Make sure you eat enough!

Not eating enough is one of the most common mistakes people make in their attempts to gain muscle. Lifting weights without eating enough (especially protein) may actually cause muscle loss.

Exercise damages muscle fibres. This is called exercise-induced muscular damage (EIMD). Your body will not have enough fuel to repair muscles if you don’t eat enough.

You must have a surplus of calories to build muscle. This means you need to consume more calories per day than you use. This might sound counterintuitive if you are also trying to lose some weight, but the right food is what will fuel your training and recover properly. If you eat fewer calories than what you burn, your body will use fat and muscle to generate energy. This is counter-intuitive.

The key is to consume a diet that’s rich in carbs and proteins. This will not only provide your body with the energy to finish the workout, but it will also help it rebuild stronger and bigger muscles. Foods that have a high thermic impact can help to boost your metabolism. For advice from a Personal Trainer Cheltenham, visit //insidesweat.com/pages/personal-training

Quality Over Quantity

Overtraining is a common mistake that people make when trying to gain muscle. It’s easy to do and you won’t even realise it. Remember when we talked about your body healing damaged muscle fibres? This happens when you relax.

It may seem good to do eight sessions of hard work a week, but if you don’t give yourself enough time to recover, you will not get stronger.

It is best to set yourself a realistic target and stick to it. Get in the gym for three quality sessions a week, and make sure you eat well.