If you've been trying to build muscle for a while but you're not seeing results, this post is for you!
TIP NUMBER 1:
Underpinning any good training programme is a sound nutrition strategy aimed at fuelling your body optimally.
When it comes to building muscle arguably the number one priority is your protein intake.
We'll keep this one simple and highlight some macronutrient targets below that you need to try and hit.
Calories: 350-480 cal surplus per day.
Protein: 1.6-2.2g per kg of bodyweight per day.
Fats: 20-40% of your daily calories.
Carbohydrates: g/day = calories left/4.
TIP NUMBER 2:
When you are training in the gym we encourage using exercises with a high degree of stability.
Machines are often a winner. The reason being is they are built to be stable, setting a movement path for you.
'You can't fire a cannon out of a canoe'
The extra stability this machines give you will make it A LOT easier to create force. This means you can focus on using more load/weight and with less things to think about (crushing yourself with heavy dumbbells) you can challenge the target muscle group easier.
Machines aren't your only option and this does not make free weights redundant in your workouts. However, you could make some of these movements more stable for example:
Instead of doing a barbell bent over row, lie face down on a bench and do a chest supported dumbbell row. The bench will stabilise your trunk making it easier to use more load and squeeze your back muscles.
Try holding on to a rack or equivalent when doing Split Squats/Lunges. You can still load this up with a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell and the extra stability means you're less concerned with falling over.
TIP NUMBER 3:
STOP SWITCHING OUT YOUR EXERCISES CONSTANTLY!
When it comes to building muscle consistency is king.
"But i thought you were supposed to keep shocking the muscles to make progress" - sigh.
Although you can't really 'shock' your muscles, there is something called the S.A.I.D principle (specific adaptation to imposed demand) meaning our body will adapt to the specific stress that it is being put under.
So when building strength the adaptation response from your body is to build more muscle tissue and improve strength and overall fitness levels.
Therefore if we only ever impose the same stress, then we won't give the body any reason to change. What worked for you when you first began training, won't work for you several months later.
So YES, we do need to continually challenge our muscles by creating new stressors so that we can get a positive result and bring about change.
This is what people mean when they talk about 'shocking your muscles'.
However, where people get confused is they believe the route to a fresh stressor comes in the form of constantly changing the exercises and hopping from programme to programme.
The switching may create a response but you never spend long enough on a certain stimulus to get any worthwhile adaptations.
So, what should you do?
The NUMBER ONE was to progress for the majority of people is 'progressive overload' and learning to get better at the fundemental movement patterns like; Squats, Hinges, Pushes and Pulls.
The simplest way to 'progressively overload' is through manipulating sets, reps and load to progressively increase the total amount of workload over time. Add a small amount of weight, or try to get a couple extra reps on the weight you've been using.
It sounds simple but it works.
You need to pick a handful of stable movements that suit your body and MASTER THEM over time.
As much as this may seem boring on the surface, when you start to see your numbers fly up and the muscles grow you won't think its boring for long.
Give these tips a go and let us know how you get on.
Check out some of our other tips below:
Maximise your results -https://www.jackknightpt.com/blog/post/7540/5-Tips-for-Maximising-Fitness-Results/
Drop some body fat - https://www.jackknightpt.com/blog/post/20324/the-reason-why-eating-healthy-food-types-alone-wont-help-you-lose-body-fat/
Improve your running - https://www.jackknightpt.com/blog/post/12862/running-the-right-way/