5 Things to Avoid When You Are Trying to Gain Muscle

It's the most frustrating experience that you can have as a bodybuilder; you train hard, but get very little to no gains for your efforts. Many of us will react to this by either working out more, harder, or stop working out altogether.

Photo courtesy of FlickrdotcomTonyAlter

Unfortunately, neither of these will get you the results that you deserve. The road to muscle gains without the use of anabolic steroids is a long one, but it can be enjoyable, as long as you avoid these mistakes.

1. Overtraining: Training for too long is the number one reason why many bodybuilders fail to make satisfactory gains. I think it's part enthusiasm (the willingness to put in the hard work) and part anticipation (we can't wait to see ourselves with big muscles). Solution: Continue to train as hard as you possibly can, but limit your workouts to forty minutes max. Hint: Keeping your workouts short will also help you stay focused.
2. Lack of Rest: You must give your muscles adequate time to repair, so getting at least eight hours of sleep each night is essential. Also, giving your muscles more rest in between workouts will allow for maximum growth. Sleep, food, and water are what makes muscles grow. One day of rest between workouts is great for those who use anabolic steroids, but the rest of us require at least two days, three if you want your muscles to grow to their full potential. Adequate rest will also help your muscles perform better at your next workout.
3. Not Working Out Hard Enough: No, this is not a contradiction to overtraining. What I mean by not hard enough is that you must provide your muscles with sufficient stimulation in order for them to grow. I forget where I heard this saying, but I recite it during every workout; "stimulate, don't annihilate." Hint: Go hard and heavy for a shorter period, then get plenty of muscle growing rest.
4. Lack of Water: Water is a vital nutrient for our muscles, it adds volumes to them, literally. On the other hand, dehydrated muscles will appear flat and lack tone. In order to build muscle, you must keep them hydrated. Forget the eight glass a day rule, that isn't nearly enough for bodybuilders. Instead, drink at least two quarts, and be sure to drink more over the course of each workout day.
5. Excluding Dietary Fats: Don't be afraid of dietary fats, they are your friend. But not just any fat, good fats. Good fats are what your body uses to produce hormones, including testosterone, which is necessary for building big muscles.

The good news is, once you stop making these easy to avoid mistakes, you will start making those gains that you are working so hard for, and deserve. It worked for me.