💡 Quick Summary
If you're asking "Why am I not building muscle?", it almost always comes down to these five:
- You're not using progressive overload correctly
- You're not eating enough protein or calories
- You're not getting enough rest or recovery
- Your form or exercise selection is off
- You're not tracking your progress
We cover each below—plus how to fix them.
Lifting but not growing? If you're training hard but not seeing results, you might be making one or more critical mistakes. Muscle growth comes down to progressive overload, proper recovery, and the right nutrition.
1️⃣ You're Not Applying Progressive Overload
- If you're lifting the same weight for weeks, you're maintaining—not growing
- Increase weight, reps, or intensity every 1-2 weeks
- Learn the basics in this progressive overload guide or automate it with Volym’s Auto Progression
Track your lifts and aim for small increases every session.
2️⃣ You're Not Eating Enough Protein & Calories
- Aim for 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of body weight daily
- Surplus calories = muscle growth. If you're not gaining, eat more
- Good protein sources: chicken, eggs, beef, fish, shakes
Track your food intake for a week—you might not be eating as much as you think.
3️⃣ You're Not Recovering Properly
- Muscle grows when you rest, not when you train
- 7-9 hours of sleep per night is essential
- Take a Deload Week every 6-12 weeks to prevent burnout
Prioritize sleep, hydration, and rest days between heavy sessions.
4️⃣ Your Form & Exercise Selection Need Improvement
- Compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses) build the most muscle
- Poor form reduces muscle activation and increases injury risk
- Record your lifts to check form and fix weak points
Focus on proper technique before increasing weight.
5️⃣ You're Not Tracking Progress Correctly
- If you're not tracking weight, reps, and body changes, you’re guessing
- Use Track Your Progress to measure changes
- Strength & muscle take weeks to show—stay consistent
Volym makes this easy—use Workout History to track sets and reps, and Track Your Progress for your body metrics.
With proper training & diet, visible gains take 4-8 weeks. Strength increases can happen sooner.
Yes, a calorie surplus is ideal for maximizing muscle growth. Lean bulking avoids excessive fat gain.
It's possible, but much slower. Works best for beginners or overweight individuals.
Increase your calories, track your lifts, and ensure progressive overload.
Signs include persistent soreness, fatigue, stalled progress, and trouble sleeping.
You might be training hard but not training smart. The most common reasons are: not using progressive overload, not enough, poor recovery, or not tracking your performance. Fix those and results will follow.