Why can’t I build muscle despite working out?

When I first started working out I just followed the latest Mens Health advice (pre-internet age!) along with some exercises I saw others doing.

There was some growth but nothing beach worthy or ego enriching.

In any case, I assumed what I was doing was right.

It wasn’t until I overhead a conversation in the gym that a light bulb moment occurred.

“Building muscle is actually quite easy if you think about it…after your workout, just make sure you eat more than you burn and allow your body to rest & recover”.

That’s what I was missing!

It wasn’t the workouts. It was everything that happened afterwards - the diet and recovery.

After tracking my calories and prioritising sleep, there was a remarkable improvement in strength and size within a a few months.

This is what I learned during the process:

• Caloric Surplus. Even if you’re doing all the right exercises, you will not build muscle if you’re not consuming enough calories (the opposite is true if you want to shed some weight). When I started tracking my caloric intake, I was surprised at how much more I needed to eat to exceed my target. Maybe this will be the same for you.

• Recovery. The final ingredient and arguably the most important. If you don’t let your muscles (and body) recover then it will not be able to adapt to the stimulus your workout has provided. I found I could complete workouts with greater intensity when well rested and this ultimately creates a positive feedback loop for muscle growth.

The formula for hypertrophy is simple.

Exercise + Caloric Surplus + Recovery = Built Muscle.

Each part of this equation will need equal attention if you want to guarantee muscle growth.