Gaining muscle isn’t easy. For most of us, it takes a strong effort in the gym and a consistent nutrition plan.
That being said, adding just a few pounds of extra lean muscle to your body can significantly improve body composition and increase your resting metabolism. If your ultimate goal of building muscle is to burn fat, remember that weight lifting is more important for fat loss than cardio.
Regardless of why you want to build muscle, your results will be a direct reflection of your nutrition plan. We’ve put together five critical nutrition mistakes people make when trying to gain muscle so you can avoid them and achieve your goals faster!
(This article was written by our friends at Pretty Fit.)
5 Nutrition Mistakes That Sabotage Lean Muscle Gains
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1 of 5
Corbis Images
You’re not eating enough
The number one reason people have a hard time gaining muscle is they’re not eating enough. Just remember the old saying regarding muscle growth: “calories in must exceed calories out.” Plain and simple, your muscles need high quality calories (especially protein and carbohydrates) and resistance training to grow.So if you’re working out regularly and expending a lot of energy during your workouts, you’re going to need adequate calories in order to build muscle.A good rule of thumb when trying to gain muscle is to aim for 1 gram of protein daily per pound of body weight. Combine that with the proper amount of carbohydrates and you’ll be successful.Everybody’s systems react differently to different levels of carbohydrate intake so we recommend trying a program like flexible dieting to test out how your body responds to different amounts of carbohydrates. Also, if you’re working out hard 3-5 times per week, but not showing any muscle growth, try upping your carbohydrate and protein intake pre-and post-workout. Which brings us to our next point…nutrient timing.
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Milan_Jovic / Getty
You’re not timing your nutrition right
Even if you are eating enough calories to build muscle, you may need to adjust when you eat.Everyone knows the importance of post-workout nutrition, but did you know that pre-workout and intra-workout nutrition is just as important for building muscle?Studies show elevated levels of amino acids and insulin during a workout improves muscle performance during the workout and consequently greater muscle gains. So, next time you head to the gym, try to eat a snack before you hit the weights. We recommend yogurt and fruit or a protein bar about 45 minutes before your workout to help fuel your muscles for a great workout and subsequent muscle growth.
3 of 5
Corbis images
Your nutrition is inconsistent
The human body is resilient and always wants to be in homeostasis. This means that if you want to gain muscle, it’s going to take some consistency in order to cause your body to adapt. In this day and age, it’s a common trend to try out the latest nutrition plan or program for a week and then move on after you don’t see immediate results.For the most part it will take a nutrition program of 4-6 weeks for your body to fully adapt and for you to see changes. If you’re trying to gain muscle, don’t let a stressful week of work or travel ruin your program. Plan ahead and make sure you hit your calorie intake and get your workouts in. Simultaneously, if you’re eating and training well during the week, but eating poorly during the weekends your progress will suffer. Don’t throw your program to the wind just because your friends are throwing a party on Saturday. Which brings us to our next mistake… alcohol and hangovers.
4 of 5
corbis images
You’re drinking too much alcohol
We all love going out once in a while, hitting the town or going out for a big dinner with friends is always a blast. However, if this means having a few too many drinks or consuming too many junk calories frequently, it may negatively impact your gains in the gym.Dehydration caused by excessive drinking can hurt your progress. Also, who hasn’t either binged on unhealthy food while drunk or missed meals when hungover after a late night out? Not only does the hangover the next day cause your diet to suffer, studies show that consuming alcohol after training can impede progress in the gym and consequently, impede muscle growth. Our recommendation is to not train on days you know you’re going to be drinking. Stay hydrated and make sure you’re drinking water before, during and after going out.
