You're not eating enough – one of the main causes of not being able to build muscle is not eating enough and more importantly, not eating enough of the right food. Everyone bangs on about the importance of protein, but carbs and fats are just as important when it comes to growing muscle.
You aren't lifting heavy enough.
In the resistance training context, hypertrophy occurs when skeletal muscle tissue enlarges, because the resistance stimulus increases the size of the muscle's component cells. Achieving hypertrophy puts you in a muscle-building state, but you won't get there by lifting light weights.
Muscle atrophy can occur due to malnutrition, age, genetics, a lack of physical activity or certain medical conditions. Disuse (physiologic) atrophy occurs when you don't use your muscles enough. Neurogenic atrophy occurs due to nerve problems or diseases.
One possible reason your muscle is not growing could be that your training is more geared toward improving your strength vs hypertrophy (i.e. muscle growth). You want to fully activate your whole muscle to maximize growth. The last 5 or so reps performed in a set is where this happens.
A loaded barbell isn't the only path to building muscle. According to a new study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, you don't have to lift super heavy in order to boost strength and gain muscle. As long as you go to failure, it doesn't matter how much weight you lift.
The simple answer: No. Many people (especially females) are afraid that if they lift weights, they will get bulky (gain a lot of muscle mass), which inevitably changes their physique into what they may view as undesirable. Weight training does one thing very reliably: it makes you stronger.
It's down to progressive overload – the principle of gradually increasing the demand that you put on your body in order for it to adapt. That means adding a couple of extra reps or a little extra weight every so often to continuously challenge your body.
You'll know if you've increased your muscle mass when you notice you can lift heavier weight, with more reps. Continue to push yourself with additional reps, added weight and longer sets to keep your body working to it's best.
After three months, you'll start to see more of a significant improvement in strength and endurance along with a noticeable improvement in resting heart rate, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and other health indicators.
You Don't Have Enough Training Volume
The more volume in your training (more sets and reps) the greater the hypertrophy response you will get (up to a point of course). If you like to stick to powerlifting specific programming this may very well be the reason you aren't seeing much progress in terms of muscle growth.
Generally, exercises with higher reps are used to improve muscular endurance, while higher weights with fewer reps are used to increase muscle size and strength.
Lifting heavy weights builds muscle, but constantly upping the weight exhausts the body. The nervous system must also adjust to the new fiber activation in the muscles. Lifting lighter weights with more reps gives the muscle tissue and nervous system a chance to recover while also building endurance.
Strength training
You need to be hitting the weights at least three days per week. The research says that at the very least, training a minimum of two days per week is needed to maximize muscle growth.
Reps for muscle growth
In order to get bigger and stronger, you must ensure your muscles work harder than they are used to. Generally, between 6-12 reps for 3-6 sets will help to build overall muscle size.
In general, for a pure strength-building goal, you'll want to reach five to eight reps before you increase your weight. For hypertrophy (building muscle size) aim for 12 to 15 reps.
Sets of anywhere from 4–40 reps will stimulate muscle growth quite well, but most research shows that doing 6–20 reps per set is the most efficient way to build muscle. Bodybuilders often use the middle of that range, favouring 8–12 reps per set.
Lifting weights requires more supervision and instruction for maximum benefit and avoidance of injuries than cardio exercise. Using weights alone without cardio, you will most likely develop bulk instead of a toned and streamlined body.
The simplest answer would be when you notice that you can do more reps with the weight that you started with! Say for example you were doing 10 reps of bicep curls, using 10 LB dumbbells; and now you can comfortably do 12 reps for multiple workouts; test yourself by increasing the weight by 2-5 LBS.
Part of the reason for skinny, but strong is the number of reps. Too many—12 or more, improves endurance, not bulk. Too few, three reps or fewer, gives you power and strength but not muscle growth. Not working to metabolic fatigue will keep you strong but skinny, too.
You'll Notice Muscle Gains From Lifting Weights In About 3 Months. After your first weightlifting session, you may notice that your muscles seem a little bigger. But they're not bigger. Blood and inflammation are simply making them look bigger.
Downtime between workouts (whether you're lifting, doing cardio or training for a sport) is when our bodies have a chance to actually build muscle. Strenuous workouts cause muscle breakdown, while rest allows our bodies to build it back up.
How Long Beginner Gains Last For and How Much Can You Gain From Them. There is no exact formula or answer to how long the newbie gains kick lasts. However, there is a general consensus among professionals that the newbie gains period tends to last somewhere between 6 and 12 months after starting lifting.
Within three to six months, an individual can see a 25 to 100% improvement in their muscular fitness – provided a regular resistance program is followed. Most of the early gains in strength are the result of the neuromuscular connections learning how to produce movement.