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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.