To begin with you will need good “energy food” which allows you to maintain the workout. This includes – indeed, is dominated by – carbohydrates, or “carbs” as they are often referred to. This food is like the gasoline that makes a car run, and is there in such foods as rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. It is exactly the kind of food that, without an exercise regime, can make you put on weight. This makes it extra important that you are thorough with the exercise element of your body-building plan.

You will also need proteins. Mostly these come in the form of meat (it must be lean meat) and dairy products. This is the muscle-building part of the diet – think of it as the tune-up that gets extra performance out of your car and gives it that extra grunt. Lean beef or pork – not sausages, and if you want a burger it should be 100% beef – as well as eggs and milk are great sources of protein.

Your heart requires exercise. One of the most frequent contributory factors in a heart attack or heart disease is a sedentary lifestyle. As much fun as it may be sitting on a couch watching television and eating nachos, it does not make a recipe for a long life. It will also give you less chance of successfully running for a bus. By training often and well, you will lose the fat that makes your energy levels so low.

Additionally, staying in shape will allow you to do so much more. If you have kids, being able to join in their games is something on which you cannot put a price. Kids seem to have boundless energy, and if you do not have an exercise regime to keep you in shape, their energy will seem unmatchable. Being able to keep up with them will allow you to play more of a part in their games, and make parenthood all the more enjoyable.

The word “building” is quite appropriate. When it comes to getting into the condition you want, it is not something that happens overnight. You need to lay down foundations on which to improve. If your muscles are flabby or non-existent, there is no way that you can just do a bit of work to get them into the shape that the professionals have. You will need to get them into decent shape first before aiming any higher. As long as you pay attention to this, then you will be fine.

To really do it right, it is important to take account of the long-term nature of a body building regime. Starting off with light training to achieve condition, then adding steadily until you are in the shape that you have coveted for some time, it will always be a long game. But it will be better for you, and you will not have to worry about picking up long-term injuries.