{"id":141506,"date":"2025-09-14T01:43:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T01:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/141506\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T01:43:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T01:43:13","slug":"not-seeing-results-in-the-gym-this-3-step-pt-approved-method-builds-muscle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/141506\/","title":{"rendered":"Not seeing results in the gym? This 3-step, PT-approved method builds muscle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let us first reassure you that everyone experiences periods of extremely slow \u2013 or seemingly no \u2013 progress when training for muscle growth<\/a>. Despite what the magazine headlines of our youth might have had us believe, it takes a lot of time \u2013 more than you might think \u2013 to build significant muscle. We hope this is empowering to hear, because it\u2019s completely normal for your desired results to take a while to materialise, especially as you become more advanced as a lifter.<\/p>\n

That said, if your programme isn\u2019t based around the principle of progressive overload<\/a>, you may plateau. \u2018When it comes to strength training<\/a>, the main focus needs to be on progression,\u2019 explains PT Andy Vincent<\/a>. \u2018That means load, the weight you lift, volume, reps, these all need to increase.\u2019 But this doesn\u2019t mean you need to be increasing the load or repetitions every single session. \u2018If you\u2019re training for 12 to 16 weeks at a time, you\u2019d expect to see the load and reps performed go up across that time course. As long as you\u2019re progressing and training most of the time, you can be fairly safe in saying you\u2019re building some muscle.\u2019<\/p>\n

So, how do you escape a plateau when you\u2019ve gone weeks without seeing any results? Vincent recently shared his fail-safe, three-step protocol for getting back on track when you\u2019re struggling to progress.
<\/p>\n

What to Read Next3 tips to build muscle when you aren\u2019t making progress at the gym1. Follow a structured plan, and stick with it for at least 12 weeks<\/p>\n

\u2018It blows my mind when I glance around the weights room, most people aren\u2019t writing down their weights and reps,\u2019 Vincent writes in his Instagram post caption. \u2018On top of that, it seems like the majority walk in without a plan at all.\u2019<\/p>\n

He’s right. A plan sets the foundations for your training, and ensures you reach your desired outcome as safely and efficiently as possible \u2013 it\u2019s the number one most important thing when attempting to achieve a goal, according to Vincent. \u2018It doesn\u2019t even matter if it\u2019s not perfect. Just have a plan, write it out, and stick to it.\u2019<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no right or wrong way where programme duration is concerned, Vincent says, although he recommends a minimum of 12 weeks. \u2018Fine, if you want to make a few changes at the six-week stage because you\u2019re a little bored with some parts, but do not bounce around your workout<\/a>.\u2019 Random training, they say, breeds random results. <\/p>\n

Work with a personal trainer \u2013 if you can \u2013 who can devise a personalised programme for you. Similarly, use a fitness app and follow a training plan. The key here is consistency.<\/p>\n

2. Track your loads and reps in every session<\/p>\n

Instead of scrolling on your phone during rest periods, Vincent recommends updating your training log (or if you don\u2019t already have one, creating one). \u2018Make notes about what you\u2019re doing gives yourself half a chance of progressing,\u2019 he says. He advises jotting down your loads and reps for every exercise<\/a>, in every session. This will give you a wealth of knowledge on your progression, or lack thereof.<\/p>\n

\u2018For example, if I went up in load, I might write down that my technique broke down on the second or third-to-last rep,\u2019 Vincent says. \u2018I need to know that so next week I can look out for the same issue. It\u2019s impossible to remember week-to-week what you\u2019re doing, so a little extra detail can go a long way.\u2019<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re unsure where to start, he suggests answering the following questions:<\/p>\n

\u2022 What did I do last week? <\/p>\n

\u2022 How hard was it? <\/p>\n

\u2022 Could I go heavier? <\/p>\n

\u2022 Could I add a few reps?<\/p>\n

\u2022 Or was it so heavy and so hard that I actually needed to repeat it, just trying to master the technique?<\/p>\n

\u2018This is strength training 101,\u2019 Vincent says. \u2018Without progressive overload, you\u2019re never going to achieve anything in the gym.\u2019<\/p>\n

3. Stay patient<\/p>\n

Unsexy though it may sound, there aren\u2019t any secrets to speedy success. \u2018Muscle is built and strength is gained over months and years, not days and weeks. Don\u2019t try to rush the process,\u2019 says Vincent. \u2018Anyone online talking about 12-week transformations is, at least in part, lying. No one, and I mean no one, is building any decent amount of muscle mass in that time frame. So make peace with the fact that every single goal in the gym takes time. Put your mind at ease by focusing on the right things.\u2019<\/p>\n

Another thing that might illicit an eye-roll, depending on how enjoyable you find your training programme, is that it\u2019s really important to stick to the same \u2013 or, at least, very similar \u2013 exercises throughout the duration of your plan. \u2018Far too often people jump from one workout<\/a> to the next, changing things around every four weeks,\u2019 Vincent says. \u2018With that, it\u2019s very hard to even gauge progression, because it might take you one to four weeks just to get the load selection and reps performed to the point where the workout is actually hard enough.\u2019 If you change your workouts too frequently, he says, you never really get a chance to feel what progression is like.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re on track to achieving results, your workouts should be really quite hard, close to your limit. Although this might not feel particularly pleasant all the time, it\u2019s good for growth. \u2018You want to reach the point that most of your exercises are close to your absolute maximum,\u2019 Vincent says. \u2018This means you\u2019re working at a high level of effort, and every small incremental increase from there is the kind of stimulus that is very effective for building new muscle and strength.<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

\u2018The keys to training are consistency and progression, but that progression has to happen at a high level of effort. If you\u2019re progressing while training is still easy, that\u2019s not the kind of progression that matters. What we care about is progression when it\u2019s hard. This single piece of information can completely revolutionise your training and your results.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let us first reassure you that everyone experiences periods of extremely slow \u2013 or seemingly no \u2013 progress…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":141507,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,2386,96472,430,538,137,429,96471,96470],"class_list":{"0":"post-141506","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-content-type-feature","11":"tag-contentid-9580b9ba-54c8-4e3f-9f67-1981d016ee8a","12":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-health","15":"tag-locale-gb","16":"tag-pt-approved-method-builds-muscle","17":"tag-shorttitle-this-3-step"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141506"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141506\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}