If your progress has stalled, it’s usually not about a “secret” exercise. These seven basics are the usual suspects.
- Not eating enough: muscle gain needs a small calorie surplus.
- Too little protein: aim for 1.6–2.2 g per kg per day.
- No progressive overload: if the numbers never go up, nothing is forcing growth.
- Poor sleep: under 7 hours hurts recovery and training quality.
- Program-hopping: changing plans every two weeks resets progress.
- Training too easy (or too hard): finish sets 1–3 reps shy of failure.
- Inconsistent attendance: missing sessions adds up quickly.
What to do next
Pick one issue, fix it for 4–6 weeks and watch your numbers. Tracking food and workouts for just two weeks can reveal where the gap is.