Here Are Some Reasons Why You Are Not Building Muscle
So you’ve made the decision to get toned and start building muscle. You throw away the junk food and start hitting the gym every day. 2 weeks pass and don’t see much improvement. So what is going on? The solution to building muscle is actually much more complicated than just eating right and lifting weights. Most people start following a regime to build muscle and end up quitting after they do not see progress right away. If you are not seeing gains in muscle mass, you may be making some pretty common mistakes.
The following article details common mistakes people make while trying to build muscle. Before throwing your routine out the window and starting something new, make sure you are not committing one or more of these mistakes.
See the article below and please share this with those people in your life that are trying to increase their muscle mass.
Not focusing completely on weight training and wasting your time on cardio can lead to little or no muscle gains. You don’t want to be using up more calories than you are taking in through too much cardio exercise like running, cycling and sports like football or tennis.
Sure, the body uses carbs as its primary fuel but once reserves are low it needs to make glucose from somewhere to get you through your cardio sessions. That somewhere is your muscle tissue. If you’re doing cardio in the gym along with lifting to try and burn extra fat then stop.
Weight training is hugely effective in building muscle and burning fat. This is because it raises your metabolism levels – and these can stay elevated for a day or more after your workout is over.
#2 Not lifting heavy enough.
If the level of weights you does not change then don’t expect your body to change either. Lifting the same weights session after session is going to get you nowhere. Progressive overload must be brought into play to induce hypertrophy effectively and spark muscle growth.
If you can manage 10 reps or more for any exercise – while maintaining good technique – then it is time to up the weight and properly test yourself. This will properly fatigue your muscles and force them to grow and adapt to deal with the increased resistance.
#3 Eating junk food.
image source: fashionhealthbeauty.com
The typical Western diet is filled with too many processed, high sugar and high salt foods. The UK and the US are among the richest countries in the world, yet are also among the sickest. You must move away from fast food and particularly the high sugar foods we are bombarded with.
Otherwise your body won’t be getting the nutrients it needs to be strong and healthy. It’ll be too busy dealing with an overload of toxins and won’t have the proper tools, i.e. amino acids, vitamins and minerals, it requires to build muscle and maintain health.
Ditch microwave meals, cook fresh, eat plenty more vegetables and fruit, and cut back on takeaways. Also, reduce sugar as much as possible as it will spike your insulin, lead to fat gain and scupper your chances of developing a great physique.
#4 Not absorbing enough protein.
Notice I said ‘absorbing’, not eating. The body needs a sufficient supply of quality protein to provide all the essential amino acids needed to repair the damage to muscle tissue after a tough workout – and to grow. But you could be getting plenty of protein from top sources like chicken, steak, eggs, nuts and shakes, but you may not be able to absorb it properly due to poor gut health.
Eating a poor diet and not managing stress can affect the ratio of good to bad bacteria in your stomach – which then inhibits your ability to absorb nutrients from your food.
It may benefit you hugely to introduce fermented foods and probiotic supplements to support healthy digestion. Digestive enzyme supplements can also assist in breaking down your food if you have gut issues.
Also, many whey protein shakes are also difficult to digest. Opting for organic plant-based brown rice protein and vegan blends is a much better alternative as these are easier for the body absorb.
See the full article from weighttrainingistheway.com here.
