Mass-Building Misfires: Reasons You're Not Gaining

You Don't Eat Enough

Muscle doesn't appear by magic. Muscle requires the right amount of nutrients to grow. That includes protein, carbs, and fat. If you don't eat enough, your body can't use calories for repair and growth. You can lift weights until you're blue in the face, but without excess calories, resistance training won't affect your muscle mass.

You Don't Eat Enough Protein

The more you stress your body, the better your nutrition needs to be. Each source of protein—dairy, beef, poultry, seeds, fish, eggs, etc.— contains different amino acid profiles, so consume a variety of protein. Eating a full spectrum of aminos can be highly beneficial to your muscle-building goals.

You Don't Train Intensely Enough

Lift with purpose and power; don't just go through the motions. Go hard and heavy enough to challenge your body beyond its normal capacity. That's when change happens

You Don't Rest Or Sleep Enough

What you do in the gym causes your muscles to grow, but change doesn't happen until you're resting or sleeping. One major hormone responsible for this change is human growth hormone (HGH). Our HGH levels are highest when we sleep.

Moreover, many studies suggest an association between a lack of sleep and high cortisol levels. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that can break down muscle tissue. It's exactly what you don't want if you're trying to build mass. Cortisol is also linked with stress, which often occurs when you don't get enough shut-eye.

You charge your phone at night, right? Do the same for your body so it functions at its best.

Inconsistency

If you're not consistent with your nutrition, training, and rest, you'll never achieve your goals. Consistency is applying all the right factors to create the optimal environment for your body to grow.

Too Much Cardio

If you're already eating too little, adding cardio and expending more calories will make mass dang near impossible to come by. Don't get me wrong, if you want to build mass and lose body fat at the same time, the right type of cardio is crucial. But your first priority should be resistance training. Feel free to add in a cardio session here or there—but not at the expense of your recovery.

You Aren't Training To Build Mass

To build muscle, you must lift weights. But it goes beyond that. You also have to consistently add resistance so your muscles adapt to the heavier weight. If you don't create a workload that challenges your body, it won't respond.

You Aren't Supplementing Correctly

Start with a multivitamin to ensure you get all the nutrients you may not get from food. Then go for fish oil, which may help reduce inflammation and could help your heart, brain, and joints to function optimally. Third, grab some whey protein powder. You'll get good nutrients and a broad spectrum of amino acids to help you repair and rebuild muscle.

If you struggle to consume enough calories, try a weight-gainer. You might also add creatine monohydrate to aid in strength and lean mass gains.