By Laura Williams, Men's Journal
Look, packing on muscle isn’t exactly rocket science. But if you’re
struggling to get ripped, your routine might be the culprit. Here are
the hurdles getting between you and a powerful-looking physique.
Excess Calorie Restriction
[post_ads]Getting lean and getting big are two different
things. While calorie restriction can do wonders for helping you lose
excess fat, going overboard with excess calorie restriction isn’t doing
you any favors. “Many men are worried about eating too much because
they’re afraid of putting on fat while trying to gain muscle,” says Ivana Chapman,
a strength and conditioning specialist and a national-level
bodybuilder. “But if you don’t consume enough calories, or if you just
meet your current nutritional needs, there won’t be anything left for
your body to build muscle with.”
Think about it: Your body’s in a
state of constant cellular turnover. You need a steady flow of energy
(food) to maintain your current status. If you restrict your food intake
too much, you’re essentially cutting off your body’s building supplies,
and that’s a problem if you’re trying to build new muscle.
Cutting All Carbs
It’s fine if you ditch your soda and chip habit — you should do
that anyway — but Chapman points out that high-quality carbs optimize
muscle recovery by replenishing muscle glycogen stores between training
sessions. “If you’re falling short of carbs, you’ll never get the most
from your weight training sessions, ultimately limiting your gains,” she
says. Stick to high-quality carbs from fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains, and eat a diet balanced with all three macronutrients: proteins,
carbs, and fats.
Too Much Cardio
No one’s suggesting you give up your running routine
altogether, but if you’re splitting your gym sessions equally between
strength training and cardio, you’re sending your body conflicting
signals. “We are adaptation machines, which means our body gets better
at anything it does on the reg,” says Rob Sulaver, Founder and CEO of Bandana Training and Founding Trainer of Rumble.
“Generally speaking, when you do a lot of cardio, your muscles get
smaller and more efficient, and when you do a lot of strength training,
your muscles get bigger and more powerful.”
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Of course, this is a
simplified explanation for how the body adapts to exercise, and Sulaver
is quick to point out that cardio isn't the enemy of muscle. But if
you’re struggling to put on mass, you have to adjust your routine to
include more anabolic, or muscle-building, activities. Sulaver suggests
switching out your long runs for alactic intervals, such as med-ball
slams, battle ropes, or short sprints with 10 to 15 seconds of work and
60 to 90 seconds rest.
Skipping Leg Day
Sure, you want to develop the “show me” muscles of your chest
and biceps, but working your upper body to the detriment of your legs is
a bad idea, and not just because you end up looking disproportionate.
“If you want to gain size, it’s important to target the lower body,
specifically with squats and deadlifts,” says Todd Durkin,
a strength and conditioning coach for professional athletes.
[post_ads]“Working
the glutes, quads, and larger muscle groups helps stimulate testosterone
and growth hormone.” These hormones are critical to muscle protein
synthesis and muscle hypertrophy, so if you fail to sufficiently work
the largest muscles in your entire body, you’re cutting your workouts
off at the knees. A well-balanced, full-body program maximizes natural
hormone production and sets you up to gain mass efficiently.
Not Training to Failure
“Henneman’s size principle
clearly states that the ‘fast twitch’ muscle fibers, the ones most
responsible for hypertrophy, aren’t recruited until your level of effort
reaches its highest point in a set,” says Fredrick Hahn, a NYC-based
personal trainer. In other words, you’ve got to max out each set to
enjoy maximum hypertrophy.
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If you’re regularly tearing through
three sets of 10 with no problem, it’s time to make adjustments. You can
do this by performing more repetitions with lighter weight, or fewer
repetitions with heavier weight. Either way, the goal is to take each
set to complete muscle failure, Hahn says. Of course, the most efficient
way to do this is by lifting heavier weights with fewer repetitions,
but research indicates
that taking your muscles to failure is more critical than the load you
use to get there. So lift light or lift heavy — either way, give each
set your all.
Ignoring the Importance of Sleep
Like every other situation in your life, a lack of sleep is
going to bring you down. “Sleep is when you rest, recover, and grow,”
Durkin says. When you're asleep, your body repairs the muscle tissue you
damaged during your workouts. If you don’t clock enough sleep at night,
you’re not giving your body the chance to effectively recover.
To get the most out of it, maximize your protein synthesis at the same time. “I recommend taking some casein protein before going to bed, then having your nighttime routine dialed in,” Durkin says. Casein is a slow-releasing protein that’s perfect for overnight muscle maintenance — so you can keep your muscles fed while you're busy sleeping off a rough workout.
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To get the most out of it, maximize your protein synthesis at the same time. “I recommend taking some casein protein before going to bed, then having your nighttime routine dialed in,” Durkin says. Casein is a slow-releasing protein that’s perfect for overnight muscle maintenance — so you can keep your muscles fed while you're busy sleeping off a rough workout.
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