6 Reasons why you won't grow muscle - by Chris Aceto
by Chris Aceto
No doubt, you've heard the old saying "A wise man is one who learns from his mistakes." But, have you heard how to define a brilliant man? He's the one who learns from other people's mistakes. Avoiding flub-ups, is half the game in getting big. Sure you have to know what to do, but it is equally important to know what not to do what to avoid so that you can make steady, plateau-free gains in mass and size. This issue, I'll share with you what I see as some of the, well, dumb things, bodybuilders do that hold back their progress and gains.
1) Fear Of Carbohydrates
Get over it! There is no place in mass building nutrition for a low carb or even a modified low carb diet. Carbohydrates are essential for building mass and increasing protein synthesis the body's ability to take the protein you eat and convert it into muscle tissue. Without a sufficient intake in carbs, you risk falling into a catabolic state because carbohydrates are the driving force that help protein build new muscle mass. If you are training hard, you'll need at least 2 grams per pound of bodyweight on training days and 1.5 grams on off training or rest days.
2) Too Little Fat
The two major nutrients that build mass are protein and carbohydrates. Third in the group is dietary fat, yet a lot of bodybuilders or fitness fanatics go to the extreme and skew dietary fat fearing some fat may increase body fat levels. Thatıs not so. Fat helps alleviate the body's reliance upon carbohydrates and proteins which simply means those mass builders can do just that build or support gains in mass as long as you have an adequate intake of dietary fat. Whatıs adequate? Without getting technical, you should eat at least 30 grams of protein daily from lean red meat, have at least 1 egg yolk daily, a tablespoon of olive oil and eat salmon 3 times a week. Red meat and egg yolks provide saturated fats, building blocks for testosterone and insulin, olive oil has actually been shown to support fat metabolism and omega-3 fats, the special ones in salmon support the formation of muscle glycogen and fight muscle inflammation.
3) Failing to Eat Enough Before Training
Youıve likely heard of the "post training window," the 60-90 minute time frame after training that is critical in recovery. The idea is that eating immediately after you train kicks on the recovery and growth process. In my opinion, what you eat before training is even more critical. Thatıs because the total amount of carbohydrates and protein in the blood immediately before training plays a direct role in how much catabolic muscle wasting hormones will be secreted with training. The fewer catabolic hormones you release, the more you will grow over the long haul. Thatıs why I suggest 20-35 grams of protein powder with 60-80 grams of carbs just 45 minutes before training. It supports growth by suppressing the release of the hormones that interfere with building muscle.
4) Not Enough Meals
You can grow on 4 meals a day, and certainly on 5, but for the hard gainer or the individual who adds too much body fat while trying to "bulk" might need to try 7 meals a day. Yes it's a pain, meaning you have to eat something a small meal or shake every 90 minutes but it is often the single biggest factor that helps many overcome that hump and add good size. Why? Metabolism. Seven meals keeps the metabolism humming not only the fat burning metabolism so you add fat free mass, but also protein metabolism. The body is always in a protein flux, using and shuttling proteins around the body, and seven meals seems to increase protein synthesis build up - which leads to growth.
5) Maintaining The Same Diet
I have read many times where bodybuilders mix up their training routine, not performing the same monotonous routine week after week. The reasoning: the body adapts to the "same old, same old" and fails to grow. Thereıs some truth there with nutrition as well. In particular, after 2-3 weeks, the body adapts to the point where in order to gain mass or to re-stimulate any serious amount of growth, you have to shock the body with a high calorie intake. That means taking a day and eating significantly more carbs and protein than normal to get the body to grow. The high calorie intake increases anabolic hormones which allows you to grow even where previous gains may have stagnated.
6) Failing to Use the Right Tools To Re-Evaluate.
Gaining mass does not have to be too complicated. If the bathroom scale is going up, you are adding mass. Period. Sure you could be adding body fat too, but there is no arguing with the scale. If itıs upward, you are on track. Itıs mind boggling to me the number of people who think they can add mass without seeing an increase in bodyweight! The other tool to use is a tape measure. If the scale is going up and your waist measurement is staying the same, then you are likely adding a lot more muscle mass then body fat. If you see an increase of more than ½ an inch in the waist, then you might need to reconsider your nutrition plan and cut down on the portion sizes of your carbohydrates. Skin calipers? With the best athletes in the world, I have never relied on them. I use the basics the scale and a tape measure!
Chris Aceto won the Collegiate Mr. America while graduating with honors from Springfield College with a degree in Exercise Science. He has since made a career out of coaching the bodybuilding's top contenders, including Jay Cutler and heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield. He is a regular contributor in Muscle & Fitness and FLEX magazines, and CEO of Nutramedia.com.
