5 Mistakes That Prevent You From Building Muscle Mass
Posted on April 16, 2007
Filed Under Fitness |
So you’re spending two hours at the gym but you still aren’t seeing any significant muscle growth, and you’re thinking of throwing in the towel. Before you call it quits here are 5 mistakes that just might be preventing you from adding more muscle.
Work Your Whole Body
Sure massive and rippling biceps look good but if you spend to much time working on them or any isolated muscle group for that matter you’re not going to see the increase in muscle mass you’ve been hoping for. For faster muscle growth you need to spend time on exercises that work more than one group of muscles at a time, this will stimulate muscle growth hormones in your body.
Keep the Cardiovascular Exercises to a Minimum
Cardiovascular exercises like the treadmill, climber or spinning bike are great for increasing endurance and burning fat. However they aren’t great at helping you build muscle mass, as your body start burning fat and muscle mass. So keep the cardio exercises to a minimum.
Feeling Hungry
Maybe you’ve got that spare tire around the middle of beer belly and you want to get rid of it. So you decide to skip breakfast or lunch or maybe eat a light dinner. The problem is without food for fuel your body metabolism will slow down and you won’t be building muscle. Instead opt for healthy foods first and reduce the amount of calories you consume by 10-15%. This will help you lose weight while giving your body what it still needs.
Feeling Thirsty
Did you know that over 70% of your muscles are made of water? Are you drinking enough water, probably not. We’ve all heard the 8 glasses of water a day thing for years but there’s no proof it’s the right amount for everyone. Instead many experts recommend dividing your weight in half, so if you weighed 180 lbs you would have to drink 90 ounces of water a day. If you play sports or do heavy exercising add another 12 to 20 ounces of water to that number.
Energy Bars are Not Candy Bars
So you just finished a 90 minute workout and need a quick boost, well think twice before you grab the energy bar on the way out of the door. Most energy bars are filled with sugar, so what you’re really getting is a sugar fix. Check the label and look for ones that are low in sugar or don’t have any sugar at all, you’ll feel better and be keeping the junk out of your body.
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