heavy compound lifts and 60 to 90 seconds on small moves.
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Split and full-body routines built similar strength and muscle in 14 studies, so choose the one you'll keep doing. Most competitive men train each muscle about twice a week.
Off-season, most competitive men did 3 to 6 sets per exercise of 7 to 12 repetitions with 1 to 2 minutes' rest. Before competing, sets per exercise fell, reps rose, rest got shorter and aerobic exercise went up.
The review for natural bodybuilders recommends keeping a planned, varied programme, training each muscle twice a week or more with most reps in the 6 to 12 range, resting 1 to 3 minutes, keeping failure mainly for single-joint exercises, and keeping cardio to what the plan needs, because it can get in the way of strength gains.
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In one natural male competitor, strength fell during preparation and hadn't fully recovered 6 months later, and in one woman, peak force fell by up to 19% and how fast she could produce it by up to 57%. In 19 natural athletes, strength broadly held. The evidence is mixed and mostly single cases.
4 days a week as upper, lower, upper, lower, with our two bodybuilding workouts, or push, pull and legs over 3 to 6 days, so each muscle is trained about twice a week. Add sets slowly over months, and take a lighter week every 4 to 6 weeks. If you're preparing for a show, keep training hard enough to keep your muscle, and get your diet from a registered dietitian or nutritionist, with your GP's knowledge.
Federations set their own categories and rules, and change them. Check the current rules with the federation before you enter.
In the IFBB's 2026 rules, men's bodybuilding at world level has 9 weight categories and 3 height categories, junior classes for ages 15 to 20 and 21 to 23, and masters classes from 40. Prejudging compares competitors in the 7 mandatory poses; in the final, the top six repeat them and finish with a 30 to 60-second posedown.
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Classic physique has height classes, each with a maximum weight set from height. Men's physique, recognised in 2012, is "aimed at men who prefer to develop a less muscular, yet athletic and aesthetically pleasing physique", and is judged in quarter turns in height classes; a muscular men's physique category followed in 2016.
Bikini, recognised in 2010, has eight height classes for seniors at world level; bodyfitness, often called figure, has four; and wellness, recognised in 2016 for women with more body mass in the hips and thighs, has four. All are judged mainly in quarter turns.
The BNBF judges bodybuilding in three rounds: symmetry, muscularity in 8 mandatory poses, and an evening routine of up to 60 seconds, with its own figure and other classes.
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The UK Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (UKBFF) lets juniors compete from 1 January of the year they turn 16, "with permission of their parent or responsible adult", until the end of the year they turn 23. IFBB junior bodybuilding is for ages 15 to 23.
Whether competitors are tested depends on the federation. Check its anti-doping rules before you enter.
The IFBB tests at all international competitions under its own anti-doping rules, which follow the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code. Testing at national level is the national federation's job.
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The UKBFF is affiliated to the IFBB and follows its rules. Its rules page says nothing about drug testing at its own shows.
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The BNBF describes its policy as "the most stringent drug testing policy" in the sport. It bans anabolic steroids, growth hormone, thyroid hormones, insulin, prescription diuretics, stimulants, clenbuterol, muscle implants and drugs used to deceive a polygraph. In a study of its national finalists, competitors were drug tested and took a polygraph (lie detector) test.
In tested sport, you're responsible for anything found in your body, including from supplements, so UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) advises checking them. WADA's list bans anabolic agents, including SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators) and clenbuterol, and diuretics, at all times.
This guide gives no calorie, body-fat or weight-loss numbers. If dieting for a show is affecting your eating, mood or periods, see our eating disorders guide, or call Beat's helpline (0808 801 0677 in England).
In 27 women dieting for fitness competitions, compared with 23 who weren't, leptin, thyroid hormone, testosterone and oestradiol all fell. In 9 natural men, testosterone and a growth factor (IGF-1) fell, though they kept almost all their muscle. Thyroid hormone and leptin fell in women and men and recovered afterwards, and in one drug-free man, thyroid hormone fell to clinically low levels and testosterone to borderline low by the end of his preparation.
In 19 natural physique athletes, mood and sleep worsened during preparation and improved afterwards, and eating disorder symptoms were highest during preparation. In one natural male competitor, mood disturbance rose sevenfold and strength hadn't fully recovered 6 months later; in one woman, force fell and only partly recovered.
