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You are not getting big no matter how hard you train. Alas! This is the bane of millions of men around the world. They train hard, sweat buckets, and when they look in the mirror, there is no visible change. Sure they get stronger, but their muscles show little or no growth.
Let’s face the facts. Most men build their body out of vanity. They want to look good for the ladies. There is nothing wrong with that. So, they slog it out day in and day out, and it is extremely disheartening and discouraging if all the efforts do not translate into positive results.
You want the sleeve tearing biceps. The cannonball delts that make the girls melt. The huge, muscular chest that turns heads. But when you look in the mirror, all you see is an average body and maybe a few stray hairs growing in your ears. Not anybody’s idea of fun.
Three Common Mistakes
So why are you not getting results?Here are the most common causes.
1. You are not eating enough.
To gain muscle, you absolutely MUST be in a caloric surplus. You will need to hit your macros daily and eat at regular intervals. In the beginning, it may almost seem like a chore that you have to eat so much.
The best way to do this is to build gradually up your calorie intake with time.
Some trainers or articles will tell you that you just need to consume enough protein, and you will be fine. This is not true unless your genetics is great and if you do not see results, sorry buddy. You have average genetics. You will have to eat.
Yes, you will gain fat and muscle. There is no other way. This is known as bulking. What you can do is cut your weight every six weeks. That means for every six weeks of caloric surplus, you take two weeks off to diet and burn off any excess fat. This is the best way to do it.
2. You are training too heavy
This is another common mistake. Training heavy is ok now and then but it should not be a permanent rule in your training. The problem with training heavy is that your reps will be low. You will get tired much faster and deplete your glycogen.
Your training volume will be low despite using heavy weights. If you use weights that allow you to do about 7 to 8 reps for 4 to 6 sets, you will be working out more muscle fibers than doing heavy weights for 4 to 6 reps in 3 to 4 sets.
You must fatigue your muscles so that they grow to cope with the increased demands your body is placing on them.
3. Doing full body workouts
That’s another mistake many guys make. Methods such as Tabata, HIIT, Crossfit, etc. work the entire body fast and furiously. They are excellent for toning, cardiovascular strength and fat burning.
Not for bodybuilding. You are best off training only 1 or 2 bodyparts per workout. Maybe chest and triceps, biceps and back and one day just for your legs. In this way, you can focus all your attention on the one or two muscles you are working.
These are some of the most common mistakes that many men make and it hampers their progress. See if you are making any of these mistakes unknowingly and correct them.
