Are you wondering, “why am I not building muscle mass?” Believe it or not, this is a common question and happens to a lot of people. There are a few reasons why muscles stop growing and we discuss them here. You can get back on track, get bigger, and continue to grow muscle by following these simple guidelines.
Optimize Your Diet
Do you eat 3 meals a day? If so, this is contributing to missed gains. Plan your diet to have about 6 meals a day – with a protein and complex carb in just about all of them. You will keep your metabolism going, which will burn fat, and get enough protein to build that muscle.
Stay away from sugar as much as possible. You should only be getting it with fruits and other natural foods. Stick to things like lean meat, fish, tofu, chicken, brown rice, and starches. You will see a big change just by following this one!
Why Am I Not Building Muscle Mass – Training Too Hard
It sounds counterintuitive because more is better, right? If you train all your muscles daily, this can contribute to why you aren’t building muscle mass. Weight training rips and tears your muscles, and when given proper rest – they repair and get bigger. Without time to repair, you won’t see gains as quickly – or not at all.
Develop a routine that works for a muscle group 1-2 times a week, then build compound exercises into your workouts. Skip the machines and use free weights or even bodyweight if you can.
Training Too Long
How long is your typical workout? If you’re spending 2-3 hours at the gym, that’s too much. This leads to overstress and cortisone build up that hinders muscle growth.
The best routines are intense and last 45 – 60 minutes.
Why Am I Not Building Muscle Mass – Alcohol
Drinking alcohol definitely doesn’t do any favors. For one, it hurts muscle growth. If you’re drinking a lot, try to cut back or quit completely. You’ll be surprised at the noticeable difference in muscles.
In addition to physically doing harm, alcohol contributes to decreased motivation. If you go out the night before a workout, you might skip it or at least not feel like doing it. When you aren’t motivated, your workout routine suffers.
Doing the Same Stuff
Have you been doing the same routine for years? This contributes to a lack of muscle growth. Over time, your muscles get used to the exercises you do, and it even becomes easy. If that’s the case, you might be at a plateau – causing frustration and minimal growth.
Try switching up your routine. Yeah, it sounds a bit scary at first if you’ve been doing the same stuff for a long time. But, you’re here for a reason. It’s time to break through and start building that muscle again. Change up your exercise routine to get back to gains.
Why Am I Not Building Muscle Mass – Not Increasing Weight
This one is similar to doing the same stuff. Progressively increasing the amount of weight and repetitions you do is key to building muscle mass. This is a major answer to why muscles stop growing, and an additional contributor to plateaus. Push yourself for that extra rep or extra 10 pounds.
If you’re unable to do this alone, ask for a spot or help at the gym. Oftentimes I’ll see guys not moving up because they don’t want to drop the weight or have trouble. If you have a partner or spotter, you can safely get those gains.
Not Getting Sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for metabolism and fighting weight gain. A lack of sleep has been linked to obesity in several studies for various reasons. If you aren’t sleeping enough, it will hurt your ability to grow muscles.
I know it’s not always possible. Sleep seems to be the easiest thing to cut out in a busy schedule. Make it a point to plan your days so you can get enough rest. This can be a game-changer.