Are you looking to hop on board the gain train and make some serious gains in the gym this year? Great, then you’ve come to the right place. Building muscle and getting big and jacked is not easy, in fact, it’s very difficult. People seem to think that bodybuilding is simply a case of lifting weights in the gym a few days per week, and chugging down a protein shake here and there. In reality, bodybuilding and building muscle in general, is a full-time activity that requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and knowledge. If you thought you were training correctly, eating the right foods, and using the correct
bodybuilding supplements, but you aren’t growing, are you doing anything wrong? Take a look at the following, as we look at 4 reasons why you aren’t building muscle.
You aren’t consuming enough protein – Protein and bodybuilding go hand in hand with one another, as this macronutrient is considered a bodybuilder’s secret weapon. Protein plays a number of key roles in a variety of physiological processes within the human body, and it also happens to be essential for the growth and repair of muscle tissue. In order to build muscle, you need to be getting in enough protein each day, with experts recommend you consume at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight.
Bodybuilding supplements such as protein powders are very useful for people looking to increase their protein intakes, as one shake can provide as much as 30g of protein at a time. If your muscles aren’t growing, ask yourself if you’re taking in enough quality protein each day.
Your diet sucks – Be honest with yourself here, is your diet really as healthy and balanced as you would have liked, or could it use a little improving? If you want to build muscle, your diet needs to be pretty much perfect. It’s as simple as that. It’s no good eating whatever you like, whenever you like, as this will do you no good at all. Ditch the junk food, and fill your fridge full of lean protein, fresh vegetables, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. You’re allowed the odd treat here and there, but 99% of the time, make sure you are eating fresh, healthy, and wholesome produce.
You aren’t seeking help and advice – A great bodybuilder is never satisfied with how much they know about the sport, and they are therefore constantly seeking new knowledge and advice to help them make even more gains. In your spare time, browse various
bodybuilding forum pages, ask for help and advice, and see what others have to say. A
bodybuilding forum online will be a friendly and welcoming place where you can learn new training principles and dietary advice, and perhaps even make new friends along the way.
You’re training too much – If you’re looking to make new gains in the gym, of course you’ll step up your training frequency and intensity. This is all well and good, providing you allow your body adequate time to recover following each work out. Aim to have at least two full days off from training each week, and make sure you get enough sleep at night. If you’re in the gym for several hours each day, 7 days per week, your body won’t have enough time to repair itself and not only will you not grow, you could enter a state of muscle catabolism, resulting in muscle wastage. Recovery is just as important as training when it comes to making gains, so give your body a break.
