12 Muscle Building Mistakes I REGRET Making {AVOID THESE!}

I am a lifetime, drug-free, natural bodybuilder. Back when I was bodybuilding, there wasn’t the internet, so we couldn’t research exercise, nutrition, and the science behind muscle building like we currently do. It was a lot of bro science, and a lot of mistakes were made. I want to talk about some of the biggest muscle-building mistakes that I regret making and probably some of you are still making.

Don’t make these muscle-building errors

1. Taking advice from the wrong person. What I mean by that is taking advice from somebody who isn’t playing the same game you are. They are enhanced, so you cannot judge their knowledge of fitness based on what they look like. Even if somebody looks good with their shirt off, that does not mean they know what they’re talking about. You need to find your Fitness Yoda, somebody on the same page as you.
2. Comparing yourself to others. I was constantly comparing myself to others who were bigger and leaner. The only person you should be judging yourself against is you. Make sure you’re monitoring your progress and measuring it on a consistent and systematic basis. Check your body fat percentage regularly.
3. Dirty bulking. Do not dirty bulk because muscle building is not about excess calories. Make sure you’re getting calories from quality protein and good carbohydrates and fats. Dirty bulking means your stuff in your face with crap food, which means your body fat will increase and be hard to get off when you’re ready to shred. Also, you’re not as muscular as you think you are.
4. Burning more than you’re consuming. For every pound of muscle, you need to consume 3,500 extra calories. So, to gain 1 lb of muscle, you need to be in excess of 500 calories per day to gain a pound of muscle per week. You need to combine this with proper working out and training.
5. Not consuming enough protein, good carbs, and healthy fats. (a) Consume high-quality protein from salmon, fish, bison, or chicken. There are so many fantastic lean, healthy protein sources. I also use high-quality protein shakes, specifically Orgain Organic Protein, which is clean, organic, and doesn’t contain soy. (b) Do not go very low carbohydrate because you won’t have the glycogen needed from eating complex carbohydrates like oatmeal or sweet potatoes. If you consume good carbohydrates, you’ll get the pump. By carbing up, your muscles will explode, and you’ll look great. (c) You need omega-3, 6, and 9 (healthy fats) when working out.
6. Working out too much. I used to go to the gym and do 50 sets for chess, 50 sets for biceps, and so forth. I was working out too much and beating up my muscles too hard. You cannot base your success on muscle soreness, so don’t think soreness is an indicator of a good workout. I used to think if I wasn’t sore, it was a waste of time. The truth is that your lactic acid threshold will adjust and modify based on what you’re doing. Progressive overload is systematically increasing the weight and muscle breakdown. Make sure you have a program focused on progressive overload and that you’re not changing things up too much.
7. Changing things up too much. I used to think that I had to change up every workout to keep my muscles guessing. It doesn’t matter. Sure, change things up every once in a while, but you don’t need to be doing all sorts of different crazy and nutty exercises that you see online. By keeping consistent with your routine, you know how you’re progressing. The ability to do heavier sets is an indicator of progress.
8. Neglecting the big three lifts. You need to focus on squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. By focusing on the big three fundamentals, you will build overall size and strength. Doing the heavy lifts will recruit your body to produce more testosterone by challenging your body and rewarding it.
9. Not focusing on mobility. You need to stretch and ensure a good range of motion, essential for longevity and health.
10. Thinking cardio will ruin your gains. Muscles will not evaporate like snowflakes; however, you can maximize your muscle gain by doing cardio after lifting. Also, the cardio does not have to be super intense. If you do cardio first thing, you’ll rob your body of glucose, calories, and glycogen that is needed.
11. Not getting enough rest. Get enough sleep so your body can heal, rest, and recover. Sleep is a critical component of looking good and making sure that your body can build lean muscle.
12. Not being consistent. You need to be consistent with all of these aspects to build muscle and stay lean.