Why You Don’t Look Like You Work Out

In coaching over a thousand people in more than a dozen years, we’ve identified the 10 Reasons You’re Working Out, But Don’t Look Like It.

Number 3 on the list is one of the most common culprits:

You’re working out to burn calories, not to build muscle.

If one of your goals is to change the way your body looks, exercising to burn calories is a dead end

A better use of your time in the gym is building muscle.

Muscle size is what gives your body shape, tone, and an athletic look that snaps necks.

That’s why spin classes, boot camps, and HIIT workouts on YouTube or apps never improve your physique.

And no, I’m not talking about getting YUGE.

Understanding this truth is half the battle.

The other half is knowing what makes your muscles grow and what doesn’t.

Here are the 3 ingredients for cooking up muscle growth:

1 - Progressive, challenging resistance training in low-rep sets (I’ll explain)

“Progressive” means the program adapts and adds resistance gradually over time. No progression = no progress.

“Challenging” means that you are putting in a really hard effort and not just going through the motions.

“Low-rep sets” means that you get to the point where you can’t do much more when you hit between 5 and 15 reps per set, not when you get to 20 or 30. “High rep sets” build muscular endurance, not size.

This is where many people get off track.

2 - Adequate Protein & Calories

Once your training is dialed in, you’ve got to give your body the fuel it needs to change your physique.

Protein and calories are the primary levers for progress.

Ladies should aim for 100-150 grams of protein per day, and men need between 150 and 200.

For context, 2 eggs have about 12 grams of protein, a glass of milk has 13, and a chicken breast has about 30 grams.

How about calories?

If you have a significant amount of body fat to lose, you need to get into a calorie deficit.

You can set your calorie deficit with our free tool:

If you’re weight is pretty good, but you look soft and squishy, you don’t need to cut calories; things will just get worse.

Focus on protein, eat more “real” food, and eat plenty of healthy carbs to fuel your lifting.

3 - Recover Like It Matters

Once your muscles have been worked hard, they need to recover. That’s actually when they grow.

Recovery might seem complicated or intimidating, but 99% of your muscle-building recovery routine should be:

• Prioritizing 7+ hours of sleep so you get the hormonal benefits associated with zzzzz’s

• Taking 2-3 rest days away from the weights

It really can be that simple.

Changing your physique isn’t rocket surgery, but it does require intentionality.

If you stop training to “burn calories,” start pushing yourself with progressive resistance, eat enough protein, and recover like you mean it… your body will have no choice but to change.

That’s how you go from “working out” to actually looking like you work out.

We see it with our clients every day.

Be sure to check the next article to learn about some supplements that can help.

Until then… Lift heavy, and be nice.

Jonathan

P.S. If you want the whole list of the “10 Reasons You’re Working Out But Don’t Look Like It”, click the button below.