The #1 Reason Your Muscles Aren’t Growing

Here comes the solution!

3 min

By Natascha Klemm
April 13, 2022

Why trust us?

Is strength training already an integral part of your daily routine, but your muscle growth is lacking or stagnant? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many athletes feel the same way. We know it can be frustrating when you’re trying your hardest in the gym and still not seeing the results you want. That’s why we’re going to tell you the #1 reason why your muscles aren’t growing and help you change it so your hard workouts finally pay off.

Need support on your fitness journey? Our Creatine Powder* can boost your performance in the gym, making them your perfect training partner for intense workouts.

The reason why your muscles do not grow despite training

Ready? Here’s why you’re powering through at the gym but your muscles aren’t responding yet:

Your lifestyle doesn’t match your training.

If you’ve already tweaked everything in your strength training (intensity, variation, effective stimulus, workout planning), it’s time to look outside the gym for the problem. It’s not only your training itself that plays a decisive role for your success and your muscle growth. Your entire lifestyle and all the little choices you make in your everyday life are critical to whether and how quickly you achieve your athletic goals. We’re going to reveal the most common mistakes that slow down gym-goers.

#1 You eat too little

A conscious diet is important for your training success, as you know. But conscious nutrition is often associated with a reduced calorie intake, and that’s not the point — at least not if muscle growth is your goal. Your muscles need enough energy to grow, so eating big enough meals is all the more important. And even though we’re the biggest fans of a high-protein snack like a post-workout bar, it’s still not enough. Take time to cook after your workout or prepare your meal beforehand. Working out in the morning? How about enjoying some delicious post-workout overnight oats with an extra serving of protein that you prepared the night before?

#2 You don’t pay attention to nutrients

So you’ve already calculated your calorie needs and made sure you eat enough? Great! But are you choosing the right foods? Of course, you can always cover your calorie needs with chocolate and chips, who wouldn’t like that? Junk food won’t, though, bring you closer to muscle growth. After strength training, your muscles will be happy about a creamy Whey Protein Shake** and a fresh meal that provides you with both protein and carbohydrates to fill up on new energy. Does the thought of rice and chicken bore you to tears? Try something more colorful! How about a vegan protein flammkuchen with mango and curry?

#3 You don’t take time to regenerate

Your muscles don’t grow during training, but during recovery periods. This means, for one thing, that you should give yourself workout-free days. On these days, instead of your intense workout, you can go for a walk or have a gentle yoga session. You can start your wellness routine right after your strength training session by taking time for a quick cool down, unwinding with your fascia roller, and enjoying our Recovery Aminos. Secondly, it’s important that you get enough and, most importantly, restful sleep. A regular evening routine can help you with this.

#4 You drink alcohol

While we’re on the subject: Regeneration doesn’t mean spending the evening on the couch with a bottle of wine, even if we sometimes wish it did. Alcohol triggers stress in your body and diverts nutrient supply from your muscles, which you want to avoid at all costs for your muscle growth. So go for non-alcoholic alternatives, such as our Raspberry Mojito.

Read more about alcohol and muscle building here.

#5 Mindset and motivation

Building muscle takes time, so you need one thing above all else: patience. We know it’s not always easy to stay on track, and there’s nothing wrong with making exceptions to your routines every now and then. The most important thing is to consistently focus on your goal and stay on the ball. Don’t overwhelm yourself, take some pressure off yourself, and give your fitness journey time.

#6 You are chronically stressed

If you’re permanently stressed, your levels of the stress hormone cortisol are constantly elevated. Cortisol ensures that you have enough energy for challenging situations, but it prevents your muscles from getting enough nutrients. It also inhibits your testosterone, which plays an important role in your muscle growth. Want to learn more? We explain in detail everything you need to know about stress and muscle building.

More things to know from foodspring:

*Creatine increases physical performance during successive short-duration, high-intensity exertion. A daily intake of 3g creatine can achieve these positive effects.

**Proteins contribute to an increase in muscle mass.

Sources for this article

We at foodspring use only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.