here are the 10 most common reasons why people fail at building muscle.
#1: Using machines for every exercise
free weights (except the very light ones) can be very intimidating and yes, sometimes machines are more safe.. but that's if you are a beginner or an advanced lifter.
the machines practically balance the weight for you, but they also force you to perform fixed, unnatural movements that can hurt your joints.
free weights not only force you to use natural movements, but they also help you built more strength, since you have to work also with those small muscles called stabilizer that don't participate in an exercise performed on a machine. oh, and not to mention that you don't have to wait for the machine, which saves a lot of time and let's you perform the routine as planned
#2: Doing too many isolation exercises
isolation exercises work only one joint at a time (eg. bicep curls, flies, lateral raises etc). people don't realize that when you perform compound movements, like the bench press or squats, you already work other small muscles, not just the main ones. take the squat, for example... more than 500 muscles are involved into squatting, not just the quads or the gluts.
plus, isolation movement is very rare in everyday life. our body uses multiple joint in the natural movements not only because in this way it is stronger, but also because it takes away the pressure from a specific joint.
don't perform more than 1 or 2 isolation exercises per body part if you are not a professional bodybuilder who needs to enhance muscle growth on a specific body part. rather use the compound movements which build overall strength.
#3: Avoiding leg and back day
i don't know why, but men like to avoid leg day and most women avoid back day. when you train large muscle groups like back and legs, your body releases more muscle building hormone. and the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest.
#4: Not having a training log
are you one of those people who hit the gym without a workout sheet and hanging around without having a clue what to do?
well, i can only tell you that if you don't have a plan and don't know where you are going, you'll probably end up somewhere else.
before you even enter the gym, you must know what body parts are you going to work and what exercises are you going to perform. writing down every rep and weight is crucial if you want to keep progressing. this will also put you into competition against yourself and not against the others. and remember, what you can measure you can improve.
#5: Not increasing the poundage
one of the most common mistakes people make is always lifting the same weight week after week. if you don't challenge your body and don't give it a reason to become stronger, it will stay as it is. that's why you need to increase the poundage or perform more reps with the same weight. usually increasing the weight by 4-5% works best.
#6: Thinking that if you are sore the next day, you had a good workout
many people thing that training till they drop is the only effective way to train. so wrong! soreness may or may not happen, but it's absolutely not an indicator for muscle growth or improved strength. the truth is, that if you're not lifting more weight today than three months ago, REGARDLESS of how sore you got during or after trainings, you are NOT making progress.
#7: Muscle confusion or changing your workout routine every time
some people really like to change their routine every time, switching the sets, reps and exercises. well, let me tell you something. if your body don't get used to a movement, it won't grow. you can't become stronger if you are switching everything up every week. nor you can master the technique or track progress.
the only effective way to confuse your muscles is to progress. and how do you make progress? you can simply increase the poundage every week or perform more reps with the same weight if you can handle it.
#8: Skipping workouts
As i wrote many times before, consistency is key when it comes to fitness. I know sometimes you are really tired or have too much stuff going on... but hey, a bad workout is better than none. plus, working out also helps you to relax and keeps you in good mood. 1 workout is only 4% of your day... don't tell me you can't make time for it. how can you keep progressing if you are not consistent?!
#9: Compensating for bad nutrition
you know, countless hours on the treadmill thinking that it will burn off all the junk you had the day before.. ye ye ye.. it doesn't work like that. if you want to achieve a lean and muscular body, you have to nourish your body with good food and stay on track. of course you can have some junk from time to time, but plan it in advance. have it post-workout, if possible, because that is the time when your body will use those nutrients to replenish glycogen stores, and it is less likely that those calories will get stored as fat.
#10: Wanting to do it on your own
Training with a partner or having a spotter, is very important if you want to become stronger and go past your plateaus.
spotting while lifting weights not only provides a physical advantage for the lifter, but a mental one as well. a primary goal of lifting weights is the safety of the movement, and working with heavy weights and using a spotter helps to decrease the risks of serious injury.
#training #gym #workout #mistakes
