Have you been working out for what seems like forever, and yet still have nothing to show for it? I know the feeling, and it sucks.
So why is this?
This could be for so many different reasons, but today I am going to talk about your lifestyle. There are many factors that you cannot control that might be inhibiting your gains, but your lifestyle is something that can change.
It might seem like you have already changed your lifestyle by adding in some lifting, some nutrition and taking some extra supplements. However if you still drink almost every night, don’t eat enough calories and macronutrients, and sleep 4 hours a night, your gains are going to suffer.
Nutrition
If you really want to build muscle and gain weight, your lifestyle has to reflect that 100%. If you have the perfect workout and horrible nutrition you’ll get nowhere. Nutrition plays a huge part in bodybuilding and muscle building. Skipping the proper nutrition won’t just hamper your gains it will stop them completely.
Now this isn’t a nutrition article, but if you are really serious about packing on muscle, you’ll want to study up on proper nutrition and then implement it into your everyday life. This doesn’t have to suck as much as you might think. Eating right isn’t that hard when it becomes part of your lifestyle.
Drinking
This also means, stop drinking every night. It might seem fun at the time, but alcohol kills your gains in so many ways. I am not saying don’t have fun just keep it in moderation. I am in college and I know the temptation to go out every night, but I don’t because I know my longer-term goal of having a cover model’s body. Some of my friends drink every night, and every other week or so, they keep asking me for advice on losing weight and being healthy. For the most part, they do the right things, and yet they continue drinking way too much.
This also stems from motivation; if they really wanted the body they keep asking me for help with, they would change their lifestyle to a healthier one. You have to want it enough, and then your lifestyle will change naturally. When you only want something a little bit, you won’t get it. Period.
Sleep
Sleeping is also a very important part of gaining muscle. You don’t build muscle in the gym, you build muscle when you are sleeping and resting. I know how busy we can all get, but you are going to want to sleep 7-8 hours a night in order for your muscles to make the gains you are looking for. Not only is sleep important for building muscle, it is very important for your overall health.
Again motivation comes into play. If you really want to pack on muscle, you are going to want to dedicate more time to sleep. You will be thankful you made the change, and your mirror should show you better results as well.
Changing is not something many of us like to do. Getting the proper nutrition, not drinking every night and sleeping more might seem like way too much do change at once. Make small steps towards making changes. Drink less and less, until you are only drinking once a week. Slowly start eating the right nutrients and calories until you have your proper nutrition down pat. Sleep 6 hours a night for a while then make time to add another hour until you reach 7-8 hours a night.
After a while, these changes won’t even seem out of place. You will just do what you know you should with out thinking about it. When your out of shape friends ask you to drink every night, you’ll decline. When you drive by all those fast food places you used to eat at, you won’t even want it anymore. When you sleep more, you’ll feel much better the next day, and you’ll know why.
A basic change in lifestyle is really just changing some current bad habits into much better habits. Eventually you will do the right things with out even thinking about it, and your body will thank you for it. Your friends and family will notice not only your muscle gains, but also your change in lifestyle. They might not like it right away, or think you are a health freak, but there will be a time when they realize you are achieving your goals and will live a healthier life because of it. Everyone matures at some point, and you can be the go-to-guy when your friends finally do.
Good luck on your muscle-building journey.