Are You Making These 3 Common Muscle Building Mistakes?
Along with losing weight, building muscle is one of the main motivators for people to work out. A lean and toned physique not only looks attractive, it’s also beneficial for your overall health and wellbeing.
The more muscle mass you build, the more you will see improvements in your posture, balance, metabolism, joint and bone strength. However, muscle building doesn’t happen overnight. It requires planning, hard work, and commitment.
To make sure you achieve optimal results, here are three common mistakes to avoid:
1. Training in the same rep range
One of the top questions I hear from clients is “how many reps should I do?”
Muscle growth is achieved by using a full spectrum of repetition ranges.
Different rep ranges have different effects on muscle tissue. Low reps are in the 1 to 6 range, designed for gaining strength. Reps in the 6 and 12 range, on the other hand, target muscle size. The last rep range, 15 or more, is designed for increasing endurance.
If you want to improve in all three areas – strength, muscle size, and endurance – rep variety is key.
2. Repeating the same exercises
Changing up your exercise selection prevents your muscles from becoming resistant to “trauma” – which is what’s necessary for muscle growth.
Our muscles adapt quickly to exercise. Over time, your body figures out how to perform the same movements while expending less energy – also known as muscle memory. This is why mixing up your routine and finding new ways to challenge your muscles is important.
3. Using the same amount of weight
Building muscle requires that you “shock” the system by using techniques such as progressive overload, supersets and drop sets.
Similar to repeating the same exercises, using the same amount of weight won’t lead to muscle growth. When you lift, it’s important to listen to your body and ask yourself, “am I pushing my limits?” The soreness you feel the next day is a sign your muscles are adapting. As time goes on, and your muscles become used to a certain amount of weight, the soreness will stop. This means you’ve hit a plateau and if you want to continue seeing results, you’ll need to add on weight.
The bottom line is this: the more you push your limits, the more gains you’ll see.
Remember that success is built on trial and error, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you hit a wall with your progress or stop seeing results. That just means it’s time to do a self-assessment and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Building muscle is a process, and being aware of these common mistakes will help you stay on track with your fitness goals.