5 of 5
Jordan Beal / EyeEm / Getty
You rely too heavily on supplements for protein
Protein shakes are great for pre and post workout and snacks, or even a quick pick-me-up during the day. However, they should not be your main source of protein. While protein powders are convenient and full of good amino acids, whole food sources of protein contain other valuable vitamins, minerals, fats and more. What’s more, the process in which protein powders are made may negatively affect their quality. Protein processing that uses heat can degrade the quality. We always recommend protein powders that have been cold-processed and micro-filtered to ensure quality. Aim to get 90% of your protein intake from whole foods and sources of good protein like meats, eggs, dairy, nuts and legumes.(This article was written by our friends at Pretty Fit.)
The number one reason people have a hard time gaining muscle is they’re not eating enough. Just remember the old saying regarding muscle growth: “calories in must exceed calories out.”
Plain and simple, your muscles need high quality calories (especially protein and carbohydrates) and resistance training to grow.
So if you’re working out regularly and expending a lot of energy during your workouts, you’re going to need adequate calories in order to build muscle.
A good rule of thumb when trying to gain muscle is to aim for 1 gram of protein daily per pound of body weight. Combine that with the proper amount of carbohydrates and you’ll be successful.
Everybody’s systems react differently to different levels of carbohydrate intake so we recommend trying a program like flexible dieting to test out how your body responds to different amounts of carbohydrates.
Also, if you’re working out hard 3-5 times per week, but not showing any muscle growth, try upping your carbohydrate and protein intake pre-and post-workout. Which brings us to our next point…nutrient timing.
You’re not timing your nutrition right
Even if you are eating enough calories to build muscle, you may need to adjust when you eat.
Everyone knows the importance of post-workout nutrition, but did you know that pre-workout and intra-workout nutrition is just as important for building muscle?
Studies show elevated levels of amino acids and insulin during a workout improves muscle performance during the workout and consequently greater muscle gains.
So, next time you head to the gym, try to eat a snack before you hit the weights. We recommend yogurt and fruit or a protein bar about 45 minutes before your workout to help fuel your muscles for a great workout and subsequent muscle growth.
Your nutrition is inconsistent
The human body is resilient and always wants to be in homeostasis. This means that if you want to gain muscle, it’s going to take some consistency in order to cause your body to adapt. In this day and age, it’s a common trend to try out the latest nutrition plan or program for a week and then move on after you don’t see immediate results.For the most part it will take a nutrition program of 4-6 weeks for your body to fully adapt and for you to see changes. If you’re trying to gain muscle, don’t let a stressful week of work or travel ruin your program. Plan ahead and make sure you hit your calorie intake and get your workouts in. Simultaneously, if you’re eating and training well during the week, but eating poorly during the weekends your progress will suffer. Don’t throw your program to the wind just because your friends are throwing a party on Saturday. Which brings us to our next mistake… alcohol and hangovers.
You’re drinking too much alcohol
We all love going out once in a while, hitting the town or going out for a big dinner with friends is always a blast. However, if this means having a few too many drinks or consuming too many junk calories frequently, it may negatively impact your gains in the gym.
Dehydration caused by excessive drinking can hurt your progress. Also, who hasn’t either binged on unhealthy food while drunk or missed meals when hungover after a late night out? Not only does the hangover the next day cause your diet to suffer, studies show that consuming alcohol after training can impede progress in the gym and consequently, impede muscle growth. Our recommendation is to not train on days you know you’re going to be drinking. Stay hydrated and make sure you’re drinking water before, during and after going out.
You rely too heavily on supplements for protein
Protein shakes are great for pre and post workout and snacks, or even a quick pick-me-up during the day. However, they should not be your main source of protein. While protein powders are convenient and full of good amino acids, whole food sources of protein contain other valuable vitamins, minerals, fats and more.
What’s more, the process in which protein powders are made may negatively affect their quality. Protein processing that uses heat can degrade the quality. We always recommend protein powders that have been cold-processed and micro-filtered to ensure quality. Aim to get 90% of your protein intake from whole foods and sources of good protein like meats, eggs, dairy, nuts and legumes.
(This article was written by our friends at Pretty Fit.)
