How to build muscle by sticking to a program
Words from the wise…
Whatever your interests, access to enough information is probably the smallest obstacle to taking action these days. There are countless articles on how to build muscle, training and nutrition, but there is also plenty of rubbish among that vast amount of information. It is hard to give clear-cut advice on whom to listen to, what to read or what to believe. There is no single rule for finding your way through this maze of writing. Still, if you are passionate about training and eager to learn, I would confidently recommend interviews with nutrition specialists or respected strength training gurus. You can almost always pick up a valuable new insight or a useful practical tip from these interviews.
In this article, I want to share a small part of a conversation with Jason Ferruggia. I particularly like his answer to this question:
“When people are trying to increase their muscle mass (build muscle), what are the biggest mistakes they make in pursuing that goal, and are these mostly related to training or nutrition?”
Jason Ferruggia:
It is hard to say whether the most common mistake comes down to training or nutrition. But if I had to single something out, I would say that training is more often where people undermine their muscle building efforts. No matter how perfect your nutrition is, you will not make progress if your training is off track. I am not going to list every possible mistake. I will focus on the most common one.
This is especially widespread now, in an age when information is everywhere. People struggle to stay committed and consistent, and they lack faith in what they are doing. To a large extent, it is understandable why. There is so much information out there that it is hard to decide whom or what to believe. People interested in training, including those who train themselves, are confused. As they read different sources, they constantly look for something even better, more effective and more beneficial. They might follow their chosen program for 1 – 2 weeks at best, then read an article about an interesting approach, abandon the plan they started and jump to a new program. A couple of weeks later, they “realize” that this new approach is not “quite right” either and decide to try a “third” option. And so it goes…
If you keep changing your plan and switching training programs, how can you possibly make progress (move forward/develop)? You cannot! It really is that simple. If you do not believe in what you are doing, you will never succeed. This is a universal principle that applies to everything in life, in every field. Training is no exception. You need to keep this in mind—assuming, of course, that you want to improve and move forward. You could follow the most backward program “in the world”, but if you train really hard, sincerely believe in what you are doing and stay consistent, you will see results.
Choose an approach, program, system or training split and stick to it consistently, believe in it and give your best in your workouts. Do that and, believe me, you will not be disappointed with the results.
The conversation comes from here.
Translator’s note: I agree with everything he says. Having information available is good, but it also makes decisions and choices harder. Everyone praises their own approach, everyone promises results, and every program or system is supposedly the best. This is a major problem today. I also think Ferruggia’s answer is missing one important qualification. Switching training programs and jumping from one plan to another is certainly not a problem for complete beginners. It is more of an issue for people who already know a thing or two and have “got a taste for it”. What is more, I believe that even those at the very top are familiar with this kind of “program hopping”. I admit that even now, I still struggle to find the right approach to continue with, or to stick with for a while as I monitor my progress. There really is a tantalizing amount of promising training information out there. And at times, it even bothers me!
But if I had to identify the main obstacle to progress, I would say it is more likely to be nutrition. Even people who seem to train at a very high level often know very little about nutrition and its importance. That is all the more true of beginners. In fact, the question asked in the interview is provocative in a way. Ultimately, it is impossible to pinpoint a single main problem. But the issue Jason raises in his answer is clearly a problem for many people who train, and it holds back their progress.
Author: Janar Rückenberg (translation)
Come and work out! ArtGym
