People who have been involved with bodybuilding - in particular - and sports in general, have probably heard numerous times that everybody is different and everybody requires a different type of attention in order to be successful at what they do.
This is especially valid in the case of bodybuilding where this difference can determine how it, - as a sport - is done and performed.
The differences between gym-goers already start to arise at the entrance of the gym. Some are there to get better at a sport, others to gain weight, still others to lose weight. Then there are the ones who only work out to build themselves a proportionate and attractive physique. Last but not least there are the sportsmen who came to make spectacular muscle-mass gains and actively participate in bodybuilding competitions. All of these basic goals will ultimately have an all-determining influence over how training is performed by all these different individuals.
Other than the goals, there are the different body-types - as put forth in the “Basic Principles” section - that again require completely different approaches to training.
Metabolic rate is one more factor that influences the speed of muscular growth and thus - again - has a word to say in how one plans his/her workout.
Other than these well known principles, that determine fundamental differences between people, there are other - more subtle - differences that you won’t find any reference to, in any one book or on any website. Everybody’s organism responds in a different way to a certain exercise, with its set number of reps and sets.
The way to know what your body responds to best and what has a negative effect on it, is only by the good old trial and error that you must do over a period of time. How fast you can figure this out, is only a matter of how dedicated you are and how much attention you pay to what you’re doing in the gym.
The basics of training are the same for everybody ( types of exercises, approximate number of sets and reps, the correct way to do this or that or the other exercise, etc.), however after having learnt these basics one must focus on his/her individual needs to keep the body gaining muscle at its max possible rate.
Getting to know these individual needs is something that will make your way to success smoother and a lot shorter. And remember: this one is entirely up to you.