Building muscle requires dedication, persistence, and knowledge in order to maximize your progress. While it may seem hard for some, don’t feel discouraged by the lack of progress. Let’s dive into some tips that can help maximize your chances for growth.
Genetics
I’ll mention this as an aside, but it by no means sets your journey in stone. While we do inherit certain genetic predispositions as far as our size and muscle building ceiling go, it doesn’t mean you are doomed forever looking good. Even with the “worst” genetics you can still have an above average impressive physique. Think of genetics as the way in which people respond to the stimulus from lifting. Some respond REALLY well and can put on muscle easily. Some just need more conscious programming in order to elicit an appropriate growth signal.
For instance, some may be more fast twitch dominant which allows for great potential for growth. Others (like me) tend to have a slow twitch dominant. I find I need a lot of volume for certain parts of my body to grow. There are also differences in our baseline testosterone production. Guys on the higher end of that will respond well to training than those individuals with a lower baseline.
Metabolism
To put it simply, some people have faster metabolisms, and others not so much. Those with faster metabolisms, can eat way more food, which will be better partitioned for muscle growth compared to fat. Those with slower metabolisms have to watch what and how much they eat a little more closely. This can play a role in how much muscle you build in a bulking phase.
One general rule is, the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn at rest. If we can eat in a slight surplus based on our individual needs, we can ensure we are primed for muscle growth, which down the line will allow us to eat more calories while achieving the same result.
Mind Muscle Connection
When performing your workouts, you need to make sure you are connecting the muscle to the exercise. We should always focus on the big compound movements to move a lot of weight, but not at the expense of form. We need to feel the muscles working and firing properly so that we know they are receiving the right signal to grow. If ALL we do is just move weight for the sake of moving weight, then you will not have a balanced physique.
Make sure you are progressing week to week on your workouts. One rep or five pounds more each week, can continue to provide an appropriate stimulus for muscle growth. On the flip side, not doing this, will never send the right signal and thus keep your physique where it was.
Nutrition
In order to grow we need to eat the right foods. We already talked about being in a surplus but what does that surplus look like? You should be shooting for 1g/lb of your ideal body weight in protein. Failure to eat enough protein will result in lackluster results in your muscle growth. I’ve seen far too many people spinning their wheels because they are too lazy to pay attention to their diets and eat what is necessary for building muscle. The rest of that surplus can come from your preference of carbohydrates and fats. Stick to mostly whole foods, and minimally processed foods so that you are getting the appropriate nutrients as well.
Recovery
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that we aren’t growing when we workout. We grow AFTER the fact. That is, when we are sleeping and resting. Everyone gets so caught up in working out as many days a week because they think more is better. The growth comes at night by getting enough sleep (7-9 hours) to prevent overtraining. That is the crucial time when your body is repairing that broken down muscle tissue to become bigger and stronger.
Make sure you have enough off days to give those muscles time to recover as well. Incorporate some mobility work to keep your range of motion and muscles nice and loose.
