6 Reasons You’re NOT Building Muscle (FIXED!)

If you’re not building muscle and are getting frustrated with your lack of muscle gains, then this is a video you need to watch. I’m going to show you the 6 reasons why you can’t build muscle and some tried and true muscle building tips that will help you to change your body once and for all.

It starts and ends with effort. I’m not going to say workout intensity because depending on what you are training for this can have a very different meaning. Effort however comes down to how much exertion you are willing to put forth in order to get a desired result from your workouts. For the purposes of building muscle we are talking about the amount of muscle growth you see from your training.

And it’s here that a lot of muscle building mistakes are made.

The first is when gym goers hide behind the science. As an advocate of training science it pains me to say this but it is true. Many beginners or those looking to simply not train hard enough, will point to things like RPE as a reason for leaving reps in the tank and staying away from harder effort. They will say that the volume will make up for the lack of training intensity over the long haul. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Too often, RPE isn’t even applied correctly. The beginner who lacks a true understanding of what max exertion even feels like is likely to stop much shorter from failure than is necessary to even cause a stimulus for change to occur.

Moving on, if you are wondering how to build muscle for skinny guys because you just can’t seem to add size to your frame then you have to be sure you’re not just training your favorite exercises. All too often, the guy who can’t build muscle simply repeats the exercises that he likes rather than the ones he should do. Favorite exercises are favorites because they feel comfortable and you enjoy them. Enjoyment really isn’t a prerequisite for training efficacy.

Thirdly, it is natural and necessary to feel nerves prior to executing at least some of the lifts in your workout sessions. For instance, if every time you step under a squat bar you feel no trepidation at all and totally confident that you’re going to make the rep you’re attempting, you are simply not training hard enough. Again, this isn’t applicable to particular phases in a strength program perhaps but it is a necessary requirement for those looking to make muscle gains and get bigger muscles.

Along with this anticipation of a demanding effort should come some ugly faces. Now I’m not talking at all about the normal face you walk around with, because I for sure have been cursed with a face that isn’t the prettiest to look at. But whatever you look like when not lifting, you should look a whole lot uglier when lifting. It is literally impossible to exert a high effort and look like you’re enjoying a walk in the park.

Finally when it comes to the effort needed to build muscle, especially when you are wondering how to build muscle fast, you need to assess how you feel when you leave the gym. Do you feel refreshed from your workout or accomplished. If you feel refreshed then you likely exercised and didn’t train. In order to make muscle gains you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. You need to be willing to take from your body what it was unwilling to give you on that day.

Then and only then can you make your best gains and build muscle the fastest.

For more videos on how to build muscle and how hard to train to build muscle the fastest, be sure to subscribe to our videos here on youtube via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.

[athleanx]

*NOTIFICATION SQUAD GIVEAWAY* - It’s back!! Alright guys, I’m giving away a complete 30 Day Workout program to 100 lucky clickers within the first hour this video is published! Remember, this is NOT THE FIRST 100, but those randomly selected within the first hour the video is published. Click the link to see if you’ve won. No strings attached! 

If you don’t win, no worries, you’re not going away empty handed. Just be sure you have your notifications turned on so you can get to my next video quickly and try again. Good luck and thanks for being a loyal subscriber…

[shadysouls]

You know this is serious when he has a shirt on

[zck]

"You should never stop when you're tired, you should stop when you're done!"
-Johhny Sins

[Ty-ubnc]

"Gotta get comfortable being uncomfortable."
Yes sir.

[cl]

I've gone literally years without building any muscle mass and finally determined it's because I don't work out.

[aidanosei]

i feel like i’ve been called to the principal’s office. 😔

[fhram]

Jeff: I want to have a conversation with you directly.
Me: how does he know that I internally rotated my shoulder.😟

[barty]

The whole point of this video:

TRAIN HARDER THAN LAST TIME

[VitalityFitnessScience]

I'm a Calisthenics trainer & so many ask me why they dont build muscle. They argue that they have the right diet, the right supplements and bla, and it is definitely important, but what is ALSO important is: to train HARD. They spend so much time preparing their damn shakes instead of simply workout out!
Training hard and going to the limits is NECESSARY for muscle growth, thats what many tend to forget.

[hacccccc]

"The ugly face"
Why you gotta do my boy Jesse like that.

[angelone]

"Be uncommon, amongst uncommon men" - David Goggins.

[edilebert]

1. Not putting enough effort; Not giving your 100%; Misinterpret RPE (Rate of perceived exertion).

2. Don't rely on your favourites, i.e., the easy ones

3. Absence of nerves; Nervous before a workout not because of the training, but nervous about the outcome. You should have nerves, because it means you care

4. Don't be ashamed, infact go for the ugly face. Train hard enough to get the ugly face.

5. Emphasize effort within the set. Stop when you are done, not when you're tired.

6. Emphasize effort within the workout. If you leave refreshed rather than feeling accomplished, then you've done it wrong. Exercise makes you feel refreshed, training makes you feel you've worn your ass off

[mosessoto]

Every time I train, I picture Jeff standing right beside me making sure I’m pushing my hardest for every rep and set.. That helps me push beyond my limits. Jeff you’re the best brother!💯💪👊

[thorgaming]

How many of u wanna thanks jeff because he's always been there to teach us new things and made us do better in the gym💪
#jeffislob

[edge]

"when you have taken from your body what it wasn't willing to give you in a workout then you likely trained hard enough."
Nice.

[grass.dihenia]

Honestly Jeff, this is one of your best videos. Resonated with me because I've been "exercising" and not "training". Going to hit the gym super hard next time. Thanks man

[kukuster]

It's amazing how much sometimes subjective assessments of "tired" "exhausted" are different from people to people.

[okanagansummers]

Good timing, I needed that "pep talk" - thanks for all you do Jeff

[maryseeker]

“When you’ve taken from your body what it wasn’t willing to give, you’re done.”
Excellent lessons here! Thank you!

[SaintHood]

Damn I needed to hear this. I have not been pushing hard enough in the gym.