So, You've Hit a Fitness Plateau. Here's Why Your Muscles Have Stopped Growing and What to Do About It
When you dedicate a few months to a workout routine, the results come pretty consistently. Maybe you lose 2 pounds a week, your love handles slowly dissipate, and you start building muscle faster in your arms, shoulders, back, and legs.
Research suggests untrained athletes can see upwards of a five percent increase in muscle size after just a few months. After your first year of consistent training, the rapid increase in mass will most likely slow and you'll begin to ask yourself, "Why have my muscles stopped growing?"
A number of factors influence your body’s ability to grow bigger and thicker (if that's your goal). Your sleep, diet, fitness program, and even your state of mind all come into play.
Below, Jim White, personal trainer and registered dietitian, and Jay Cardiello, celebrity personal trainer, break down the top reasons your gains have slowed or stopped altogether.
Related: How to Build Muscle Faster If You Want to Transform Your Physique
10 Reasons Your Muscles Have Stopped Growing
1. You Skimp on Sleep
Marius Bugge
Plain and simple: If you’re not getting quality sleep each night, your muscles won't grow. “Lack of sleep increases your body's level of cortisol (a stress hormone), wreaks havoc on your body's human growth hormone, and inhibits your body from properly storing glycogen—all things that can have a negative impact on muscle growth,” Cardiello says. “Plus, if you're not sleeping, then you're not training at 100 percent and you’re not improving.”
The fix: Cardiello suggests aiming for seven and a half hours of shut-eye each evening. He also advises keeping stress levels low before hitting the sheets. That means shutting down all electronics at least 30 minutes before bed. If you typically have trouble dozing off, you might want to consider taking a hot bath or shower before bed.
2. You Don’t Eat Enough Protein
In case this hasn't already been jammed down your throat enough—protein is a building block of muscle. If you want to look more pumped, you need to pump up the protein. The reason: protein contains amino acids, the compounds that help build and repair muscle tissue. “If you don’t consume enough amino acids it can hinder your muscle growth,” warns White.
White suggests shooting for 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight each day. That means a 200-pound man should get between 109 and 154 grams daily. And remember, it doesn’t all have to come from things like chicken, fish, red meat, and eggs. Like their animal-based counterparts, quinoa and Ezekiel bread (to name just a few) are both sources of plant-based complete proteins, meaning they contain all eight amino acids your body needs to fuel muscles but can't produce on its own.
Related: How Much Protein Do You Need After a Workout?
3. You’re a Booze Man
Levi Brown
“It’s fine to enjoy a cold one every once in a while, but throwing back too many inhibits your body’s ability to help muscles recover,” says Cardiello. How? “When you drink alcohol, the body calls on antioxidants that are typically used for muscle growth to help metabolize the alcohol.”
If you want all your hard work to pay off, Cardiello suggests cutting out booze altogether. Not a stiff drink on occasion? Limit yourself to one evening of indulgence per week and follow each round with a glass of water to slow your pace and reduce the number of drinks you down throughout the evening. Better yet, cut yourself off after three drinks—beers, cocktails, or shots, it doesn't matter; three's the magic number. Simply knowing your drink limit ahead of time can help you stay on track with your goals.
4. You’re Doing Too Much Cardio
If you recently upped your weekly mileage or started taking a weekly spin class with your girlfriend (no judgment), that could be the reason you’re looking a little on the puny side. “While cardio is great for fat loss, if you do too much of it, it can put your body in a catabolic, or muscle-burning state,” warns White.
“If your goals are to increase size and strength, cardio workouts should not dominate your program,” says White. “HIIT workouts and easy cardio sessions can be slotted into your program, but your first priority should be fitting in three or four weight training days. If you don’t tend to get too sore between workouts, feel free to add in a cardio session here or there, but not at the expense of your recovery.”
Related: 10 Best Cardio Workouts for Weight Loss to Melt Body Fat
5. You’re Overtraining
Marius Bugge
Not only does overtraining up your risk of injury and workout boredom, but it can hinder your progress, too. “Many guys think the harder they go, the bigger the gains, and that’s not true,” Cardiello tells us. “If you're not taking time away from the gym, your body doesn’t have time to rebuild itself stronger and bigger than it was before. When I worked as a strength coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we always worked in rest days throughout the players training cycle.”
If you want to optimize your training and reduce the risk of injury, research suggests taking between 24 to 48 hours to rest between workouts (especially if you're training to failure. To avoid taking days off the gym, aim to train different muscle groups every other day to avoid overlap.
6. You Shun Carbs
With trendy diets like the low-carb diet and keto diet promising fat loss quick, it's hard to resist cutting out carbs on your journey to a better physique. And while research suggests there may be some truth to low carbs diest helping you shed lbs, it isn't optimal for muscle gain. It's important to remember that not all carbs are the enemy—keep complex, slow-digesting carbs in your diet plan (oatmeal, Ezekiel bread, whole grains, quinoa, beans, and fruit) to pack on muscle and avoid low energy levels.
“When you're low on carbs, you’re not giving your muscles the glycogen they need to hit the weights hard. This can affect muscle growth and make you feel weak,” explains White.
7. You’re Dehydrated
“When gaining muscle mass is the goal, it’s common for people to focus on ingesting carbs and proteins. But when it comes to water and adequate hydration, many guys leave their muscles out to dry,” says Cardiello. “Water is crucial for digestion so when you don’t get enough of it, it can negatively impact this process.” The result: Your muscles won’t be fed the nutrients they need to grow. “Plus when you’re not adequately hydrated, it’s more difficult to go all out at the gym, which can further impact your results.”
“Make sure you’re throwing back half of your body weight in ounces of water per day,” advises Cardiello. (That means a 200-pound guy should sip 100 ounces, or 12.5 cups of H20 daily.) “And if you're thirsty, you're dehydrated. So even if you’ve already hit your water quota, drink up.”
8. You Don’t Mix Things Up
Justin Steele
“Your muscles need to be worked at different angles, volumes, and intensities to remain challenged. Working the same muscles, in the same way, can limit your gains,” White says.
Whether you’re an intermediate lifter or more advanced, you’ll likely need to change up your program every six to eight weeks, says White. “If you notice that your strength or physical results are starting to plateau, it’s a good time to weave in some new exercises and mix up your rep and weight selections. To challenge yourself further, make sure to include exercises that focus on your areas of weakness, whether that be quad strength or flexibility.”
9. You’re Stressed Out 24/7
Andy Ryan
“Stress increases levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that increases appetite and fat storage. It also inhibits the use of glucose by the body’s cells,” explains Cardiello. This can cause muscle proteins to break down, inhibiting muscle growth, research shows.
Pinpoint the stressor in your life and squish it like a bug. “That might mean ditching a high drama girlfriend, asking your boss to decrease your workload, or enrolling in a yoga class,” suggests Cardiello. “Sipping rooibos tea can also help. It contains a flavonoid called Aspalathin, which has been shown to reduce stress hormones.”
10. You Only Train Trophy Muscles
If you only train what you can flaunt at the beach (i.e. biceps and abs) it won’t help you increase overall mass, warns White. “The legs and back are two of your biggest muscles. If you don’t train them, you’re not tapping into your full muscle growth potential. Plus, only training your trophy muscles can create injury-causing imbalances that could keep you out of the gym long term.”
Work all areas of your physique in equal amounts—and don’t forget to incorporate forward, backward, and lateral movements, and things like mobility training, says White.
Related: 20 Best Exercises for Every Muscle, According to Science
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