When a guy struggles to build muscle typically what are the reasons?

[RajBhardwaj]

I am 5'5 and I currently weight 65 kilos. I am consuming 200 grams of protein every day. I am gymming 5 days a week. I have spent hours and hours and hours on sites like this researching and have tried to put the theory into practice. I understand everything about muscle overload etc etc. I am currently working so hard in the gym, to the point where I physically cannot do more. I have built 0 muscle.

Where could I be going wrong? I am eating as much protein as has been recommended and by the end of a workout session I physically cannot do anymore. I currently spend one and half hour in the gym. 15 mins cardio + 15 mins stretches + one hour solid weights.

What else am I supposed to be doing???

[Filthmonger]

Probably working too hard and not eating enough.

Whats your routine?

[Jasonk282]

what program are you on, maintenance level of calories and what are your macros?

[RajBhardwaj]

what program are you on, maintenance level of calories and what are your macros?

I have absolutely no idea. I was given a plan by an instructor earlier in the year saying I needed to eat 160g of protein, 110g of carbs, 80g of fat, altogether 1800 calories a day. However since then I am eating closer to 200 g of protein. As for "what programme" I am on - I don't have a programme. Today I did push and pull i.e. shoulders and biceps. Yesterday I did chest. I alternate different muscles.

[Jasonk282]

I have absolutely no idea. I was given a plan by an instructor earlier in the year saying I needed to eat 160g of protein, 110g of carbs, 80g of fat, altogether 1800 calories a day. However since then I am eating closer to 200 g of protein. As for "what programme" I am on - I don't have a programme. Today I did push and pull i.e. shoulders and biceps. Yesterday I did chest. I alternate different muscles.

These are the reason you are struggling.

First...pick a program. I suggest Fierce 5 novice.
2nd, and more important, go to the nutrition forum and learn about nutrition, TDEE, macros, etc...

[m0nkeh24]

i couldnt imagine eating those numbers, need more carbs in my life lol

[CJ93UK]

i couldnt imagine eating those numbers, need more carbs in my life lol

Same man, bulking at 5.5-6k a day here, last time I cut was on 4k and I got so starving hungry just a few days in. Around 600-700 carbs a day as well, the good life.

OP, as has been suggested, get on a good routine, sort your diet with the help of the nutrition section, get plenty of rest/recovery/sleep, and that's it. It's not that hard, it's actually very simple, if you follow a good routine, eat enough, and sleep enough, you're 99% of the way there, everything else is just icing on the cake, but not enough to even compare to the necessity of these 3 key areas of training success.

[rdferguson]

I have absolutely no idea. I was given a plan by an instructor earlier in the year saying I needed to eat 160g of protein, 110g of carbs, 80g of fat, altogether 1800 calories a day. However since then I am eating closer to 200 g of protein. As for "what programme" I am on - I don't have a programme. Today I did push and pull i.e. shoulders and biceps. Yesterday I did chest. I alternate different muscles.

1,800kcal is what you would eat to build muscle if you were coming out of an eating disorder. Even most skinny women wanting to minimise fat gains would be recommended to eat more than that. You've got more than enough protein in your diet. You will need more calories to get you where you want to be. Add another 200kcal into your diet; if after 2 weeks you haven't gained 1lb, add another 200kcal; rinse and repeat until you're gaining about 1lb/2wk.

To answer your title question:
- Not enough energy consumption (this is more important than getting your macros right and having the perfect amount of protein, although the closer you can get to optimal protein, the better)
- Not enough overload
- Not enough recovery

There are also various individual factors. For example, when I first started training in a gym I weighed just shy of 100lb (serious), and this was after I'd already built about 10-20lb through bodyweight training. My starting point is so ridiculously skinny that for me to get to point where most guys start required years of work. Right now I weigh about the same as you do, and I'm not going to be getting dramatically more muscular any time soon. I'm at the stage where gaining a couple pounds of muscle in a year is a feat, because I was born to be a skinny bastard (would've made a great endurance athlete; pity I get bored easily). Genetics do impact your starting point, potential end point, and the path between the two. I don't like talking about genetics with these questions, because so many guys are too quick to cite genetics as the reason why they aren't getting the results they want, when most guys have normal genetics, and so can get normal results if they eat right and train appropriately. If your starting point was fairly normal, then you've probably got normal genetics and normal potential.

[ACSZZ1988]

You need to eat more bro. Figure out your tdee

[MassTransit]

7.5 hrs/ week on 1,800 cals./ day would bury me.

Eat more. Spend less time in the gym and when you go, lift heavier things.

[cardassian]

Yeah eat more, sleep more.
I eat more than you and I'm cutting bro.

[SuffolkPunch]

Eating more for sure - but working too hard? I don't believe so. Unless you are squandering all your energies on unproductive exercise which won't build muscle.

Trying to gain mass and lose fat at the same time is another reason (which is almost the same as not eating enough). If you want to gain muscle, you have to put up with short term fat gain.

[RajBhardwaj]

Sorry if this sounds dumb but how do I know if I am not lifting heavy enough? I currently lift weights so that it's tough and difficult and the last few reps are a killer. I am aim for 12-15 reps per set.

[SuffolkPunch]

Sorry if this sounds dumb but how do I know if I am not lifting heavy enough? I currently lift weights so that it's tough and difficult and the last few reps are a killer. I am aim for 12-15 reps per set.

It's actually a good question.

What matters is the total volume you do (reps x sets x weight per week) ... up to a point

Below a certain threshold a weight becomes very inefficient at building muscle and doesn't really contribute to total volume. This threshold is not well established but we have some reasonable rules of thumb. If you keep the weight you use somewhere between 60 and 85% of your 1RM (one rep maximum weight) then you should be fine.

You get fatigued during a workout so do your main compounds first with 70-80% of 1RM. Then move on to lesser compounds or isolations but still aim to never go below 60% - if you find you do then reduce reps or just curtail the total amount of volume.

Rep range is not as important as people think, you can get your volume with many sets of low reps just as easily as fewer sets of high reps.

Of course if you swing too far the other way (using a high % of 1RM) you will have trouble getting all your volume done and still being able to recover between workouts. It can also take a toll on your joints. But using anything from 5 to 15 reps should be fine in most circumstances.

[orca23554]

Sorry if this sounds dumb but how do I know if I am not lifting heavy enough? I currently lift weights so that it's tough and difficult and the last few reps are a killer. I am aim for 12-15 reps per set.

Always a good idea to benchmark your lifts based on your BW and your training experience http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLi...Standards.html

I know folks who think benching 120 lbs for reps = working hard. Needless to say it is unlikely that they will build much muscle with that mindset

[davisj3537]

Since you asked, the main reason for a lack of results for anyone is a lack of research. Research nutrition until you're blue in the face....then give programming a few dozen hours.

[pete89]

The protein and fat amounts are ok place to start, but yes add carbs in, A LOT more! and Lift heavy milk the basics and repeat