Have you been working out for a few weeks, maybe a couple months and stopped seeing notable progress? Despite pushing yourself in the gym to get those last few reps and that extra mile on the treadmill, you don’t see the results you want to.

It’s a strange paradox to be in, because you’re working out with the same intensity and motivation but there’s nothing to show for it. It’s a form of hitting the wall but it’s not in the traditional sense. It’s not fatigue that is stopping you, it’s a combination of multiple things. But since you’re a beginner, your base of knowledge isn’t so varied and strong. So you can get stuck in a rut, not knowing what the solutions to your problems could be. You could start a new workout routine, maybe increase one area of your current routine, or possibly just change the time of day you workout. But the problem still runs deeper and these things might not help at all.

You need proper technique

Is your desire to have a more defined upper body? Knowing the exercises to do to achieve this isn’t difficult. You already know the names for arm workouts such as tricep extensions, dips, diamond pushups, bicep curls, bench press, 21s, hammer curls etc. However the tricky part is knowing the proper form when doing them. For example, if you have curled wrists while doing bicep curls, you’re putting some of the weight of the barbell or dumbbell on your wrists and forearms. Therefore, you’re not isolating the bicep and thus not getting an accurate and consistent pressure on the muscle. You can learn proper technique in a number of ways.

First of all, you’ll need to lower the weight and make each movement slow and controlled. By doing this alone you can focus on what you’re doing. More pressure will be applied over time, thanks to this kind of approach. Focus on your mind to muscle connection. This isn’t some kind of zen mental state, it’s purely focussing on the feelings of fatigue, stretching, pressure, extension and contraction in the muscle. Watch experienced bodybuilders on YouTube and study their posture and technique.

Stop ego lifting

You’re not alone if you think you’re the only one who wants to get quick results. You might have been out of shape for a long period of time and now, you want to make a lot of progress in a short space of time. This might lead men to thinking they can lift with their ego, and go heavy at the gym. Experienced lifters and professional athletes will tell you that you need to leave your ego at the door when you walk into the gym. Don’t be afraid to life lighter than everybody else around you. At some point, the other guys around you were at your stage in their physical state. Everybody begins small and works their way up to where they want to be.

You should never be embarrassed to ask for help or receive professional help. Maybe for you, you don’t want to be seen in the gym getting helped by a personal trainer. Instead you can use an online personal trainer like Andy Griffiths who uses online video chatting to communicate with clients. Speak to him about your goals, where you think you’ve been going wrong and the wall of the progress you have hit. He will draw you up a schedule and workouts you need to focus on as well as show you proper technique. Clients report back to him on a daily or weekly basis depending on their wishes. It’s a great service you can use while on the go as well, so any last minute tips you need can be discussed.

Limiting your progress

After all the tough workouts in the gym, you can blow your efforts by what you put into your mouth. Your diet needs to coincide with the effort you put into the gym. If you’re looking to lose weight while gaining muscle mass, a low-carb high-protein ketogenic diet is the best choice. Alcohol will harm any progress you make in the gym, as will smoking. Other limiting factors will be a lack of enough sleep, i.e. 8 hours and not having a good sleeping routine.

Working out is far more complex than we give it credit for. There are countless ways in which you we feel like we’re doing the right thing but the small details that are lacking, prevent us from achieving our goals.