Why Can't I Build Muscle if I've Been Consistently Lifting Weights?

New to strength training and can’t build muscle even though you are consistent in the gym?

Here are the most likely culprits and how to fix them ⬇️

1. You aren’t taking your sets close to failure. In order to build muscle the last few repetitions of an exercise must be challenging. Here’s an assessment you can do yourself to see if you are pushing yourself appropriately in the gym!

• Pick an exercise and grab weights that (you think) usually challenges you for 10 repetitions.

• Now instead of doing 10 repetitions do as many repetitions as you can until you can’t do another repetition with good form.

• If you got 15 or more repetitions chances are you didn’t actually have a very good gauge on what “challenging” feels like! It’s time to increase the weight!

2. You are picking up the same light weights every time you walk into the gym. Body pump classes at your local gym where you are doing endless repetitions with light weights and no rest periods is not strength training. It’s cardio with light weights. You need a training plan that progresses you from week to week. Whether that be increasing the load, repetitions, changing the tempo of the exercise, etc.

3. You are majoring in the minors. Pick big compound exercises that involve multiple joints and several major muscle groups. Replace those glute kickbacks, and banded clamshells with hip thrusts and lunges and watch your muscle growth skyrocket.

4. Protein. You can’t expect to build muscle if you are skipping breakfast and only getting 15 grams of protein for lunch. You can’t build a house without the materials. Shoot for 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight per day. For example. If your goal weight is 180 lbs you need to be shooting for between 126 grams to 180 grams of protein per day!

If you need a plan that will help you build muscle, click here to book a free discovery call with us!