In 25 women fitness athletes, missed periods rose from 8% to 24% before competing, with more gut symptoms, and some still had them a month after. Periods became irregular in women dieting for competitions. The International Olympic Committee calls the effects of eating too little for your training relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs); some researchers say the label is debated, but missed periods and stress fractures need a doctor either way. Our women and menstrual cycle guides cover this.
After competing, fat and muscle came back mostly within about 6 weeks, at very different speeds in different people, and fat came back first in one study. A review of natural male bodybuilders describes body fat overshooting after the most extreme diets. This rebound is the body recovering, not a failure (our reading).
Some single-case studies found little harm, such as better blood pressure and blood vessel measures in one man and kept muscle and bone in one woman. Others found falls in hormones, metabolism and power that recovered after the contest. Single cases can't tell you what will happen to you.
Slow weight loss to keep muscle, enough protein, no dehydration or salt manipulation, a plan for the weeks after the contest, and access to mental health professionals. Experts in a 2026 survey thought bodybuilders need 1 to 6 months to recover physically, and couldn't agree on how best to eat afterwards. We leave out the reviews' numbers, in line with our eating disorders guide.
An International Olympic Committee group asks for body composition data to be treated "as confidential medical information", within a team that looks after athletes' health, and found practitioners worried about too much focus on body composition. Our eating disorders guide adds that coaches shouldn't lead body measurements.
Talk in confidence to the eating disorder charity Beat: 0808 801 0677 (England), 0808 801 0432 (Scotland), 0808 801 0433 (Wales) or 0808 801 0434 (Northern Ireland), 3pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday. Our eating disorders guide explains the warning signs and where to get urgent help.
In 348 women physique athletes, 46.6% had disordered eating, and almost half had used binge eating, laxatives or vomiting in the past 3 months. In 158 women physique athletes, 37% were at risk of an eating disorder. In 25 fitness athletes, 35% reported a past eating disorder, against 12% of women who didn't compete. Body image problems, binge eating and bulimia were also found in male and female bodybuilders. These are surveys, and it isn't clear whether the sport causes these problems or attracts people already at risk.
Muscle dysmorphia, sometimes called bigorexia, is a form of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in which someone worries that they aren't muscular enough, however they look. Scores were higher in bodybuilders than in other lifters, higher still in competitors, and went with anxiety, depression and perfectionism. Beat says men are about 1 in 4 of people with an eating disorder and may be more likely to have muscle dysmorphia, and it's often missed in men. In boys and men, more muscle-focused social media went with more symptoms. The NHS: "You should see a GP if you think you might have BDD."
Men who used steroids for their looks had more body image problems than those who used them for performance, and dependence on steroids went with muscle dysmorphia. The NHS, and a review in an endocrinology journal, link steroid use in young men with body image disorders. In one online survey, 61 of 96 competitive bodybuilders and 356 of 888 recreational lifters had used steroids, and apart from drug use, the competitors showed few psychological differences.
The NHS: "If you think you may have an eating disorder, see a GP as soon as you can." Advice from registered nutritionists rather than coaches alone, access to mental health professionals, early screening and a team with a doctor, a dietitian and a psychologist are recommended in sports judged on appearance. Missed periods, stress fractures, low mood or frequent illness are reasons to see a doctor.
Beat says that with an eating disorder, exercise can become "driven, rigid, and compulsive", and that general exercise guidance may not suit you. Feeling guilty or anxious when you can't train, or unable to change a session, are signs it may be harming you. Our eating disorders guide covers this.
Only 6.2% of 81 British natural competitors ate their usual diet in the week before a show; changing carbohydrate, water and salt was most common. In 160 competitors, those using drugs were more likely to restrict water. In 1988, all 27 bodybuilders studied at a US junior championship reported severe fluid restriction and dehydrating practices, and Brazilian competitors in untested shows used steroids, diuretics and dehydration in peak week.
A review found "a dearth of evidence to support the commonly reported practices". Changing carbohydrate is understudied, and dehydrating and manipulating salt "can be dangerous, and may not improve appearance".
Case reports describe dangerously low potassium and paralysis in bodybuilders after a contest, with diuretics, thyroxine, clenbuterol or a large binge among the causes, and muscle breakdown in one. A review links bodybuilders' dehydration and drug use with strain on the kidneys, and kidney problems were among the causes of death in IFBB competitors.
