Are you struggling to make gains? Do you feel like you’re doing everything right, but your body just won’t respond? You’re not alone. A lot of people find it difficult to add muscle mass, regardless of how hard they train or how carefully they eat. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most common reasons why people don’t make gains and offer tips to help you overcome them!
One of the most common reasons people don’t make gains is because they are not training hard enough. If you’re not pushing yourself in the gym, then you’re not going to see results. Your muscles need to be challenged in order to grow, so make sure you’re always lifting heavy and trying to beat your personal bests.
Not training to failure
This is the point at which you can no longer complete a repetition of an exercise with good form. When you train to failure, you are pushing your muscles to their absolute limit, which is essential for growth.
PRO TIP: Using a spotter, smith machine or a hammer strength machine is a great way to go to failure safely. After your warp up sets (3 to 5) Take your sets to absolute failure.
You train to often
If you are training a muscle group more than twice per week, you are probably overtraining. This can lead to a decrease in strength and muscle mass, rather than an increase. Try reducing the frequency of your workouts and see if you start making gains again.
Recovery is just as important as the actual workout itself. If you don’t give your muscles time to repair and grow, they will never get bigger. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep (aim for eight hours per night), eating plenty of protein, and taking rest days when needed.
You have bad form
If your form is poor, you will not only be less likely to make gains, but you will also be more likely to get injured. Make sure you are using proper form on all of your exercises and focus on quality over quantity.
You’re not eating enough
In order to grow, your body needs fuel. If you’re not eating enough calories, then your body will not have the energy it needs to build muscle. Try increasing your calorie intake by 500-1000 per day and see if that helps you make gains.
You’re not eating the right foods
It’s not just about how many calories you eat, but also what type of foods you eat. If you’re not consuming enough protein, then you will struggle to build muscle mass. Aim to consume 0.82-0.91 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day.
PRO TIP: Use a food tracker like the MyMacros app. If you are already eating this much protein, bump it up to 1.5 to 2 grams per pound but make sure your protein is lean, or you may add more fat than muscle!
If your confused on what to eat for bodybuilding check out the 6 Foods that work post HERE
Undiagnosed food allergies
Another common reason people don’t gain muscle is because they have undiagnosed food allergies that could be causing inflammation and preventing protein synthesis . If you think this might be the case for you, consider getting tested by a qualified healthcare professional.
Genetic potential
Finally, some people simply don’t have the genetic potential to build a lot of muscle . This doesn’t mean you should give up on your bodybuilding goals, but it’s important to be realistic about your expectations.
There is whats referred to in the bodybuilding world a “genetic ceiling”.
This basically means that your arms may only be able to grow to 18 inches. That’s your genetic ceiling. The only way to move past those ceilings isn’t with steroids, although that is a common misconception. Its is primarily done with GH and insulin.
We recommend doing everything you can before resorting to that method. You will have a much stronger based and knowledge that can only come from time served.
Don’t give up!
If you’re struggling to make gains, don’t give up! Keep working hard and following these tips and you will eventually see the results you’re after. Remember, muscle growth takes time, so be patient and stay consistent with your training and diet. And if all else fails, consult a qualified professional who can help you troubleshoot your problem areas. Good luck!
Thanks for reading! We hope this blog post was helpful.
If you’d like to see our top training techniques for hard gainers, make sure to check out or WORKOUT PROGRAMS FOR HARD GAINERS post with full walkthrough videos. You’re gonna be glad you did.
