Top 5 mistakes made when trying to build muscle

People make many mistakes when trying to build muscle. Here are some of the top 5 mistakes and how to overcome them.

#1 You don't eat enough food

Much like when trying to lose weight, when you are trying to add weight, it is solely dependant on your calorie intake and output. To add weight, you have to be in a calorie surplus, only then can the body store muscle and grow. If you are not eating enough then you will not add muscle. So you think you’ve tried everything? Well you haven't. If you think you are a ‘hard gainer’ you just haven't eaten enough yet. We know it's hard to consume 4-5 thousand calories a day, so be smart. Shakes are a perfect solution to this! Frozen fruit, superfoods such as flax seed, and protein powder in a blender can easily add up to 1,000 calories, and tastes wonderful too!

#2 You don’t stick to a workout plan

[caption id="attachment_3904" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Make a plan, then stick to it.[/caption] A lot of people go to the gym every day, without knowing what they are about to do. Maybe they have a body part ready in their head to train, but that’s it. Going in with a set plan week to week, knowing you are tracking your progress, lifting more on the same exercise than the week before, doing more reps than the week before. It is all important, and vital to your progress when wanting to add weight. So, get yourself a good 8-12 week plan and follow it to the exact letter.

#3 You are training incorrectly

Similarly to not sticking to a workout plan, doing the wrong plan for your goals is a common mistake too. When trying to add muscle, it is a constant battle of not burning too many calories while taking in as many as possible. Now I'm not saying don’t train with absolute 100% intensity, but train smartly, giant sets and the like will burn and burn calories until the day is done. Lift heavy with perfect form, concentrating on every single rep you do, squeeze everything out and leave your all in the gym. Train smartly.

#4 Don’t be afraid to gain a little fat

[caption id="attachment_3903" align="aligncenter" width="623"] It's completely fine to add a bit of body fat when building muscle[/caption] This one can be a tough one, especially for those who have spent a good few months in a cut. However it is important to get your head around the fact that when you are gaining muscle in a calorie surplus, you will store a little fat. You have to embrace this, focus on the weights going up and the PB’s coming in week to week. You can worry about your body fat when you book your summer holiday. Right now there is nothing you can do but keep getting those calories on board and doing the hard work in the off season.

#5 Patience

Patience, something which a lot of us (namely me) do not have. However this is important to your progress and goals. If you get impatient with things and you stray off track, then all of the above components will not come together and create what you need to reach your goal. You will stray off from the diet, stray from the training because you want to change things up. This is another why it is so important to have a plan, but a varied, non boring plan, that excites you and keeps you in line. Having patience and trusting the process is important, if you feel you need to change things after say 6 weeks, that is ok! But two weeks, even four weeks, is far too soon! Stick at it!