Build Lean Muscle - 3 Mistakes You’re Still Making

Enough is enough! It’s time to build some real muscle you say to yourself. I’m glad to hear it; however, most people make an endless number of errors in the gym that really hinder their gains. In this article we are going to cover 3 mistakes that you are still making – and what you can do instead.

Endless number of sets

This is a big one and I see almost everybody doing it. I will stroll into the gym all fired up, and I’ll see a few of the same faces. They’re breaking somewhat of a sweat and have probably been there for a while already. I go through my workout and in around 45 minutes I’m done, strictly business. I hop on the bike to do some cool-down or fat burning cardio and 15-20 minutes later… they’re still there.

Set after set, these people never seem to leave the gym. You know what, these people never seem to make any gains either. They’re doing the same reps, same sets and the same weight week in and week out. As you can probably tell this isn’t what you want to be doing.

Make your workout short and sweet, 30-60 minutes depending on the day, but no longer than one hour (not including cardio). All you’re in the gym to do is stimulate muscle growth - people tend to forget this.

I aim for 6-9 sets for isolated muscle groups like the biceps and 12-15 sets for large muscle groups like your legs.

Neglecting to stretch

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been guilty of this myself, but as I sit here typing during my week off (shoulders been sore, I wonder why…) it really occurred to me that I do not warm up enough. This is vital to staying safe and not injuring yourself.

Even though I have just overextended my shoulder and I will be good to go in a couple of days, it probably could have been avoided had I warmed up better. You always want to do a thorough warm up to get the blood flowing and your joints loosened up before intense weight training.

I recommend 5 minutes on the bike at a low speed as well as some lighter warm up sets of 15-20 reps of whatever exercise you’re about to do.

Not giving your body a chance to recover

This is a huge one, and most people’s lack of gains can be brought back to this. Your body repairs itself when you’re at home resting and sleeping. Not while you are at the gym hitting the weights (perhaps contrary to what you might believe).

For optimum recovery that will help you build lean muscle I recommend:

- Proper intake of protein carbohydrates and healthy fats.
- 8 hours of sleep a night minimum.
- At least 48 hours break before training a muscle group again.
- 15-20 minute power nap during the day if you have the time.

These tips will go a long way in helping you recover faster as well as build lean muscle.