Don't take diuretics or restrict water to "dry out": the evidence shows harm and no clear benefit, and diuretics are banned at all times in tested sport and by the BNBF. This guide gives no peak-week plan.
This is harm information, not advice on use. If you use them or are thinking about it, a GP can help, and Talk to FRANK gives confidential advice.
Anabolic steroids are Class C, prescription-only medicines. Having them for your own use is legal, and you can import or export them only in person. Supplying them, including giving them to friends, carries an unlimited fine or up to 14 years in prison. They're banned in tested sport.
The NHS's list of harms:
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The NHS: "Anabolic steroids are addictive." Stopping suddenly can bring depression, anxiety, tiredness, insomnia and loss of appetite, and the NHS says to see a GP if you think you're addicted. In a review of 18 studies, about a third of users became dependent.
In 140 experienced weightlifters, long-term steroid users' hearts pumped less well than non-users' (52% against 63% of blood pumped out with each beat), and they had more plaque in their heart arteries. In 101 long-term users, both current and former users had weak heart muscle; in a follow-up, those who stopped improved towards non-users. During a single course of steroids, blood pressure and cholesterol worsened, and returned to normal within months of stopping.
Danish gym users who tested positive for steroids had about three times the death rate of other men, and Finnish championship powerlifters suspected of steroid use died about four and a half times as often over 12 years. In 20,286 male IFBB competitors from 2005 to 2020, sudden cardiac death ran at 32.83 per 100,000 athlete-years in those competing at the time, about five times as often in professionals as amateurs. That study found deaths by searching news and web reports, so it's probably an undercount, and drug use was confirmed in few cases: steroids were found in 3 of the 5 toxicology reports available.
In 100 men followed through one course of steroids, every man had at least one harmful effect and 4 had a serious one, including heart failure. During use, 77% had a low sperm count (below 40 million); a year later, 34% still did and 11% had low testosterone. In former users, 27% had testosterone below the normal range years after stopping.
No SARM is approved for human use, and UKAD says the evidence suggests they are "not safer than anabolic steroids": reports link them to liver injury, heart attack and stroke risk, and blood clots. In 41 people without diabetes who used insulin to build muscle, 57% had low blood sugar. Talk to FRANK warns that DNP (2,4-dinitrophenol), a toxic slimming drug, has caused deaths.
Worldwide, about 6% of men and 2% of women have ever used anabolic steroids. In a survey of 235 competitive male bodybuilders, 53.6% of those not in natural competitions used performance-enhancing drugs, and in one online survey, 61 of 96 competitive bodybuilders had used steroids.
The NHS says there's "no evidence" that cycling, stacking or pyramiding steroids reduces the harms. A GP can help, and can refer you to a specially trained drugs counsellor; Talk to FRANK gives confidential advice about drugs.
Built on the site's warm-up guide and the plans' shared warm-up note (editorial): no warm-up has been tested on bodybuilding injuries. The doses come from the site's shoulder and technique routines.
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The movement on the figure: Band pull-apart
The two bodybuilding workouts' moves for chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, glutes and calves. Each has a 3D demo.
3D demoIncline dumbbell pressIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoMachine chest fly (pec deck)Beginner · Strength machine
3D demoDumbbell lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band
3D demoTriceps pushdownBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoDumbbell biceps curlBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoMachine hack squatBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoBarbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A barbell
3D demoMachine leg curlBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoLeg extensionBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoBarbell hip thrustIntermediate · A barbell + A bench or box
3D demoStanding calf raise (machine)Intermediate · Strength machineThe first two are new: an upper-body and a lower-body day for an upper and lower split. The others cover the gym splits, single muscle groups, drop sets and supersets.
A 60-minute upper-body session for muscle growth: incline presses, rows, pulldowns, flys, lateral raises, face pulls, pushdowns and curls, short of failure.
60 minIntermediate12 movesCardio machine, A bandA 60-minute lower-body session for muscle growth: hack squats, Romanian deadlifts, leg curls, leg extensions, hip thrusts and standing and seated calf raises.
60 minIntermediate11 movesCardio machine, A wallA gym upper body workout for chest, back, shoulders and arms: bench press, rows, presses, pulldowns, raises, curls and pushdowns.
50 minIntermediate13 movesA band, A barbellUpper body workout B: overhead press, pull-ups, incline dumbbell press, chest-supported rows, face pulls, hammer curls and triceps extensions.
