A consistent workout regimen and a solid nutrition program are essential for bodybuilding and weight lifting success, but many beginning athletes fail to understand the basic rules of strength training and end up sabotaging their efforts. Muscle training is a science, and based on some simple physiological principles; training at the wrong times, eating the wrong foods before or after the workout, or simply not getting enough rest can result in poor muscle gains and poor performance. Make sure you understand the following basic rules of strength training so you can set yourself up for bodybuilding success - regardless of your fitness level:

Order of your exercises - the order of exercises you undertake is perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts of bodybuilding and weight lifting training. You will need to warm up your core muscle groups first to increase circulation and get your body warmed up for the rest of the routine. According to James Stoppani, author of the book, "Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength", the best exercises to start your routine with are the bench press, deadlift and squat. After that, you should follow up with exercises that target the major muscle groups used in each of these exercises, and then continue by focusing on other muscle groups.

Always take note of your resistance level - Your maximum strength determines the optimal level of resistance for your training. Do some exercises to determine your strength's limit and its corresponding resistance. Use this information as a benchmark to set your goals for each training session. You would ideally need to spend most of your time exercising at 85 to 95 percent of your total strength. You would then need to adjust your resistance gradually as you gain strength.

Repetitions and number of sets - The number of sets you do per session indicates two things. First, it is a good estimate of how fit you are. Second, it also indicates if you are training beyond, under or at optimal capacity. The number of repetitions will be based on what you are trying to develop. Strength is best developed with low repetitions compensated by an increase in resistance. Endurance, on the other hand, is developed by doing numerous repetitions combined with low resistance. Decide whether you want to develop strength or your endurance and alter the way you exercise accordingly.

Diet and nutrition - Your diet can either support or harm your training. Eating a correct mixture of proteins and carbohydrates before training will give you the fuel you need to perform at your peak. Taking in lean proteins after a solid workout helps build and repair muscles. It is best to seek the advice of a sports nutritionist so that a diet can be made to suit your needs. If you do not have the resources for this, just read up on eating and nutrition for performance. There are a lot of books, magazines and even online articles that dwell on this subject.

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