You train, train, and train, and your muscle mass continues to not grow. Is it because of the training? Is it because of the food? I’ll tell you!
1. You are impatient
If you are a beginner, the first changes that you are going to suffer will be what happens inside you, those that you will not be able to see. It will improve your inter and intramuscular coordination, your brain will make greater and better connections with your muscles and it will even be able to activate a greater number of fibers. Don’t look in the mirror for the first two weeks wondering why you’re not getting better. Be patient and wait for the results.
2. You don’t keep track
Having a training notebook is as important as the program itself. To increase your muscle mass and maximize hypertrophy, write down all of your workouts, weights you lift, reps, pauses, tempo, and rest time between sets. Keeping this track will make you more in control of your progress and your energy levels.
3. There is no structure
Don’t train to train and stick to a plan. It is the best way to increase muscle mass. A random workout can make you stronger (especially if you are a beginner) but you will have far fewer results than with a structured plan. A well-structured plan can look like this:
– Week 1: 3 × 12-15 / Week 2: 3c10-12 / Week 3: 3 × 8-10
While a random workout will be like this:
– Week 1-3: 1st set of 10-12 reps / 2nd set of 6-8 reps / 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
Pick a plan that’s right for you and stick with it.
4. You do too much cardio
If your goal is size and strength, cardio work shouldn’t dominate your program. A good HIIT workout is the best option to work cardiovascularly without losing volume. If between sessions you recover well, nothing happens if you add another session of cardio.
5. You eat like a bird
To gain muscle you have to eat, and especially protein (2g per kg of weight approx.). You must also include the energy necessary for physical training. Add an eating plan to your training plan, balancing meal times with gym hours. You will also control the calories you eat and the quality of your food more.
I usually recommend measuring even portion sizes to be more exact in terms of calories consumed.