50 minIntermediate13 movesA band, Pull-up barA gym lower body workout for legs and glutes: trap bar deadlifts, hip thrusts, reverse lunges, leg curls, hip abduction, calf raises and core.
50 minIntermediate13 movesOther / check instructions, A barbellA gym leg day: back squats, leg press, leg curls, Bulgarian split squats, leg extensions and calf raises.
55 minIntermediate9 movesA wall, A barbellA push day workout for chest, shoulders and triceps: bench press, overhead press, incline dumbbell press, lateral raises and pushdowns.
55 minIntermediate10 movesA band, A barbellA pull day workout for back and biceps: pull-ups, barbell rows, chest-supported rows, face pulls and curls, with sets, reps and rest.
55 minIntermediate10 movesPull-up bar, A barbellA gym chest workout: bench press, incline dumbbell press, cable flyes, dips and a push-up finisher.
45 minIntermediate7 movesA band, A barbellA gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.
45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A bandA shoulder workout for all three heads: overhead press, lateral raises, reverse flyes, face pulls and rotations.
40 minIntermediate8 movesA band, A barbellBiceps, triceps and forearms: curls, hammer curls, skull crushers, pushdowns, concentration curls and dips.
35 minBeginner7 movesA dumbbell, A bench or boxA 50-minute gym glute workout: hip thrusts, deep squats, Bulgarian split squats, back extensions and hip abduction, with sets, reps and rest.
50 minIntermediate11 movesA band, A barbellA 20-minute drop-set finisher for shoulders and arms: lateral raises, curls and pushdowns, each one set with two drops, plus a push-up drop set.
20 minIntermediate10 movesA band, A dumbbellA 40-minute full-body gym workout in supersets: squats with pulldowns, presses with rows, Romanian deadlifts with overhead presses, then arms.
40 minBeginner13 movesCardio machine, A bandSplits and full-body plans build muscle equally; pick one you'll keep doing.
A 4-day upper/lower split: two upper body and two lower body gym days, each muscle trained twice a week, with sets, reps and progression.
4 training days50 minIntermediate6 days a weekA 6-day push/pull/legs plan for experienced lifters: two push, two pull and two leg days, with sets, reps, rest and lighter weeks.
6 training days55 minAdvanced5 days a weekA 5-day gym split that trains every muscle twice a week: upper, lower, push, pull and legs, with an honest look at the bro split.
5 training days50 minIntermediate5 days a weekThe classic chest, back, legs, shoulders and arms week, built from our gym workouts, with what research says about training each muscle once.
5 training days45 minIntermediate4 days a weekAn 8-week glute workout plan: two glute days and two upper-body days a week, with hip thrusts, squats, hinges and side-hip work, plus a home option.
4 training days50 minIntermediate4 days a weekA 4-day dumbbell-only plan for home or gym: two upper and two lower days, every set, rep and rest, and how to keep progressing when the dumbbells max out.
4 training days45 minBeginner4 days a weekA 4-day gym workout routine for men: upper and lower days, each muscle trained twice a week, with sets, reps, progression and the evidence.
4 training days50 minIntermediate3 days a weekA weekly workout plan for women: three strength days, cardio and pelvic floor training, with the evidence on periods, pregnancy and menopause.
3 training days45 minBeginnerThe PAR-Q+ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone) asks about a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or losing consciousness, other long-term conditions and their medicines, a bone or joint problem that activity could make worse, and being told to exercise only under supervision. If you answer yes to any, check with your doctor or a qualified exercise professional first. The NHS asks you to speak to your GP first if you haven't exercised for some time or have a health condition.
See a GP, and talk to your treatment team before training for appearance or competing. Disordered eating is common in physique sport, and our eating disorders guide explains why weight training isn't a treatment and how activity is brought back with a team. Beat's helpline is free and confidential.
It may be muscle dysmorphia, a form of body dysmorphic disorder. The NHS says to see a GP if you think you might have BDD, and Beat supports men as well as women.
Steroids, SARMs, insulin, thyroid hormones, clenbuterol and diuretics all carry serious risks. A GP can help, and Talk to FRANK gives confidential advice.
These can be signs of eating too little for your training. See a GP, and our women and menstrual cycle guides.
Check with your GP or cardiologist first, and follow our high blood pressure and heart disease guides: breathe out on the effort and keep well short of maximal efforts.
