Ever asked yourself that in spite of working hard and giving your max effort, you are not getting any results at the gym? These could be the 5 reasons that are stopping you from becoming what you want to be. Identify these habits and correct them, one by one.
1. You are sleep deprived
Sleeping is as important as the workout itself. You break your muscles at the gym and sleep to repair them back. A lack of sleep, or an insufficient one, will not repair your muscles to the full extent hence not making you grow. Sleep deprivation can also leave you lethargic, making next workout inefficient as well. Along with contributing to binge eating, make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Go to bed early; avoid cellphone, laptop or TV before bedtime and you will be one step closer to seeing results.
2. You do not prioritize nutrition
To grow, your body needs a constant supply of nutrition. But just having 3-4 meals a day won’t cut it. You have to focus on your macros and micros. You should set a goal of amount of protein, carbs and fats in your diet along with vitamins and minerals. Prioritize on having more proteins as they make up most of the muscle as well as helping you to lose weight. Make sure to take your required amount in a day. Your body needs this fuel to workout, as well as to grow bigger.
3. You don’t have enough variety
Almost all of us have exercises that we love doing. Bench press, squat, deadlift, yep, sign me up for that. But it is very important to learn that we have to mix it up. We have to use different kinds of exercises, which we may or may not like, but they surely help you grow. If you like running on a treadmill rather than cycling, it is about time that you give cycling a try. Keep surprising your body and never reach a plateau.
4. Your workout is not Intense enough
Your workout duration may be good, and you may feel “worked out” after it, but if your workout is always at a slow pace, you need to kick it up a notch. A 30 minute tread is equivalent to a 10 minute sprint. A low weight, high rep workout regime is good for endurance. But to really grow in strength and size, next time try doing about 6 reps with heavy weights.
5. You workout at a wrong time
Workout timing has a lot to do with the results. If you workout in the morning, that is best for you. You are well rested, full of energy which entails a better workout. Moreover, metabolism (the ability of your body to burn calories) is highest after a workout for at least 6 hours. This means you will be burning calories during the day. But if you workout at night, your body may be exhausted after a long day, hence, a not so efficient workout. Moreover, workout at night does increase your metabolism, but after that you will go to sleep (if you follow tip no. 1), which slows it back down hence, conserving the calories you could have burned.