Mistake 1 - Using the wrong exercises 

Men typically want bigger arms and shoulders 💪

That’s the first thing they think about training when they go to the gym.

They chose what’s called single joint exercises that only work that one muscle. Makes sense doesn’t it. I want bigger arms so I do arm exercises. But you’re missing out on bigger arms doing this.

These are great at the end of the workout but really shouldn’t be used as the main bulk of a workout. 

Instead, men should be thinking about using what’s call compound exercises that use multiple joints. 

Exercises like bench press, pull-ups, rows, deadlifts, squats etc. all work many more muscles that doing a bicep curl. 

Muscles growth when they’re challenged and are force to make changes. If you’re not using those compound moves I mentioned above you’re missing out on a tonne of muscle growth.

Using compound moves means you:

Are able to lift more weight = muscle growth 

Stress the body more (producing growth hormone) = muscle growth 

Utilise many muscles every rep = muscle growth 

If you want bigger arms you have got to use compound lifts or your puny little flabby body will stay the same. Any upper body move you’re doing in the gym will be working your arms anyway.

• Bench press works the triceps as well as the pecs.

• Pull up work the biceps as well as the lats.

• Shoulder press works the triceps as well as the delts.

In fact using leg exercises can help build up those arms. What do you think is holding the bar in place when you perform these leg exercises?

Definitely use more isolated lifts for your muscles but only when you’ve performed those bigger lifts 🏋️

Mistake 2 - Forgetting how important sleep is

We should be sleeping for around a 3rd of the day. Many men sleep for around 6 hours which is far less than the recommended 7-9 hours per night.

Men tend to concentrate on getting enough protein and training hard but never think about sleep. 

The body doesn’t grow and change when we’re awake, it growths when we’re asleep 😴 Missing this vital piece of the muscle building puzzle will result in lesser results.

Once, you’re in what’s called, deep sleep, our body secretes growth hormone to help us repair the body and build muscle 💪

If you’re not sleeping long enough or getting good quality shuteye your gains will stagnant or be non-existent. You’ll also feel tired resulting in eating the wrong foods and not being able to train hard enough.

Mistake 3 - Spending too long in the gym

As humans we think more is better. Up to a point that could be argued but there’s only so much a body can take 😩

If you’re in your 40s and beyond its even less time than you think. 

A 20 year old may be able to train for 2 hours but someone older can’t.

It’s not just a physical, who has the time to spend that long in the gym? Most men have other commitments or actually don’t want to spend their life in the gym. 

If you’re in the gym more than about 45 minutes doing intense work you’ll find diminishing returns. You’re not Wolverine, so don’t train like you can recover from anything.

Keep workouts to no more than 60 minutes in total with a proper warm up and cooldown included in that time. That’s around 45 minutes of actually intense work. For some that may be too much so adjust accordingly. 

The main aim is to challenge the body and push it beyond what it’s done before, with just the right about of volume. Doing more doesn’t mean you’ll be gaining more 🫤

If you’re over 40 I promise if you drop the volume down to around 45 minutes of total workout time you’ll see better results. 

It’ll mean you can train more times per week, maintain the appropriate intensity and won’t feel banged up all the time 🤕

Mistake 4 - Thinking its all about protein 

The sports supplement industry was estimated to be worth $44.9 billion in 2022 and its growing yearly.

This means supplement companies have huge marketing budgets and have every clever 🤓 people working for them. 

They lead you to believe you need everything supplement under the sun to build the body your dreams. Using genetic freaks that live and breathe the gym who take enough testosterone to kill a bull 🐂 

A protein supplement is one of the most commonly sold products. I believe this is where the male obsession of protein comes from. 

Protein is an important food source to help build muscle but your body can only use so much in a day to be truly useful. 

Eating more than you need is both expensive 💰and slowing your progress.

Your body can use up to around 2g per kg of body weight for muscle building. If you’re 80kg that’s 160g of protein a day. 

Seems like a lot but when you look at protein sources from various foods it’s very easy to get enough each day.

Check out this list from the British Nutrition Foundation - Protein in Foods.

1-2 servings of protein each meal is more than enough to build muscle. Any more hasn’t shown to be beneficial for muscle growth and it’ll also save you a load of cash too.

Muscle building requires what’s called an anabolic state (not the steroid). This is a state where your body has enough energy to rebuild itself (aka muscle). 

Getting enough protein is key but only so much, you also need fats and carbs to get there.

If you’re not seeing changes it’s probably not getting enough protein but something else like I’ve mentioned in the rest of the article. 

Mistake 5 - Not eating enough good quality/quantity of food

Sports supplement companies as I’ve mention above will lead you to believe anything that makes them more money.

They’re constantly telling you their product is the key to muscle gain. This is far from the truth 🙄

For your body to change it needs ample carbs, fats and the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

To use protein to build muscle the body requires enough energy from carbs and fats along with it. Without a good amount of both your body will need to use protein for other means, aka convert it to energy.

To build muscle you need to consume more calories than your body needs. 

Aiming for 250-500 extra per day is a good figure to aim for. Once your protein is up to 2g/kg/body weight look to carbs and fats for those extra calories. 

It’s not just the quantity of food it’s also the quality of food 🥑🍅🥩

To unlock muscle building processes you need vitamins and minerals.

These vital organic and inorganic substances are found in more natural foods and are the keys to unlocking all manner of processes in the human body. Examples of these processes would be energy release, immune system, repair the body, build muscle etc. 💪

Without them you’re feel sluggish, not recover well and reduce your immune system, potentially becoming ill 🤒

You’re not a steroid taking bodybuilder who can dirty bulk you need good quality food everyday. 

Eating as much unprocessed/minimally processed foods will help not just in getting ample protein, carbs and fats, but also ensure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs to become more awesome 🦸‍♂️