The UKBFF's junior classes start at 16, with a parent's permission. Strength training is safe for teenagers with good supervision, as our children's guide explains, but we'd advise against dieting for a show (our suggestion), and steroids can stunt growth in teenagers.
Insulin misused to build muscle caused low blood sugar in most users, and cutting food around training needs your diabetes team's help, as our type 1 diabetes guide explains.
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Call 999 for chest pain that doesn't go away, spreads to the arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness, if someone faints while exercising, or if someone has passed out and isn't responding normally.
Dangerously low potassium has paralysed bodybuilders around contests, with diuretics or a large binge among the causes. Sudden muscle weakness or paralysis, especially around a show, is a 999 call (our reading of these cases).
Dark, red or cola-coloured urine, much less urine than usual, or very painful, weak or swollen muscles in the days after a session or a binge need medical help the same day, as our rhabdomyolysis guide explains.
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Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if you feel unusually tired, dizzy when you stand up and it doesn't go away, or have dark yellow pee. Call 999 for confusion, cold or blotchy skin, or fast breathing.
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Redness, swelling, heat or an abscess where you've injected needs a GP or NHS 111 (our reading).
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A sudden pop with weakness at the chest, upper arm, elbow or above the knee needs checking the same day. Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) if the injured part has changed shape or is pointing at an odd angle, or is numb or tingling.
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Get urgent help: our eating disorders guide lists where. Beat's helpline isn't a crisis service.
Going to failure added only a trivial amount of growth. Stopping 2 or 3 reps short works for most sets.
Split and full-body routines built similar muscle; the total number of hard sets matters more.
It has the lowest injury rates of the weight-training sports. The serious harms come from drugs and extreme dieting.
Drug-tested athletes still showed falls in hormones, missed periods, mood changes and eating disorder symptoms during preparation.
Dehydrating and manipulating salt can be dangerous and may not improve appearance, and there's little evidence for peak-week practices.
UKAD says the evidence suggests they're not safer, with reports of liver injury, heart attack and stroke risk, and blood clots.
The NHS says there's no evidence that cycling, stacking or pyramiding reduces the harms, and some former users still had low testosterone years after stopping.
The NHS says anabolic steroids are addictive, and about a third of users become dependent.
In a survey of 984 men, competitive bodybuilders differed from recreational lifters mainly in drug use, not in other psychological measures. People take up the sport for many reasons.
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There isn't one: split and full-body routines built similar muscle in 14 studies. What matters more is enough hard sets for each muscle each week, trained about twice a week, so pick a split you'll keep doing.
Growth rises with weekly sets, with diminishing returns. Our how-to-build-muscle guide suggests building towards 10 or more hard sets per muscle a week, starting at 6 to 10, and more isn't always better if you can't recover.
No. Going to failure added only a trivial amount of growth, and stopping 2 or 3 reps short works for most sets. Keep failure for the last set of small exercises, if at all.
In the IFBB, men compete in bodybuilding, classic physique and men's physique, and women in bikini, figure (bodyfitness) and wellness, among others. Each is judged differently, mostly in poses or quarter turns, and most are split by height.
Natural federations, such as the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation, ban steroids and other drugs and test their competitors. The IFBB tests at international events under rules that follow the World Anti-Doping Agency code, and national testing depends on the national federation, so check before you enter.
Long contest diets lowered testosterone, thyroid hormone and other hormones, stopped some women's periods, and worsened mood and sleep in studies of natural competitors. Most of these recovered within weeks to months, but not all, and eating disorder symptoms were highest during preparation.
Cutting water and taking diuretics before a show can be dangerous and may not improve how you look, and there's little evidence for peak-week practices. Diuretics can cause dangerously low potassium, which has paralysed bodybuilders, and they're banned in tested sport.
Anabolic steroids are Class C, prescription-only medicines: having them for your own use is legal, but supplying them, including to friends, can mean up to 14 years in prison. They're banned in tested sport and carry serious health risks.
No. UK Anti-Doping says the evidence suggests SARMs are not safer, and reports link them to liver injury, heart attack and stroke risk, and blood clots. None is approved for human use.
It's a form of body dysmorphic disorder in which someone worries that they aren't muscular enough, however they look. It's more common in bodybuilders; if it sounds like you, see a GP, and the eating disorder charity Beat can help.
Exercise education for people who play sport, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP or physiotherapist before hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or an injury that isn't settling, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
