For many guys, adding muscle to their frame is their top goal at the gym. Whether they are simply looking to bulk up a little or totally transform their figure, their primary objective is hitting the weights - hard.

After doing so, they likely start seeing results fairly quickly, especially if they have never really done a great deal of training beforehand.

To add to the situation, not only are their muscles getting bigger but fat seems to be falling off their body as well. Thrilled with their progress, their motivation remains high and they feel as though nothing will stop them.

Then progress halts.

What's happening here? They haven't changed anything; their workout is the same, they are eating the same foods, but they are no longer growing. For a number of guys, this marks the end of their quest to building muscle as they simply get frustrated at going to the gym without seeing results and drop out.

Understanding why this is occurring is your first step to getting your body back on the road to success.

"Newbie" Gains

What is described above would likely be classified as newbie gains. Since they are new to working out, their body is responding extremely favorably. This is actually quite common and should almost be expected in someone who is just beginning. It's also the reason why they are able to build muscle while simultaneously losing fat at the same. In the majority of the population, such an event would be very unlikely.

The problem with newbie gains is that they do end, usually just as fast as they started.

Keeping Success Going

So, then you are faced with what to do next. There are a few things to look at that could get you back on track.

• 1. Volume of your workout. Surprisingly enough, for many guys, they are actually doing too much work. When they finally stop and do slightly less, results start coming again. If you are in the gym any longer than 45 minutes to an hour 4 times a week, you may want to consider cutting back.
• 2. Volume of food eaten. Because you can't create muscle tissue out of nothing, it only stands to reason that you need to be eating more. Keep in mind too that as you grow, you'll have more mass to support and thus, your body will require more calories just to maintain itself. If you do not adjust your calorie intake upwards to accommodate this, what was once enough for you to gain on will now only be enough for you to maintain on.
• 3. Total Recuperation. Finally, the last important factor to consider is your total recuperation time. How stressed are you in the rest of your life? If you are constantly on the go or have a very demanding job, chances are that this could be causing problems. You must remember that you need some downtime every few days to really recharge your batteries, so even if you are getting enough time away from the gym, if you aren't fully relaxed at any point, you could still not be recovering enough to see growth.

So, if you're currently standing stagnant as far as increases on the scale are concerned, make sure you really stop and consider these factors. If any one of them is occurring, this could definitely be the cause of your problem.