| TFM WEEKLY NUT
This week's highlights and best content in a nutshell | | | Hey! This week I thought I'd share with you eight reasons why most fail when trying to gain muscle. Most of these can be said about training for strength, fat loss, or performance also.
If you're not progressing right now consider where you might be falling short, and which of these you could do better. Here goes: - You're not being consistent with a program, and you're not sticking to the same program for long enough. As a general rule try sticking with the same program for at least 3 weeks before changing it up.
- Your not doing a program that's intended for you, your own body type, recovery capacity, genetics, injuries or limitations and so on. If you do amateur programs you get amateur results. Athletes have coaches so why shouldn't you.
- Your not tracking progress. Progressive overload is key, so unless you're tracking your progress n some way you wont know. Keep a diary, use an app, have a coach, it doesn't matter. Track your numbers.
- You're not eating enough. And some of you might be saying right now but im eating 4000 calories a day and im still not gaining muscle weight. Okay, well eat more then. If you're not gaining weight it's clear you're not in a calorie surplus, no matter what amount fo food you're eating. Eat more.
- You increased your calories too quickly and your gaining fat instead of muscle. Start by adding just 200 calories a week over your maintenance calories and go from there. Total calorie intake is just as much of an art as it is a science. Small adjustments are key.
- Your training volume is too high. Training is to stimulate, not annihilate. You should be able to get sufficient stimulation within 50-60 minutes MAX. If you're taking longer you're either resting between sets for too long (which is better for strength and not muscle development), or your volume is too high.
- You're not venturing out of the magical muscle building rep range. Yes you can grow muscle at 8-12 reps, but you can also grow muscle at 5/6 reps, and at 15-20 reps. If you spend all your time in one rep range, the best thing you can do is spend some time in another to target different mechanisms that stimulate muscle growth.
- Trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. It's very hard to gain muscle while simultaneously losing body fat. One requires an energy deficit and the other a surplus. If you're trying to get lean do that first while striving to maintain strength. You can then spend the rest of your life trying to get big and strong after you get lean and stay lean.
Have you identified any of these YOU could be doing better? Great, my job today's done! Pick the lowest hanging fruit and try to implement that change this week. Deal?
Yours in strength and health,
Gareth | | | If you're ready to step up your strength and physique, click the link below to find out more about 1:1 Online Coaching with me
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