Even after months or years of training, you look in the mirror and still don’t see any noticeable changes in your physique, which makes you utterly frustrated. You invest so much of your time, energy, money, and incredible effort and feel it’s all been in vain. I can help you identify some of the reasons why you’re not making any progress and steer you on the right path.
1. BAD NUTRITION HABITS
Proper diet is key when it comes to building quality muscle mass and reducing body fat levels. There’s no way you could eat junk food all the time and expect to make progress. That’s what most people are doing. You should strive to eat as much healthy food as possible, and the gains will eventually come. Training can’t reverse the effects of bad nutrition habits, regardless of what other people think. It can help somewhat but not nearly enough.
2. EXPECTING THAT THE BASIC COMPOUND LIFTS CAN DO MIRACLES
Lots of people expect that the deadlift or the squat have some magical properties that will help them turn into hulks overnight. The individuals that bench press every day, they are exercises like any other, and are certainly important, but so are accessory lifts (isolation). The big compound exercises are extremely useful and very powerful when used consistently, but they don’t have the power to turn you into a physique like in the magazines. You will need both.
3. TRAINING WITHOUT A PLAN OR REASON
The sole purpose of training is to put the body under enough stress so that it will respond by adapting to the stress via muscle growth and increase in strength. It’s a much better strategy to focus on doing a few things right instead of many things wrong. You should focus on doing a small number of lifts, which will give you the best bang for your buck, and do them regularly. Setting specific quantifiable goals like 30 consecutive push-ups or pull-ups, or pulling your bodyweight on the deadlift, helps tremendously.
4. NOT FOCUSING ENOUGH ON ACHIEVING LEANNESS
If you strive to look like you lift, you must always pay attention to your body fat levels and try to stay as lean as possible.
Having excess body fat may make you look bigger when wearing clothes, but you’ll immediately look quite average when you take them off. Being lean helps you get that shredded look and will make you look more aesthetic. And the way you do it is by ridding yourself of the extra fat.
SUMMARY
We’ve been brainwashed by the media, and supplement companies that we will turn into a bodybuilder or bikini model within weeks of entering the gym. It’s simply not going to happen. Considering all of this, you can still achieve an aesthetic physique, provided you follow a well-designed training program and keep your body fat levels in check.
For more information on specific training and nutrition, contact Cody. He is certified by the National Academy of Medicine as a Professional Fitness Instructor in Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Heart Variance, Nutrition, Neuromuscular Flexibility, Supplements and Mental/Behavior Performance. He incorporates techniques for concentration, focus, motivation, and ways to cope with anxiety. He has been featured in National Fitness Magazines and has spoken on several national Podcasts. Cody received his Master’s in Instruction, so has first-hand experience with differentiating personalized instruction, planning, and goal setting. He was named the 2022 and 2023 Siouxland Trainer of the Year. Cody trains out of the Four Seasons in Sioux City and North Sioux City.
