3 Bodybuilding Mistakes Slowing Down Your Muscle Gains

I absolutely love bodybuilding. I have learned so many life lessons from bodybuilding. One of the things I rarely mention is how it can teach you to be disciplined. The fact that you have to follow such a strict diet and workout plan, really tests you.

Especially when you are low on carbs and body fat, you get to learn a lot about yourself. It’s been awhile since I’ve competed in a bodybuilding show but I wanted to look back on everything and think of some of the things I’d do differently if I had to do it all over again.

What mistakes did I make that I wish I would have done differently? So what I decided to do is make a list of the top 3 mistakes I feel I’ve made and list them here. I know that MANY bodybuilders have also committed these evil crimes lol. So let’s check them out now.

Mistake #1: Consuming Acidic Foods

I am guilty as charged. Back in my teens and early 20’s, I wanted to be super ripped. Now that I’m a little older, I still want to be ripped but the focus is more on my health. Every day it seems like someone I know is being diagnosed with some sort of illness or disease. Once I noticed a lot of people getting sick, I began to do some research.

I realized that a majority of people in the Western World don’t consume enough fruits and veggies. When we don’t get enough fruits and veggies, there is a good chance our bodies can become acidic.

This means our bodies are breaking down.

Without getting too scientific, I wanted to give a quick list of foods that are either acidic or alkaline. Acidic foods can cause you to not produce as much muscle mass as you’d like while alkalized foods give the body lots of nutrients and helps build muscle faster.

List of Alkalized Foods

Foods such as pears, peaches, apples, bananas, grapes, beans, sweet potatoes, sun flower seeds, tomatoes, wheatgrass, zucchini, collard greens, coconut, cilantro, chives, celery, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower and many more.

List of Acidic Foods

Mainly fried foods such as french fries, chicken wings, hot dogs, potato chips, grains, dairy products, processed meats and soda.

So make sure to incorporate alkalizing foods in your daily diet for optimal health and ultimately more muscle building gains.

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Mistake #2: Not Doing Mobility Workouts

Back when I was hard core into bodybuilding, I never really focused on stretching or any dynamic movements. It was all your typical bodybuilding exercises such as biceps curls, bench press etc.

I remember when I first started training with a coach here in the Tampa Bay area that focused on kettlebell exercises, I found myself struggling to keep up. My body wasn’t used to these types of movements and I was getting sore in areas I didn’t know could be sore.

I really liked how the kettlebell workouts challenged me. Then I started doing some TRX workouts and realized how much of a total body workout you could get in very little time which is a huge bonus.

I am so used to working out 45-60 minutes per session. When I was only doing 15 minute workouts sessions, I felt like my entire body was burning in a good way. These workouts are all great for mobility and fat burning. You can always use this resource for over 100 ways to naturally boost your testosterone levels.

Mistake #3: Focusing Too Much on Workouts Instead of THIS…

I would always work out 6 days a week and only take 1 day a week off. However, I would also work 25 hours a week while in school. I would solely focus and base my results on how much I worked out.

However, I never took the time to rest like I should. I would sleep 6 hours a night. When I was in my late teens, it was easy. You have a lot more energy but looking back on what I used to do, I would have definitely slowed down a bit.

Resting is one of the most important things you can do. During rest and sleep is when our bodies recover. It’s when we can REBUILD the muscle we broke down at the gym and help the muscle come back stronger with new fibers. So that is one thing I would have done differently when I was bodybuilding.

Closing Words

So now that you’ve read my top 3 mistakes that most bodybuilders make, I encourage you to try and eat more alkalized foods, do more mobility movements in less time and get plenty of rest for optimal muscle recovery. I can only speak from my experience. It’s my hope that I can help someone with this information I just shared. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family on facebook if you found the information useful.