Myths & Mistakes Holding You Back
Gaining weight and muscles is never an easy feat unless you are really serious about it. Sometimes, you could be missing out on valuable gains only because you’re making some silly mistakes that can be easily avoided. So, before you skip the idea of gaining weight because of being stuck in one place, it’s time to review some common mistakes you might be doing and try to make a positive change.
Common Mistakes You Should Avoid
Gaining Weight And Muscles ,You Don’t Wait to See the Results
It is kind of funny to expect “visible results” the first day you start working out. Remember, if you’re true to your mission, you will wait and see your muscle mass increase steadily with each exercise. As you continue to workout, your brain gets better at instructing muscle coordination and you can easily see yourself getting “bigger.” So, continue putting in hard work and impressive results will surely follow.
You Don’t Keep a Record of Your Progress
How do you know your training plan is not working out the way you want it to? If you really want to boost your muscle gain, it is important that you keep a record of your workout routine, weights used and the breaks you took between workout sessions. Remember, to gain muscle mass quickly, you need to know what you did yesterday and what needs to be done today to increase your net gain. Maintaining a log is a great way to look back at how well you’ve built on your exercise routine without being injured or burned out.
You Have No Plan
This perhaps is the most fatal mistake. And, you already know that having a plan is one of the most important parts of the muscle building process. Random exercises might give you results instantly, but remember they won’t last long. Nothing can improve and increase muscle mass the same way a properly planned exercise plan does. So make a plan and stick to it to gain muscle mass fast.
You Are Too Stressed!
No matter how hard you try, you cannot achieve impressive results unless your body is stress free. Even though it’s easier said than done, you need to lower your stress to build muscle mass. The less stress you have on your body, the bigger and better your muscles will grow. Eat the right amount of healthy food and drink plenty of water. You also need to get seven to eight hours of peaceful night sleep to see your muscles get better.
You Skip the Basics
Don’t blame your body and muscles if you have the habit of skipping basics during your workout. Contrary to what you think, doing isolation exercises is not the best solution for bigger gains. Basic moves, such as bench presses and squats, force your body muscles to work together, which really helps them grow. So, the next time you think about skipping the basics, remember that you are damaging your body at your own will.
You Simply Cannot Quit Smoking and Drinking
Drinking and smoking not only cause health issues, but they also have a negative impact on your muscle training. Smoking causes carbon monoxide to get trapped in your body, and your muscles cannot get enough oxygen. When there is less oxygen, your muscles cannot contract and relax effectively, which can sabotage all your hard work.
As far as alcohol is concerned, regular drinking can actually decrease muscle mass and interfere with hormones that help you build muscles. So, the bottom-line is: stay away from smoking and drinking while you try to gain muscle mass.
You Don’t Drink Enough Water
Your body requires plenty of water to utilize the proteins and build muscle mass. If you’re an active guy, your proteins should be divided among five to six meals, and don’t forget to drink at least eight to ten glasses of water a day. This will not only help your body utilize more of the proteins you are eating, but your kidneys will also be under less
stress.
Your Calories Do Not Support Muscle Gain
In order to build muscles and put on size, you can’t eat like a small bird. As mentioned earlier, you need to have five to six meals per a day. And make sure your body receives just the right amount of calories to help you gain muscles. Remember, eating junk or refined sugar will only make you unhealthy, so put some time into planning your meals for the day.
You Look for Shortcuts
Half or quarter reps will only give you half or quarter results, so it is better if you don’t look for shortcuts. Make sure you perform the required reps for each exercise to maximize your gains. Remember half and quarter reps have their importance as assistance exercises, but for great results, you have to sweat a bit more than you might want to.
You Don’t Attempt Compound Movements
Most beginners perform curls, lateral raises, calf raises and front raises at the wrong time, so they don’t get the desired results. You can perform big compound lifts right at the start of your workout process when you are fresh and energetic. This will surely give you much better results in the long run.
You Spend Needless Hours in the Gym
Spending needless hours in the gym is not going to help you; rather, it is going to add to your stress levels. Remember, your muscles can get the right amount of training required in a 45 or 60 minute workout that is properly done. Too many reps or useless hours in the gym will not allow your muscles to recover, and this can result in diminishing returns. So the next time you go to a gym, do your desired workout and then go back home.
Uncovering Muscle Building Myths
You Can Build Big Muscles When You Lift Weights Really Slowly!
The real truth is that your muscle mass and strength increases when you do the lifting phase as rapidly as possible, and then lower the weights slowly down with great control.
Lots of Proteins Means Bigger Muscles!
Most of you would be quite shocked to know that increasing your intake of proteins can actually become harmful for your muscles. If you have a proper workout plan, consuming about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is what you really need.
Remember, excessive proteins (more than what your body requires) are broken down into amino acids and nitrogen, which not only puts extra stress on your kidneys, but excess proteins are also converted to carbohydrates and stored inside your body. This means you have more chances of getting ‘fatter’ so try to stick to your daily protein intake of one gram protein per one lb. of body weight.
Stretching During a Workout Reduces Your Chances of Getting Injured
Stretching your body does improve your flexibility, but warming up before an exercise is what really reduces your risk of getting injured. When you warm up, your blood flow is increased slowly, and your muscles become well prepared for the training session that is coming up next.
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