Are you weight training regularly and not getting the results you’d like? Some people have a harder time building lean body mass than others. A person with a mesomorph body type will build muscle more easily than an ectomorph who’s challenged to put on any kind of mass. Even if you’re a hard-gainer, you can overcome genetics to some degree with the right diet and training. If you’re having trouble building lean body mass, here are the three common reasons why.
Cortisol is Working against Your Goal of Building Lean Body Mass
Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Cortisol makes it more difficult to build lean body mass. It’s a catabolic hormone that puts a brake on muscle protein synthesis. That’s why it’s important to keep cortisol levels in check. One thing that can raise cortisol levels is too much moderate-intensity cardio. When you work out at a moderate pace for an hour or more, glycogen levels drop and cortisol levels rise. When this happens, muscle tissue is cannibalized and converted to glucose by the liver. That’s not a good thing for your biceps. If you’re having problems building lean body mass, reduce the length of your cardio workout, and do shorter higher intensity cardio sessions of about 40 minutes or less. Think high-intensity interval training.
Other things that can raise cortisol levels and thwart your efforts to build lean muscle are stress and too little sleep. If you’re a night owl who gets less than 7 hours of sleep a night, it’s time to change your habits. Research shows that getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night is linked with a greater risk of mortality. Overtraining can wreak havoc on your cortisol level too. Be aware of signs that you’re overdoing it like fatigue, muscle aches and an elevated heart rate in the morning. Give yourself at least one day off a week and vary the intensity of your workout. Don’t do an intense interval or circuit workout every day, and don’t strength train the same muscles more than every 48 hours. Your muscles need time to recover and rebuild – and so do you.
You’re Skimping on Calories and Macronutrients
Some people want to build muscle and shed fat at the same time, so they strength train and restrict calories. To develop lean muscle you need enough protein and calories to send your body into an anabolic state. If you have too much body fat, emphasize high-intensity cardio and circuit training first to lose some of the fat and then increase your calorie intake slightly and focus on heavier lifting to build lean body mass. Get at least a gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, and you may need as much as 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, depending upon the intensity of your training. You won’t build muscle on a 1,000 calorie veggie and salad diet.
You’re Not Lifting Hard Enough
To build lean body mass, you have to break down muscle fibers. Until recently, the emphasis has been on lifting a weight that’s 80% to 90% of one-rep max, a weight that most people can lift only eight to ten times. Recently, a new study showed you can build muscle with lighter weights, in the range of 30 to 40% of your one-rep max, if you lift that weight until your muscle is completely fatigued. A muscle is fatigued if you’re unable to do another repetition with good form. The key to building muscle is lifting until you can’t do another rep without compromising form. If you’re not challenging your muscles, you’re not building lean body mass. Still, a rep range that you can only do about 10 reps is best for muscle building.
The Bottom Line?
If you’re a “hard gainer,” keep these factors in mind. Don’t sabotage muscle gains by doing too much cardio, underfeeding yourself and not challenging your muscles sufficiently.
References:
Phys.org. “Building muscle doesn’t require lifting heavy weights: study”
On Fitness. May/June 2012, page 50.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Can Cortisol Sabotage Your Muscle Growth?
Does Meal Frequency Have an Impact on Body Composition?
How Do You Know if You’re Gaining Muscle When You Strength Train?
Muscle Building: How Do You Know if You’re Working Hard Enough?
Is It Harder to Build Muscle When You Have More Body Fat?
Can Consuming Protein after a Workout Help You Build More Muscle?
Can High-Volume, Low-Intensity Weight Training Build Muscle Mass?
Related Cathe Friedrich Workout DVDs:
STS Strength 90 Day Workout Program
All of Cathe’s Strength & Toning Workout DVDs
Total Body Workouts
Lower Body Workouts
Upper Body Workouts