Anyone
who is actively building muscle has made mistakes in the past.
Let's face it, we are bound to make mistakes in life but what
we can do is learn from them and try to improve. If you keep repeating
the same mistakes, you'll definitely hamper your muscle building
goals. Here are 12 ways you can sabotage your objectives.
No
balanced carb/protein/fat ratio
Eating
a balanced meal is vital for optimum performance and results.
You need carbs, protein and fat in your diet but the right amount
is crucial. You can't eat too many carbs nor too little protein
or vice versa. If you eat only protein, your muscles will look
flat as a pancake. If you eat only carbs, you won't be able to
build muscle effectively. You can't omit fats totally from your
nutrition. Your body needs fats(the good kinds like omega-3s)
to function properly and the latter also aids in protein synthesis.
So a proper ratio of carb/protein/fat should be considered. Weightlifters
usually recommend 40% for carbs, 40% for protein and 20% for fat.
This is only a general guideline, you can tweak it but stay close
to these percentages.
Skipping
meals
If
you're really serious about building muscle, you should avoid
skipping meals. If your diet is lacking calories, you simply won't
grow as you should. You can't be erratic in your eating routine.
Consistency is key for great results you can be proud of. If you
are too busy to make a meal, you can gulp down a quick whey protein
shake. It's better than nothing.
Focusing
too much on supplements
Supplements
are handy and convenient and can definitely help you achieve your
goals but they should only be used sparingly and an ideal time
to use them is post-workout where a liquid meal is favored. If
you have 6 meals a day, it's not recommended to have 4 protein
shakes for instance. Your body needs real muscle-building foods
if you want to make solid gains.
Not
getting enough rest
If
you're not getting adequate sleep and rest, it's a bad idea to
go training as your performance at the gym will greatly suffer
and you won't be able to give the best out of yourself. End result
is poor gains afterwards. Also, it's during sleep that your muscles
grow so if you aren't getting enough rest or sleeping too late,
you are hindering your muscle gains.
Doing
too much cardio
If
your goal is to build muscle, performing too much cardio will
impede this process as you can experience muscle loss. If you
are lifting weights 4 times per week, do cardio only once or twice
on different days.
Neglecting
compound exercises
If
you want some serious muscle mass, stop focusing on isolation
exercises like bicep curls. Add more compound exercises like deadlifts,
bent-over rows, bench press, military press, squats, pull-ups,
pull-downs, dips, push-ups and so on.
Not
training intensely enough
If
you don't feel that burning sensation in your muscles, it means
you are not training intensely enough like not doing enough sets
or reps. Just doing 1-2 sets for one muscle group and call it
a day won't give you the desired muscle gains you're coveting
for.
Overtraining
Overtraining
can really hinder muscle growth. If you don't give your muscles
sufficient time to recover after a workout, you'll have a hard
time developing them. For example, if you just hit your biceps
on Monday, don't hit them again the next day. Check out this article
"Overtraining
and Muscle Growth" for more in-depth tips and advice.
Getting
distracted
There
is nothing more annoying than getting interrupted during your
training session not for a few seconds, but for several minutes.
Even 3-5 minutes pause between sets can be counterproductive for
muscle building. Once you get the initial pump, blood starts rushing
into your muscles and you should only rest 30-45 seconds and resume
with the next set. It's important to keep the blood flow in your
muscles and the best way to do that is not losing the pump during
your workout. Taking a long pause between sets is a sure-fire
way of losing that pump. The pump is usually a good indicator
of an effective workout.
No
post-workout nutrition
After
a grueling workout, it's crucial to refuel your body as your muscles
are depleted and your energy levels are low. What you need is
fast-acting carbs like dextrose to replenish your drained muscle
glycogen stores and some fast-acting whey protein isolate to repair
and rebuild depleted muscle tissues. If you don't feed your body
properly after a workout, most of your hard work will be in vain.
No
pre-workout nutrition
Some
people complain they barely have energy to perform their workout.
There is usually a good reason for that. These people have eaten
a meal like 3-4 hours ago and it's quite long. Try having a meal
one hour and a half before your workout. A great meal idea is
some brown rice and chicken breast or tuna with some olive oil.
No
meal planning
Eating
is the most important part of any muscle building routine. If
you don't eat enough food, you won't build muscle mass and grow.
Nutrition is 75% of bodybuilding, yes it's that important. If
you're not eating properly, you are simply wasting your precious
time, therefore it's vital that you plan your meals and do frequent
trips to the grocery stores. You should always have food available.
There you have it. If you don't pay attention to these 12 muscle
building mistakes, you can have a hard time gaining muscle mass.
For
more insider tips and advice about muscle building, check out
Jason Ferruggia's Muscle
Gaining Secrets.