Problem: Article: Use a sharp knife to cut the beef into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) pieces. Leave some of the beef on the bones.  Beef shank and beef short ribs are both good options, but you can use nearly any bone-in cut of meat. You need to use the bones in the soup, even if you completely remove the beef from the bones while cutting it. The bone marrow helps flavor the broth. Rinse the vegetables under running water, then dry them off with clean paper towels.  Scrub vegetables with rough skins (carrots, potatoes) using a stiff vegetable brush to remove the dirt. You could peel the skins, if desired, but doing so is unconventional for caldo de res. Husk the corn and rinse the exposed ears under cool water to help remove the silky strings left behind. Chop or slice the vegetables into relatively large chunks using a sharp kitchen knife.  Roughly chop the onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Quarter each ear of corn and each potato. Slice the carrots and chayote into equally sized portions, roughly 1/2 to 1 inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) thick. If you opt to use zucchini instead of chayote, make the piece slightly larger since zucchini is softer and cooks faster. Cut the head of cabbage in half, then cut each half into three equal portions. You can remove the core, but it's more common to leave the stem intact. Combine the chopped tomatoes with 1/2 cup (125 ml) of beef broth in a blender. Process the two ingredients until a thick, chunky puree forms.  You could also use a food processor instead of a blender. Don't worry about creating a smooth puree. The tomatoes will continue breaking down as they cook in the soup. If you would prefer soup with larger chunks of tomato, skip this step and add the chopped tomatoes at the usual stage without pureeing them. Pour the oil into a large, heavy stockpot. Set the stockpot on the stove over medium-high heat. After 1 or 2 minutes, the oil and the pot should become very hot. Carefully tilt and rotate the stockpot so that the hot oil coats the entire bottom. Add the beef and beef bones to the stockpot. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring frequently, until the beef browns on all sides. Sprinkle the chopped onions over the meat in the stockpot. Continue cooking and stirring until the onion lightly browns, as well. Add the tomatoes and remaining 2-1/2 cups (625 ml) of beef broth to the stockpot. Stir the ingredients together until evenly combined. At this point, the liquid in the stockpot should be high enough to cover the solid ingredients (including the bones) by 1/2 inch (1.25 cm). If the liquid does not reach that high, add enough lukewarm water to satisfy that condition. Wait for the soup to reach a full, rolling boil over medium-high heat. Keep the stockpot uncovered and occasionally stir the ingredients while waiting. If any foam rises to the surface of the soup, use a ladle or slotted spoon to skim it off. Discard the foam and rinse the spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and loosely cover the stockpot. Cook the soup for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the beef is tender.  During this time, the liquid should continue to simmer and bubble, but it should not reach a full boil. Keep the lid slightly ajar to prevent pressure from building up. Stirring is not necessary during this stretch of time, but if you large amounts of additional foam rising to the surface, periodically skim them off using a ladle or slotted spoon. Check the meat after the first 60 minutes. The beef should be tender enough to cut with the side of a spoon or fork when ready. If it isn't, continue cooking for up to 30 minutes more, checking again at 10-minute intervals.
Summary: Cut the beef. Wash the vegetables. Cut the vegetables. Puree the tomatoes with broth. Heat the oil. Brown the beef with salt and pepper. Add the onion. Pour in the broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Skim the foam. Simmer for 1 hour.

Problem: Article: If you want to get into competitions, then it is important to know your body’s strengths and to be aware of what judges will be looking for. Look into the federation’s guidelines and attend a competition to see what the competitors look like. This will help you to design an effective training program along with the guidance of your trainer. If you have enlisted the help of a personal trainer, go to your first session and do exactly as you’re told. If you are following an exercise program, follow each of the instructions to the letter, and do each exercise to the best of your ability. Getting started is arguably the most difficult part of bodybuilding.  If you are using a trainer, listen to their advice and follow the training plans they’ve set. These are likely to be difficult, but are set in a specific order and pattern to help your body build sustained, useful muscles. Expect to start with basic exercises, such as squats and bench presses. These exercises allow you to gradually add more weight and provide significant gains. Track your progress via progress photos (ideally taken in the same lighting and clothing each week), weight gains, and measurement gains. Keep all of your gains and observations in a notebook or folder on your phone or computer so you have easy access and can check in with your progress any time.  This may not seem like an important step, but being able to see physical changes in your body is an excellent way to keep your motivation high. If possible, use exactly the same pose in each of your photos, as well, as this will give you a more concrete visual of any possible changes. Tracking your progress will also give you a window into which exercises and routines are effective, and which do not provide as many muscle gains. If you’ve managed a certain set of weights for a week, don’t immediately add another 20 pounds, as this could cause injury and could actually set your training back. Up your weight limits gradually, and stop if you feel any sharp pain or you are in danger of dropping your weights. Under the supervision of a trainer or partner, you might want to try dead lifting and similarly challenging lifts. If this is the case, be aware that these should never be done solo, and should not make up the bulk of your training. Although you might be tempted to train seven days a week, or even multiple times per day, this will actually slow down your progress and damage your muscles. Aim for four to five training times per week, varying the types of exercises you do. The human body is highly adaptable, so keeping your muscles guessing is a key aspect of bodybuilding and weightlifting. Although you should not do intense training regimens seven times per week, you should be in some way active each day, even if it something as simple as walking up stairs instead of using an elevator, or taking a walk around the block. Although you don’t have to contort yourself into a pretzel following each training session, you should stretch your body thoroughly, for at least 5 to 10 minutes. When aiming for four to five days of training per week, make sure you add some recovery time. One to three days, you can go for a leisurely walk or a relaxed jog. One out of the two to three days, you could swim or practice yoga. Make sure you set aside time for your body to rest and heal. Do not, under any circumstances, skip rest days. Your body will not be able to build muscle effectively if it does not have time to heal and repair itself. Because building muscle means creating tiny tears in muscle fiber, which then heals, failing to give your body adequate time to repair and rest will mean few gains and the risk of serious injury.
Summary:
Identify your body type and what you are striving for. Get moving. Track your progress. Up your reps and weights gradually. Train four to five times per week. Stretch after working out. Give your body recovery time.