If you go to a commercial gym and you have been a member for many years you see that there are people that go day in and day out and look the same every year. They complain about their lack of progress but still you see that they very stoically go from one machine to the next and do the same thing over and over again. These people are typically the same ones that attribute their lack of progress to bad genetics, to age or perhaps for not being able to afford the latest new supplement on the market that promises the world. Fact is that their lack of progress is not because of any of the reasons above. In talking to many of these people here are the main causes for training plateaus:
1) Having a poorly designed routine. A poorly designed routine I define as one that takes too long to complete (more than 1 hour in the gym decreases your testosterone levels so after 60 minutes you are wasting your time), that lacks heavy basic exercises, and one that never changes. How many times have I heard that the chest routine that is not working any longer is 3 sets of bench, 3 of incline, and 3 of flyes for 6-8 reps; mind you that this is the same routine that has been used for the past 4 years. Not changing your routine allows the body's nervous system to adapt and get used to it. Once the body adapts there is no further gains. In order to keep the body guessing, intermediate bodybuilders should change their routines every three weeks or so. If you have read my previous articles or any of my publications you know that I am a big proponent of cycling the repetitions, set numbers and rest times in a logical manner in order to make the most gains in a minimum amount of time. These cycling principles are nothing more than periodization of the workouts, a tried and true technique that allows the gains to keep coming while preventing stagnation. In any case, the moral of the story is to change the workout routines. A good indicator of when to change is that once you don't get sore it is time to change. The more advanced you become the more this becomes a reality. As a matter of fact, highly trained bodybuilders change their routines every time that they go to the gym in order to keep the body from going stagnant.
2) Having a poor diet. This is the second factor in lack of gains. Many times people think that they are eating a lot but what they perceive as sufficient is not nearly enough to cause muscle gains. In order to get the body to grow you need at least 1.0-1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (LBM-fat free weight). This needs to be spread in 6-8 meals (the larger you are the more meals you need) in order to be able to maintain a constant flux of amino acids going into the system and in order to prevent the body from going into a catabolic state; a state that typically happens after 3.5 hrs of no eating in which the body starts using the body's amino acid supply (muscles) to feed itself. Also you need sufficient good fats in the diet to support the production of hormones as well as enough carbohydrates to fuel your workouts. Good fats are in the form of Flaxseed Oil or in the form of Udo's Ultimate Oil Blend. If muscle size is the goal then Udo's Oil is better (3 Tablespoons throughout the day should suffice most people over 150 and 2 if under 150). Use Flax Oil when fat loss is the goal. Carbohydrate requirements vary based on metabolism. A person with a slow metabolism that needs to gain muscle should have anywhere from 1.0-1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (fat free weight). A good way to start is using the 1.5 gram figure and if you notice that your skinfold calipers are showing a bigger number then reduce to a lesser amount. If a high metabolism is your case then 2-3 grams per pound of LBM should be your requirement. Also, ensure that after the workout anywhere from 50-100 grams of carbs are taken from simple high glycemic sources such as grape juice along with whey isolate (a fast release protein) in order to re-fill the muscle glycogen stores and provide the amino acids that are much needed for repair in order to expedite the recovery process.
3) Not enough rest. Are you aware that a night of lost sleep can set back your testosterone levels (which is one of the hormones that is most responsible for muscle growth) for about 3 days? Not good if muscle growth is what you are after. In addition, depressed sleep also causes insulin insensitivity; a condition where your muscle cells become less acceptant of the hormone insulin. This is not good as insulin is the hormone that carries both the carbohydrates and the amino acids from protein into the muscle cell so by having insulin resistance this is a process that short circuits. In addition to that, insulin resistance causes the body to start producing more insulin as a means to overcompensate which will give you low blood sugar levels along with increased fat storage (since the body will take those nutrients that it can not store in the liver or muscle cells and store them as fat for future energy purposes). Couple all of this with increased cortisol levels (hormone that destroys muscle tissue and helps the body store fat) and you have a sure fire recipe to a smaller fatter you. If looking good is your goal, 7-9 hours of sleep (more for the elite bodybuilders that train twice a day) is the prescription.
4) Too much alcohol. Yet another muscle growth killer and fat storage facilitator. I'm not against and occasional drink or two but if you are planning on getting toasted every weekend say good-bye to muscle gains and hello to the bear gut. Plan on buying bigger pants, as alcohol gets stored in the body rather quickly in addition to the fact that each gram has 7 calories. So if muscle growth is the goal, water should be the main beverage of choice with the prescription being 0.66 times total bodyweight in ounces of water per day.
While there are more reasons out there why there is no more muscle growth in the gyms these days these are the main ones that come to mind. Remember, success in bodybuilding equals Determination x (Training + Nutrition + Recovery). By sabotaging one of the components in the formula you will get less results than what you should be getting. Incorporate all of the components correctly and you'll be amazed at how quickly you can induce change. Your friends will start accusing you of being on steroids; I guarantee you!
Best of Health,
Hugo A. Rivera
Visit www.gainmusclemassfast.com and check out Hugo's Revised Editions of The Body Sculpting Bible for Men and The Body Sculpting Bible for Women.
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